And she has just the cutest little fingers you've ever seen!
She's still very active. She was moving all over the place, but kept her chin tucked up tight to her knees and wouldn't let the doctor get a good look at either her head or her heart, no matter how much he poked and prodded her.
I have a little girl!
We've mostly decided on the name Cara Libby Roberts. She will have my initials (my name is Chelsea Laurel Roberts) and Libby is my Mom's maiden name, which I think is really cool. Also, Cara means Friend, Libby means Consecrated to God, and Roberts means Of Bright Fame. All in all, I think it's a beautiful name. It's not completely for sure, but we both really like it so far.
Thoughts and impressions- Oh my goodness! I'm so excited, and at the same time completely awed. I can't wait to meet her in person.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
In Search of a Story
There are many facets to my personality... many identities which I assume. I am a wife, a mother (soon), a friend, a helper, a sister, a daughter... I am shy, but sometimes not. I am funny, but only occasionally. I enjoy organization, but I like creativity. I love color, even if sometimes those colors are black and white. It always amazes me when somebody says they understand me, because after 26 years of study, I still don't understand myself.
One thing I have come to realize and to truly accept and love about myself is my full enjoyment of animals. They are smelly, dirty, often selfish creatures, and I love almost all of them- even the ones I don't like. Animals are honest. Either they trust you, or they don't. They love you, or they don't. They respect you, or they don't. The only way you can earn their trust, their love, their respect, is by giving them kindness, love, and leadership. And they will repay you with everything they have to give, which is nothing more or less than their whole heart. It is an amazing gift.
I've always known I like animals, but having spent the past 4 1/2 years working with them, teaching them, learning from and with them, and being a leader for them, has taught me a lot about myself. I truly enjoy mucking out stalls. I love the honesty of the work. I love knowing that what I do is for living creatures. I love those moments when I get to just sit and be with a horse, or a dog, or a cat... just to be myself, and to let them be themselves. It's an amazing feeling of freedom and relief and peace and lets me gather my strength for whatever lies ahead. I love that when I am done working with an animal, or playing with them, that I come away feeling relaxed and optimistic. I hope I may always have animals in my life.
While working at that job, as well as going to school, my life was consumed by those pursuits. I loved my job. School was not as wonderful, but my job counteracted many of the effects of school and I was able to feel like a productive member of society. It helped me deal with the daily aspects of school. I was happy.
However, I have quit my job now, and have come to realize that there is another facet of my being- one that is very strong and that I have not given much time or attention to in the past 4 1/2 years. I am a writer. Words have always fascinated me. I love to put them together in such a way that my reader can feel what I feel and see what I see. I have always said that I would rather write a thousand words than create the picture they are worth.
I still write, now and again. I love this blog, for instance. Not only is it a way to keep in touch with people, it is a way to share my stories in a medium that I find quite beautiful. My brother and I are writing a story back and forth. At times I will jot down thoughts or poetic statements or words of wisdom that sound wise partly because of the way they are worded.
And so, after much writing and rambling, I come to my point. My life is no longer consumed by my job. I have more time and energy and thought in my head to give to writing. And the desire to write is becoming stronger and stronger within me. It almost doesn't matter what I write; I simply want to put words to paper and create images for all to see.
Yet, I also want to make a difference. I not only want to write, I want to be read. I want people to read my work and to enjoy it. I want them to feel as though their lives have been enriched by reading this thing before them. I want to touch people for their betterment and my own.
There are many options, of course. My favorite genre to sit down and read is fantasy. I have found characters I love and fantastic and wonderful stories and even truths of life buried within the pages of another world. But there is also finding a true story from history and making it come to life with rich characters and daily struggles, such as in The Work and the Glory, or even Braveheart. There is a nobility to giving real people a moment in which to be read and understood. I also enjoy self-improvement, not only for the self but also a call to society to become better than we currently are, and suggesting a method in which we can improve.
I do not want to get locked into one genre, as I fear I may. It is easy, once you become known as a fantasy writer, to only write for fantasy readers. They already know and love you, after all. The same is true for self-improvement. What could somebody who writes about the issues of everyday life have business doing creating a fantasy world? Yet I have ideas... so many ideas... in each of these areas.
I would like to create something meaningful, as I mentioned before, which means that I need to write from what I know. It is only there that my writing will become rich. Regardless of the genre, I would like to write that which will speak to people.
And so, I am in search of a story.
One thing I have come to realize and to truly accept and love about myself is my full enjoyment of animals. They are smelly, dirty, often selfish creatures, and I love almost all of them- even the ones I don't like. Animals are honest. Either they trust you, or they don't. They love you, or they don't. They respect you, or they don't. The only way you can earn their trust, their love, their respect, is by giving them kindness, love, and leadership. And they will repay you with everything they have to give, which is nothing more or less than their whole heart. It is an amazing gift.
I've always known I like animals, but having spent the past 4 1/2 years working with them, teaching them, learning from and with them, and being a leader for them, has taught me a lot about myself. I truly enjoy mucking out stalls. I love the honesty of the work. I love knowing that what I do is for living creatures. I love those moments when I get to just sit and be with a horse, or a dog, or a cat... just to be myself, and to let them be themselves. It's an amazing feeling of freedom and relief and peace and lets me gather my strength for whatever lies ahead. I love that when I am done working with an animal, or playing with them, that I come away feeling relaxed and optimistic. I hope I may always have animals in my life.
