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shower lovin

My beautiful work friends threw me a baby shower... I LOVE THEM! My wonderful friends from church threw me a baby shower too! It was so much fun and I am a lucky girl to have such good friends! Posted by Rachael Mulder at 4:52 PM 

tender moments 


so blessed.
and thankful for...

this day that helps us remember
getting called off work last night so i can be a fully functioning, happy part of Thanksgiving
my sweet coworkers who teach me and care about me
my pretty plum nail polish that makes me feel beautiful
my Book of Mormon and how it truly changes the little & big parts of my life when i'm smart enough to read it
our cozy little apartment that feels like home
my absolutely precious husband who i truly adore and fall more in love with every day
the beautiful fall leaves that contribute to my favorite time of year
the cool, crisp fall weather
our parking spaces are so close to our front door, which is on the first floor
the health of my husband and i
the health of my perfect little baby
my OB doctor and his supportive, laid-back personality
delicious food
our bread machine and my sweet husband who loves to use it
my always less than 120/80 blood pressure
our vacuum
our incredibly comfortable down comforter
my calling as a visiting teacher
my adorable parents that i couldn't be more in love with
my long, red hair that makes me feel pretty on days when i don't otherwise
my ever-evolving, long worked on style that makes me feel unique &expressive
my loving brother and his beautiful wife and that we get to be together forever
every experience i have had so far with my little boy whether it be seeing him wave to us on the ultrasound, giving me peristaltic waves of acid reflux, make me dizzy &weak in the knees, giving me little love taps, or changing my life completely, already, in ways i don't even understand
my job that gives me the opportunity to meet so many people from different walks of life and try to help them
the path our lives have taken us, i love where we are and where we are going, and know it is right
general conference and the powerful words of the prophets and apostles
my sweet adorable ashley and scott and how they always understand and support
cold stone, sometimes it's just what i need and makes the whole world brighter (cookie doughnut you want some?)
my brain, don't understand how it works but somehow it does and i'm thankful
thrift store and antique stores and the rush they give me when i walk in & know i could find a treasure at any moment
spending thanksgiving with friends because we are here together in this foreign land and all each other has
christmas decorations sneaking their way our of the boxes in the closet
healthy post-tornado recovery and being able to learn from it and know i'm better from it
my H&M maternity jeans...staple
cell phones so i can talk to my family whenever i want or need to
skype so i can see their precious faces from thousands of miles away
my education
my knowledge of why i'm here and where i'm going after i die

i think what i'm thankful for the very most this year
is my absolutely precious husband who i completely and utterly adore,
this sweet little boy who i know is going to change my life in every way,
and the overwhelming love i feel from my Heavenly Father every single day.
Posted by Rachael Mulder at 4:43 AM 

thirty-six weeks 

shower baby [&mommy too]

Posted by Rachael Mulder at 9:43 PM 
thirty-five weeks

Dan took me on a date to Swen, our favorite little Chinese restaurant, the day before I left for Vegas. Our days together, just he and I, are coming to a brisk end! Mama and baby are both doing great, currently being pampered in Las Vegas by their sweet family. :) More updates to come on the baby shower! Posted by Rachael Mulder at 11:11 AM 

thirty-four weeks this baby is getting soo close! he doesn't like work anymore. he wishes his mom could just stay at home and nest and relax all day.

we went to our comprehensive childbirth class. favorite part was definitely the tour of the hospital rooms and nursery. it made it so real. he is definitely getting excited for his big day!
Posted by Rachael Mulder at 10:09 PM 

he he he whooo...

The Mister and I went to a Breathing/Relaxation/Lamaze class last night.

Just like the movies, but probably better. There was the classy, conservative, fashionable couple (that's us... ahem), the foreign Middle Eastern-ish couple (I'm so politically correct), the liberal, opinionated couple ("I will go natural. No if's, ands, or buts." ... Sure hope you don't need an emergency C-section or you're in biggg trouble lady!), the quiet, woodsy Alabama couple, the young girl and her mother both with long hippie-like hair (loved it), and the woman who's husband was out of town.

Not to mention the leader of the pack.... NURSE NANCY. (She literally introduced herself that way. I was so thrilled.)

Now just picture this group, all with clothespins on their ears (simulating contraction pain) breathing together and massaging each other. Breathing our way through the contractions, massaging our partners back, rubbing their stomach, deep cleansing breaths, playing with their hair, words of encouragement, etc...

We feel enlightened and ready to keep practicing so we can be so prepared and know exactly how to relax and breathe as this baby works his way down the birth canal.


Posted by Rachael Mulder at 6:42 AM 


"More recently the term has come to be used to describe a vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby. Babymoons usually take place at a resort that offers appropriate services like prenatal massage." [source]
My hubby and I went on a babymoon over Halloween weekend. Only we went camping! Who wants a resort and prenatal massage?! Not us. We made it a two-year tradition and went back to Fort Pickens National Park campsite back in Pensacola Beach, Florida. [post on previous trip] We love it down there! We are beach babies [so is little #3 in the family, undoubtedly].
We waited until the Thursday morning we left on the trip to get all packed & ready due to being busy grown-ups these days (ugh), I had just finished up my work week and was completely tired, emotional, and irrational when I got home from work and had to clean and get all packed up & ready. Dan had sustained some blunt trauma to his quad muscle the night before playing basketball, so he was a little gimpy, but he powered through and was almost fully functional by morning thanks to wrapping it, icing it, heating it, etc... So, before we knew it we were out the door, and before we made it out of Tuscaloosa county limits, I was fast asleep. Dan took good care of me and drove safety. Even ensuring that the extremely loud and obnoxious noise the surfboard makes atop the car was fixed. Once we fixed the iPod, Dan was accompanied by Harper Lee on the drive as he listened to To Kill a Mockingbird. My back was seriously pained and uncomfortable as I slept, thank goodness I had three pillows. :) We stopped at KFC at the littlest Southern town to keep the tradition alive. We again passed over bridge one (arrived at Gulf Breeze), passed over bridge two (arrived at Pensacola Beach), and drove miles and miles out to the very tip of the peninsula. We set up our campsite at the one right next door to our site last year (which was supposedly "reserved"). We were a little stingy and put our tent so far over so it was basically on their plot. I was embarrassed for when the other campers got there and had to awkwardly find a new spot for their tent. Luckily, no one came that night!
Posted by Rachael Mulder at 2:49 PM