Super Angie...Beluga encounter

For Brennan's 8th birthday present, he wanted to go pet a Beluga Whale. So this past Friday, we made that happen.

We went to the Beluga Encounter at the Vancouver, BC aquarium.

It was such a special experience to share with my big bear.

First we went to an education class where we learned all about whales. We got to examine a skull and do some fun experiments about echolocation.

Then we got to go to the kitchen and pick up the fish for our whale. We got to meet Aurora. She is not the oldest whale but she is a mom. In the kitchen area, we also were able to see the different schedules and lists of toys for all the different animals.

Then it was time to go out and meet Aurora. Brennan was very excited because she is his favorite whale. He even got to carry the food for her.

We had our life jackets on and entered the tank area.

We learned hand controls for having her make different sounds and do different things. she waved to us with her fin and tail. She opened her mouth so we could see her teeth and tongue. We got to feed her too. We touched her melon (the top of her head) and she moved it around for us. So cute. We also got to touch her side and her tail. She spun around for us as well.

This was the most amazing experience. I love sharing it with my sweet Brennan.

--Angie

Super Angie...what no one talks about

I had a miscarriage yesterday morning. I quickly found that the topic is taboo and people sadly, don't discuss what really happens. How does a woman feel?

So I decided NOT to be quiet about it.

Your body is in pregnancy mode. No matter how early in the pregnancy you are, you are producing hormones and changes are happening. When you lose the baby, you have to then lose all those hormones. Your body has to dump them and return to "normal". Makes sense, right? Depending on how far along you were and your personal chemistry, this can take 48 hours or longer. I've talked to a friend who said it took her a month to feel normal again.

Your body has to go into a labor of sorts to get the baby out. No matter the size (or how many weeks you are) this is a lot for your body to go through. Think about childbirth... this is the same thing, but smaller. I experienced cramping the night before. Lots of cramps. Body aches. During the night I had back labor. You have to dilate as well. For me, the actual act of having the baby come out (in the toilet) wasn't painful. But I suppose it could be for others.

Because your body goes through so much during this process, you will feel exhausted. Even if mentally you are "okay" with the loss and are prepared to move forward, your body isn't. Your body just did A LOT. Producing hormones, making mini contractions...everything it has to do to get the baby out. For me, I have experienced headaches, back aches, shoulder tightness, cramps, and lots of moodyness.

And that brings us to the hormone dump. Don't be discouraged if you are HOT and then COLD and then angry about the house being a mess. Its NORMAL. And the quicker you realize this, the better off you will be. Stay in bed. Sleep. Eat. Talk to friends and family. Hug your other kids.

Dos and Don'ts:

Do accept help from others
Don't run up and down the stairs in your house
Do drink a lot of water
Don't drink alcohol
Do take a hot bath
Don't have sex (your body needs to return to normal down there--also don't use tampons )
Do eat protein
Don't worry about your messy/dirty house
Do make yourself comfortable-- get dressed if you want, do your make up, do your hair, or don't! whatever makes you most comfortable. Usually I am always dressed up and have makeup on. But not now. I'm in my jammies with total bed head (hence, no current picture on this blog)
Don't stress about your body imagine. If you start thinking right now about fitting into your skinny jeans, you'll just freak yourself out. Be NICE to your body and realistic.
Do use heating pads and ice packs.
Don't be afraid in silence. If you are scared, TALK ABOUT IT. Look up stuff on the net. Call your doctor. Call your midwife. Talk to your spouse. Say a prayer. ITS OKAY TO BE SCARED!
Do a bit of lite exercise if you feel its okay. A gentle walk or a light ride on your stationary bike can help circulate blood. Obviously this is not the time to resume training for the Ironman you are working on, but exercise is good for your soul. (talk to your doctor if you are concerned)
Don't worry if you are freaking out, crying, feeling hot, shivering. Remember, hormone dump sucks AND its totally normal to go through everything.
and finally
DO REMEMBER YOU ARE STRONGER THEN YOU THINK YOU ARE!

Take time to heal: heart, mind, soul. Be kind to yourself. You have been through a big thing. Treat it as such. Talk openly. Pray, Meditate, listen to music. Watch TV or movies. Smile. Laugh. and remember...we are all super!

--Super Angie
(I am not a doctor and don't claim to know everything. When in doubt, talk to your doctor. If you have a fever or saturate a pad in an hour, please seek medical help)

Super Angie...misscarriage

I had a miscarriage this morning.

I'm doing all right. Very very tired and sore. Had no idea how physically hard it is on your body. I was only a few weeks pregnant and although I really wanted to be pregnant and was very excited, I'm emotionally doing alright.

New goals. New paths. New plans. God is in charge.

Super Angie...Valentines + late birthday party

Since November was crazy, we decided to have Tanith's birthday party this week. A late birthday mixed with fun Valentines stuff. We invited one neighbor and then all the girls from her preschool. There was sadly, one little girl who got physical with Tanith and then yelled at me when he mom came to pick her up. Other then that, the kids were great and I think Tan really loved it.

