Sunday, December 16, 2012

meaningless.


Everything Is Meaningless

The words of the Teacher,[a] son of David, king in Jerusalem:
“Meaningless! Meaningless!”
    says the Teacher.
“Utterly meaningless!
    Everything is meaningless.”
What do people gain from all their labors
    at which they toil under the sun?
Generations come and generations go,
    but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises and the sun sets,
    and hurries back to where it rises.
The wind blows to the south
    and turns to the north;
round and round it goes,
    ever returning on its course.
All streams flow into the sea,
    yet the sea is never full.
To the place the streams come from,
    there they return again.
All things are wearisome,
    more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
    nor the ear its fill of hearing.
What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.
10 Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.
11 No one remembers the former generations,
    and even those yet to come
will not be remembered
    by those who follow them.

Wisdom Is Meaningless

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15 What is crooked cannot be straightened;
    what is lacking cannot be counted.
16 I said to myself, “Look, I have increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
    the more knowledge, the more grief.

(taken from biblegateway.com)

Thursday, November 15, 2012

My 'go-to' baby items!

If you are a first time mom, registering for a baby can be quite overwhelming!  Do I really need all of those things I see in the stores?  NO you don't!  Don't go registering crazy... First of all... wait a bit to see what free items you will be given.  So many moms with too much baby junk want to just give their stuff away!  Believe me, you will be given a lot of things if you're friends with a lot of mommies!  Also, go to second hand stores for things you don't get on your list that you still need... You don't really want to buy a used car seat, however, if you don't know the history of the car seat. That could be dangerous.  I have a used car seat, but it's only because I knew the mom I bought it from and it had not been in a wreck and was used by only one child.  Try to go to garage sales for furniture for the nursery, and the Just Between Friends sale is awesome for clothes, shoes, toys, strollers...etc!  I got a Peg Perego stroller there in great condition at a fraction of the cost of buying new!  So, if you don't get all the things you register for, don't fret!  There are plenty of money-saving options!  

Ok, so here is my MUST-HAVE list for my newborn...  I may have another list of MUST haves when he starts to grow a bit more, but for now... I MUST have these things... 

Number 1:

Noise makers are amazing!  They are a great way to reduce SIDS and help your baby sleep anywhere.  Justus can sleep anywhere we go because he is used to the noise.  I bring it with us in the car too and it helps soothe him in the carseat (which he HATES!)

Number 2: 

These blankets are seriously awesome.  I have the patterns above.  4 swaddle blankets may seem like a lot, and not really worth the money you (or whoever buys them for you as a gift) spend, but they are so worth it to me.  I need all four because sometimes he'll leak out of his diapers in the night and get the blanket wet, or he'll spit up on it during his nap... I have gone through all four in two days before.  Get the four pack! 

Number 3:


So, I was NOT going to use pacifiers... but babies get cranky, and sometime for no reason.  You will see that they will search for something to suck on.  It doesn't necessarily mean they are hungry, they just want to be soothed!  Hence, the Soothie!  These ones are the only ones my baby boy will take.  They have a more natural shape.  The other ones are kind of flat on one side and he just spits them right out.  

Number 4:

I highly suggest getting a breast pump!  I honestly don't know how moms can be breast feeding moms and not have a breast pump.  They will save you in so many areas!  If you are away from your baby for the day, you will NEED to pump.  If you want to have a couple drinks at night, you can give them some expressed milk from a previous pumping! If you feel extremely engorged and can't get relief! I bought the MOTOR of this pump on craigslist for CHEAP!  Do not re use the tubing, bottles, or accessories!  Just reuse the motor. Cheap pumps are not good pumps... Medela is what they use in the hospitals, so you know they're good!

Number 5:

If you are a breast feeding mother... Do not get the boppy!  They slip out of place and the baby rolls off of them.  This one is flat on top with a head support on both sides.  It goes around your back for back support and clips so it doesn't move.  You can adjust it to fit snugly around yourself.  It is bigger than the boppy, but for good reason!  I highly suggest this pillow!  I got mine used at the JBF sale I think, and just bought a new cover for it.  

Number 6: 
This is the bag I use as my diaper bag.  My sister bought it for me for my shower and  I love it!  There are so many perfect bottle sized pockets on the outside and tons of room on the inside!  Seriously the perfect diaper bag!!

