Teething

Daphne got her first tooth right on schedule at 6 months! I was so surprised when I first saw it because besides her sleeping schedule being a little thrown off, I didn't see this terrible behavior that everyone warned me about. It took me a little while to like this little jagged tooth, but now I love it. I was excited to just see that one little tooth in her mouth. So today Daphne is 7 months and when we were playing this morning I noticed that her other bottom front tooth was about to push through the surface... I started to freak out. Again shortly after that I realize there is something white on the top of her mouth.... WHAT, I then realize it is her top right tooth that has already broken through the gum. Im just amazed at how much is going on in her mouth that I didn't even know about. Its too much for me to handle!!! She needs to stop growing up and stop getting teeth! Boy daphne is going to look pretty funny with her bottom front right and top front right tooth out before her bottom left is all the way out! Oh well it'll give her more personality, like she needs anymore of that =)


This picture is kind of old. Its when her first tooth just came out, but i'll post another one soon!



Daphne loves brushing her tooth. She is obsessed with our sonicare!

All Hallows' Eve

She loved her target dollar section pail!

Cutest Little puppy ever! She was so well behaved. She didn't even try to pull her costume off!

We had a blast this halloween! We decorated and carved pumpkins as well as a gingerbread haunted house. We enjoyed watching the Halloween movies on TV like Clue and Young Frankenstein! My favorite part of the holidays is all cuddling up on the couch, sipping Cocomotion hot chocolate, and having oodles and oodles of holiday movie options. On the sat before Halloween we went to the ward Halloween party. I was very impressed at the decorating and the haunted house. We tried to go trick or treating, to get candy for daphne of course, but people didn't really want to give us candy... ha i cant imagine why!!! JK. Then on Halloween day we just hung around the house and watched the above listed movies. I didn't know if we would get trick or treaters in our complex (because its a very large, spaced out, and hilly) and so i didn't really buy any candy, but i figured if we got a few i would just give them some fruit snacks. Sadly, we didn't get any. I guess when Daphne is ready to do some trick or treating we'll have to go the the neighborhood right outside the presidio (Robin Williams used to live in there). So that neighborhood should prove to be lucrative!

We only wanted to carve a tiny pumpkin this year! Their to much work with a baby around!

I love Daphne's face peeking out through the Candelabra! She's so funny.

Taylor's bag says "PUPPIES" He is one of the robbers (Horace & Jasper) who stole the puppies for me aka Cruella! P.s. funny tidbit Someone didnt know what i was.... how you say, ya i don't know, but he thought i was a "Vegas girl". Clearly he has never seen what girls look like in Vegas.

I took down all our halloween decorations yesterday and am about to put up our Thanksgiving decorations. I need to find/make/or revamp a cute Thanksgiving garland, but i need to find one first. I think that'll be my next project. I cant wait for Thanksgiving! I have so many things i want to do and work on, hopefully i'll have the time. Daphne has been having a really weird day nap schedule. Im blaming it on teething, but im not sure if thats why. She used to sleep 6 hours in the day, about 3 2 hour naps, and now its about 2 1.5 hour naps. Its a bummer, only because i was used to being able to do all the things that needed to be done and then had time to do what i wanted to do. Now i only have time for the necessary. Her nights are still great! Im very happy about that!

Halloween Festivities

This past weekend was a lot of fun. I had Taylor's sister, lauren, come in town for her fall break. We went around running errands, watching movies, going to the pumpkin patch, and eating yummy treats at Ghirardelli Square! Taylor has been a lot more busy this quarter and its just the beginning. So all the visitors i've had lately are much appreciated. All my bestest high school friends are thinking of coming sometime in the near future and that will be absolutely crazy and i can not wait.








Look who came up to us at the pier!


Daphne loved being bundled up on our walk to Fisherman's wharf! Cute little rosy cheeks.


October is absolutely the best time of the year for me. Its the kick start to all the holidays. This year is especially exciting because its all the firsts for Daphne: first costume, first big family thanksgiving dinner, and first christmas stocking experience. Another reason i love all the holidays is because it makes the last part of the year fly by. Daphne's first birthday will be here before i know it.

