35/35

35 weeks along.
35 days left.

In honor of this adorable coincidence, and because I haven't written too many things about pregnancy, I'm going to share 35 facts about how things are going.

The proud dad!

1. Little baby McCoy is a boy. 
2. His name will be Eli Thomas McCoy. 
3. His due date is May 3rd, but we're hoping he comes one week early so both his grandparents can meet him. (I know, wishful thinking :P)
4. At the beginning of my pregnancy I craved salads. 
5. ... and apples.
6. ... and ketchup. 
7. I didn't really have morning sickness. 
8. I try not to share that fact with people that did.
9. We found out I was pregnant on August 31, 2012. Garrett saw the stick first. 
10. We had a very minor miscarriage scare, but it convinced me to keep it quite. We didn't tell family until after our 11 week appointment. 
11. Garrett's family is large enough that once they knew there wasn't really a point in keeping it a secret. 
12. I didn't have any "Mother's Intuition" about what the gender would be. I did have a feeling we were having twins. 
13. I was very wrong. 
14. We've been very blessed to have seen the baby (via Ultrasound) 4 times this pregnancy. I've had signs that something might be wrong but nothing has been. 
15. The doctors have only been worried about two things: at first they thought my placenta was in front of the cervix (it isn't) and then they worried that I was measuring super small (I measure small with the tape measure and big during the ultrasound). 
16. We bought all our nursery furniture back in April before we even started trying. I found a really good deal on KSL: $160 for the crib, mattress, changing table, changing table pad and dresser. 

    

    The alien at 19 weeks.

17. I didn't recognize Eli's kicking until about 24 weeks, but I think I felt it before. 
18. Garrett has great plans for Eli... He thinks BYU needs a new kicker. :P (I've just been informed he won't be a kicker... just a star football player)
19. Garrett's favorite pregnancy "symptom" has been my Taco Bell cravings. 
20. His least favorite pregnancy symptom has probably been my crying. :D
21. I now have an outie belly button. Sometimes it sticks out through my clothes. 
22. I don't plan on having an epidural, but I don't plan on not having one. In other words, I'm going to have an epidural. 
23. One of the hardest things about this pregnancy, mentally, has been my growing belly. I had a lot of deeply buried issues resurface early on. Were it not for my incredible and supportive husband, I'm not sure I could have made it through this pregnancy with my self esteem intact. Though I still dread stepping on the scale at my doctor's appointments, I can honestly say that, thanks to my husband, I have been able to enjoy my new shape. 

    

    I thought I was showing. Ha!

24. I think that pregnancy is the coolest miracle ever. I've grown a human, ya'll!!
25. According to the website I use to give me updates on Eli's size, he's been a squash about 4 times. It's getting ridiculous.
26. He's a coconut right now. When I told Garrett he asked if that meant our baby was growing brown fur all over his body.
27. Garrett started Insanity right when I started gaining my biggest bump. He's getting buffer and I'm getting rounder. :P
28. Less than 2 months after I have the baby, Garrett and I are moving to Wisconsin where he will start Medical School. 
29. About three weeks after having Eli, doctors will implant a Spinal Cord Stimulator in my back. This is so my leg will get better — I might even be able to run again!
30. Baby is already upside down and ready to go. 
31. All the McCoy Boys (and by that I mean Garrett's brothers) have had sons first. Only Justin has had more kids, so we're not sure if that means it's all girls from here on out or not.
32. The Raiders have already been incorporated into the baby things. I'm sure they will be incorporated more.
33. We haven't really set up the nursery yet — I won't do it until we move.
34. I can't get over how tiny newborn babies are.
35. Our lives are about to change forever, and we can't wait ... and when I say "can't wait" I mean it literally — I'm ready to not be preggers anymore! :)

Awarding Journalism

So, I just found out I won an award — Kind of.

An unsigned House Editorial I wrote for BYU's Universe just won second place for Best Editorial for the House from the Utah Press Association, as reported by The Daily Universe.

I'm actually more excited than I probably should be, but I wanted to get this down somewhere so I wouldn't forget. Here's the link to the story, it's called "In the Midst of Adversity." This is one of my more serious articles, written after the Colorado shooting. The words, often, are not all my own as I pray earnestly whenever I need to write such a serious piece. I'm glad to know I was able to give some comfort to those who suffered so much.

