How to Document a Pregnancy the Scientific Way

(by Kylie and Landon Burgener)

Step 1 - While you are comfortably curled up on the couch, being lazy and watching Disney Channel shows on Netflix, your husband asks, "Do you think if you lay flat, your belly sticks out farther than your nose?" Cue laughter.

Step 2 - To indulge your husband, slouch down in your chair and try to compare the two.

Step 3 - When that doesn't work (clearly, you're not lying level), get all the way down on the floor and lay flat so he can observe. Cue harder laughter.

Step 4 - Be confused for a moment while your husband disappears, then reappears with a yardstick in hard. Cue uncontrollable giggling.

Step 5 - In the interest of science, try to lie still through fits of laughter while your husband, the certified Geologist, takes floor-to-nose and floor-to-belly apex measurements.

 Step 6 - Be grateful he doesn't pour hydrochloric acid on you like he does his rocks...

Step 7 - Conclude that yes, your belly does in fact stick out further than your nose (by one inch). Be horrified. Then start laughing again.

Step 8 - To get a good visual, balance said yardstick on your nose and belly. Record negative slope.

Step 9 - Figure that these aren't the type of "belly photos" your family and friends have been asking to see. Decide to post them on your blog anyway.

Step 10 - Wonder what your poor baby boy is in for. Decide it will be a fun -- if somewhat unconventional -- life!

You must be THIS TALL to read...

Date nights have been in short supply around here lately, I'll admit. Between trips to Idaho, piles of homework, house projects, and a myriad of other things that we can never seem to put off, we often opt for pizza and Netflix at home on the weekend. But when we saw the poster for this:

 
We knew we couldn't miss it! We started reading the first Fablehaven book written by Brandon Mull out loud together, way back when we were engaged. It was the first book we read together. We eventually made our way through all five books of the series, and have branched out into other books as well. It's become one of our favorite family traditions. So we requested tickets, stood in line to get good seats, and had a blast listening to a short presentation by one of our favorite authors.

He was very articulate and had all the kids in the audience totally captivated. Partway through the presentation, we started looking around and slowly realized...we were quite possibly the ONLY people in the room that weren't accompanied by someone under the age of 12 (well, you know, besides the kid I'm currently incubating, but he doesn't really count yet, since he can't read, or even be read to). We felt a little sheepish, but you know, it really isn't the first time we've done something that may not have been considered age-appropriate. So we stood in line with our book anyway, and got it signed:

This is Landon's embarrassed face, because we really were the tallest people in the room. When we got up to the table, however, Brandon Mull told us that he was glad to see people more his age there, because it validates HIS love of what he writes. We felt a little better after that.

In any event, we're so glad we went. It's great to live in a college town (we found the same thing with Rexburg) because there are many free (or very cheap) cultural opportunities out there such as this one. We're trying hard to be better about not letting them pass us by, and enjoying all that life has to offer. Even when we feel just a little bit silly doing it!

So This is Grad School...

Monday night, 9:30 p.m.: third floor of the ESC Building at BYU. Notice the massive quantities of junk food and the 5 different computer screens all busy with data, graphs, and presentations...well, except the one we were playing Netflix on. :)

Sometimes you gotta throw life's routines out the window and take "family night" to a new level.

Someone get the ark!

In case you wondered where we've been, our lives for the past week and a half have mostly consisted of dealing with this:

We had a little flood in our basement apartment. Which necessitated this:

Moving everything from one side of our bedroom into the "second bedroom." This isn't so bad, really, except that I have spent the last two months cleaning OUT that room in preparation for a cute, wiggly little someone to move IN. As I told Landon: One of the compensations of pregnancy is being able to buy cute things and to redecorate part of your house. So to see all that junk go in and make my hard work non-existent...well, I was not a happy camper.

But, life is still good. Besides the baby-growing business, and dealing with our slightly crazy landlady while sorting through the flooding, we've been busy with work and homework, dinner with Landon's Antarctica buddies (so fun to meet them all!), and the 50+ degree weather we've enjoyed for the last few days (I love UT!). Also, I found $8 in my coat pocket on Monday, so really, life is pretty great all around!