Why is it so hard?

Why is it so hard to blog? It shouldnt be but for some reason it still feels like a hassle. Maybe its because i feel like i've got to play catch up but i don't. There is just so much i want to blog about and then i just let it pile on. So from here on out im going to make a conscious effort to blog more often no matter how short or long the blog is.
Taylor just finished up his first quarter at UOP. It was a tough transition for the both of us but now that we've gotten the hang of how things will be for the next couple of years i think it'll be a little bit easier on the both of us, but mostly taylor. We spent some of his week break in southern california with his family and some of the break here in san francisco doing touristy things. It was a great break. I think it really helped Taylor get back into the mindset of a harder quarter and also was nice to have him around all week long. Daphne enjoyed the break from only seeing mommy all day!








I had my sisters come in town this past weekend and it was a lot of fun. We rode the cable cars all around china town and union square. For having a baby around and a pregnant lady we did a lot! Everything took 5 times longer, but we did it. Its been a long time since i was able to stay up till 1am talking to my sisters. I've got great sisters and i cant wait for our kids to grow up together.







Daphne is growing up so fast. She spends hours just rolling around from back to stomach and stomach to back (since that is the only way she can get around). Her mumblings sound more and more like real words everyday. I swear she is about to say mama. She was playing in the bath the other day and i saw a little white spot on her gums. I freaked out because i knew it was a tooth. The next day it popped through the gum. I've got to take as many pictures as i can before her tooth is all the way out. Its crazy how fast time goes when your baby is growing up more and more everyday.

Family Reunion 2010

I love my family! Getting together with everyone is like a mouth full of pop rocks, fun chaos. There is never a dull moment. Like times when my dad leaves at 7am to go get donuts for about 15 people and returns 2 hours later with a small box only containing a dozen?? Who does that? Ha my dad! Love these memories we are creating. I love all of the grandkids playing together on the beach. Cant wait for Daphne and future kids of mine to get to know all their cousins. I love my siblings! We are all so different and yet so much alike! When we all get together its the best times for me.

All of my fondest childhood memories were of vacations, big or small. My mom and dad are pretty great too! How they (aka mom) survived all of us growing up i do not know, but im grateful for everything concrete or abstract that they have given me. This is a song my dad started us on one road trip when we were young:

"We are the Zockolls the mighty mighty Zockolls

everywhere we go people want to know who we are so we tell them

we are the Zockolls the mighty mighty Zockolls"

Adam made the following for our family one year! I love it. This is my fam plus a couple more now =)

Daphne hanging out at Huntington Beach

First swing ride!

Mission Impossible

I love love love being a mother. However i do not love the extra pounds i am not shedding from becoming a mother. I always told myself do not expect to just lose the pregnancy weight without having to try to lose it. But i guess i still expected it to against my better judgement. I have about 10 pounds left to lose of pregnancy weight and then another 10 to get down to wedding weight. My gyno told me the following at my 6 week check up "Only 10% of women ever get back down to their pre-pregnancy weight...ever" why on earth would he tell me that! Even if it is true, lie to me and tell me a more appealing statistic. I know it'll be tough but i've got to do it. So 20 pounds is my goal. Im not sure by what time i will achieve this for 2 reasons 1) I feel like breastfeeding is holding onto some fat, for what reason i do not know. I mean i literally feed daphne at least 8 times a day still and its not burning the calories up thats apparent and 2) i dont know when i will stop breast feeding so therefore i can not put a date on it. But im thinking 3 months from when i stop should be sufficient enough. I'll need people checking up on me and motivating me to lose this weight!

THE CULPRIT


NOW


HOPEFUL END PRODUCT

Life in Rainbow Land

Foggy Bridge Picture.


Picture of the Bridge from the beach right below our apt.


