Birth Story

I've been trying to get a chance to blog about Isaac's birth all week. My need to process the experience is so tangible it's almost like the physical sensations of thirst or hunger. For the most part through my pregnancy I was able to think of childbirth as a positive, beautiful thing and not let myself give way to panic and terror when its inevitability crossed my mind. R and I took a 5 week childbirth class, talked with our friends who have recently given birth, asked questions of our doctor, and read lots of material on the subject.

I decided I wanted to go natural for a number of reasons. Less risk of C-section, ability to move around during and after labor, testimony of friends who had gone natural and described it as an amazing experience. Let me just say that my perspective has changed since going through labor and delivery personally! I'm realizing more and more that what works for others doesn't necessarily work for us, whether that's in our marriage, church, childbirth, and now parenting.

But on to the story......

After 2 or 3 "maybe this is it" experiences, I was excited on Tuesday the 7th when I realized I was losing my mucous plug. I knew this didn't mean labor was imminent, but it felt like a good sign. I woke up Wednesday, the morning of the 8th, feeling kinda crampy and hoping that meant something, but not trying to get my hopes up too high since I'd felt that before. (disclaimer...for some of you there may be too much information...just so you know) I went to the bathroom and discovered that I had bloody show. Now this was exciting because I'd read that with bloody show labor usually starts within 24 to 48 hours, giving us enough time to go into labor before Friday's scheduled induction!

Wednesday was pretty normal and nothing really seemed to be happening until about 2pm when I started having contractions about 6 minutes apart. I tried to lay down and rest but they were uncomfortable enough that I couldn't sleep. At 4pm I called R at work and he said he'd be home within the next hour. I hung up with him and then had a contraction that was much stronger than anything previously. I immediately called him back and asked him to come now!! I knew I didn't want to be by myself anymore!

R came home and we ate dinner, went for a walk, watched some TV, I took a warm bath, and I sat on my birth ball. Meanwhile, the contractions were still coming and getting more painful and more intense. At midnight, after 10 hours of contractions, and with the contractions coming about 4 minutes apart, we decided to head to the hospital. We got there and got settled into the labor and delivery room and the nurse checked me to see my progress. I wasn't dilated at all!! Up to this point I was doing really well remaining positive, but when I learned I'd been having painful contractions for 10 hours with no progress all I could do was cry!!

They put me on the fetal monitor for awhile to make sure Isaac was doing okay and then I was released to walk the halls and move around. We headed to the nursery...I figured I could use some inspiration. Walking didn't really seem to help and the contractions were getting harder and harder to deal with. We went back to the room and watched an episode of the first season of Lost, trying to keep me distracted.

R was absolutely AMAZING through all of labor and delivery. He had a shirt made special for the occasion that said "birth coach" across the front. He affirmed me with every single contraction, pushed on my back to help alleviate the pain of back labor, fed me ice chips to keep me hydrated, helped me change positions, let me lean against him during the particularly severe contractions. And he managed to remain positive the entire time!!!! I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!!!!

Around 4am on Thursday, the 9th, the nurse checked me again and I was dilated to a 7!! 7 centimeters in 4 hours! No wonder the contractions were so intense!! I decided I needed some relief from the pain, so I requested demerol. I had heard that while demerol wouldn't eliminate the pain it would help to take the edge off. As it turns out, demerol did NOTHING for the pain, but it did relax me in between contractions and I got a little rest.

Around 7:30am our doctor stopped by to check my progress and see how I was doing. I had dilated to an 8 and was really starting to struggle with pain, crying a lot, trying to breathe through the contractions, but finding myself hyperventilating through some of them and screaming through others.

Our doctor came by again about 9:30am and I was still only dilated to an 8 and our doctor was a little concerned that I hadn't made any more progress. She inserted an internal monitor to better register the intensity of my contractions and at the same time, she broke my water. My contractions were coming one on top of the other without a break and peaking for 2 minutes. At this point I couldn't take it anymore and was ready to just have a c-section and get it over with! Our doctor asked me if I was afraid to get an epidural. I had to admit that I was...though at that point fearing the pain of the needle seemed rediculous compared to what I was experiencing! I decided to get an epidural and they put me at the top of the list to receive it.

At 10:30am, after 20 hours of labor, I got an epidural and hope that I was going to make it after all! Once the epidural took affect they started me on pitocin to speed things up. With the pain relief I was able to sleep for a couple hours. Our doctor came back again and I had dilated to a 9 & 1/2. Our doctor told us that if I hadn't completely dilated in the next hour that we might have to consider a c-section.

I slept for another hour and R had just stepped out for a moment when Dr. came back to check on me at 2:30pm. After checking my progress she announced that it was time to push!! She assured me she wouldn't let the baby be born without R being there! I pushed through two contractions before R got back. R was so surprised that it was time!! He stepped right in and cheered me on and told me how amazing I was with every push!!

Pushing was the part of the labor experience that I was most scared of, but with the epidural I couldn't feel any pain and pushing ended up being amazing!!! I pushed for an hour and a half and then with one push I felt Isaac's head come out and the next push brought the rest of him. It was so amazing to push our little boy into the world!! They put him on a blanket onto my chest and he was so beautiful!!!! Isaac was born at 3:53pm on 10.09.08 after 26 hours of labor! He was 8 pounds, 1 ounce and 20 inches long.

At this point, R remarked that I looked really pale and I felt like I was going to faint. They lowered the bed so I was lying down flat and took my blood pressure. My blood pressure was super low...I think someone said 99 over something, but I'm not for sure on that. They thought it might be from the epidural...apparently that type of reaction is pretty common with redheads...go figure. I slept for awhile and they tried sitting me up later on in the evening only to have the same faintness come over me again. I think someone from the lab came at some point to check my blood count and they discovered that I was running on "half a tank", to use our doctor's words.

They kept me over in labor and delivery that night and gave me two units of blood. I couldn't believe the difference it made!! I felt so much better! And by morning I was able to sit up without feeling like I was going to pass out. They then moved us over to the post partum area where we stayed another night and were released to come home on Saturday.

I find that even though everything turned out in the end and it's all over and Isaac is here and healthy, that I'm still struggling with how horrible the experience was. I knew it would be difficult, but I had the expectation that it would still be this amazing experience. Instead I find myself terrified at the thought of ever going through that again. It was awful...I've never known pain like that before! I felt so helpless and afraid. It helps just getting my thoughts out, but I think it might take a long time to process through everything and be able to let it go.

Rumors of war

Captain’s log, stardate: 90210. Dad's entry - I’ve secured this channel to broadcast what could be my last transmission. It’s been four days now since we left civilization. Though the surge has succeeded in ways that nobody anticipated, the crew is weary as we settle in on the long haul. We’re hungry. Tired. Fatigue setting in. I’ve set up a perimeter around the house to intercept incoming sound waves before they hit base camp. The first watch of the night was uneventful. Still, I take no solace in the calm, knowing that a storm brews on the horizon. One of ours was hit pretty hard last week. Took two units of blood to set everything right again. Mollie is a dedicated soldier; she went natural for half of the journey. For those who aren’t parents yet (we call them civilians), saying that a woman “went natural” is like a scientist saying that a star went supernova. Nonetheless, somehow, we survived the blast - not a scratch on us - but I can tell, nothing will be the same again. The first diaper change came with unrelenting force. Who gave my baby tar to eat? Boot camp could never have prepared us for this.

