Just the Beginning :)

Nate and I are at a time in our lives when a lot of things are coming to an end. We both graduated from BYU, and we are in the process of moving away from Utah (probably for good). For me, that means saying goodbye to a lot of family and friends who live in Utah. I will miss them like crazy! It means leaving the safety of our little Zion community in Provo and moving (next year) to Seattle, one of the most liberal cities in the country. And, for me, it means moving on from the one thing that has always been the major consumer of my time: school.

My family :)

Nate's family :)

Nanna Doc got to be a part of the big day! :)

Nate and I in front of our Wymount apartment for the last time.

I've moved a lot in my life, so I'm hoping this move will be a totally manageable adventure just like the previous ones. However, I haven't gone a year without school for about 15 years now. I know it will be WAY different being a stay at home mom, but it will not be any less meaningful or important. Actually, I would argue that it is a much more meaningful and important role :)

I've been blessed to have lots of support from my family and Nate's family. Everyone is so sweet, and Baby Emma couldn't have a more loving family. Nate's family threw me a wonderful baby shower! And we had a blast at my combined baby shower and Ashley's bridal shower with my side of the family! Emma definitely got spoiled! :)

We just got to Washington yesterday. Now it's time for apartment shopping and getting ready for baby. Nate is starting up a window washing company with his dad in his last few weeks before school. If all goes well, it'll be a fun project for him that will hopefully help lessen the amount of student loans we will need to take out. The less the better! But we are getting so excited for him to start school. I know it'll be a hard for him, but he will love the challenge! He's always been a hard worker and has always pushed himself. I am so proud of him for getting into UW!

Even though I've thought about it a million times and have tried to picture what life will be like in a few more months once dental school starts and the baby comes, I know that I really have NO idea what is in store for me. Excitement and anticipation aren't really the right words to describe what I'm feeling, but they are the closest I can find. It's sort of like how I felt the summer before I started middle school. I knew middle school would be hard, but also that it would be fun and that I would learn a lot. Mostly, though, I was worried about all the things ahead that I hadn't done before. That first day at lunch in middle school, trying to find who to sit with. Or the first time trying to figure out how to open my locker. Oh, and trying to remember where all of my classes were. I could spend hours and hours going over it again and again in my head making sure I wouldn't mess anything up. But no matter how much you mentally prepare, there will always be surprises in store that you have no idea how to handle in the moment. However, after a month or so of the awkward "figuring it out" stage, you get the hang of things and middle school becomes a very manageable and even enjoyable situation.

That's how I'm feeling about being a first time mom with a husband in dental school. I'll be on my own most of the day, and there are bound to be lots of first times and surprises when there is a baby involved. Hopefully I will be able to figure it out though :) I'm lucky enough to have lots of family members who have gone through similar situations and will hopefully have good advice. I'm sure the first few months will be like the awkward "figuring it out" stage in middle school, but once I get the hang of things, I'm sure it'll be one of the happiest and most enjoyable times in my life. So, while I know it will be hard, I'm also sure it will be a fun learning experience.

Wish us luck! 

-Kamie and Nate