While working at that job, as well as going to school, my life was consumed by those pursuits. I loved my job. School was not as wonderful, but my job counteracted many of the effects of school and I was able to feel like a productive member of society. It helped me deal with the daily aspects of school. I was happy.
However, I have quit my job now, and have come to realize that there is another facet of my being- one that is very strong and that I have not given much time or attention to in the past 4 1/2 years. I am a writer. Words have always fascinated me. I love to put them together in such a way that my reader can feel what I feel and see what I see. I have always said that I would rather write a thousand words than create the picture they are worth.
I still write, now and again. I love this blog, for instance. Not only is it a way to keep in touch with people, it is a way to share my stories in a medium that I find quite beautiful. My brother and I are writing a story back and forth. At times I will jot down thoughts or poetic statements or words of wisdom that sound wise partly because of the way they are worded.
And so, after much writing and rambling, I come to my point. My life is no longer consumed by my job. I have more time and energy and thought in my head to give to writing. And the desire to write is becoming stronger and stronger within me. It almost doesn't matter what I write; I simply want to put words to paper and create images for all to see.
Yet, I also want to make a difference. I not only want to write, I want to be read. I want people to read my work and to enjoy it. I want them to feel as though their lives have been enriched by reading this thing before them. I want to touch people for their betterment and my own.
There are many options, of course. My favorite genre to sit down and read is fantasy. I have found characters I love and fantastic and wonderful stories and even truths of life buried within the pages of another world. But there is also finding a true story from history and making it come to life with rich characters and daily struggles, such as in The Work and the Glory, or even Braveheart. There is a nobility to giving real people a moment in which to be read and understood. I also enjoy self-improvement, not only for the self but also a call to society to become better than we currently are, and suggesting a method in which we can improve.
I do not want to get locked into one genre, as I fear I may. It is easy, once you become known as a fantasy writer, to only write for fantasy readers. They already know and love you, after all. The same is true for self-improvement. What could somebody who writes about the issues of everyday life have business doing creating a fantasy world? Yet I have ideas... so many ideas... in each of these areas.
I would like to create something meaningful, as I mentioned before, which means that I need to write from what I know. It is only there that my writing will become rich. Regardless of the genre, I would like to write that which will speak to people.
And so, I am in search of a story.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Foiled!
I discovered, today, that my doctor is really not very good at communicating. Ryan called him an airhead. I would look for a new doctor, but because I'm on BYU insurance, my options were limited to begin with, and I'm pretty sure this guy was the only one open before June. Besides, he's not terrible... just needs some work with communication.
Regardless, here's the deal for today: We went in, expecting to have an ultrasound. That did not happen. He said that we do that at 20 weeks. (Technically, I'm still at 19.) I told him that last time I was in to see him, he told me we would do an ultrasound at this visit. He reiterated that we don't do one until 20 weeks. (All of which did not lessen my confusion... or frustration.) Anyway, he finally told me that we will schedule an ultrasound for next week. We did that, and are now eagerly anticipating Tuesday the 10th for discovering the gender of our baby. Ah, bittersweet anticipation! My deepest apologies to all those who have guessed and were expecting the results today. Let me assure you, my disappointment is at least as deep as yours. :)
On a high note, we did get to hear the baby's heartbeat, again. Apparently that's still looking good, which is encouraging. I also seem to be healthy, though I need to drink more water. And, Ryan bought me a milkshake to go with my lunch. It was wonderful.
Regardless, here's the deal for today: We went in, expecting to have an ultrasound. That did not happen. He said that we do that at 20 weeks. (Technically, I'm still at 19.) I told him that last time I was in to see him, he told me we would do an ultrasound at this visit. He reiterated that we don't do one until 20 weeks. (All of which did not lessen my confusion... or frustration.) Anyway, he finally told me that we will schedule an ultrasound for next week. We did that, and are now eagerly anticipating Tuesday the 10th for discovering the gender of our baby. Ah, bittersweet anticipation! My deepest apologies to all those who have guessed and were expecting the results today. Let me assure you, my disappointment is at least as deep as yours. :)
On a high note, we did get to hear the baby's heartbeat, again. Apparently that's still looking good, which is encouraging. I also seem to be healthy, though I need to drink more water. And, Ryan bought me a milkshake to go with my lunch. It was wonderful.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Guesses, anyone?
In one week, on February 3rd, I will be having my next doctor appointment. We have an ultrasound scheduled to make sure everything is going all right. And, since it's about that time, we get to find out the gender of our baby. Ryan and I have our guesses, but what do you all think? I'll be posting the results after we get them, but I wanted to give everyone a chance to put in your votes.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Stranded!