*     *     *

In the midst of adversity: 

Finding strength when trials weigh us down

The memory of last week’s theater shooting in Colorado will linger, though there has been some time since the tragic events of late last week.

It’s hard to forget the thought of a man with no motive sneaking into a sold-out movie theater and murdering, in cold blood, 12 innocent moviegoers and injuring over 70 more. For the survivors, this memory will never fade away.

At this time, we choose not to give a detailed play-by-play of the events that day. Enough time has been spent in recreating the horrible moment with unnerving detail.

Instead, we choose to focus on the road ahead, as it will be a rocky one.

The event echos much of the fear and suffering caused by a previous Colorado shooting, the one at Columbine High School. In a letter written just after that tragic event, a teacher described what the current victims and their families must be feeling: ”We have a long and uncharted road ahead emotionally. Each day is literally taken now one at a time. The worst part of the day, dear family and friends, is the wake-up moment. From some sleep and peace comes this horrible rush as everything returns again — the emotions, the fears, the restlessness.”

All of us, those close to the event and those far removed, will experience — to some degree — this “horrible rush as everything returns again.” If not now, there will be a time when an event like this touches you. Such is the world in which we live.

One morning, while traveling down this “uncharted road,” you may wake up to this rush of memories and cry out in burst of carefully bottled pain, “Lord, why me?”

There is nothing wrong with coming to this moment. There is nothing wrong with feeling this pain. But it times of absolute grief, in times of desperate anguish, we urge you — as the popular phrase states — to drop to your knees when it becomes too hard to stand.

Just after Columbine, John Bytheway visited those who at witnessed the shootings. He said he struggled to find something to say to those who had seen so much pain in such a small time, but he shared with them his testimony: “If our testimonies are strong on this point and if we feel the absolute assurance that God loves us, we will change our questons. We won’t ask, ‘Why did this happen?’ or ‘Why doesn’t God care about me?’ Instead, our questions will become, ‘What can I learn from this experience?’ or ‘How does the Lord want me to handle this?”

It is hard to imagine good coming from such an event as this, but just as persecution grew the faith and testimonies of the early saints, tragedy — when handled well — can grow our own faith and testimony.

This moment will not come quickly, however. The pioneers, one of our examples of faith in the face of much adversity, learned this lesson countless times. Though falling on one’s knees for strength can fix you in a moment, it is a repeated series of prayer, study and faithful activity that leads to being healed.

Directing faith toward the Lord will lend a peaceful state of mind. Putting trust in Him, through a repetition of that series of prayer, study and faithful activity, will begin a healing process.

While in Jackson County, Missouri, Joseph Smith was given a revelation meant to strengthen the saints during that challenging time. Doctrine and Covenants 58:3-4 states: “Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. For after much tribulation come the blessings.”

We urge you in times of uncertainty and pain, as we are currently experiencing, to momentarily casting off your “natural eyes.” We ask that you look to the world around you with a mind aimed toward the will of our Heavenly Father. He knows your pains and your struggles, and though it hurts him to see you struggle, he knows your potential and knows the glory you will receive if you make it through your tribulation well.

Our prayers and our hearts go out to all those affected by the Colorado shooting. We ask all students, staff and faculty to remember the victims in their own prayers and to reach out to any who need their help. Most of all, we urge all who are struggling during this time, whether because of the events in Colorado or for some other reason, to petition to their Father in Heaven and ask him to help bear your burden.

May God be with us all.

*     *     *

After I wrote that editorial, I received a very kind note from Rich Wager of BYU Auxiliary Services. Since kind words in response to opinion columns come few and far between, I hope he won't mind me sharing what he said in response, so I will never forget.

Dear Allie,

I want to thank you for the editorial you wrote after the shootings in Aurora, CO. I was very impressed with the direction you took in the editorial. With the call to faith you invoked for all of us. Even though we were not in the theater when the shooting commenced, it does affect each one of us. You brought that out very effectively in your editorial.

