Merry Christmas to my folks!

Merry Christmas! Before my dad left for the UAE, I arranged for Bethany to take our family portrait. It was our early Christmas gift for them! So I hope they (and you) enjoy it!

Perhaps the cutest thing I have ever seen...

Once upon a time... from Capucha on Vimeo.


Long, but worth every second! Seen on c'est jolie.

The Catch-Up post

I have been a horrible blogger recently (and by recently, I mean the last several months!) and to make it up to you, here is a HUGE catch-up post!

-Practiced my photog skillz on Sam for his mission pictures (this was one of the "fun" ones)



-Saw Twilight on opening weekend with Casey (and again this week with Cat)



-Cheered on the Utes as they beat BYU (again!) for a perfect season (again!)



-Made pies from scratch for Thanksgiving (my first time!) and watched John's cousin Joe play with fire (a Bailey family tradition)





-Hung out with Sam and Lily (Sam was home sick from school with me for a few days) playing of lots of Lego Star Wars on the Wii




-Was a narrator for the Primary's nativity play (I played the mom and Paul Clayton was the dad)





-Took our Christmas card photos at night, in front of the Christmas tree, by ourselves- seriously challenging my photography skills to get the lighting and settings right plus the added inconvenience of using a timer! (I hope Santa brings me that remote I've been wanting!)




Other activities without photo proof that kept me insanely busy:

-Making almost a hundred Christmas cards by hand. Silly, silly me.

-Participating in the Relief Society's Christmas Program which was a serious production of "The Ten Virgins." It was insane, road-show type involvement for both me and Cat. We had solos, speaking parts, costumes, and ACTING to do involving hours of rehearsals. The best part? Guess who was cast as a vain, insecure and unprepared virgin? Oh, yes, me, the large pregnant one. Hilarious.

-Participating in the ward choir's Christmas Program (are you sensing a theme here??) in which we learned a 40 minute Cantata written by a lady in our ward. Again, very involved with rehearsals and solos plus challenging music to learn. Amazingly, we it turned out great and it was very nice but whew, I was worried about our ability to pull it off!

And of course, just regular things that everyone deals with this time of year- Christmas shopping, Christmas decorating, wrapping presents, attending parties, etc.
And then there's the fun stuff about inheriting a large house for a while- shoveling, figuring out which light switches do what, plugging in the eaveswarmers, etc. etc.

I feel overwhelmed by the simultaneous feelings of having a mountain of stuff to do yet never "doing" anything (blog worthy, let's just say it.)

That all being said, I am looking forward to having a wonderful, peaceful Christmas. Because half of my family won't be here this year, I am finding myself with a lot of free time on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It will be nice to spend it leisurely with just John, and then with his family for a while, instead of juggling both families all day.

Stuff that I want (but you could get it, too!)

I'm entering to win a bunch of fun scrapbooking stuff over at Jessica Turner's blog. Click on the button to check it out for yourself!



And good ole TAMN at Seriously, So Blessed is having a huge giveaway. I like free stuff.

Check out Design Mom for the 12 (actually 13!) days of Christmas giveaways!

And for the fellas that read this blog, check out the cool (CHEAP) t shirts over at Threadless. They have a bunch that are only five bucks! (found via Want Not)

Link love

Did you see Nicole's wasted shoot over at A Little Sussy? Kate (my wonderfully talented SIL) did all the hair and makeup for it! It's so funny to see the skills of photography and styling used to make people look, um, not their best, instead of as gorgeous as possible!


I am loving Seriously, So Blessed recently. It's a satirical blog written from a Mormon point of view. Hilarious. This author has totally nailed every silly part of Mormon culture. TAMN (which stands for Tiffany Amber Megan Nicole) has a perfect husband, perfect body and is expecting perfect twins. She loves Twilight, Bunco, and Diet Coke and thinks that being 21 equals old maid status. Check it out for a good laugh!!


Did you hear the news about Richard and Cat? Head over to their blog to check it out!

This is what we do at work ...

This is the group of top notch developers I work with :)

Click on the pic to see the awesome video.





- JohnnyT

Tribute to Elder Wirthlin

A great leader of my church passed away last night. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin was a gentle example of kindness, service and devotion to Heavenly Father. He will be missed by many, including me.