Number 7:
I love this pack n play.  This is the one that we have in our house.  Jordan's mom found it on craigslist for a great deal!  We kept it in our room for the first three months so that I could get to him right away if he needed me.  He is now in his own room (sad day) so we will give it back to his parents.  BUT we have another one we will use.  I just really liked this one because of the changing table and the raised middle part for the baby to sleep on.  It's great! 

Number 8:
If you are a stay-at-home mom and don't put your baby in daycare, these are great!  Most daycares wont let you do cloth... but seriously, I don't know why not.  They are SO EASY!!!  Changing diapers is gross no matter how you look at it... so why not use REusable?  These are my favorite brand.  I did a lot of research and these are by far the best!  Hands down!  

Number 9:
Ok, IF you do cloth diapers, these will SAVE your diapers.  I use the pre-soak stuff, the detergent, and the odor remover sprinkle.  My diapers do not smell and barely have any stains because of this stuff... I highly recommend you get this anti ammonia detergent or your diapers will probably start smelling after a while.  

Number 10:
LOVE the Moby Wrap!  I bring it with me everywhere... once you get the hang of how to put on this ridiculously long fabric... it's AWESOME!  Justus loves being up close to me, so when we grocery shop, go out and about, or if I need to get things done around the house and he's cranky, in it he goes!  It's wonderful!  I absolutely 100% recommend you get one of these!  


So that's it for now... I don't have any more time, and these are really the only things I really really need and would miss if I didn't have them.  















Monday, November 12, 2012

100 things I love about Jordan...


I was thinking about Jordan today while I was cooking.  I was thinking about how thankful I am for him and how lucky I am to have him.  I started listing reasons I love him in my head and I kept on thinking of them, so I decided to write them down.  I actually had to make myself stop writing at 100... I keep thinking of more.... for now, I'll stick with the list of 100.  It's a good thing to do to remind you why you married your husband in the first place.  I challenge all you wives out there to do this... It made me really look forward to seeing him when he gets off of work tonight!  :)  

100 things I love about Jordan
1. He believes in Jesus
2. He makes me laugh
3. He gave me Justus
4. He loves me just the way I am
5, He is honest
6. He is a hard worker
7. He has a great family
8. He talks to me about everything
9. He is my best friend
10. He works two jobs so I can stay home with the baby
11. He listens to my silly ideas
12. When he does something, he does it the best he can
13. He likes eating the food I make
14. He doesn't complain when I don't cook
15. I have known him since I was little
16. We were friends first
17. He plays wii with me
18. He doesn't need cable or internet.
19. He likes to live simply, like me. 
20. He lets me do cloth diapers (and tries to change them too)
21. He is a great daddy
22. He is a great husband
23. He tells me he loves me
24. He lets me hug and kiss him whenever I want.
25. He has the same sense of humor as me
26. He is silly
27. He is a republican
28. He works on little and big projects with me
29. He likes to let loose and have a good time
30. He sounds exactly like Frank Sinatra when he tries
31. He likes pretty much every genre of music
32. He can play pretty much every instrument (and he learns if he can't)
33. Coldplay
34. He isn't pretentious 
35. He is active
36. He takes care of our house
37. He listens to me
38. He offers solutions to problems
39. He isn't naive
40. He will teach our boy how to respect adults and others
41. He will instill a good work ethic in our boy
42. He has a great work ethic
43. He doesn't frivolously spend money
44. He can't sit still for more than 10 minutes
45. He is very attractive
46. He makes me feel needed
47. He makes up silly songs and sings them over and over again
48. He is respectful to authority and adults
49. My Great Aunt thinks he's a gentleman
50. He talks football with my 5 year old cousin
51. He loves my family
52. My family loves him
53. He told me he wanted to marry me on our like second date
54. He asked me to marry him four months after we started dating
55. He only wears Tshirts
56. He doesn't care if I only wore Tshirts
57. He likes my super fair skin tone
58. He lets me get my hair highlighted
59. He doesn't like going to the movies
60. His wii character is "The Most Interesting Man in the World"
61. He likes dogs and cats
62. He lets me do the budget
63. He is creative
64. He is a good dancer (when he wants to be)
65. He danced with me on our first date
66. He won't see Twilight
67. He let me pick out the last two places we've lived
68. He bought me a kitten for my birthday
69. He is great at giving and thinking of gifts
70. He weighs more than me
71. He doesn't shower me with useless words
72. He SHOWS me he loves me
73. He makes our son laugh
74. He is trying to grow a mustache
75. He encourages and inspires me to be healthy and active
76. He thinks I look prettiest when I feel ugliest. 
77. He would be happy living in a box with me
78. He actually tells me about his day when I ask, "How was your day?"
79. He gives me an ornament for christmas every year.
80. He loves Christmas
81. His favorite movies are all rated G or PG
82. He is confident
83. He doesn't use credit cards
84. He makes wise decisions
85. He is proud of his family roots
86. He comes from a family of hard working, stand up men
87. He wears the pants in the family
88. He lets me be the kind of mom and wife I've always wanted to be
89. He likes hanging out with my favorite people just as much as I do
90. He likes going on vacations with me
91. He has been through and overcome a lot in his life
92. He takes a negative and turns it into a positive
93. He doesn't hold a grudge against me, EVER
94. He sleeps with his legs hanging off the bed 
95. He makes me food when I'm too busy with the baby
96. He does me favors
97. He doesn't have facebook
98. He became a firefighter after working so hard to become one
99. He was my first kiss in high school
100. He was the first boy to tell me he loved me

