Confessions of a Viking Wife: October 2014

I'd like to wish my brother a Happy Birthday, hope it's filled with lots of cake and good times!

Brrr it's cold and rainy here in Colorado today. Thermostat says 39F so not quite cold enough for snow, but cold enough to stay inside! I am making a couple different soups today, perfect weather for it. Also, starting to food prep for when baby is born. So stocking up my freezer when I can. On baby business had my check up on Friday, the little Viking is measuring right on track 28 weeks and still has a ferocious little heart beat. I passed my glucose test and we are all set to start taking baby classes on Monday. I am officially in my third trimester so here goes the home stretch! Arni can not only now feel him from placing his hand on my belly, but we can see him kicking and moving and my stomach looks like it is about to go all Alien on me. Weirdest. Thing. Ever.

The cooler weather is making me in such a mood for the holidays, AND skiing. I am so bummed I won't be out there on opening day, but hoping to get at least a few days in after baby. I'm on the hunt for some snow shoes so I can at least do that while I am pregnant. We got our furnace fixed which is amazing because now I am not getting frost bite at night! We STILL need to get firewood and I don't know when we will have time before the snow comes in. Arni is taking yet another class at Stanford which takes up almost all of his free time and next weekend we will be in Denver. This winter prep business is a lot of work, I just hope we get the essentials completed before the snow hits hard. I'm also getting to the point where I cannot do as much as I could before, so there's that.

Not much else to report about right now, but stay tuned for much craziness to come! I've attached some recent photos and some from Clay and Ashley's wedding last weekend.

Fall is very pretty in the mountains

In typical Hugi fashion, cracking a joke right before the picture was taken

The newlyweds

the most handsome groomsman

Very pretty view from the bridal party house in Glenwood Springs

7 months pregnant

I love when they snuggle together

So the last of our visitors, Beth, left last week. We had a lovely time with her and she got some
AH-MAZING weather for her trip! I drove my in-laws back to Denver the same Friday Beth arrived. We timed flights that way since it is a big deal driving to the airport from where I live now. Friday night we got a hotel and went to a fancy dinner and then to see the Symphony in Denver, Beethoven's symphony #9. Beth used to play cello and is a huge musical theater buff so this was right up her ally. On Saturday we went to my favorite, Cracker Barrel for breakfast and then made the trip back to Steamboat a road trip, stopping along the way to take pictures of the beautiful aspens and then a pit stop at Murdoch's for some horse supplies. We had a nice time showing Beth around and she enjoyed the Rockies as this was her first visit ever to Colorado. She also cooked up a slew of goodies for us before she left as a nice gesture and to help me out, as I get fatigued pretty quickly now days and cooking hasn't been a priority. She took the shuttle back last week and Arni and I are enjoying our alone time again, that is before baby arrives then we will be a family of three!

No rest for the weary though as we are continuing to prep for winter. We love living here on the farm but it is a lot of work! My FIL was nice enough to service our snow blowers while they were visiting, so they are up and working, that's one less thing to do. I prepped a couple stalls and winterized them, I found two hanging water heaters, luckily, so I don't have to buy those. I still have to winterize the chicken coop and set up their water heater and there are a couple of the well pipes that need to be re-insulated so they don't freeze. Arni wants to build a covered hay rack for the pasture so the hay doesn't get trampled on and soaked with snow. We also need to go out to the national forest and chop down some trees for fire wood. We have some, but I am sure not enough for the entire winter. Oh the list goes on and on! To top it all off it snowed yesterday and we have been soooo cold in the house because the furnace broke! Gah! So we have to get someone out to fix that as well asap. If we didn't both have full time jobs all these things would be easy to do, but we have to chip little at a time away after work each day. If my blogging is a little light you will know why!

I am on call at the hospital for Thanksgiving, so our friends Nina and Paul have offered to come and cook for us, bringing the turkey and all! This is opening weekend at the ski resort and they want to come ski that weekend so what better trade off than cooking a meal for lodging ;) I am going to make a few sides the day before and cross my fingers I am not called in so I can enjoy the parade and maybe play a few board games. I have to work on black Friday too, which kind of sucks, I thought by working Thanksgiving they would at least give me the next day off... no such luck. This is the worst part about being a nurse, you are caring for other people and sacrificing time spent with your own family, and the hospital doesn't close for a Holiday. I am off the rest of the weekend though which will be nice. I plan on relaxing and watching lots of movies!!

This is a long blog but it seems I have much to talk about today! Arni and I start birthing classes in a couple weeks and continue to prepare for the arrival of our son. There is so much to do, so much I need! I'm not sure what I should buy, or wait to buy to see if anyone is generous enough to get us things. I did make a registry at Babys R Us and tried to poll my momma friends to see what I actually need and what is a waste of time. I think I have a decent list of necessities, and we did purchase already a few of the big items like a crib. I only have 3 months of being pregnant left! It is amazing how fast it has gone by. I don't know if I should be celebrating or grieving. On one hand I am so excited to meet him and kiss his little face and be his Momma but I am also scared of course: 1. well duh the whole birthing process 2. pain 3. how much our lives will change 4. hoping I will be a good mom. I also am a little sad that I won't have him with me all the time. Right now he is all mine and I get to feel him inside me and talk with him and I don't have to share him with anyone! I'll tell anyone pregnancy has been way harder than I ever thought it would be and I totally call BS on anyone who says its the most wonderful time of their life, BUT the one thing I actually enjoy about being pregnant is his little movements. They make me smile every time I feel them. Ok enough of that mushy stuff, here's what you are really here for, pictures!