Elder Wirthlin left a legacy of hard work as an example to all of us. He woke early every day to study the scriptures, prepare his schedule and plan the most efficient use of his time. He said, "There is old proverb, which says, 'An inch of gold will not buy an inch of time.' We must put a sufficiently high value on time. It is valuable and should not be wasted."

His last conference address, Come What May, and Love It was full of great spiritual wisdom and advice about enduring life's challenges and seeking for joy. It advice that I need to remember. Here is a quote from that talk:

Learning to endure times of disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for others.

Because Jesus Christ suffered greatly, He understands our suffering. He understands our grief. We experience hard things so that we too may have increased compassion and understanding for others.

Elder Wirthlin also encouraged us to "learn to laugh" which is one of life's best cures for sorrow and disappointment. He truly enjoyed life- after playing football for the University of Utah, Elder Wirthlin remained a die-hard Ute fan for life!

Elder Wirthlin was not only a great leader to millions, he was a devoted family patriarch. Many of my good friends are related to this wonderful man, to some of them he was first and foremost their beloved "Granddad." (My friend, Dave, wrote poignantly today about Elder Wirthlin's love of family.)

I know that Elder Wirthlin is enjoying a happy reunion with his beloved wife and his family even as I write this. So I don't mourn his loss, I celebrate his life and that he has earned his great reward!

I hope you can gain some spiritual hope today from learning a bit about this great man.


photo: Deseret News

Twofer

Can you spot the Pregos in this picture? (I'll give you a hint: There are two and unmarried Anne isn't one of them!)





Chelsea and Mark are expecting, too! Isn't that fun! We're so excited that our kiddos will be the same age and Rick and Sue are over the moon to have TWO grandbabies on the way! Chelsea is due May 17th. Unfortunately, she has been very ill, so send all your good thoughts her way!

Birthday Girl, once again

Well, my 26th birthday was full of fun and lasted for many days (in the true Barbarakah tradition) this year. However, the excitement of finding out that we're having a BOY the day before my bday overshadowed the birthday celebrations and I'm just fine with that. Birthdays become less of a big deal the more I age and I'm excited to have a little one in our family to lavish attention on instead!

My in-laws threw a lovely birthday dinner for me and Sam (the other November baby) on November 2nd. (They also took me and Johnny out for a double date last night.) I received lots of love and good wishes and birthday gifts and cards from my loving second family and John took that opportunity to really spoil me with his gifts. He bought me some new pillows to help with the crazy sleep configurations I attempt at night now that belly sleeping is no longer an option. And then, he completely floored me with a new iPod touch! Wha??? I love it (of course) but mostly I just loved that he worked hard to surprise me!


On my actual birthday (Friday) I received delicious treats and fun gifts on my doorstep, as well as numerous calls, texts and emails wishing me a great day! I love technology! John and I went out on a date that night just the two of us and I was still on cloud 9 after seeing our little guy on our ultrasound. I hardly talked about anything else!



The next night (Saturday), my pals took me and John out for dinner at MacCool's, an Irish pub nearby. Andrea, Susie, Brent and Evelyn made sure that I was remembered, which I loved. More than anything, I just like hanging out and talking and catching up!


Then on Sunday, my family had a big meal where I was again showered with gifts and love. I feel so spoiled this year! I think part of that feeling comes from actually being relaxed on my birthday, instead of spending every day up to it campaigning!

Proposition 8

My pal and fab blogger, Casey, has a great post up over at Moosh in Indy about California's Proposition 8. I encourage you all to check it out! I left a comment about how I feel about the brouhaha surrounding the passage of Prop 8:

I think there are a lot of strong feelings on both sides of this issue, but respect and love for family are at the heart of both sides as well. I would posit the question, do protests and threats and sweeping generalizations about any group of people accurately represent the values of respect and love?? I think not!

Kate's New Job

My wonderful and talented sister-in-law, Kate, just got a new job as the Esthetician for Splendor Beauty Emporium in Park City. She is a wonderful resource for skin care, makeup and waxing, a few things that any girl could treat herself to! Here's a message from Kate:

I believe that beauty begins with clear, healthy skin and is complemented by flattering makeup. When you feel good about yourself your energy and confidence will enhance every aspect of your life. I love helping women to look and feel their best!

Splendor Beauty Emporium @ Redstone
1635 W. Redstone Center Drive
Park City, UT 84098
435-575-1800

Thankful...

Swistle got me thinking of the things I am thankful for today, right now. With Thanksgiving coming soon, I want to cherish this time of thankfulness.