Here At Last!!!!

Our sweet son Isaac is here at last!!! Life has been a complete blur since we went into the hospital Wednesday night at midnight! Labor was a long 26 hours and the little man arrived at 3:53pm on Thursday, October 9th! 10.09.08 He picked a cool birthdate! Isaac weighted 8 pounds, 1 ounce and was 20 inches long. Everyone keeps saying he's a big baby, but I guess that's all relative. He seems so little to me!

We came home on Saturday and have just been adjusting to our new life ever since. It seems like all I do right now is feed and catch naps in between feedings. I'll be glad when things smooth out a bit! Today is the first time I've touched the computer since letting ya'll know we were headed to the hospital!! But hopefully things will take on a semblance of normalcy soon! Meanwhile, I had to share some pictures of our adorable little boy!!!

Time

We're heading to the hospital!

The Real Thing

Well this is definitely the real thing! I've been having consistent contractions now since 2pm and they're getting closer together and more intense. They're now coming about every 4 1/2 minutes apart. I totally have to concentrate and breathe through them, but so far it's going really well. R has been absolutely amazing! Time out.

Okay I'm back. Contraction there. To say R has been attentive is an understatement! I'm so beyond blessed to have him for my husband!!!! We're still at home and plan to stay home until they're closer to 3 minutes apart unless my water breaks before then! I'm starting to feel a little tired, but the contractions are too painful laying down so I'm not sure that dozing is much of an option at this point. Soon I'll get to hold my little boy!! Thank you, Jesus!!!!!!

Keeping my fingers crossed!

So...I'm having pretty intense contractions about every 6 minutes and have been for the last couple hours. I'm just hoping beyond hope that this is the real thing and they don't taper off like they did before. Of course, these contractions are a lot stronger than the other day so that's a good sign. I'll try to post when we're heading to the hospital!!! Keep praying!!!! I so want this little boy to come on his own without induction!!!!

Maybe Today?!?!?

Every day I tell the little man that today would be a great day for him to come. So far he hasn't agreed with me! I was pretty sure Sunday was going to be the day. I woke up at 3am with contractions coming every 4 minutes. This went on for a little over 3 hours and included a walk at 6am...but then they tapered off and that was that.

I've pretty much given up on the idea that I can do anything to get things started. I continue to walk and last night I tried the accupressure again and took a hot bath in lavender salts. The bath gave me a really good night's sleep and I'm thankful for that, but I think that's about all I'm gonna get out of it!

The fact that he's coming this week regardless of the means is both encouraging and terrifying. Pitocin looms ominously in my mind even though my doctor assures me they'll start out with a low dose that will mimic natural labor (if you've had pitocin please don't share your experience until AFTER I've had this baby!!!). Regardless I'd much rather things begin on their own...naturally!

R continues to encourage me and assure me that I can do this and that it's almost over and soon we'll hold our sweet baby in our arms. I truly don't think I could do this without him!! More than once he has been the one between me and utter discouragement!! I know the obvious fact that pregnancy can't continue indefinitely...but try and convince my emotions of that when faith feels weak and I haul this very pregnant body out of bed each morning only to return there in the same condition each night!!

But maybe he'll come today!! I'm still hopeful! I can't help but think about our son's coming in light of the coming of Christ. I should await His coming with that same sense of expectation that each day could be THE DAY! Oh to long for Jesus with the same fervency with which I long for my little boy to be born! Lord...revive my heart and my love for YOU! Draw me closer........

Almost There!

I was sure last night that things were gonna get heated up in the night and today we'd be heading to the hospital. I've been having more intense Braxton Hicks contractions since Thursday night. Last night we even timed them and discovered that there was a pattern of every 7 minutes. I'm still saying they were Braxton Hicks, though, 'cause they're not painful just uncomfortable. Alas. I'm still feeling them but they don't seem to be getting any stronger or more intense.

R and the doggies and I have been on a walk this morning and I've done another round of accupressure. There's a place on the inside of the ankle that can be pressed to start contractions or to strengthen them. It's called the Spleen 6. I think it does have an effect but not enough of an effect to actually get things going. Thankfully I slept well last night and it's the weekend so R is here with me and we can get out and enjoy each other's company. And it's a beautiful day!!!

Still hoping today could be the day things get started..... Gotta keep hoping!!!

By the way, we mentioned to our doctor about the nurse who was coughing like crazy the night we went in for monitoring. I was saddened and quite humbled to learn that she has lung cancer and is trying to keep working as long as she's able. Wow. So if you think of it...pray for Debra!

A Little More Time

I'm learning that while I can think pretty fast on my feet, I actually need some time to process things and that often includes sleeping on it. We spoke with our doctor this morning about delaying the scheduled induction a little longer. We're now set to go in a week from today if our little boy doesn't come before then. I feel better about giving him more time to come on his own and there's still the relief of having the end in sight.

I'm off for another walk! I'm determined to do what I can to bring this little guy along!!!!

40 Weeks!

Today is the big due date...and so far our little guy hasn't clued in to the fact that he needs to come!! Smile. We went to our doctor visit this morning and no new progress since last week, though I'm sure it feels like he's dropped some more!!! No dilation yet, but effaced to 90%. If little man doesn't come before, we're scheduled to go in on Monday morning to be induced. I have been so opposed to induction prior to 42 weeks, yet I can't even begin to explain the feeling of relief I felt when she said Monday! So after crying about it and freaking out and thinking and praying, I really do feel at peace about how things are playing out. And of course we're hoping and praying he will come on his own before then!!! Meanwhile, we will continue Operation Babycome with all diligence!!! Our sweet baby will be here SOON!!!!!

Operation Babycome

It's October now and so I feel it's more than safe to help little "George" along with entering the world!!! I've been walking most days, but this morning I took the doggies out for half an hour and plan to walk again with R later this evening. I've been to the chiropractor. I ate saurkraut with my lunch (gag!). And when I'm done on the computer I plan to sit on my birth ball for awhile. Operation Babycome has officially commenced!!! It's time for you to come, sweet boy!!!!

As my father-in-law would say.....

drama, drama, drama.

Yesterday was one of the most positive days I've had lately. I just felt really good about myself and really positive about "George's" coming and how all of that would play out. I think it helped that pretty much the only thing I did yesterday was go shopping with my friend Bri! That kept me from sitting at home twiddling my thumbs waiting for the little man to show up!!!

R and I enjoyed dinner together and then went to Target to look at some stuff; came home and watched some TV, went for a walk. It was looking like just a pleasant evening. I started to feel a little anxious about the fact that the little man had been moving non-stop for an hour and a half. I've read in a few different places about monitoring fetal movement and that if it seems like the baby is moving frantically that it could be a sign he's in distress. I wasn't sure how to gage whether his movement was frantic, but he's definitely never been THAT active before. I called my doctor and she said if his movement is excessive that I should go in to labor and delivery and get monitored to make sure everything is okay.

We packed up the car with all our gear just in case we ended up staying. We get to the hospital a little after 10pm. Because of the lateness of the hour we have to enter through the emergency entrance since they lock the other hospital doors for security. A nice man on staff walks us all the way to labor and delivery and leaves us at the nurses' station with the assurance that someone will be right with us.