Living in San Francisco will be like living in no other city. I've never felt so little in a city. Its so huge, fast paced, inconvenient, and expensive! I truly feel like im living in a foreign city. I've always thought that i lived in a big city, aka Vegas, even though i didnt live directly in the city. Now i see that i was wrong! In Vegas i didnt have to deal with driving in a mega downtown, a lot of one way streets, no left turns on certain streets during certain times of the day, no parking period in some areas on certain times and days, a million different colored meters indicating max minute parking intervals, street lights on the sides of the road, parking garages costing a minimum of $10 an hour and even up to $25, and driving like you are on a roller coaster. Its pretty crazy driving here. So i plan on just driving to the outskirts of the city and then just walk in or bus in. I feel like avoiding driving downtown completely will help me avoid an accident and losing my sanity. I like to escape up north, just over the Golden Gate Bridge. I love to see the bridge anyway and i dont have to deal with the parking issue of downtown. Plus you get the most beautiful view of the city when your driving back over the bridge. Another thing that i will not get used to is the fact that gas stations (1 pump station) and 7-11's are in high rise buildings where you cant just park and run inside!

But I do love the hustle and bustle feeling in a city.
It makes me feel like im living another persons life (im not sure if that makes sense). I need to be more brave and go into town and just experience everything. Luckily a lot of stuff is free and my ward and the school has a website dedicated to showing how much there is to do around the city and for free or really cheap. It would be nice to not do everything alone though. I actually was lucky to meet some really great girls already. In Taylor's class there are 5 married LDS families and 4 of us have kids. Its really nice to know other people who are in the same situation as we are. Only problem is 2 of them are literally having babies as we speak and so that puts them out of commission for a couple of months and one has a full time job! So i"ll have to be brave just the next couple of months and venture out.

The Presidio is really beautiful. We live right up the hill from Baker beach from which you can see the Golden Gate Bridge. Its really crazy that i live that close to a beach and im pretty sure i will never live this close again! There are a million parks, museums, monuments, and old base buildings throughout the Presidio. Its so big and very easy to get lost. I just found out the other day that even George Lucas has his studio here in the Presidio! Taylor and I will definitely need to go and check that out! In the Presidio there is a wide range class of homes. From huge beautiful homes to ugly apartments like i live in. From the outside our place really looks terrible, but when you get inside its actually pretty nice. Old wood floors, nice spacious rooms, high ceilings and there are a lot of young couples that live within walking distance of us. Bad things include: thin walls, no carpet, one small bathroom, creaky floors (of course right by Daphne's bedroom) and a loud tidal wave siren drill that goes on every tuesday at 12. But all in all i really like it here. Here feels like home!

My Family room view from walking through the front door.


Family Room view #2


My Kitchen with its 70's cabinets.


Our Dining area.


Our ridiculously small bathroom.


Our Bedroom.


Our Bedroom view #2.


Daphne's bedroom. I will be doing some more decorating in her room. I'll post those when im done!

Daphne's life in a nutshell!

Disclaimer:
I've had so much going on since i last blogged. I've had a baby, been homeless for a month, and moved in the past 4 months. Some might say thats no excuse not to blog, but that would be a lie. It is an excuse! A dang good excuse too! My life has changed so much and i am just trying to get used to it all. But now that i am somewhat settled i will start blogging on a regular basis.

Now that thats out of the way i'll clue you in to my new life. Daphne June Rice was born on April 14, 2010. She was a week over due and i had had enough. I went into the hospital at 8am and had my IV in, Pitocin hooked up, and water broken all within 30 mins of arriving. I had planned on doing a drug free labor, that did not go as planned, nor did anything about my labor. I held out from8-4 without the epidural. At that point i said give me the shot, and im happy i did because an hour later my nurse informed me that i was failing to progress in the 8 hours i had been there and a c section was now likely. I couldn't believe it. I had never even thought that would be an option. The pitocin was doing its job and bringing on the contractions harder, but all that work was just in vain. Daphne's head was being forced through a pelvic cavity that was to small for a little babys head, therefore causing her head to swell. Finally at 8 (12 hours after arriving) they made the decision to perform a c section. Little Daphne was born at 9:04 p.m. Having a c section was the scariest time of my life. I hated every second and am not looking forward to the next. No amount of epidural can prevent you from feeling pain, but no feeling what is going on...i can still remember exactly how everything felt. Sounds a bit dramatic. If you know the Zockolls, then you know we are pretty dramatic people. Anways she was healthy, so everything was ok.