I was surprised at some of the gifts. She got a lot of makeup. I think makeup for a 5 yr old is too much. Needless to say, we put it away and told her she might be able to wear some for a skating show. I'm sure I'm just old fashioned and a lot of people reading this blog are probably shaking their heads, but I really do think parents are letting their little kids, girls especially, grow up way too fast.

I don't pretend to be the perfect mom. I'm not gonna do the big elaborate birthday party. I believe that if you do that for a 5 yr old, what are they gonna expect when they are 10? We do a big special party for 8, because that is when they get baptized. Tanith was thrilled to just have some friends over, do some crafts and coloring and eat cupcakes. Nothing fancy. And the other kids seemed to love it as well.

Happy Birthday sweet Tanith!

Super Angie...aquarium business

Last night, Dallin and Rick went on the Boy Scout KLONDIKE winter camp out. So it was play time for Tanith, Brennan and I. Brennan had gone on a field trip in the morning to the aquarium and wanted to show us everything he learned. So that's what we did.

We used to go to the aquarium in Sandy often, but its been a few years. The kids were particularly excited because next weekend, we will be in Vancouver, BC Canada to have a Beluga Whale encounter at the Vancouver Aquarium.

Highlights: Penguins, River Otters, Salmon, Electric Eel, Archer Fish, Sting rays, star fish and the piranhas.

Afterwards, we went out to dinner at Sweet Tomatoes.

It was a really fun evening with my two youngest. Brennan was such a loving big brother, always helping Tan. He lifted her up to see things, read signs to her and helped her. He also read a lot to me too. And we had some good conversations in the car as well. Love those kids!

Angie

Super Angie... desire vs hope and wishes

Question to think about:

Do you have the DESIRE to make a change?

" Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything."

Are you just hoping or wishing? Or do you have this keen pulsating desire to push forward? (Thanks Lucinda Ruh for giving me something to think about!)

Super Angie... 2012

I have gotten behind in blogging--mainly because I'm hating uploading all these pics from my recent trip to Germany. I may postpone posting more so I can catch up on life.

IN THE MEANTIME:
Goals for 2012~!


Continuing my weight loss, toning up, getting better in shape
Reading the scriptures each morning with the kids
Making more real meals for our family
Landing an axel (which I just accomplished!)
Getting more organized in the house.

So far so good.

I have lost a few months (3 to be exact). I've upped my intensity at the rink to make my skating stronger. I'm working again with my marvelous coaches and growing a lot. My stamina is getting back on track. Its hard to get back into the competitive mood but I have a comp soon. UTAH WINTER GAMES- Feb 2-4th.

So far we have been reading scriptures each school day morning. I have a hard time on the weekends because our schedule is so different. But I feel good about our weekday mornings. Its a start!

Making more meals. I have done better about thinking about meal time in advance. Yes, we still have those random meals of cheese and crackers and fruit, But we also have had baked chicken, cassaroles, soups. I'm not into making homemade, from scratch yet, but I'm making baby steps. And its ME making the meals, not Rick, so this is another positive move.

Landing an Axel. I did it! I am landing axels. Most are from stand stills but I have done some moving. My coach is thrilled. My next goal is the have an axel in my Skate for Hope program. I also think maybe I want to try to have one in my Valentine's show program. Hmmm...... :)

Getting Organized. YEA! I am totally doing this. I have made specific goals for January so as to not get over whelmed. I got my computer desk organized, bought another book shelf (and built it) and got the toys organized. For the rest of January I want to get my shelf in the guest room organized- which includes old desk stuff, bills etc. I will tackle that this week.

Its not a lot, but its me and I'm very happy with the progress I'm making.

That's me...being Super Angie

Super Angie... Kellyn K Designs

My coach in Vegas, Kellyn, has started her own custom skating dress company. She also stones dresses. I was asked to do a photo shoot recently and here are some of the pictures.

I love working with Kellyn on dresses because she really listens.

She is a professional show skater. He has traveled the world skating and has been quite a few Skating with the Stars TV shows. Kellyn KNOWS fashion. She also does a beautiful job stoning dresses.

KELLYN K DESIGNS

Super Angie.. German thoughts

My trip to Germany was incredible. I loved stepping back and enjoying my dad enjoy reliving his childhood. It was an awakening of sorts for me. To set aside my selfish nature and instead, let him decide everything. Of course I did drag him into a few stores and make him watch me try on clothes. hee hee But I really did just enjoy being with him.

Top thoughts:
Food. Need I say more?
Walking. I loved walking everywhere.
Trains. It was a new experience to take the train everywhere for 10 straight days.
Architecture. I had several friends comment that they wish they could someday go to Germany. And so this was on my mind a lot as I took pictures--trying to capture the spirit of the things I was experiencing. The buildings. The signs. The people. Life

Super Angie...Trip to Germany - day three Bochum- Lubeck