And so the drama begins...... We stand there for a few minutes wondering if we're going to be completely ignored, when a nurse stands up, coughs really loud, and asks who our doctor is. Cough, cough. We tell her and are somewhat reassured when she already knows who I am 'cause our doctor had called ahead to let them know I was coming. Cough, cough. They discuss among themselves what room to put me in and we head off (cough, cough) down the hall to check me into a room for monitoring. She tells R he has to wait until they've checked me in...wait a minute...this isn't the way it's supposed to be happening...whisked off to the room leaving R behind. Cough, cough. I put on my gown and get hooked up to the fetal monitor and hear the little man's heartbeat strong and steady. Phew. Cough, cough. I get asked a whole slew of questions all the while wondering when R can come in and knowing he's about to flip out waiting outside!

She finally gets through with the questions and I have to ask her if the baby's heartrate looks okay and all. Cough, cough. She says yes and leaves to get R. (It's about time!) Next nurse comes in and asks a few more questions. Thankfully she's not trying to hack up a lung and seems a little bit nicer. All in all we were there for probably less than an hour. Of course as soon as I laid down and got hooked up "George" quit moving completely. Thanks a lot! Everything was fine and we were glad to go just for the peace of mind, but I didn't like my first experience in labor and delivery.

I was totally disturbed by the fact that it seemed the first nurse should be home in bed nursing her cough rather than at the hospital nursing me. I didn't like that R had to wait outside. I think what bothered me the most is that I knew that if I insisted he come with me that they would let him come, but I felt like everything was so out of my control and I was just being moved along with no time to think. Then I didn't appreciate that the nurse kept telling me that movement wasn't cause for concern, it was when there was a lack of movement. Hello!?!? I know that! But I also know what my baby is like and he has NEVER moved like that before and darn it, the doctor recommeneded that I come in to be monitored. Argh!!

Our doctor calls up to the nurse's station after reading the monitor and says that everything looks good and I'm free to go. Sounds good. I get back into my normal clothes feeling relieved that little man is okay and relieved to be leaving. Back home we go; it's now after midnight and that great positive feeling from the day has evaporated and mostly I just feel even more freaked out about going in for the real thing. R keeps reassuring me that this time was different because it wasn't the real thing and we didn't have our birth plan in hand to present to them 'cause I knew I wasn't in labor. Alas. I finally fell asleep sometime after 1am, only to be awakened at 2am by a crash in the kitchen. R gets up to investigate with baseball bat in hand. I lay there groggy, holding my breath until he comes back to say everything is okay...but my pot rack came right out of the wall and all the pots and pans fell. Sigh. Thankfully nothing got broken in the fallout.

Drama, drama, drama. I'm glad it's a new day and I'm gonna try to not think about the whole thing anymore. Our little boy is okay; we're okay. I am, however, gonna ask my doctor about the coughing nurse!! That's just rediculous!!!

39 Weeks

To be completely honest I was hoping our little man would be here by now, but here we are at 39 weeks and our due date is this Thursday!!! The imminence of his coming is both incredibly exciting and incredibly frightening! If only there wasn't that thing called LABOR between here and there!!! But I'm trying to keep a positive perspective and hoping, hoping, hoping that I will follow in my Mom's steps and have a quick and easy delivery! After all, I was nice to my Mom so that should count for something, right?!?!

Meanwhile, I'm totally running out of things to clean and finish before his arrival. A couple days ago I finished reading "Villette" by Charlotte Bronte (it was good, but not as good as Jane Eyre). I've been keeping up with the laundry so that's not hanging over me when he's born. I've prepared and frozen probably around 8 meals. The office is clean, the kitchen is clean, the nursery is complete including new crib up and ready, our bags have been packed for awhile now. And I'm getting antsy and bored!!!! I'd like to get out more and shop and the like, but with all the comments I get when I go out I have to be feeling REALLY up emotionally to brave hearing someone else make a negative comment about the size of my belly. So I'm kinda hiding out in the house lately. PLEASE COME SOON LITTLE BOY!!!!!!

By the way, I looked up some information in one of the books I've read about labor and delivery and the fact that the little man is at a +1 station is quite positive. The stations or positions coming down into the birth canal start at -4, which is floating. Zero is fully engaged in the mother's pelvis and +4 is basically when the baby's head crowns. So, he has moved past just being fully engaged and is on his way positively (ha, ha). Soon I will look back on all of this and wonder that he's been here a week...a month...a year already! Soon this pregnancy will end and I will hold my little boy in my ARMS!! Soon!

Ready to Decorate!

R finished painting the office over the weekend and I think it turned out so great!! This is what it looked like before. You can't tell in the pics but the paint had come off in quite a few places and it just looked pretty rough. And there's Chewie! He was the inspiration for the new color!!

This is the new look! I've been wanting to do something in chocolate brown 'cause I think it's such a warm color!!! We're planning on doing this color in our kitchen next year, so R decided to continue the color theme in the office since it's right off the kitchen.

Again, this is the old color.

It's hard to really tell what color the brown is. I probably should have taken the pics with the blinds closed. But you get the general idea from these shots!! I think it turned out fabulous and can't wait to help R with the decorating!!!

Single Digits!!!!

It's amazing to me that our due date is only one week away!!! I woke up yesterday thinking "today's the day" and by dinner time last night I thought that might actually be the case! I started getting cramps at lunch time yesterday and by dinner it felt like I was getting what I assumed were contractions, though there didn't seem to be a pattern to it. I kept having them up until about 9:30 and then each time I woke up in the night I felt crampy still. But, no baby yet!

We had our doctor appointment this morning and I'm now effaced 90%!! That must have been what was going on yesterday!!! No dilation, but little man has moved down in +1 position! Our doctor says the more I'm effaced and the more he moves down the quicker things should progress during labor. So even though I'm not dilated, my body is definitely getting ready! I'm soooooooooooooooooo excited to meet our little boy!!!!!

In a previous post I mentioned that our crib got recalled. It was a little frustrating to have to take it apart, return it and then go about finding a new one. But I think it ended up being a blessing in disguise. The old crib was fine and seemed to be pretty sturdy. But the new crib is so much more solid and I think it will last a lot better then the first crib. And I just think it looks nicer!!

Off with the old.....


On with the new!

Sleep

For the last 3 nights sleep has been anything but peaceful and fulfilling. I would think the last month of pregnancy that I'd sleep like a baby since I tire out so easily and need so much sleep to function. But no, aside from getting up 2 or 3 times a night to go to the bathroom, I've been having these weird, wake-like dreams that make me wonder if I'm getting any sleep at all. And, on top of all that, my body lets me know I need to turn over like every hour 'cause I'm uncomfortable in one position for too long.

I read on some pregnancy website that some people think the difficulty sleeping in the last stage of pregnancy is to prepare for the interrupted sleep when the baby comes. This may be true, but it's doesn't seem quite fair. I'd like to store up sleep now for later! Smile. Oh well. I don't really feel too tired during the day, so I must be getting enough sleep and this can't go on forever! I mean, one of these days (maybe today?!?!?) I will actually give birth to this sweet baby and this pregnancy will be OVER! It is a proven fact that pregnancy does indeed come to an end! Smile. Yesterday I was really doubting that...didn't make for a very good day! But between my sweet husband, my sweet friend Bri, and my sweet Mom I was much encouraged! Thanks guys!

My Favorite Shots from our 38 Week Photo Shoot

38 weeks and still counting

Today marks 38 weeks of pregnancy. R and I have totally been marvelling at the fact that our sweet little boy is coming SOON!! I just remarked that next Saturday at this time we could be sitting at home WITH our son! Wow! It's real but it's so not real all the same!