Daphne is 3 and a half months old and is now "talking", rolling over, grabbing things, loves to watch taylor and i eat, when she gets excited she frantically kicks legs and thrashes arms, loves her bath, and a new one is she love getting her diaper changed. She loves and knows exactly who her parents are! She hates everything a normal baby would love: being held like a baby (she has always wanted to see what everyone else is doing), hates pacifiers, hates her swing, can tolerate her bouncer, hates her crib, hates her stroller, hates her carseat, and hates the panda on her bouncer and has a love hate relationship with the lion on it. She is the most interesting baby. I've made it, barely, through her first cut from clipping her fingernails and her first cold (we are actually dealing with this one as we speak. Life with her is never dull and i have hardly anytime to myself. Yup life is pretty much never the same from here on out. Little bug, we love you!

A little immodest but had to post!



Posts to come: Life in "Rainbow Land",
Mission Impossible: Get Pre-Pregnancy Body Back

Almost 39 weeks and Im finally getting to the point where Im ok with what is about to happen to my body. Im ok that i will be very uncomfortable and in pain for many hours and quite possibly a days and even weeks. Im ok that I will no longer be in charge of my body, in fact it will still be more my baby's body than my own. Im ok that i will be running on low from lack of sleep for the rest of my life. And lastly, for now since Im sure i will realize a lot more after I've had her that i will have to be ok with, Im ok with the fact that i could never have my pre-pregnancy body back. With all that Im ok with only because its going to happen so Im accepting it, I am really excited to finally meet a product of taylor and i. It will be amazing to see and hold her for the first time.

I just finished my last day at Urban Blues and it was a very fun and emotional day! I love my bosses. They have been nothing but great to me these past 4 years. I will miss seeing everyone on a regular basis, but Im sure i will still be in when Im sick of being kept in doors. Now that I have the next week or so left before baby question mark comes, I've decided to make sure everything is ready for the hospital for the baby and I. My bag is packed, but I have yet to get the baby's together. I need to organize our room to accommodate her. I need to declutterize the whole house which might take some time but that is what this week is for me...getting everything done and ready for when we bring the baby home.

Im so grateful to everyone who came to my showers! Taylor and I have been very blessed to get all that we need! At first I was worried she would have none of her necessities but I couldnt have been more wrong. Not only will she be the best dressed probably never having to wear an outfit more than once, but she will have all the other daily things she will need. I have posted a pic of her wardrobe under her changing table and of Taylors office that is now a baby storage room completely full. Also my adorable carseat that my mother gave me. I would have taken one of the stroller too, but it was lost in the pile of baby things in Taylors office.




Taylor and I, more me than Taylor, still have not officially decided on a name. We are just waiting to make that decision when we get to hold her and see what feels right! The anticipation of when Im actually going to go into labor is killing me. I guess we'll see tomorrow at my doctors appt if anything has progressed since last monday! Wish me luck! Not too much though because we really need to to stay comfy till the 1st at least for insurance purposes. Friday, April 2nd sounds great to me!!!!

8 weeks and counting...

32 weeks! So weird to think about. Single digit weeks left is freaking me out. Its a good thing I still have time to get unfreaked out to have this baby! I mean we are very excited, Im just still at the nervous stage. We still haven't officially decided on the name, but i have an inkling that it'll be between molly and nora. Taylor may feel a little different about that, but he'll think differently once he sees me going through labor =) Speaking of labor, i have been reading up on breathing and relaxing techniques to help with a natural birth. These Bradley method books are intense. They definitely do not shy away from anything which is good cause i need it laid all out for me. Im nervous about it, but at the same time i feel really good about it. Its not about me not wanting to drug my baby, its about me wanting to be productive and efficient with the labor. I feel like I could perform, if thats the right word, better with feeling the contractions and pushing with them on my own. But i will say this. My epidural is still scheduled and if my contractions are simple unbearable then I will get it. I just want to go into the hospital with an open mind and prepared for both situations.

