38 Weeks

So Isla is doing well still, she's just fine baking away in my tummy! Micah is going crazy with all this waiting, he wants to snuggle, kiss, hold, and love her all day long. We're 11 days away from my due date and just doing the same old thing.

Micah put the carseat and stroller in the car, mostly because they were taking up room in our apartment. But sad news, the jogging stroller doesn't fit in the trunk!! Micah even tried to put the seats down in the backseat and get it through there, no luck. Micah told me that that was one of the downfalls of jogging strollers that he was reading on reviews, so it's our fault for not hauling the stroller with us when we went looking for a car!

My belly is measuring 42 1/2 inches now! It's crazy to think that I have a little baby in there. Even crazier is that we got to hold a newborn last week and I kept thinking, "This is inside me?!" aaahhhh!

But we'll see if I have progressed any this Wednesday at my doctor appointment. If not she's ok to stay in there (Mommy says so) I have to get ahead of school work, homework, and the dreaded organizing of our Summer/Fall/Winter clothes!

Car•KISS•Promotion

We've had a busy couple of days! I feel like when people tell me to get as much sleep as possible before baby Isla comes it seems I do the complete opposite! Yes I'm tired. But I'm having a blast with Micah these last couple days/weeks until baby shows up that I don't care anymore!

After some crazy calls between the car dealership and the lienholder (insert sigh of frustration through the process...) we finalized our new purchase, a 2010 Chevy Malibu!

After some discussion of our cash flow budget Micah and I decided that if we could find as many ways as possible to cut our expenses before baby comes then we should do it. So we traded in the jetta because it was coming up to 65,000 miles and would lose another couple grand in value, and there was no warranty. We wanted a car with a warranty.

We love the car and since it's American made it's cheaper on insurance. We have also sold the Mazda and Micah's AMAZING parents are letting us borrow an extra vehicle they have until we can pay for the Toyota FJ, and get it running :) So we basically got rid of a car payment, and saved on insurance, woo-hoo!

Last night our great friends Abby and Dewey got some tickets to the KISS concert here in Salt Lake. It was so much fun to hang out with them, and even though I only knew a handful of their songs it was fun to get out! Micah was in heaven :) Dewey and him were satisfied with hearing "Doctor Love" we left shortly afterwards and got some yummy dessert!

So we can now say Isla has been to her first "concert". Abby and I were cracking up over how old the KISS members were with their chest hair, and "moobs" ha ha. But beside that they really were entertaining, nothing too crazy or gross.

Last but not least...Micah got a promotion!!! He is going to be a Commercial Lines Underwriter for the Idaho territory. I'm so excited for him, he's such a hard worker, and his company just loves him! He's ecstatic because he feels like he knows Personal Lines well and wants to learn the Commercial side.

Oh, and we'll still be here in Utah, his company branch in Draper extends to the Idaho territories. So Isla will get to be by family!!

We just feel so blessed and grateful right now. So thanks to our families for all their prayers and help!! We LOVE you!

3 years

I know everyone says it, but I have to say it too...TIME FLIES BY FAST! Can it really be three years since we were married?!

I can still remember waking up at 6:00 a.m. that morning, Jeff (Micah's bro-in-law) dropping me off to get my hair and makeup done, which I blame my hairstyle on being sooo tired because I had stayed up most of the night chatting with two of my BFF's, Laura and Kiersten, not that it was a horrible hairstyle, it was beautiful, but I should have let it hang down, or half up half down, I was just too tired to really care that morning!

Micah came to get me and we were off to the temple! It was surreal driving there, we chatted about every day things and were in great moods, joking around like usual. It really hadn't hit us that we were going to become a family that lasts forever that morning. But we don't get sentimental about that stuff, it's just not our style ;)

Then time sped up as we went through the temple, raced to get dressed and get ready for pictures. Onto the fabulous and yummy luncheon at the Lion House, then we got a little break between then and the reception...during this break a really funny story...

****WARNING, this may be TMI FOR SOME EYES****

We were to be staying at the Anniversary Inn, Swiss Family Robinson room, yes the bed was up in a tree, and yes the shower was a waterfall. We were laughing our tooshies off. After a nice little break....micah decided he wanted to soak in the tub/waterfall shower. I just decided to sit on the side and wade my feet in it, because we still had the reception so I couldn't ruin my hair and makeup.

Micah sees a button, "Oooh, a button!" presses said button.