Sunday, November 11, 2012

25 reasons I'm glad we don't have cable

Jordan and I had cable when we first got married and I thought I would never go back to not having it.  Well, in May, I stopped working so I could be home with my darling baby boy (a decision I will NEVER regret!)  Because of that we got rid of cable and internet.  (the internet I'm using now is "borrowed" from our generous neighbor!)  Since not having cable... I have noticed a difference in our marriage and in my day-to-day life.   I was a TV/cable addict for a while... Some people may not have a problem with it like I do... so to each their own!  I lack the self-control to just TURN IT OFF sometimes!  :)  Props to you if you can!

25 reasons I'm glad we don't have cable:

1. I spend less time sitting down (except when I'm feeding Justus)
2. I find things to clean in my house that would otherwise go unnoticed.
3. I have more free time. (TV had always distracted me from the free time I actually had - hence the complaint, "I don't have time!")
4. I actually play with my baby on the floor and look into his eyes while I'm doing it. If the TV was on,     I would be probably be sitting on the couch with him and not looking at him as much, giving him my undivided attention.
5. I cook more
6. I listen to more music (I'm on a Mozart kick lately after watching Amadeus with Jordan the other night. It creates such a calm atmosphere)
7. Jordan and I have time for DIY projects that we want to do.
8. I don't get frustrated if I miss a certain TV show
9. I don't feel the "need" to finish a TV program if I start it. (how many useless Househunters episodes and My Fair Wedding episodes can you watch in one day, seriously...)
10. We don't have the constant JUNK from commercials and programs filling our minds.
11. Jordan and I find watching a movie together in the living room a little more special. It kind of feels like a date.
12. Jordan and I talk and enjoy our friendship more while playing Wii sports together (we have intense competitions!)
13. Justus isn't going to grow up with the TV being on all the time as the norm.
14. I am inspired to get outside and moving more.
15. Jordan and I sit and talk more often.
16. We are saving a TON of money
17. We go spend time with family members if there's a special game on or something instead of just watching it at home.
18. When friends come over, we actually talk to each other instead of just sit there and stare at the screen together.
19. I am not constantly hearing terrible things from the News.
20. We can watch TV shows we really like in their entirety at the end of the season instead of waiting a week to find out what happens between each show. (It's like watching a movie together... way more fun)
21. It's getting back to the basics of life... which I am all about.
22. I grew up HATING the TV and wishing we could just go throw it in the lake. (even though we didn't have cable, it seemed to always be on!)
23. We are saving electricity!
24. I don't waste my time watching all of those stupid singing competitions anymore.  (they drive me crazy)
25. My days don't feel like a waste!

I'm sure there are many more reasons to be glad we don't have cable, but these are the main ones... I thought we would "need" cable... but we most certainly don't.

Starting a new(ish) chapeter... It's called Being Frugal.