So, I recently got a letter in the mail from the DMV saying something to the effect of, "Congratulations! You have a car! With that car comes the great privilege of giving us $117, plus a note that says your car is safe. In return, we will give you....Stickers! That's right! For the low low price of $117, you get two brand-spankin' new stickers that means cops won't pull you over." Yay. So, because I am afraid of cops, I dutifully took my car in to get it tested and make sure it's safe. Incidentally, I also told them to fix the shaking and, if that doesn't cost too much, to make it so my window goes up and down again, please. That was Tuesday. They fixed the shaking, the one that I thought would be the major problem. The car's running just fine, now. Unfortunately, they haven't managed to find the right part to fix the stupid window. And so, I am stranded. I missed both my classes on Wednesday, and today Ryan missed an hour of work just so he could take me to my 8 am class. I then hung around campus for another 4 hours, doing some homework but not doing much of anything that was terribly useful, and hoping the guy would call me so I could go pick it up. No luck. Now, it will be at least tomorrow before I get my car again. Arg!
Incidentally, Thank you thank you thank you thank you to all who replied to my last blog! It brought joy to my heart. :)
Incidentally, Thank you thank you thank you thank you to all who replied to my last blog! It brought joy to my heart. :)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Roll Call
So, once upon a time, I started a blog. Originally, I did it to give people access to my Dreamworlds story, but it became something more. When it looked as though there was absolutely no interest in my musings, I wandered away to other pursuits.
This past summer, I was gently reprimanded for not keeping up on my blog. Apparently, it seems there are those who read. This is wonderful! I welcome you all! Might I simply encourage you to write me notes now and again? It is fun to keep up with friends, but difficult to find the motivation to post when I'm not sure anyone reads. Please?
This past summer, I was gently reprimanded for not keeping up on my blog. Apparently, it seems there are those who read. This is wonderful! I welcome you all! Might I simply encourage you to write me notes now and again? It is fun to keep up with friends, but difficult to find the motivation to post when I'm not sure anyone reads. Please?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Maternity Clothes
I broke down yesterday, and bought myself some pregnant lady clothes. And, I've decided, I really like them. They're soooooo comfortable, and you can actually get some really really cute ones. I ended up with two pairs of jeans, and a denim skirt, and three shirts. It was an expensive trip, to be sure, but they may well last me throughout all my pregnancies, so I figure it was a worthwhile investment.
It was fun to try them on. First off, I walked into the store and was greeted with, "Welcome to Motherhood!" by a very friendly clerk. It took me a moment to realize that the name of the store was actually Motherhood. Quite clever, I thought. Anyway, she asked me a couple of things about what styles I like, then buzzed around the store looking for options for me. I poked around for a minute, then told her that I'm terrible at shopping (which is quite true) and she buzzed around even more. I finally went into the dressing room and was in there for probably almost an hour trying on clothes. A lot of them I didn't like, but there were some that were just so cute! One of the best parts, really, was this little pillow you can strap around your belly so you can see what the clothes will look like when you get big. It's so fun how cute the clothes look even with a big belly! I love it. I think I'm gonna be a cute pregnant lady. :) Ooh! And! Everything is way elastic and stretchy and stuff, so I bought my first button-down-the-front shirt in YEARS!!! I love the look, but they're all either too small to fit over my top or so big that I go swimming in them. This one is so cute!!! Yay.
Okay, so enough about that. Fun as it is. :) I'm staying at home and just going to school now. It's so nice. I have the energy to clean my kitchen every night. Right now, I have like two things of homework that aren't really due until next week, and otherwise I have the entire weekend (including Monday) to do with what I please. I need to clean, and work out and... learn to play the piano? I don't know what to do with myself! Hence, I sit around and blog about clothes.
Well, perhaps I could put some energy into making new friends... that could be a lot of fun. Hmmm. What to do, what to do.... Any suggestions?
It was fun to try them on. First off, I walked into the store and was greeted with, "Welcome to Motherhood!" by a very friendly clerk. It took me a moment to realize that the name of the store was actually Motherhood. Quite clever, I thought. Anyway, she asked me a couple of things about what styles I like, then buzzed around the store looking for options for me. I poked around for a minute, then told her that I'm terrible at shopping (which is quite true) and she buzzed around even more. I finally went into the dressing room and was in there for probably almost an hour trying on clothes. A lot of them I didn't like, but there were some that were just so cute! One of the best parts, really, was this little pillow you can strap around your belly so you can see what the clothes will look like when you get big. It's so fun how cute the clothes look even with a big belly! I love it. I think I'm gonna be a cute pregnant lady. :) Ooh! And! Everything is way elastic and stretchy and stuff, so I bought my first button-down-the-front shirt in YEARS!!! I love the look, but they're all either too small to fit over my top or so big that I go swimming in them. This one is so cute!!! Yay.
Okay, so enough about that. Fun as it is. :) I'm staying at home and just going to school now. It's so nice. I have the energy to clean my kitchen every night. Right now, I have like two things of homework that aren't really due until next week, and otherwise I have the entire weekend (including Monday) to do with what I please. I need to clean, and work out and... learn to play the piano? I don't know what to do with myself! Hence, I sit around and blog about clothes.
Well, perhaps I could put some energy into making new friends... that could be a lot of fun. Hmmm. What to do, what to do.... Any suggestions?
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