Now you all now about jetted tubs, the water line has to be past the jets, well it wasn't just yet. So when he pushed the button the water came shooting out like water guns....RIGHT AT MY FACE AND HAIR!!!

My makeup and bobby pins were in a different location at this moment. I tried to do the best I could to repair the damage. Micah is laughing his head off, literally rolling on the ground trying to catch his breathe. I kept shooting him glaring eyes every chance I could get.

Of course I ended up laughing too. That whole night it was a inside joke between the two of us, he would give me a glance and a wink and I knew what he was thinking about....my surprised and outraged face as the stream of two water jets hit me head-on.

But this funny story pretty much made my wedding day a fabulous/great/fantastic one. It was just Micah and I and we still reminisce about it.

****END OF STORY****

The rest of the day was spent laughing, and seeing old friends at the reception. I hope the food was great, Micah and I didn't get a chance to eat it, but we heard that it was pretty good ;) We used some of our wedding cash to buy us some Burger King on the way to the Inn that night.

Then we were off to our honeymoon the next day, a cruise to the Mexican Riviera. It was so fun, who knew I could have so much fun with one person for 7 whole days. But Micah is one amazing, fun person. I love him.

Now we're ready to get this baby out and start making some fun memories with her! Micah couldn't be happier, he is so excited to have a football watching buddy this season, and I couldn't be more happier than to allow her to be that buddy.

So what are we going to do tonight?? A daddy-daughter dance of course! Seriously though. I'm a activities day leader for the 10 year olds, and the dance was scheduled for last Friday, but then it was changed to today. Thinking that it was fine I said that day would work out just fine (I know I'm a horrible wife).

Then my partner called this morning saying that she has the stomach flu and couldn't make it. So I sat there thinking "What am I going to do?!?!" luckily Micah is a good sport and he's going to come with me to help serve the ICE CREAM SUNDAES - who in the heck would do ice cream sundaes with little girls in their pretty dresses?!? obviously our leader/director does - so that's we're we'll be tonight. But we'll hurry and escape to go grab some dinner somewhere, and laugh at our memorable 3rd year anniversary.

P.S. Micah got me the sweetest gift, a new addition to my charm bracelet - it's a "mama butterfly" with a "baby butterfly" for becoming a new mommy here soon. Aaaawwww he's so thoughtful!!!

37 Weeks!

*From Jacque's Blog

37 Weeks

We're considered "full term" this week! I've been pretty lucky with an "easy pregnancy" so far--all I can complain about it is the mild heartburn at night.

I had an appt this morning to check the normal things (sugar content, weight gain, blood pressure, baby heartbeat) everything is looking great still. We're down to the 1 week appts now - which means that we're counting down days, instead of months--scary!! It went by fast.

The Doc also checked to see if I'm dilated at all --nope --Baby Isla is a good listener already, she's doing the exact opposite with being up, and causing me the shortness of breathe feeling (We told her to stay in the tummy because Micah was gone this week)

I also get to go get a flu shot right after work today--which there is a surprisingly big debate with the pregnant world. My doctor encourages it because babies have to be 6 months old to get the flu shot, and if I am breast feeding she can get both the immunity and antibiotics. Plus I am prone to get the flu every Fall season--I haven't had the shot in 4 years, whoops.

Baby Weight Estimate: 6 1/3 lbs
Weight Gain: 27 lbs
Belly Measurement: 41.5 inches

PET PEEVES OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME:

"I'm sorry hun, she just doesn't look she's going to drop anytime soon."

"You don't need to smuggle a watermelon to a picnic..." (ok, this one was funny too)

"At least the weight hasn't gone to your face yet"

"Looks like your hips are widening"

"Don't get too anxious for baby, or else she could come early and have complications"

"You're still working?"

"Get all the rest you can get now, because once she's here you'll never get a peaceful day"

Who knows why people say things to pregnant women. My philosophy is every pregnancy is different, so what was true for somebody else's pregnancy could be total opposite for another. Pregnancy is an amazing thing so why ruin it by saying something unnecessary to the expectant couple?? Oh well I guess people have no filter.

FAVORITE THINGS PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME:

"You are the cutest pregnant lady I've ever seen!"

"You can still wear high heels? Jealous. I had to stop because my feet swelled up too big at 6 months!"