I have always wanted to be a very domestic housewife/mother... I am not usually a very crafty DIYer, but thanks to Pinterest, and the new facebook group started by a former MOPS member, I am inspired, nay... convinced that it's possible!  I don't have to come up with all of these great ideas on my own... I have an amazing support group and resource at my fingertips!  Today, on my journey of becoming domesticated and frugal, I made some chicken stock from a whole chicken that I bought and cooked in my crock pot!  here is the website with all of the great things you can do with a chicken.  And here is the link to my crock pot rotisserie recipe I use.  This last time I made it, I didn't use the spices or rub it calls for, I actually just made it my own and seasoned the entire chicken according to my own taste.  You just can't go wrong, really...

Another thing I have been on a kick of making lately is granola bars... I have been trying to search the internet for a granola bar recipe like the Nature Valley Oats N Honey granola bars for weeks.  I eat them like crazy and they're just OATS!  It seems logical to make them yourself, no?  Well, I came across a recipe that i LOVE in my The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.  I don't know if I can share the entire recipe word for word from the cookbook for copyright issues, but I'll give you the gist.  it's simple as pie (that you pick up from the store)

The recipe calls for:
3/4 C almonds (I didn't have any on hand so I didn't use any)
3 1/2 C old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 C canola oil (I used coconut oil because it's yummier and I didn't have canola)
1/4 tsp salt (I didn't add that either)
1/3 C honey
1/2 C packed light brown sugar (i used dark because that's what I had)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I love cinnamon, so I eyeballed it and added a little more)

STEPS!
1. put your oven rack in the middle of your oven and preheat to 300 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with an aluminum foil sling (put foil one way with it coming up over the edges of the pan and another piece of foil going the other way with it coming up over the edges. it's just so you can lift the granola out of the pan for easier cutting.)
2. toast almonds (if you're using them) in a skillet over med. heat til golden brown about 5-7 min stirring often. transfer to bowl. THEN add oats and oil to skillet to toast to golden brown and aromatic.  about 4-6 min.  put in the bowl with the almonds and stir in salt (if you wish)
3. Add honey and brown sugar to skillet and heat until the sugar is dissolved, stir frequently so it doesn't burn the bottom.  should take about 5 min. take off the heat and add cinnamon and vanilla extract.
DO PAST STEP AND NEXT STEP AS FAST AS YOU CAN!  The honey mixture turns into a hard rock candy if it cools too long.
4. QUICKLY add honey mixture into the oats and almonds.  MIX FAST!  pour mixture into the pre-greased 9x13 pan.  PACK the granola mixture down into the pan HARD!  I got out a small bread pan and a layer of wax paper and pressed it down really hard with the pan.  it needs to be about a half inch to an inch thick.  Put in oven cooking about 20-25 minutes rotating the pan halfway through.
5. Take out and let cool 10 minutes or more so when you cut them it is hard!    Cool bars completely before eating.

YUM!  Seriously... cheap and delicious!

Nutrition Facts per bar (according to cook book version)
calories: 180  Fat: 8g  Sat Fat: 0.5g  Chol. 0mg  Carb. 26g  Protein 4g
Fiber 3g  Sodium 40mg

Here is the finished product!

This should give you an idea of what the foil sling is to look like.  

Thursday, November 8, 2012

From Poster to Podge to Pallet

So, I have been inspired by pinterest like none other lately, and I decided to take on something that seemed fairly simple.  It really shouldn't be that complicated, but Jordan and I are old-school so it took a little longer than people who have a lot of "tools" and "equipment"  haha.  I got this idea from this website.

Here is our photo journey of this project.

Pallet we bought for two dollars.. Poster we already had in a cruddy frame. 

Justus wanted to come watch, but there were mosquitos... I had to do the right thing...

Jordan trying to separate the boards... ended up being too tedious.  

We didn't have a table saw.. like most DIYers... so he hand sawed it.  He crazy.

Justus and mama watching Daddy do all the hard parts.  :)

Our battery operated drill was not charged... it took about two hours to get all of the screws drilled into the back.  We put two boards across the back to hold it all together.  

Before we put the poster on... boards all together.

ugly bendy poster frame

Me, finally helping.  (it was MY project... but whatever, he did all the hard parts)
I put Mod Podge on the boards and then put the poster on top slowly scraping the bubbles out with a credit card type material.  

We went inside so I could dry the poster... we had already been working on it for like 4 hours by this point and were getting impatient.  We are the kind of crafters that don't finish a project if we wait til the next day, so we decided to work on it until it was DONE!