The peace and faith we seek so earnestly, comes and goes as experiences happen to each of us. Through faith, we may be able to keep peace around longer. In the end it appears that peace and faith depend more upon our inner souls than on what is happening in the world. Trust in the Lord seems to help that happen.

Thank you for the editorial. It personally helped me to be a better person. I appreciate your insights and thoughts.

May the good Lord bless you and your family.

Thank you.

Rich Wager
BYU-Student Auxiliary Services

*     *     *

I can honestly say that a day does not go by where I don't miss working for that paper. I learned so much and grew so much as a person. There are a million things I would do differently if I could go back, most pertaining to my maturity and ability to deal with people, but there are billions of experiences I wouldn't give up for the world.

DU Staff, April 2012

Showered with blessings

This past Saturday my sisters and my mother threw a beautiful baby shower for little Eli... well, kind of for little Eli. The decorations were all blue, but the touches were definitely for me. The balloons were tied with Tulle, yellow and white flowers dotted the table tops and we even had a little tea party. All in all, it was the perfect event and I am so grateful to all those who came and supported me. It was great to see friends and family that I don't get to see all the time.

I didn't get a picture of everyone in attendance, but I thought I'd share some photos of the beautiful day.

A peak at some of the beautiful
decorations. My mother made the
cake balls and the floral arrangements.
Also, isn't the punch to die for —
I will never be able to resist a
mother duck and her kids!

 

 

       

And while the girls partied, the boys played. Can I just mention right now how jealous I am that the boys got to go to the Air Force Museum. Maybe if I ask him super nice my dad will take me sometime soon! (Hint! Hint!)

Tales of a super awesome husband

THE tickets!

As you've probably noticed by now, I pretty much think my husband is the greatest person ever — because he is. However, for Christmas he multiplied that "greatest person ever" thing by a million. You see, though he is fantastic, he is the least cultured person in the world. He would sit through an old football game for the 90th time (here's looking at you John Beck, BYU v. U of U) then go see anything mildly artistic unless it was a concert for one of his no-name bands.

Trying the new Baja Freeze.
Slurpees are still better.

Knowing this fact, you are probably just as surprised as me to discover that for Christmas he SURPRISED me with Jenny Oaks Baker concert tickets. That's right — I didn't even know about the concert. He did it all on his own.

Again, my husband is the greatest person ever.

Anyway, we started out the date in true McCoy fashion — a super fancy dinner at our all time fav... Taco Bell. I'm not kidding though, Taco Bell is seriously one of my favorite places to go eat. I remember someone telling Garrett when we were dating that he had to take me out on nice dates that didn't consist of cheap places like Taco Bell. This seriously concerned me — most of the time we went there because I begged. Luckily, the guy didn't seem to persuade Garrett too much — it was a dating favorite.

The seats... for snuggling

Anyway, I digress. After our super fancy T-Bell run, we got to the theater. I was beyond excited! Garrett had gotten us these cool seats that were like love seats, so we didn't have to be separated by the arm rest — I know, I know, I'm pathetic.

And as for the concert... Amazing, incredible, fantastic. I couldn't stop smiling and I can't believe how talented Jenny Oaks Baker is. It almost makes me want to pull out my violin and practice, but I'm too tired now with all the preggers madness. One day, one day.

We blame this terrible photo on
the lighting, but still cute!

Oh, and did I mention I got her autograph? Yeah, I'm that cool.

Jenny and me!
And that's her autograph I'm clutching.

Karl Malone!!!!!

No, I'm not actually celebrating the basketball player with my title. Just the fact that I'm 32 weeks along. (He was number 32 when he played with the Jazz and my mother taught me that 8x4=32 by yelling "Kaaaaaarl Maaaaalooooone!!!" across the kitchen anytime anyone quizzed me on 8x4)

Anyway, I'm starting to get more comfortable with my ever expanding body now that I feel like I actually look pregnant, and not like I just ate an extra burrito. So, in celebration of 32 weeks, here's a bump shot!

(I must admit, this is also partially because I like my outfit)

Anyway, Garrett and I are super excited to be inviting a new member into our family in somewhere around 8 weeks. It's crazy how our lives are going to change, but it will such an amazing adventure. And I know I can do anything as long as I have Garrett by my side.