This morning R and I had a photo shoot with one of R's co-workers. She kindly offered to take our pics together with the baby belly! I can't wait to see how they turned out! I'm glad we got the chance to do that together!! I'll be sure to post pics when we get them...should be next week sometime.

Hopefully today is the last day R will have to work on the office. The only thing left to paint is the white trim! Yippy!! I can't wait to see it completely done! R has worked so hard this week!!

Dumb luck...our crib got recalled! What are the odds that would happen two weeks before our due date?!?! We're thankful to have a pack and play so at least our little guy will have a place to sleep until we can get his bed replaced and set up again. I'm kinda bummed 'cause the crib and the changing table are in the same set so they match...and I don't know if we'll find something else to match. Oh well, "George" sure won't care! It's just mommy that likes everything to be just so.

This post is turning out to be incredibly random!! I don't know if I was nesting or not, but yesterday I super cleaned the living room, including mopping the wood floors! I just couldn't bear the thought of coming home from the hospital to look at the same dust that has already been driving me nuts!! Wood floors are beautiful, but they aren't as forgiving as carpet!

A Little is Better Than None

We had our OB appointment today. I really look forward to those now 'cause I really want to know if there's any progress being made, especially now that I've been feeling SO uncomfortable! Our doctor confirmed that he has "definitely dropped"! Glad to have that confirmation! That would explain why I have so much pressure in my pelvis!! She said my cervix is really soft and that I'm dilated to almost 1cm. I have to admit I was hoping for a little bit more dilation than that, but a little progress is better than no progress!!! At least all those Braxton Hicks contractions are doing SOMETHING! I woke up in the wee hours last night and had cramps for like 45 minutes or more. I sort of wondered if something was getting started, but then they got less intense and I was able to go back to sleep and woke up this morning without cramping. Oh well. I'm still hoping to go early, but our doctor expects to see me again next week for our next appointment. We shall see!

A Little is Better Than None

We had our OB appointment today. I really look forward to those now 'cause I really want to know if there's any progress being made, especially now that I've been feeling SO uncomfortable! Our doctor confirmed that he has "definitely dropped"! Glad to have that confirmation! That would explain why I have so much pressure in my pelvis!! She said my cervix is really soft and that I'm dilated to almost 1cm. I have to admit I was hoping for a little bit more dilation than that, but a little progress is better than no progress!!! At least all those Braxton Hicks contractions are doing SOMETHING! I woke up in the wee hours last night and had cramps for like 45 minutes or more. I sort of wondered if something was getting started, but then they got less intense and I was able to go back to sleep and woke up this morning without cramping. Oh well. I'm still hoping to go early, but our doctor expects to see me again next week for our next appointment. We shall see!

God is so Faithful

I was just telling R last night that I feel a little lonely and it seems like everyone is so busy right now with their own lives that there just isn't time to hang out. Today we went to the chiropractor, which felt really great, by the way. This sweet woman in the waiting room asked me about my due date and then just enthusiastically expressed how exciting it is to have children and didn't say anything negative about my size or not getting any sleep after he's born or anything like that! She was still in the waiting room when we finished and R, being the fabulous extrovert that he is, suggested that she and I should get together for coffee tonight!

We did! We just spent a couple hours talking over starbucks. Come to find out, she and her husband have only lived here since November and are still making friends! She's a Christian and reminds me so much of a good friend from college; very bubbly and enthusiastic and a red-head. Once again God showed His faithfulness to me and how He will provide for all my needs!!! Thank you, Jesus!

Some thoughts on marriage.......

I'm not exactly sure why I started thinking about this, but as I was making R breakfast this morning, my mind went off on its own little tangent. It's not every morning that I make breakfast for my sweet love, but he was up painting in the office until 6am this morning so I wanted to bless him and help him in getting out the door to go to work (thankfully he did take the morning off to get some sleep). As I was preparing his coffee I was thinking about the fact that I knew he would appreciate my efforts and how much his appreciation inspires me to do things for him that he will appreciate.

That got me thinking about the patterns we choose in relationships and particularly in marriage. I feel so blessed to be married to R and thankful for the way he treats me and talks to me and how he shows his love for me. I don't know how many times people have given the "just you wait until" speal about how once we've been married 2 years.....6 years......had children......etc we won't be so nice to each other anymore. But as far as I'm concerned, the reason our marriage looks the way it does is because of the choices we've made from the beginning in how we treat each other and speak to each other...in our pattern of conduct toward each other.

I made the choice from the start not "to go there". Not to say those negative, critical things that once said is easier to say the next time and the next time. I'm definitely not perfect and I'm not trying to imply that our marriage is perfect and that we always treat each other the way we should. I guess I'm just trying to say that marriage is what we make it and we do have a choice how we will personally treat our spouse. And just like I love to do things that R appreciates because he appreciates them, I think the same is true for what we say and how we treat each other in other ways as well. We establish a pattern of conduct that determines what our marriage looks like. And how I treat R has an effect on how he will treat me in return and vice versa. So those are my thoughts on this fine Monday afternoon. I think the bottom line is "do unto others as you want them to do unto you".

Full Term

At 37 weeks, our little boy is full term today! He can safely come anytime and I would happily welcome him ANYTIME! Smile. I've been feeling pretty good, but last night I started feeling really uncomfortable and just a lot of pressure. I slept last night, but each time I woke up to turn over or go to the bathroom it was like my whole body was screaming its angst at me! I'm still feeling quite a bit of pressure today and can't sit still for very long. I'm really hoping this means he's coming soon...and if he's not that this isn't how I'm going to feel for the remainder of my time pregnant!!!

And please bear with me as I take this opportunity to vent about what has to be the worst part about being pregnant. CAN'T PEOPLE JUST LEARN TO KEEP THEIR MOUTH SHUT IF THEY CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE AND POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Argh! "Oh my gosh, you're really big". " You look like you're about ready to pop". "Your baby is gonna be really big". "You're huge". And it goes on and on and on!! And what's so frustrating is that most of these comments come from complete strangers! What on earth gives them the right to comment about my anatomy?!?!? I feel the need to educate these tactless people about what's appropriate to say, but I realize that if I respond the way I'd like to, they probably would just think I'm a B with and itch and not have a clue why I'm upset. But seriously, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I appreciate being told I'm HUGE. What woman likes to hear that under any circumstances? As for telling me my baby is gonna be so big, even if that were true (which it's not) hearing it over and over again would likely only produce anxiety about the fact that what goes in must come out!! Hello?!?!? Gosh!!! The old addage is true, "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all"!!!!!!! There. Thank you! I just needed to get that off my chest!! Smile.

R and a few fabulous friends are painting the office today! We decided that since we hadn't decorated or set things up yet that it would make more sense to paint it now rather than having to move everything out of there in order to paint. Since I can't paint because of the fumes, I rounded up a crew so R wouldn't have to go it alone. It's going really fast!! I can't wait to see the finished product and post pics for ya'll to see! And I'm super excited for R to have a man space that he can enjoy and that's fixed up the way he wants it! He's so creative that it's gonna be super cool!!!

Lazyboy!

My sweet parents got us a lazyboy chair for the nursery and R and a friend picked it up and brought it to its new home tonight! It's SO comfy and I can't wait to nurse our sweet, little boy in its cushiony folds!