Been traveling a lot lately, which doesn't help with the swelling but its nice to get out of the snow! Last weekend Taylor and I went to San Antonio, TX so that Taylor could attend The Crown Council annual meeting with his dad. It was a really cool city. We stayed on the Riverwalk which is the San Antonio River lined with shops and restaurants for ten miles. I loved it. Cute moss covered bridges and and unique architecture. We also got to go to the Alamo which was very cool. Really sad place since it was a horrible loss on our side, but it makes you appreciate all the battles like this one that even though it was a loss we gained from it. This weekend we are in Irvine with Taylor's parents for a baby shower. Our baby has more clothes now than her own mother. That is pretty impressive and scary at the same time. It was fun and very nice of Bev's friends to throw such a beautiful shower. Yesterday Taylor and I celebrated our v day by going in a hot air balloon in the morning and then a newport beach cruise in the afternoon. It was a very fun and exhausting day. My parents were traveling through from san diego and so Amber and Rich meet up with all of us for dinner to celebrate Ambers birthday! Its always great to see my mommy and sisters. Love them so much. After dinner Amber, Rich, Taylor and I all went to see Valentines day. I thought it was good, not amazing, but entertaining. Great V day overall. Thanks husband, love you!

The past month

I knew i was getting bigger but taking a belly picture made me really realize how much it has changed in the past 5 weeks. My last post and picture was at 23 weeks and as of yesterday i am 28 weeks. I had my monthly doctor appt. on Monday for my glucola test. I passed, thank goodness. It was really scary going to test sugar levels after having eaten way to much and everything lacking nutrition value. Ha so i passed but also put on 8 pounds in one month... not too happy about that. I really need to try and eat better especially in these last 3 months.

Taylor and i also decided to get another ultrasound today. Our last ultrasound was not a very pleasant experience. The lady who did it hardly talked to us, we had no idea what she was doing, and it left us unsatisfied and a little worried since she hadn't reassured us of any of the typical first baby questions. Little Lily, Molly, Nora, or Daphne (these are the names we are thinking about) was so cute. Its amazing how much has changed in the 10 weeks from our last ultrasound. She was very active the entire time which made it a little difficult to capture some pictures, but we loved seeing her again. She loves putting her hands in front of her face. 90% of the time half her face was hidden by her hands. I don't know how a dentist dad will feel about her sucking her thumb, especially since she is starting so early. Profile pictures are the best. She has the cutest little profile complete with full pouty lips, button nose, and her moms chin. We are more excited for the arrival now than ever.

Taylor and i spent New years in Irvine with his family. We went to a restaurant in Laguna Beach at a hotel called Surf and Sand. It is a beautiful hotel and the food was very delicious and like nothing I've ever experienced before. It was a five coarse meal. First was an light appetizer called Fois Grois (we found out a little too late that this meant duck liver. In the description it definitely said nothing like that but now i can say i have eaten it and will never again). Then the real appetizer of shrimp and crab cakes, delicious. Third was our salad which was manly just leaves and a light dressing. Fourth was our main dish. I got the Fillet Mignon. I can never pass up a good steak. Lastly was the dessert. I had the passion fruit brulee. It was by far the best dessert i have ever had. Well now you can see why i put on 8 pounds in one month.

This new years wasn't as eventful as past New Years because we had a flight to San Fran early the next morning and had to be at the airport by 6 thirty. So Taylor and Lauren stayed up in the media room to watch the ball drop, while i laid in bed half asleep watching the ball drop, and Bev and Scott fast asleep in their beds. Ha But at least i was awake to welcome 2010.

This is our new home as of July. This is in Union Square which is the heart of downtown San Fran as well as the shopping district. We were only there for 2 days and a night. It was mainly to see the city before it was our home. It is like nowhere I've ever been before. The streets are impressively clean. There is so much to do while your there. Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz, Golden Gate Bridge, just to name a few. Taylor and i definitely want to take advantage of the surroundings while we are there. We want to drive through the redwoods, go to Tahoe, Santa Cruz, and Monteray Bay. I'm definitely nervous to be moving there. This year brings a lot of change for us, a baby and a big move. I know there will be an adjustment period but I'm sure I'll love it in no time.

That pretty much sums up the past month. It is very crazy that we will have a baby in less than 3 months and be in Utah only 5 more months.