"You have that whole glowing thing people talk about with pregnancy"

"She'll be a beautiful one with two good looking parents"

Most people are really nice, but when they aren't it just really "frosts my rockets"! They can ruin a good day fast with horror stories. So just a friendly reminder that NO pregnant person wants to hear about complications, be told they look like they have swollen feet, or that they're carrying twins.

School is Funny

"Back to School, Back to School..." -Billy Madison

I always wondered why we take math somedays. The only person I know who uses geometry for their job is my dad. But I haven't come across a person who needs the quadratic formula, or period of a pendulum yet.

But here I sit studying for the test on Wednesday, filling my brain with useless formulas, tricks, and steps to get through my Business Calculus class. The problem is the last math class that I actually did was Math 1050 my senior year of high school. Great.

So let's see if you guys can remember some basic algebra!

Simplify.

1. 6y²(2y³)²

2. 2x²(x³)

Solutions:

1. 24y^8

2. 2x^5

Remember that when you have a common term "x" that you add the exponents, not multiply them.

Factor:

1. x² - 5x + 6

2. x² - x - 20

Solutions:

1. (x - 3)(x - 2)

2. (x + 4)(x - 5)

Remember how you look at the last number, think to yourself what 2 numbers can multiply to that, and add to equal the middle number?

So that's pretty much what I'm going through with basic algebra. Well atleast TRYING to remember it all, but in my case I'm re-learning everything all over again. Bummer.

Atleast my other 2 classes are really easy going. I don't have to go to any testing centers for those, and I can work ahead on my management class (woo hoo!) Then when next semester rolls around I can do full-term of school! I have been part-time for the last couple years - and it's been dragging on. But I can finally just knock all the classes out with Spring semester and Summer semester.

Yeah, yeah, yeah all you mom's right now are thinking "You'll never have time now that you'll have a baby" But the thing is I have a husband who gets off of work at 4:30 (Night classes are 5:30 and on) and is determined to have me graduate, even if it means pushing me out the door while he's holding Isla in one hand and a bottle in the other, staying up late to help with homework (oh wait...he already does that...) nagging me if I did my homework, driving me to the testing centers, and proof reads all my papers.

So it's really like Micah didn't graduate just yet. He wants to make sure that his name is on my diploma as well, right beneath mine in tiny little writing. Which I'm fine with, he's pretty much taken all my classes that I'm going through right now. I'll get all the help I can!

On another note, Micah left this morning to Michigan. Should I be nervous that he will be teaching at a CSR (Customer Service Representative) Convention that has about 500+ women - compared to 10 men - for 3 whole days?!

Nah...those women have nothing on me and baby Isla!! ha ha!

Isla's First Talk

Dear Baby I -

The time is coming that you will soon be here. You're cradle is waiting, clothes washed, diapers are getting stocked up, and the carseat is going to be in the car. But first, we have to go over something important. Your daddy is leaving to Michigan all next week for work, and I know that it's still 2 1/2 weeks away from your due date at that time, but under no circumstances are you to make an appearance yet.

You'll be here soon enough, so just make sure to stay and bake in my tummy. If I have to stand upside down and rest in bed all next week I'll do it! I'll even take you being a few days over the due date just to ensure Daddy being here! (yes, I'm that willing!)

We're excited to meet you, but make sure that Daddy is here when you decide to come because I don't think I can handle him not being there holding my hand and whispering that he loves me. And we all know that he would be heartbroken not being able to see you right away, and being stuck in airplanes not being able to get here faster.

Thank you for understanding.

Love,

Mommy

Operation Coyote Rescue

The Coyote

A long time ago in the fall of 1973 a young man purchased a Toyota Landcruiser FJ-40. This was introduced as the "Go Anywhere, Do Anything" vehicle. In an effort to do just that he went up a steep hill. He lost control and on the way down eventually rolled his new vehicle having only put 1800 miles on it.

My grandpa more commonly known as Stuke helped run U&S Motors in Cedar City Utah. Hearing of the accident he found where the wrecked truck was. He acquired the Toyota through a salvage sale and began to work. He eventually fixed the FJ and it began a new life, deer hunting, helping the Lion's Club and exploring all over southern Utah.

His daughters were very fond of this as well. Gaye drove this all around Central Utah while teaching at Millard High school.

Grandpa said there was a problem though, whenever my Aunt Mar got close to it the doors would fly off even if she just drove for a few blocks to the high school (I think I'll have the same problem).


