One of the strangest things happened to Jared and I recently. We set up an appointment with a new primary care doctor only because our insurance gives us a $25 gift care if we have an annual checkup. I didn't do much research into finding a good PCP because Jared and I hardly ever go to the doctor other than my OB appointments. I got a list from the RS president in my ward a while back of a bunch of random things like good places to get your car fixed, fun restaurants etc. and one of the sections was good primary care doctors. I just picked the first one on the list, called, and set up an appointment for us. Well WOW is all I can say about that visit. He was THE STRANGEST person I have ever met. Just walking into the office felt a little sketchy. It was this random place that looked like a cabin and didn't exactly feel clean and friendly when you walked in. We waited for a long time to be taken back. We then waited for a while in our room when suddenly a guy walked into the room backwards. Yes, that's right, backwards. I didn't know for the first few minutes of him talking to us if he was actually our docctor or not. He didn't introduce himself or anything. He also had to the leave the room multiple times for things he forgot (charts, stethoscope, etc.). He was holding and protecting his coffee cup the whole time while he had little sips as he talked to us. He acted very strange when Reese went up to him. He sort of backed away and protected his coffee. Really, really weird. It's hard to even explain all of his weird mannerisms without being there. He eventually did a family history on both Jared and I and he acted shocked and worried about basically everything we said. He made it seem like we were both going to die soon because Jared's mom has osteoarthritis and my dad has Addisons. The physical assessment he did on me just sort of gave me the jitters. Not that he touched me in a bad way but I mostly just didn't want him to touch me AT ALL. I didn't trust him. It was also strange when he started pushing on my 7 month pregnant belly. He wasn't checking the height of my uterus or the baby's position so I sort of think he was trying to feel my spleen through my big belly. It was weird! Needless to say the whole experience made Jared and I laugh the whole way home. Good thing we are both healthy and weren't there for any real issues because I would not trust that guy.
This second pregnancy is going really well. Baby continues to be healthy and I feel good. I have a little bit of lower back pain sometimes by the end of the day which I never had when I was pregnant with Reese. It's nothing really bad though so I can't complain. I feel good and am still able to exercise. Only 4 more weeks until we meet the little thing and find out the gender. It's still killing me that we don't know!
Reese is a little sponge right now. She is learning new things every day. She loves doing peg puzzles and I love watching her little eyes search as she tries to match the puzzle piece with where it should go. She can say quite a few words (maybe around 20) but only says a few consistently on her own. The others I have to ask her to say. She is sometimes the best little eater and sometimes drives me crazy because she wont even try it. I know that's a normal toddler for you, but it's still irritating sometimes.
This is a random cow on Jared's campus that she gets so excited to see.
We try to stay busy and do lots of different activities throughout the week while daddy is gone. Some of our favorite things to do are go to Edge gymnastics during the free play. Reese loves jumping on all the tramps, playing in the foam pit, walking across the balance beam, and staring at all the mirrors. She also continues to love library story time. We have tried out a few different libraries nearby. Some seem to be a little above her age level, and some below but she still plays and has fun. She has gotten much better about going to the daycare while I work out at the gym. She almost never cries when I drop her off anymore and is content and playing with other kids when I go to pick her up. We play with Clark often enough that the two of them now treat each other like siblings. Reese gets annoyed by the "little brother" Clark who follows her around and wants to play with all the same things she is playing with. We are working on sharing but it's definitely a struggle.
Kaleidoscope center
We love having the playground right in our backyard!
Edible paint
We were able to to go to the pumpkin patch a few different times before Halloween. The carousel and corn pit were a big hit.
We traveled down to Tulsa for Thanksgiving this year to spend it with Brandon/Becca and their five kids as well as Adam/Heidi. It really was a lot of fun although almost everyone ended up getting sick with the 24 hour flu. One morning we woke up and both the twins and Nora had been puking. It gradually made its way through most of the people there. Somehow Reese and I didn't get sick. Jared was never throwing up either but he had diarrhea and didn't feel well. It was still great seeing them, hanging out, eating food, and looking at Christmas lights. It's nice they aren't too far of a drive away.
We will be staying here for Christmas and New Years this year because I'll be expecting the baby to come any day. Part of me is sad we'll be alone with no family around. Another part of me is SO excited to hang out with just Jared and Reese. There are so many fun things to see and do around Kansas City at Christmas time. Lots of fun lights, displays, activities etc. I have a whole list of things to do once Jared finishes the semester. Our first Christmas just us!
Jared wrote our Christmas card this year. He laughed and laughed as he wrote it and once he was finished he had me read through it. It was pretty much ridiculous and about 50% of it was about his stupid mustache. That's Jared for you though. We sent them out and I cringed just a little as I sent one to my mission president and others who don't know Jared all that well. Hopefully people get a good laugh. Here is our Christmas card picture.
We've had a few crazy storms since we moved here. One in particular was extra bad with lots of lighting, rain, and wind. After it was over we went outside to find tons of branches, twigs and ever large trees that had fallen. One huge tree that was super old fell just one building over from ours and smashed a car. Luckily no one was in the car and it didn't fall on the townhomes. Makes me a little bit glad there are no trees right by our townhome.
I recently started working very part time for a company called Cortex. The great thing is I work my own hours, as few or as many hours I want each week. I make follow-up calls to patients. I didn't have to transfer my license to a Missouri license, I just kept my Utah one and I don't need a babysitter because I just work while Reese is taking a nap. It really has been wonderful and brings in a little extra money.
Our blessings are abundant. Jared is rocking school, we are all healthy, and happy! Life is great!