-Lovely blogs to read and bloggers to know

-Friends, both far and near

-Feeling this little boy tumble around in my belly

-Being able to stay in touch with my dad despite the continents and oceans that separate us

-Today, veterans, and the sacrifices they make to preserve freedom around the world

What are you thankful for today?

Baby's First Photo

Our cute little guy- even in Skeletor black and white he's adorable!

Little Cub, What Are You?

John and I were able to schedule our ultrasound for yesterday morning. We were determined to keep the gender a secret until later that evening, when we had a "Gender Announcement Party" with our family and a few friends. It was hard to not slip throughout the day!

It our pleasure to announce that the ultrasound went well, the baby looks healthy (and very active!), and that we are expecting a BOY!





Knowing the gender makes my baby seem so much more real to me, instead of just some baby that happens to be growing in my womb. It was so fun to see his little arms and legs, check out his cute profile and chubby cheeks, and see him kick and stretch his legs and move his arms. He's a mover and a shaker!




photo source

A little housekeeping

I'm editing some of my archived posts to take out personal information, sorry if the old posts show up in your reader.

A new day

I woke up this morning to freshly falling snow washing the world clean, a perfect accompaniment to my feelings today. I feel renewed, refreshed and hopeful after watching last night's election results. I feel that this will be a new beginning for our nation that we so sorely need.

As I watched Senator John McCain's concession speech, I was teary-eyed. I know how it feels to have worked so hard for something you believe in and to fall short of your goal. I felt that Senator McCain was full of grace and humility last night, something that is rare in politics.

I was also struck by how for the first time in a long time, both candidates were such quality choices. Instead of recent elections when the choice has been between the lesser of two evils, I truly felt that this year the choice was between two good candidates! That is how it should be!

I wanted Senator Obama to win and I am thrilled that he did. I am especially excited that he won 47.87% of the vote here in Salt Lake County, which is unusual in an extremely red state! McCain only beat him by 0.56%!

I was touched by the historic nature of last night. To see people from all walks of life joined together in celebrating Obama's win was very poignant. Like similar landmark moments in our nation's history, I know that I will always remember where I was when I heard that our nation had elected its first African American president.

It is my hope that we can put aside our partisanship for a time and join together in supporting all of our elected officials in bettering our communities and our nation.

VOTE!

Don't forget to vote tomorrow!! John and I are snuggled up at home watching the SNL Presidential Bash 2008! It's a great way to end this campaign season! If you are unsure of where to vote, you can visit this Google Maps link to find your polling location (note, you may want to double check with your state's election's registrar). I voted early and I'm glad to have gotten it done!

photo credit

Austin (long overdue post!)

For Fall Break, Johnny and I decided to head south and visit Madelyn and Cody. We'd never been to Texas before, so we were excited to explore Austin and get a taste for life there!

This is Part I of our trip:

We visited a funky toy shop, the Capitol (which, like our capitol building, is modeled after the one in Washington, D.C.), the Alamo Draft House (an incredible movie theatre), a music shop (where we tried out guitars), and a cowboy boot store. We also had a fun RockBand party where we got to know Codelyn's Austin friends and went to see the millions of bats migrating out from under the bridge in downtown Austin. I didn't take a picture of everywhere we ate, but trust me, it was the main activity on the agenda every day. We love to eat and Madelyn and Cody loved to introduce us to their favorite BBQ and Mexican restuarants (that's pretty much the majority of all places in Austin.)

This is one doodle that can't be undid, home skillet

We test drove our costumes at Liz and Steve's Halloween party on Friday. It was so fun to catch up and see friends we hadn't for a while. It was especially funny to get sidelong glances at my ENORMOUS and FAKE belly. The guys, especially, were reluctant to assume anything, so I got a lot of sincere (albeit confused) congratulations. I spent a lot of the night explaining that I was, indeed, pregnant, but the big, squishy belly I was sporting wasn't real.

Here we are as Juno MacGuff and Paulie Bleeker (I will have to get a full length photo of John- those shorts are REALLY short and he was the one pinning 'em up!)





And here's the movie poster:

Can't stop laughing at the baby arms...

Second try, this is addicting

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Created by OnePlusYou - Free Online Dating

Harder than it seems

I saw this badge on Catherine and Christian's blog and just had to try it! It's quite a challenge (especially with pregnant brain!) I'm going to try it again, but I wanted to be truthful and post my first try results.