We had our doctor appointment today and this time there's no new progress to report. I'm not dilated yet, but there are still 3 more weeks until the actual due date so that's okay. R and I are convinced that he has dropped some more. I'm definitely feeling the pressure and I have to go to the bathroom all the time now!

Even though I know his arrival is just around the corner, I still can't imagine what it will feel like to hold our son in my arms for the first time and to look into his little face!! And what will he look like?!?!? I can't wait to find out!!!

9 months pregnant

Contrary to what we were always told growing up, pregnancy is actually 10 months, not 9. So here I am at 9 months pregnant...with four more weeks until my due date! But it still feels really good to reach that big milestone! And, he is considered full-term at 37 weeks so maybe he'll come early!!! Maybe...but I'm not gonna hold my breath! Smile.

Thursday we went to the doctor and everything is looking good and right on schedule. Little man is measuring right at 36 cm which is exactly where he's supposed to be at 36 weeks. And like a good little boy he's still in head down position! Good job, son!! I've gone from being 50% effaced to 80%! Yippy!!! My doctor said the more the cervix thins out the faster I will dilate when I start dilating!! Sounds good to me! I'm totally okay with a fast labor!! On Friday I had back cramps for about an hour or so and it seems to R. and I that our baby has dropped, but we can't say for certain on that! Maybe next week's appointment will shed some light on this!!

I've become completely obsessed with labor and delivery. Last week I was reading all about breastfeeding, this week all about delivery. Everything I read is basically the same thing said a different way, but there are little tidbits from different writers that offer pain management and comfort techniques that may come in handy when the time comes! R. has been reading about comfort techniques as well since he's gonna be my labor coach. I'm so glad that he wants to help me as much as he can and be a part of the whole process!!

This week I started freezing some meals so R. can just thaw it out and dinner will be ready after "George" comes! I don't know if I've started nesting, but I've certainly taken a new interest in baking! A couple days ago I made Orange/Coconut bread (freezing one loaf!) and now I'm ready to make Chocolate Chip/Banana Bread and thinking about Pumpkin Muffins. What's come over me!!! Smile.

At the Risk of Sounding Preachy.....

Because this is a public forum, I won't divulge the incident that took place to spark my words, but let's just say it's possible this could be somewhat of a rant. I need to get some thoughts out about what I'd like to say to the individuals involved.

First of all, why is it that so often Christians get so hung up on a belief or principle that they try to bulldog others into adopting their way of thinking at the expense of love and respect and compassion? Why is it that so often as Christians we pick and choose those issues we must proclaim, all the while neglecting the other instructions of Scripture to conduct ourselves in humility and kindness and gentleness?

I hate to bring it up, but this is especially true in the political arena. We will absolutely harangue someone for his stance on a political issue, arguing to the death, only to be left with the dead and wounded that we've just attacked in the name of God and right and truth. Does this really accomplish anything other than alienation and division? Is it really so very important to convince someone else to adopt your view?

I've been reading some Scriptures this morning as I try to sort out my feelings and thoughts on this. In Philippians, after laying out some principles for how we are to live and function, Paul says in 3:15,16 > " All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained." Paul didn't feel the need to hammer his point home. He realized that God is more than able to change someone's view if it needs changing.

James 3:17, 18 says > "But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peace-makers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." True wisdom doesn't blow people over in an attempt to convince others of the truth of her words. This verse outlines some of true wisdom's character traits. Peace-loving.....considerate.......full of mercy. And of those who speak with this kind of wisdom it says they are raising a harvest of righteousness. They are bearing fruit.

I used to be one of those people who was more concerned with being right or convincing someone else of my point of view, than any real care or love for that individual. I functioned like that for many years until a friend of mine showed me what it looks like to listen to another's point of view and consider ones own fallibility. I learned a lot from this friend and we were able to be friends even though we disagreed about almost everything. Still we had a mutual care and respect for each other. Does that mean that I threw away my own belief system? No. In fact, because I was open to being wrong and open to hear what someone else had to say, I found that my own beliefs were strengthened.

Anyone can argue their point and convince someone to come over to their way of thinking. One only needs to turn on the TV to hear one side arguing against the other and throwing their insults and drawing the lines of division deeper and deeper.

I believe as Christians we're to recognize that there's so much more to it than that. We're called to rise above the pettiness and belittling prevalent in controversies and quarrels. First of all, because God is up to the challenge of someone's differing view and opinion. But more importantly, we're called to demonstrate God's love in our words and our actions...in truth. This in no way means we compromise that truth, but we recognize that God seeks to change people's hearts. When someone's heart is changed, their mind will follow. But you can change someone's mind and unless that change goes deeper, they will likely change their mind again when another argument presents itself that makes more sense to them or is argued more convincingly.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." Phil. 2:14-16a

All Our Ducks in a Row

Yesterday we had our OB appointment and from now on we'll be going every week. Our little boy is head down just as I suspected and while I'm not dilated yet, I'm 50% effaced. This made me happy! It's good to know that something is happening in the way of getting ready for labor and DELIVERY!!! I'm so excited to hold our little "George" in my arms! And I'm looking forward to the ease of movement I totally took for granted before becoming pregnant! Smile.

Yesterday we also met with our family doctor to talk to him about being our baby's doctor as well. He's such a great doctor and we're super excited that he will be our baby's doc as well. I've never had such a great doctor experience as I have with this doctor! He's so great about explaining everything and answering questions and I never feel intimidated or condemned by him. And he had really good things to say about our OB doctor as well! That was cool! So now we have all our ducks in a row!

R and I finished setting up the Pack N' Play and put it in the living room. I almost cried just thinking about the fact that soon we'll be placing our sweet baby boy in it! I really can't think about anything else these days except his coming! I guess that's the way it's supposed to be!! Tomorrow I reach 35 weeks!! Not too much longer now!!!!

My Champion!

Yesterday I went shopping to get the last few things I needed for my overnight bag for the hospital. I picked up a couple things from different parts of the store and then headed to the changing rooms. The woman at the dressing rrom desk asked me to move my cart out of the way...no problem. I moved it off to the side where she could still see it, thinking she would make sure no one ran off with it. I tried on my items and came out only to discover that my cart was missing. I almost burst into tears right at that moment. Here I am with a handful of clothes that I'm buying and the thought of limping back around the store to find the items that were in my cart is enough to make me want to just sit down and weep! The woman apologized, but there was no offer or attempt to find me an empty cart or assist me in finding my items again. I'm thinking "Hello!!! I'm 8 and 1/2 months pregnant with a foot I can't actually walk on and I could use some help!!!" Thankfully I did find my cart as I was on my way across the store trying not to cry, but I certainly realized how vulnerable I am right now.

I told R about this incident while we were discussing our days over dinner. He immediately got on the phone to speak to the manager at the store. He was really nice about it and simply expressed to the guy that we shop there a lot and that we usually have a positive experience and just think they could have done better. The manager agreed and apologized and said he would address the situation.

I felt so protected and taken care of. When I thanked R for calling them he responded by saying "Nobody messes with my Baby!" Sniff, sniff. That's me! I feel super blessed to have a husband who stands up for me and takes such great care of me! I love you, sweetheart!!!

A Little of This and That

I don't have anything in particular to post, but I feel like posting so I'm just gonna share what comes to mind. At the moment I'm sitting on the couch with the doggies hoping to get sleepy enough to actually go back to sleep after waking up far too early with R. He had to go in to work early this morning.

