Before we're parents:

We've been going on lots of walks to get Belle here. We bring Tannin sometimes so she can enjoy the nice weather.

 We even take time to let Tannin explore (and Kelsey catch her breath):

 We walked the temple quarry trail and tried to find some mountain goats and birds with our monocular:

I worked my last week at Rocky Mountain MS Clinic before Belle comes:

My last day was a busy Friday 3/17

And because Belle is so long she's been up in my right rib causing all sorts of nerve pain so I have to keep pushing her away from the area. Taylor thought of a way to make my belly brace do the work for me with a strap and rolled up sock so I didn't have to constantly be pushing her down.

I learned to make a bib and burp cloth from Michelle:

And we had to take a picture of our last weekend as not parents:

38 weeks + 5 days

We enjoyed going to the movie theater to see the new Beauty and the Beast (not why we named our daughter Belle FYI) and going out to eat since we won't be doing that for a while. We also had to make sure to get some shakes at Sonic since that helps my  pregnancy heartburn ;)

 And Parker and Lorien are down from Colorado on Spring Break so we've had fun hanging out with them!

Next family picture will be of Taylor and I going to the hospital to get Belle here!

February Activities

Little Tan Tan is 3 years old! We've been enjoying the warming weather by taking her for walks around the neighborhood. She likes hanging out in Dad's sweater.

And we've been wanting to feed her a horn worm for a while but every time we go to buy one they've been dead. Luckily, we went to the store right when they got a shipment so we were able to get a healthy, live one!  They're huge and really pretty colored.

Because Tannin had never seen or eaten one, we didn't know what to expect when we put it in her cage. She looked at it once and nature took over because it was chewed and swallowed in 3 seconds...Haha!

What's this?

Stalk mode!

Grab!

Chew once!

Chew twice!

Swallow!

 And then she expected more, but it was quite a lot of money for just one so little Tannin will have to wait for Thanksgiving.

She thinks that abusive.

Taylor has been practicing a horn concerto by Strauss:  Horn Concerto No. 1, Movement 3

He performed it for the Annual Utah Philharmonic Concerto Competition.

 I learned how to make icing flowers from Michelle for a Drake cousin's bridal shower.

And I've been having fun

learning more about pastel chalk art and practicing.

Taylor has crocheted a few headbands and baby mittens for Belle

 We've been slowly preparing to have Belle come home by setting everything up and washing her clothes:

Valentine's Day celebration was done late and we just went out to lunch together since I have a hard time standing and walking for extended periods.

Taylor's eyes look crazy in this picture because he was so excited about the meatball sandwich!

My work gave me and another coworker a baby shower:

Taylor and I enjoyed the Broadway "Matilda" at the Eccles Theater:

Belle's Baby Shower 1/28/17; Ras Twin's birthday 1/31/17

Taylor, Michelle, and I had fun preparing the cupcakes for Belle's baby shower! Michelle taught some tricks with two colored frosting in the same bag and how to use the Russian tips she got me for Christmas.

Taylor had fun playing with fondant and making little duckies to go on top of half the cupcakes!

The flower cupcakes:

The swirl frosting duck cupcakes:

We picked up my parents at the airport Friday night.

 Belle 31 weeks +3 days

 The cake topper Michelle made:

That face!

The set up:

There were 70 people! It was so crazy! I'm sad because I didn't really get to talk to very many people and sometimes was just saying goodbye.

These custom shirts made by one of my best friends in AZ and her mom were absolutely so cute!

Grandma Linda made Belle an heirloom knitted blanket, booties, hat and blessing dress!

And of course we had to set up the pack n play Mike and Michelle got us to make sure it was working (plus it's so fun to imagine her in it!)

OshKosh overall dress my Mom got because I use to wear one all the time as a little girl!

When we got home we could barely move around!

On January 31st Carlie and Seth had their twin boys Jacob and James!

First Rasmussen Family pic!

Sweetest little faces:

February 1st Carlie and Seth Facetimed me so I could actually meet the boys!

Jacob's eyes keep looking around and blinking. It was so adorable!

James was tugging on his feeding tube so the nurse tucked his hand into his blanket to make him stop and he cried a little. It was so precious!