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Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Site

Produce section

The little cub is about 5 inches long from crown to rump (who says "rump" these days?) The baby tracking websites compare him/her to a sweet potato or a turnip. I am always laughing at the random food analogies- how is that possibly a good indicator of size? Produce can vary wildly in size. Plus, I'm being given produce that I'm not that familiar with- a kumquat? I mean, really, people. I'm still not showing much yet and I'm still wearing my regular clothes. (I don't have a picture to post because my camera is dead and I can't find the charger, but I will post one soon.) BUT the exciting news is that I felt the baby move for the first time this week! I've been paying extra attention to every little twinge to see if I could notice the little one moving around in there but when I finally felt it, it was unmistakable. It really feels like someone is poking me from the inside out!

I can't believe I'm gonna have one of these...

Sam and Lily have been my little babies for four years and I can't believe I'm having one of my own! I still will love them and think they are the cutest children on earth!

Poelher's got game!

All I can say is, "Wow." I hope I can be half that dynamic and cool when I'm as hugely pregnant as she is... (it's just around the corner for me.)

Ethington Park Jewelry Sale

My wonderfully talented sister, Catherine, is having a jewelry sale this weekend! She is an artist and is incredibly fashionable, so when she began her jewelry business, Ethington Park, I knew she would create stylish, one-of-a-kind pieces!

I have been helping her prepare for this event, so I know first hand that she has a lot of beautiful merchandise- pearl, turquoise, silver, quartz- for affordable prices. I wear her jewelry all the time and always receive compliments! Ethington Park has several beautiful collections for fall and holiday!

Here's the info:

Ethington Park Boutique

Friday, October 17th 6pm-8pm
Saturday, October 18th 10am-3pm


2611 East 1300 South
Salt Lake City
*West Entrance*

Bring your friends!
Sorry, no credit cards.

If you can't make it to the boutique in person, please visit Catherine's Etsy shop, where she has beautiful pieces that you can buy and have sent to your door!

Saying goodbye is the hardest part...

My dad left this morning for his new job in the United Arab Emirates. I won't see him again until the summer. By then, I will have a newborn baby. He's a wonderful dad and an incredible grandpa. I'm so grateful that I have a dad that I love and who loves me and I'm so glad that I can tell him farewell and give him a big hug. But it's still hard to say goodbye, even if it's for just a short time.

I'm it!

Catherine tagged me to list six of my quirks.

1. Even though my house is always often messy, I 9 times out of 10 can find whatever I am (or John is) looking for. (Except for right now, because we're painting in the living room, so that entire room's contents (65% of our belongings) are crammed into the bedroom and kitchen.)

2. I have worked in politics for the last 2 1/2 years, but I'm actually not a very political, policy-wonk kind of person.

3. I am OBSESSED with baby names and have been making baby name lists for years. Now that I'm actually expecting, though, I'm feeling some huge baby naming anxiety.

4. I must go to the bathroom RIGHT before I'm ready to go to sleep. It must be the absolute last thing I do. I can't use the bathroom then read scriptures then talk awhile without feeling like I have to go again! This compulsion has gotten even more annoying now that I have pregnancy bladder and I have to pee every 20 minutes!!

5. I hate having voice mail. The little icon on my phone drives me nuts. (I also hate having unread email.) When I know I missed a call, I listen to the message as soon as possible. Johnny also hates having voice mail, but his solution is to not listen to his messages until his mailbox is full. :)

6. I can't think of a sixth thing, although I'm sure I'm quirky enough to have many more to list!

To rent or Dubai...

photo source Abu Dhabi

Lame title, I know, but let's move on.

My parents are moving back East... waaay East. The Middle East to be precise. And they'll be there for four years. I know, it's a little crazy.

About three weeks ago, my dad was asked to travel to Abu Dhabi, one of the city-states in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai is another city), for a consultation. He evaluated their current higher education system and wrote a report recommending that a director be hired to oversee the creation of a more structured system. The sheik liked the report and my dad and offered him the job. It is a huge honor- a real career topper- and my parents are very excited for this opportunity.

My dad leaves for UAE on October 9th, a mere 10 days away (my mom will join him in November). Of course everyone in my family will miss my parents, but with my crazy pregnancy hormones, I find myself crying over this at least once daily. Seriously, I am a basket case.