Well the Coyote had a famous career and each of us Platt Kids learned to drive in it. Camie, Brittany, and Me. I was too young to work the clutch, but I would sit on my dad's lap as he worked the gears as I tried to keep us from driving over a juniper tree on the old mining road.

Well a long time passed and the coyote was no longer ours. It was sold to one of Grandpa's neighbors, Bud Garfield. He and his son loved it and worked on it and kept it in great condition. He in fact bought another FJ and installed a new hardtop and spruced it up a bit.


Bud owned it for almost ten years and I missed the coyote all those years. Time came and went, I served a mission in Mexico, lived in New Jersey and California, sold a jeep bought another one ended up selling that one too. Got married, moved to Salt Lake, got a big boy job and found out we were expecting our first baby. HI ISLA I HOPE YOU READ THIS STORY SOME DAY CAUSE I'M SURE YOU'LL BE DRIVING IT TOO ONE DAY!!!!
I go the idea after all of this to call up Bud and see if he still had the Toy. He said he did and that he had too many projects so it was just sitting in a field out at his horse property. My dad checked it out and said it would be worth buying as it was in great shape and only has 30,000 original miles.

So after some haggling over price we decided to buy it for a slight profit over what he had gotten it from Stuke almost 10 years ago. More than a generous deal!!!

So finally we set off on a day that will live in infamy. The day the COYOTE gets rescued.

My mom came along for the trip She's helping to finance it for me, and we had a great chat on our drive. You never get tired of mommy time no matter how old you are.So with title in hand and a trailer behind the red truck. We went to break the Coyote out of jail.

There were killer attack goats that we had to negotiate with.
Then hidden behind a sheep camp trailer there it was in all its glory!!!!!

Face time with the free Coyote.

With Bud helping me steer I used a hand winch to pull the Toy up onto the trailer.
That's Bud behind the toy, nicest guy in the world.

It took three full rounds with the winch moving ten feet at a time to get it all loaded up. Yeah I broke a sweat!

Finally up on the trailer we had the Coyote back in the family.


Mom and me with the Coyote a little different color but no worse for wear. Both grinning from ear to ear. I hadn't been this giddy for years.

And thus ends the tail of the lost Coyote. I think back about the path it took and probably the necessary round about way it had to come back into our lives. If I would have had this in High School I wouldn't have loved it like I do now. I don't know if I had owned it before the mission if it would have "Waited" for me. If I had it when I was first married I probably would have sold it for something more stylish. If I would have owned this when we first found out we were pregnant I would have sold it for something baby safe.

At the end of the day this is the right time and the right place.

I want to say thank you to everyone that made this happen. Thank you Bud so much for still having the Yota and loving it almost as much as I do. Thank you Mom and Dad for helping track this down and financing it for me. Thank you my Sisters for loving this as much as I did growing up and pushing me to find it. Thank you Aunt Mar for not loosing the doors to the Toy.

BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST THANK YOU SO MUCH MY SWEET BABY FOR INDULGING ME, LETTING US SELL OUR CARS AND GET YOU SOMETHING BABY SAFE, LETTING ME TAKE TIME TO GO TO CEDAR TO PICK IT UP, AND MOSTLY FOR KNOWING THAT I AM AND WILL FOREVER BE THE FIVE YEAR OLD LITTLE KID SITTING ON DAD'S LAP DRIVING THROUGH THE JUNIPERS.



Welcome Home Coyote!!!

Sushi Night & Belly Pic

Who loves sushi?

Who doesn't love the price of sushi?!

Well we have some great friends (The Steadmans) that have all the equipment, and know some great fish places here in SLC. So we did a Kung-Fu-Samurai-Sushi-Night and we made our own!

Here's Micah rolling some sushi after Dan (in the red) showed him the technique. Micah got it down quick, and was making some yummy, and some interesting, sushi rolls!

Here's some of our ending sushi rolls. There was 3 of us couples, each couple paid $20 and we were stuffed full of sushi! I was in heaven...Some might gag at the thought of raw fish. But I l.o.v.e. sushi

I've been horrible at taking pictures lately. But here's the other couple, and Dan's wife below. They all have little girls already, so we decided we could hang out with them since they're pros at raising cute princesses. We'll need all the tips, and advice we can get!

And finally the belly pic:

We're 35 weeks today!

Baby Weight: 5 1/4 lbs

I've gained: 25 lbs

Belly Measurement: 40 inches

Heartburn: At nights

Swollen feet: Not yet

Sleeping: Not that well

Excited: Heck YES!!!