Little Man is entertaining me with hip-hop belly dancing...he's hip-hopping and my belly's dancing!!! His movements are getting so big now that we can watch his body parts moving across my belly. R thinks it's a little creepy! I have to say it is rather alien-like! Watching him move inside of me is the only thing I think I'll miss about being pregnant!! But then once I'm not pregnant anymore I'll get to watch him move OUT side of me! Looking forward to that!!!!

R's family came over to visit on Saturday to see us and the nursery. We had a great time! Mom made gumbo and my favorite cake with cream frosting and roasted pecans! Yum, yum! We played the LONGEST game of Uno in history, I think. It just goes to show that you shouldn't worry about who will come in second. When someone wins, just call it good and move on to the next game!! It was crazy and lots of fun!

I'm walking gimpy these days. Last week my foot started bothering me...probably from wearing flip-flops in my heavy pregnant state. It's getting better but I still can't walk normally. It's quite frustrating and is making it hard for me to get some things done that require walking. Grrrr....I hope it's soon on the mend!! Makes me so thankful that this is not my normal condition. It would be really difficult to be handicapped and live with pain all the time! Sometimes I'm sure I don't know how good I've got it!

Well...I think that's enough of random thinking. Time to head back to bed and finish sleeping!

Shopping Spree

Last night R. and I went on a little shopping spree and got the remainder of the items we needed...or at least think we needed to be all set for our little man! Now I just have to set them up and go battery shopping! It's crazy how many different baby things are run by battery power!!! We could almost buy stock in Duracell, I'm thinking!!!

Tomorrow I'll be 34 weeks pregnant! Unbelievable! I'm ready, though, and have to keep reminding myself that our sweet boy might be late and not to get too set on when he'll arrive. I have certainly hit the exhausted, hard to get comfortable, numerous aches and pains stage of pregnancy! And heart-burn!! Good grief! It used to just happen at night, but now it can hit anytime and come back again to visit throughout the day!! I can't complain too much, however. Overall this has been a really good pregnancy and R. has been so supportive of me all along!

Speaking of R., I just have to say that I think I'm the most blessed woman in all the world! When God puts two people together...He does a wonderful job!!! I'm so very thankful for my sweet husband!!!

Unveiling the Master Bedroom

When we bought our house we decided we wouldn't worry about painting anything except the Master Bedroom. R. put in a lot of work on it and it's finally all decorated so I have to show it off!! R. did a fabulous job and I absolutely LOVE IT!!!



This is what the room looked like before.....

And now here are the after pics!

To All You Gmail Users

Okay, my friend Hannah shared this little tidbit with me and it makes blog reading SO much easier to keep up with!!! For those of you who have gmail accounts, you can click on the feature at the top left of your email account titled 'reader'. There you can add blog addresses as subscriptions and this feature checks for updates so you don't have to!!! That way you never miss a new post and you don't have to keep checking when there isn't one!!! Thanks Hannah!!!

Showered With Love

Our friends blessed us with a sweet baby shower yesterday! We had it at our house so everyone could see the nursery and our new house. We had so much fun and felt so loved! It was awesome to have all our friends together and to see some friends we hadn't seen in awhile. And "George" made out great with the goods!! And he'll be stylin' in his new clothes and cute shoes (I'm a sucker for baby shoes and socks!!!)!

We played a relay game that brought lots of laughs! I had to drink apple juice from a bottle...not an easy task!!! And R. got to eat mystery baby food. You can see by his face that it wasn't that great!!! We think it was sweet potatoes but no one could say for sure!!!

Thank you, dear friends, for blessing us so much!!!! We love and appreciate you!

Gonna Miss You, Girl!

This weekend my good friend, Hannah, moved away to start a new adventure. While we knew from the first time we met that this event was inevitable, it doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye. I have to share how we met 'cause it's too cute! A mutual friend of ours that I knew in WA and Hannah knew in CA introduced us by email when she learned Hannah and her husband were moving here for school. Hannah and I met up for coffee one night, discovered neither of us had eaten dinner but only a banana, and ended up chatting over Chilis. We totally hit it off and I have been so blessed by her friendship the last year and a half. True friends you can share anything and everything with are hard to come by and so I'm so glad to know Hannah. You rock, girl, and I'm gonna miss you terribly, but I pray many blessings in the new chapter of your life! Now we'll just have to plan a little visit!!! I love you, friend!

A Much More Manageable Speed

I feel so much better this week after finalizing everything with my job and knowing that none of my co-workers hate me for leaving! And I'm stress free again! Praise the Lord! Stress is such a horrible, debiliating infirmity!

This week has been all about taking it easy and slowing down the pace. I've had to realize that I just can't keep up my usual speed while this much pregnant! So, I've been working on my quilt while watching movies and doing little things around the house with frequent breaks.

Tuesday night we went to a friend's birthday party that was all about relaxing and star-gazing! I don't know if I've ever really taken the time to just watch the stars! It was beautiful! And it felt so great to just sit there and enjoy the beauty of God's design!

Little man is growing stronger all the time. He's still dancing in there! Smile. I'm almost certain that he has shifted and is now completely head down with his feet up! His kicks feel different and he's kicking higher than ever before. The other night I'm pretty sure I felt the outline of his foot! It's so cool and surreal. I still find myself awed that there's really a BABY in there! It's so amazing!!

8 months pregnant!

Once again I'm amazed at how quickly time flies! 8 months pregnant! The fact that we will soon have a little boy in our house is starting to sink in. I'm so excited to meet him!! When R and I are out about town, we keep commenting on how it won't be much longer before we have our little man with us...at church, at the coffee shop, in the car, at our new home.

This morning the worship leader at church was talking about one of the other worship team members who has a new little one and he referred to the baby as a "human pet". That made me laugh! Well, our little human pet is getting strong and more and more squirmy! A few times today he's surprised me with the strength of his movements. I would say kicks, but I totally can't figure out what body part I'm feeling! Maybe I'll be able to figure that out soon!

One of the hardest decisions ever......

Yesterday I quit my job. No two weeks notice, just, I'm not coming back. That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but in just a few days the stress was making it so I couldn't sleep and I started experiencing strange pains and discomforts. It didn't look like the stress was going to lessen for quite awhile and I had already reached the breaking point, so R and I decided I couldn't keep going and risk complications with my pregnancy. Thankfully my boss was totally understanding! I don't think I could have handled it if he had gotten angry with me about quitting 'cause I already felt so guilty about leaving them in the lurch. I think it will take a few days to feel like myself again. I'm super tired and just have no energy. But hopefully this will give me the opportunity to finish the quilt I've been quilting for like a year! I would love to finish it before "George" comes along and it gets shelved for longer! Needless to say, it's been quite the week and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend and sleep, sleep, sleep!

Carseat Safety 101

R and I went to the carseat safety class tonight that's offered at the hospital. We went in wondering what on earth they could possibly talk about for a whole two hours and left feeling like we need to tell the world about all the things we learned that we had no idea about before the class. There's so much more to it than just putting the carseat in correctly!!

One of the biggest surprises was the after-market products that simply aren't safe for our babies! I decided I had to share some of what we learned on here in case someone reading this didn't get to go to a carseat safety class.