Putting my uncontrollable emotions aside, I am so proud of my dad for achieving this awesome pinnacle of his career. And I admire my parents for going on this incredible adventure. We are planning to take a few trips to visit them and see that part of the world and we're really looking forward to it! They will also be back to visit at least once a year- my mom is already planning on coming when the baby is born in March.

We are going to live in their house until they get back which we are grateful for- it will be nice to have a little more room than just our little apartment for when we become a three-person family. We are busy working on house projects before we move over to the main part of the house from the mother-in-law apartment, so if I have been a flaky friend recently, that is why. It is a giant puzzle to figure out where everything and everyone is going to go (Cat & Richard, and my Aunt Barbara are going to keep living here, too.) My life has been turned upside down in the last month (or three if you count the pregnancy).

I would appreciate any words of wisdom for those of you who have had parents far away, especially when you were having a baby. I feel very supported and loved by my siblings, my ward, my friends, and John's wonderful parents, but I know I will be missing my mom and dad a lot.

Face by Kate

My awesome sister-in-law, Kate Lasson, is an incredible make-up artist. Yesterday, she worked on a photo shoot with none other than photographer and blogger Nicole Hill of A Little Sussy fame. Go here to see the beautiful shoot!


You can contact Kate (facebykate@gmail.com) if you are interested in booking her for a consultation or job.

Me with Kate and Anne (my two sisters-from-another-mister)

Me and Kate at the Police concert this summer

A little bit of baby stuff

Thanks everyone for the well wishes and congratulations!

We are so excited and really glad to have the news out there.

I am a little over 12 weeks and we have known for about 8 weeks.

I am due March 27th, 2009.

I have been feeling sick which led me to drop a lot of my classes.

Morning sickness and my crazy 22 hour load were not compatible.

I am finally beginning to feel better and hopefully I have left my nauseated days behind me.

Everyone has been so supportive and wonderful and happy for us.

John's parents are especially excited- this will be their first grandchild and they are thrilled!

We're excited...

... to share some news-









Sam + Lily are going to be big cousins...













...because we're having a baby!











Due March 2009

Protect Our Children Act

Many of you may have seen Oprah's segments regarding child predators today and last week, where she talks about the horrible EPIDEMIC of crimes against children in our country. I became more familiar with this topic and what my state is doing to combat it earlier this year when I worked at the Legislature- but we can and must do more.

The most horrifying, shocking statistic of all is that our law enforcement officials have the resources to go after only 2% of known internet child pornographers. TWO PERCENT! They know where these monsters are and cannot go arrest them!

I urge all of you to contact your senator TODAY to insist that they bring the bill to the floor and vote yes on Senate Bill 1738, the Protect Our Children Act. It is a non-partisan effort sponsored by Senators Hatch and Biden. This bill will:
* Authorize over $320 million over the next five years in desperately needed funding for law enforcement to investigate child exploitation.
* Mandate that child rescue be a top priority for law enforcement receiving federal funding.
* Allocate funds for high-tech computer software that can track down Internet predators.

This bill is coming up for vote in the next few days. You MUST act on this now! It will only take a moment of your time to send a letter, write an email or make a phone call. Go to www.senate.gov to find the contact information for your senator. If you don't know what to write, there is a sample letter on Oprah.com that you can use.

Please let your voice be heard for all the children who need us to speak up for them!

I think I just peed my pants a little bit...

Rest in Peace, Grandpa Bailey

John's grandpa passed away two weeks ago, but with all the craziness of John's appendicitis, I'm just now getting to writing a post about this incredible man.

Loile Julius Bailey was always a gentle, sweet man, even when his mind was slipping away towards the end of his life. I felt close to him, even though I have only known him for a few years, and I thought of him as my Grandpa, too. Now that he has passed away, John and I no longer have any living grandparents. It was so special to be with all of Grandma and Grandpa Bailey's children and grandchildren to celebrate his life and his legacy. President Eyring came to the funeral (his brother is married to John's aunt) and spoke wonderfully comforting words about life after this one, where Grandma and Grandpa are enjoying a happy reunion.

One of the most touching moments of the whole day was watching all the grandsons serve as pallbearers.

NieNie auction- update

Thanks again to all the bidders- your prizes will be going in the mail today.

Tan and the girls-- I still need to hear from you regarding the pearl button necklace. If I haven't heard back by tomorrow, I will contact the second runner up to see if she's interested in donating in exchange for the necklace.