Daily Life

I've become a little better at posting on the blog since I got pregnant but it's just been about baby so this post is to document what Nick and I do when we aren't preping for baby.

Both Nick and I are working full time.  Nick works at a company called Property Solutions (they provide software for apartment complexes) where he is the QA and Workforce Specialist.  They keep him pretty busy there but he enjoys it. In the one year he's worked there he has gotten promotions and raises so it has been a blessing to our family. I work at a company called DishOne (they sell dishnetwork and directv).  I take calls from customers, sales representatives, and technicians.  This is not my ideal job (I'll post about that later) but I'll only be working 3 more months!  The great thing about our jobs is that we work at the same time 8-5 and 9-5 so we have the whole evening together and since we aren't in school we get to do whatever we want when we get home!  It is pretty awesome.  We also both have the same days off: Sunday and Monday.

What do we do besides work?  Well Nick has really gotten into working out.  He wakes up early every morning to lift weights before work.  It's kind of funny because the first few years of marriage I begged him to workout with me running and finally when he is dedicated I am totally not.  I blame that on 1st trimester nausea and now the snow/ice that will never melt!  A year and a half of marriage added 50lbs to him (I make good food!) and he has lost it all and has more muscle now than he ever has.  I am super proud of him and his self-discipline (and he looks HOT!)!  I feel like I have gotten so out of shape.  Not that I've packed on the pounds but I have lost a lot of my muscle strength (used to run 20+ miles/week and now it's 0).  Now that I'm in my second trimester and have more energy I've started to workout again but way less.  I ride a seated stationary bike for 30 minutes, do some squats/lunges, and lift some weights.  It's always hard to get going but I feel so energized after.  Once I recover from delivering baby I am going to do the Insanity workouts.  I also hope to get a jogging stroller and do another half marathon (maybe Nick will join me for this one!).  I am super excited!

Since we have our evenings free we have taken up hobbies.  Nick love, love, loves to learn so he has been reviewing and learning computer languages (I think he knows like 5 now).  He has made a few template websites for me that are pretty legit, as well as one for his work that they are going to use when hiring new employees.  He is trying to make some software that can be used at his work in his department so maybe his hobby will also make us a little extra doe!  He convinced me to take up this hobby too so I have been learning HTML and CSS and creating my own website.  It took me while to get into it but I'm starting to like it!  Nick has helped me by creating some website designs which I then I have to practice my skills and replicate it.  It's fun to have Nick teach me and see him get so excited.  I've also been cooking and trying new recipes.  I'm trying to improve my food photography as well.  I've learned that natural light does wonders but usually by the time dinner is done at 6 the sun has already gone down (can summer come sooner?).  I have also done some crafts (sewing, jewelry making...).  I would do even more crafts if I had a craft room or craft table where I could leave out my stuff and not have to clean it up each night.  Oh, to live in a place larger than 500sq ft!

At church Nick and I began our new calling back in December as the Singing Time choristers in Primary.  Nick is pretty good at singing but I am just a shower singer.  It's been fun though!  The kids are super cute and know the songs, doctrine, and scriptures stories so well.  Last month Nick taught them "I am a Child of God" which they already know pretty well but there is a 4th verse that they didn't know!  They were really excited about that.  He also taught the senior primary the high accompany part for the 3rd verse and they have really enjoyed that. We think they really like it because it is somewhat challenging.  When teaching/practicing it I sang the regular part with half the class while Nick sang the accompaniment with the other half. We would switch and I would sing the regular part again but with the other half of the kids.  One girl asked "Why does Sister Dueck have to sing the boring part all the time?"  hahaha!  It's because I'm not as good as Nick at singing and I have a hard time reaching the high notes.  I have no problem singing the "boring part".  hahaha!  It was really cute that she was concerned that I didn't get to join in on the fun new part.  The other week we had the kids pull a song title out of a jar and then how we were going to sing it from another one.  One of the combos was the 1st Article of Faith (a slow, kind of medieval sounding song) and the how was doing the hula.  It was pretty awkward/funny and a little girl in Sunbeams said "This is a pretty cool dance move!"  Kids say the darnedest things!

What's in our future?  Well, of course baby girl Dueck!  Besides baby, Nick will be starting medical school at the end of summer.  We just haven't made a definite decision yet.  As of now we've decided to go to Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.  We are still waiting to hear from University of Washington in Seattle.  They have sent Nick three e-mails now that say that he is still "under consideration" which means he isn't accepted, rejected, or wait listed.  I just hope that by April they have made a definite decision so we can start planning where we are going to be living.  We will be happy going to either school but UW is in the top 10 ranked med schools and it's by Nick's family and in the same part of the country as mine.  Creighton is a good school too and I have only heard good things about the area (and I'm a midwest girl).  I must say though that I have looked up apartments in Omaha and we could get a really nice one for pretty cheap.  I fear that if we go to Seattle we will be living in worse conditions than we are now and for a high price.  We'll see.  I'm just excited for a change... especially to have a second bedroom for baby and our first kitchen table!