So, those mirrors that you can get to put on the back window or attach to the headrest so that you can look in your rearview mirror and see your baby? Yeah. Those aren't safe apparently. The ones that attach by suction to the back window are known to come off or even break during a crash and they end up hitting the baby in the face at the speed the car is traveling at the time. The kind that attach to the headrest are dangerous during a crash because when the carseat raises up the baby's head strikes the mirror rather than the soft seat. Our instructor told us about a baby in the Dallas area who now has brain damage after the corner of a kleenex box that was in the back window struck the baby between the eyes. In other words, don't have loose items in the car that could fly around.

By the way, the back of the rear-facing car seat (the part closest to the front of the car) is actually supposed to be able to raise up and move in the event of a crash. This is to keep the baby from absorbing the impact the way that someone does when they tense up in anticipation of a crash. Car bumpers are now designed to cave in during a crash for the same reason 'cause stationary objects are what absorb the crash impact and the movement helps to alleviate some of this. For the same reason, it's important that the carseat is not wedged against the back of the front seat. Also, if your car has a latch system you should use either the latch system or the seatbelt pass-through, but not both because use of both has not been crash tested

Those cute little things that wrap around the straps and look like they'd make the baby more comfortable? Well, they're not considered safe because they come down too far and make it so that the strap that connects the two side straps can't come up far enough and so there's too much room around the baby's head and the baby could fly out of the seat during a crash.

The comfort pillows that keep the baby's head from moving from side to side are dangerous if they're too long and come down under the baby's butt. The danger is that the pillows can work down too far as the baby wiggles around, or just over time, pushing the baby's head forward which can cause the baby not to be able to breathe. A good rule of thumb is that if it came with the carseat it has been safety tested for use with the carseat.

The window screens that attach by suction are dangerous because, as with the mirrors, these can come off during a crash and strike the baby. Our instructor said that the force of an object is the weight of that object multiplied by how fast the car is traveling. So, if an item is 10 pounds and the car is traveling at 50mph, the impact of that object would be as if it were 500 pounds. Thus, even if the item doesn't weigh much all by itself, when combined with speed it can be really deadly.

For older children using booster seats that don't have a back, they could be killed by the shoulder strap of the seatbelt, or seriously injured by the lap belt because the shoulder strap is not in use. Our instructor recommended the booster seats that have a back on them that keep the shoulder strap at the right level so that it goes across the shoulder like it's supposed to rather than going along the side of the neck. When the shoulder strap goes along the neck, a child could actually be decapitated in a crash because the seatbelt is designed to lock, but the force of the impact and speed of the car still throws the child forward into the seatbelt. If the seatbelt is at the shoulder where it's supposed to be, then it's not a problem, but when it's against the neck, or soft tissue, it can be dangerous. The same thing with the lap belt. It's meant to go around the hips, but when worn up too high where the soft tissue is, injury can occur to the vital organs. This can happen in a backless booster seat because the child can scooch down causing the belt to hit at the wrong spot.

I'm sure there's more I'm probably forgetting, but I had to pass along what we learned. I'm certainly not intending to put fear into anyone, but I know I'm really glad to have learned about this stuff now so that these preventable injuries can be avoided. Who knew carseat safety could be so involved!!! We now have our carseat properly installed and ready for the little man! Yay!!!!

It's a Jungle Out There!!!!!

Finally! I'm posting house pictures!!! Here's the mostly finished nursery!! We went with a jungle theme as you can tell! R. made the tree in the corner and I made the curtains and quilt...I'll have to post a more detailed picture of the quilt later. The room was already that color when we moved in so it was ready for us! Now I can't wait for the sweet baby boy who gets to live there!!!!!!

30 weeks!!?!?!

When we first got pregnant it seriously felt like I was going to be pregnant FOREVER! Now I cannot believe that we've already reached 30 weeks!!! Yikes! It's kinda scary thinking how quickly the time has gone and to realize that the time that's left is going to be over in a hiccup! Speaking of hiccups, little man gets them now almost every day! I can't help but feel sorry for him! I hate the hiccups! It's a miserable feeling!!! His movements are getting so much stronger and more pronounced now! It's wild to look down at my belly and watch it move in a wave as he moves inside of me! I can hardly wait to hold my sweet son!!!!

My sweet mom-in-law sent me clothes shopping so last week a friend and I went to get me a few more maternity dresses. I'm wearing one of them in this picture! Dresses seem to fit the most comfortably 'cause some of my shirts don't seem long enough and I find myself pulling on them to make sure they're covering all of me!!!

A Little Relaxation

Thursday night was the first night R. and I have just hung out together doing nothing since we closed on the house on July 1st!!! Why we push ourselves so hard I can't really say...I mean it's not like we have a deadline for getting everything settled in, but we both tend to be over-achievers so I guess that explains it a little. So we relaxed and finished watching "The Four Feathers". R. hadn't seen it so it was fun to get a movie that I had seen and for him to like it! Then last night we just chilled and I showed him what I'd been working on in the nursery! The nursery is really coming together! I can't wait to bring my little boy home to his pad!!! He's spoiled already! Smile.

Today I caught up on some much needed sleep!!! I've been having trouble sleeping long enough! I wake up early with my mind running a top speed and so I end up just getting up and doing what needs doing. This morning I woke up early again and ate breakfast, but then went back to sleep and was shocked to wake up and realize it was 11am!!! And I feel so much better!!!! Thanks to my sweet husband for encouraging me to go back to sleep!!!

Tonight we're having friends over for burgers! And I baked a rhubarb pie! Yum! It's our first time to host anyone at our new place! Yay!!!

Making Preparations

Today I washed all the sweet, little outfits and blankets and sheets, etc to get ready for our little boy. Laundry was never so much fun! Holding those little socks and onesies and hats made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! I can't wait to dress our little boy in all the cute outfits and to wrap him up in the soft blankets! So beyond adorable!!!

Friday night we were TOTALLY blessed by R's co-workers!! They threw us a baby shower and literally showered us with gifts!!! We got the most adorable outfits and toys and stuffed animals, and then to top it all off, the office pooled their funds and got us the crib and changing table we were hoping for!! WOW!!! We were simply blown away by their generosity!! We never expected so much and it's a HUGE blessing!!!

I can't wait to put everything together so I can actually post nursery pics!!! It's coming together but it's still a ways away from being done. But we're much closer now then we were before. He's coming soon!!! I can hardly wait!

3D

We had our doctor visit and 3D ultrasound today!!! It's so amazing to get to see facial features! Getting a glimpse of what he looks like just makes it all the more real that we're really having a sweet little baby!!!! As far as the Tech. Nurse can tell, he weighs 2 pounds, 10 ounces right now. This puts him right on track!! We got to see him stick out his tongue, yawn a few times, and suck on his upper lip! I think we were disturbing his nap time, so he wasn't as active as he was for our last ultrasound. But it's obvious that he's gonna be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO cute!!!!!

Conspicuous

Last night we had another child-birth class. After the lecture part of the class in which we discussed pain medications and medical reasons for inducing, we had a practical exercise. Sondra, our instructor, had four stations set up where we tried different pain management techniques. To experience pain we had to hold ice cubes in our hand for a full 60 seconds. I've decided I like the birth ball while R. massages my back and tells me I'm doing a great job. We'll see what actually works on the big day, but it's nice to get an idea of what helps take my mind off the pain.

I must admit that I feel really conspicuous these days with my belly size. And class is probably the worst. There are 4 pregnant mommies in the class. All the other women are expecting girls...I don't know if that makes it different, but seriously, I'm the biggest one there and my due date is that latest of all of them!!! One girl only has 5 weeks to go!! Ah! I keep telling myself it's okay and not to let it bother me, but it's really hard not to feel like people are looking and commenting about me. And it's hard not to panic when I think about the fact that I'm only going to get bigger! Yikes!!! I'm already thinking about my getting-back-in-shape strategy after "George" is born! Thankfully we now live just 5 minutes away from the gym so I should be able to go in the mornings while R. is getting ready for work and can be home with the little man. And I went this morning just to feel better about myself...it helped.

And I'm Back

We're finally moved into our house! Well...we're getting moved into our house!! All of our stuff is here and we're living here, but we still have some major organizing to do! The big move happened on Saturday and we were so blessed to have lots of help from friends and family! I think there were around 18 people helping us! We were super blessed!!! The truck was loaded and unloaded before noon! Praise the Lord!!!

Now we're just trying to get everything together and I'm learning that I have to pace myself much more than I have been lately. Yesterday I finished organizing the kitchen and my back promptly let me know it would be taking a break! Ouch!! Back pain is no fun! So I read and took a nap and let R. make dinner. I don't sit around very well, though. And especially not when there's so much to do! AH!

We're very happy with our new home, however. It's great to be in a neighborhood and to have our own yard. We took the doggies for a walk last night and didn't have to load them up in the car to get somewhere to walk! It was great!

On the baby front...I'm at 28 weeks now!!! 7 months pregnant! It really is going fast now and I'm so excited to meet the little man!!! He's moving so much these days and getting stronger. Sometimes I catch my breath with his little kicks!!! That makes me think of last week's birthing class!!! The instructor brought a fake belly/boob suit for all the Dad's-To-Be to wear. It weighed 32 pounds and they all got strapped into it and then had to perform a task that the mother requested. I made R. turn over in bed 'cause I think that's one of the hardest things to do. We all laughed so much!!! I think it was good for the guys to realize how difficult carrying a bowling ball around in the belly can be!!!

The sweetest thing on the baby front, is that little "george" recognizes his Daddy's voice!!! He can be completely still and when R. leans down to my belly and calls his name he starts moving and kicking!!! It's so sweet!!! I can't wait to meet the little guy!!!

I better post this before it gets any longer! Pictures to come of our little house and growing belly!

A Home of Our Very Own

After over a year of house searching, we have finally found a home!! Next month we'll do the big move! I can't wait! It's so perfect for us! Sweet wood floors, a fenced yard for the puppies, huge shade trees and most importantly, more room for our growing family!!! The baby room is even painted the perfect color for our own nursery decor!! The Lord really outdid Himself on this one! And the timing couldn't be better!!! Yippy!!!!!!!

Dancin'

So I woke up at 2 something this morning. I'm not exactly sure what actually woke me, but as I lay there trying to fall back to sleep I got to enjoy a little dancing party on the inside. Little "George" has gotten so active and last night...or really early this morning it totally felt like he was dancing in my belly!!! It's so sweet to feel him and to have that tangible reminder that there really is a baby in there!!!

6 Months

Saturday marked 24 weeks and thus 6 months of pregnancy!!! I can't say how great it feels to see the end in sight!!! It's getting better all the time and even though I'm growing I'm actually feeling less awkward. I told R. I'll probably just figure out how to get up and negotiate myself around and our little boy will be born! Smile.

"George" is moving every day now and his little jabs are getting stronger. My favorite part is that R. can feel him. It's such a joy to share that together and know this is our little baby! I saw a woman at church on Sunday holding a new baby boy and my heart squeezed thinking of when we'll get to hold our own!!!

Babymoon 2008

Destination: Puerto Rico!!!

R. and I have been wanting to go on an international trip together ever since we were married. So, we decided to just go ahead and do it as our last little romantic getaway before the little man arrives. We decided on Puerto Rico because it's actually pretty close and inexpensive to travel there from Texas. And we're so glad we did!!! It was WONDERFUL!!!

We left on the 30th of May and got to the island late that night. Our first flight was late because of some mechanical problems so we were worried we would miss our connecting flight. But, even though we got to the gate 30 minutes after departure time, we were just in time to board the plane! Praise the Lord!!! It was the last flight out that night so we would have been stuck in Miami!!

Our initial introduction to international travel on our own was a little bumpy and adventuresome! The first thing we learned is this: when booking a hotel on the internet it is advisable to stick with "name-brands" such as the Holiday Inn or Intercontinental or something more familiar. We booked our first two nights at the Beach House Hotel...don't! We got there right around midnight. They had a very loud beach party going on when we arrived and it just so happens that the only room left that they had reserved for us was right next to said party. While the room smelled clean it didn't exactly feel welcoming!! And they were totally out of bar soap for the whole hotel. Oh goody!

We hadn't really had meal since lunch so we decided to go out and find something to eat and see if there was anything else available for accommodations. To make a long story short, after a couple miles of walking and a couple hours later, the Lord totally took care of us and we were able to find a room at the Intercontinental. We had a beautiful view and the MOST comfortable bed ever!! Phew!

Puerto Rico is such a beautiful island and the people are so incredibly friendly!! My absolute favorite part about the whole trip was the fact that there's so much diversity on the island without segregation!! There are lots of mixed marriages and a group of friends would be made up of black, white, latino, all together speaking Spanish. They were simply Puertorican! It made me realize how much tension is present when R. and I are out in public, with the looks we get sometimes. To have this tension completely absent was so wonderful and freeing! So much so that it's kind of been a culture shock to return to the states and see everyone all segregated again. That's not how it's supposed to be and we got a glimpse of what it should look like and it was beautiful.

The island is small, but has a little of everything. Huge palm trees with coconuts, ocean of course, mountains, green everywhere! The architecture is so cool and colorful. The picture below is a city street in Old San Juan! It's so much fun!! Walking around there kinda felt like we'd stepped into a movie!!



R. took me snorkeling for my first time! He was such a patient instructor and it was so COOL! We stayed close to the shore, but we still got to see plenty! As soon as we stuck our faces in the water we saw a beautiful silvery blue fish and then later a papery looking fish that almost blended in with the ocean floor. I'm so glad R. encouraged me to do it!!! Way cool!!!

We spent a lot of time on the beach, walking in the sand and swimming in the ocean. Definitely my idea of a perfect vacation!! And the weather was perfect too!!! Not hot, but warm and comfortable!! It rained a little bit every day, but it never affected our plans.



We did a little exploring and ventured out in our little rental car. One night we went to the Phosphorescent Bay. This was great! There's some kind of algae that grows in the water there and when the water is stirred from swimming or something of that nature, it glows. We took a boat ride out into the bay and a diver got out and swam in the water so we could see it! Then on the way back we saw fish jumping and the water would glow where they landed! SWEETNESS!!

On our last day there we visited an old fort built in the 1500's by the Spaniards. I've never felt this way when visiting historic sites before, but I could really sense the presence of history! I could almost see the soldiers walking across the courtyard and hear the cannon fire over the walls. It was amazing how preserved it was for being so old!!!



I have to say it was the best vacation I've ever had and we so enjoyed our time together! I highly recommend it as a place to visit!! We've even talked about going back again!! I could tell more, but then this post would be REALLY long!!