Jordan went into all of the cracks between the boards and sliced the poster pieces out of it, which REALLY makes it look like part of the wood.  It really looks like it's painted on there because of his detail work... which I'm pretty sure took three hours. 

He even found cracks throughout the wood pallet and scraped them out.  Looks AWESOME!

I had to keep bringing him beers... he was doing MY project after all... 

Justus, still a part of the project... 

Jordan holding up his proud work!

The Mod Podge on top of the poster was still drying, that's all the white parts.

This is where we hung it.  I FREAKING LOVE IT!!!!

Any questions regarding how we did this... comment! It should be a lot simpler than we made it!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

October is my favorite month ever

You know, I would love to be a blogger, but I still don't have internet at my house.  Speaking of house, Jordan and I moved into one!  We are out of the apartment/duplex phase of our lives and onto the HOUSE phase!  Still in the renting phase for now, but I am totally okay with that.  It is a big commitment to buy a house and a big decision.  We aren't ready for that yet.  Jordan is just starting his firefighting career and we hope that he'll land a bigger town closer to Georgetown within the next 5 years... For now, we are living in a little two bedroom house in downtown Georgetown in the old town district!  It's .5 miles from the trail that Katie and I run/walk on with our kiddos and there is a sidewalk from my house to the park!  I LOVE it!  Old town is seriously ideal.  I've been wanting to live there since I was a kid.  It's an old 1950's red brick house that has been completely renovated and made to look like new on the inside.  Seriously, this house is a huge blessing!  It's very affordable and PERFECT size for us.  A very big step UP in size from the last 500 sq ft duplex we were in.  God knew what we needed and provided it for us.  I'll post pictures of it soon, the inside still isn't completely decorated yet.  I finally have a nursery though for my little tyke!  THAT makes me happy!  It came complete with blue walls and everything!  :) 

Justus is doing great... he is a strong little boy! He's started to try to crawl and he can flip over onto his back from his stomach... usually he'll have his head strait up while he's on his tummy.  He's also becoming a great sleeper! Sometimes he sleeps though the night and sometimes he just needs a little extra lovin at night.  Mostly he is a happy baby.  He'll get fussy before and after eating, but mainly... pretty awesome.  He's started cooing and smiling a lot too.  Jordan will talk to him and he'll just smile away!  He's actually starting to watch cartoons with us too.  We will put something on TV and he'll watch it, so we have to be careful what it is.  I watched Jurassic Park the other day and I had to turn him to face me so that he wouldn't get scared of the Dinosaurs.  I don't know if babies know how to be scared of things they see yet... like, do they know what a scary image is yet?  I don't know... seems like they wouldn't know the difference between a monster and a butterfly!  He's growing right on target too, he's now about 12 lbs 10 oz  24" long!  I took him to his check-up yesterday and the Dr. said everything looked great!  I'm such a proud mommy... he sure is growing into one handsome boy!  :) 

Well, this weekend is the annual Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome Awareness and we are going to support Annabelle, my beautiful niece!  Please come!  We would love to have a big team like we did last year! 

Here is the link to register or DONATE!  If you can't come please donate!  
 http://dsact.com/buddywalk/profile/?kwoAdvocateId=5L4BDE5


Saturday, August 25, 2012

The labor story...

Ok... so it's been a week and a half since my little baby boy was born.  10 days ago, little Justus James was born after a long, exhausting labor that I thought would end in C section.  I went in on Monday for my 39 week check-up.  My mom came with me because it was going to be my last ultra sound and I wanted her to get to see my little man!  I had the ultrasound then went in to see my doctor.  The nurse who takes my stats whenever I go took my blood pressure and very casually mentioned that my blood pressure was higher than normal.  It is usually the same every time I go in, 117/70.  This time it was 136/90.  Not typical for me. 

Well, my doctor comes in, checks me... informs me that I am still very closed and the only progress was that his head was a little lower.  She starts wrapping up the appointment and I mention the high blood pressure thing.  She decides to check for herself.  "Well, this is where it gets interesting." she said.  I was very surprised to be sent to the hospital to get double checked. 

They took my blood pressure lying down and sitting up.  It started to normalize while I was laying down and as soon as she sat me up, my blood pressure rose again.  She said that since it was that high while I was just sitting she didn't want to send me home to walk around where it could rise even higher.  She told me I was going to be induced starting that night.  I was really nervous and not excited at all.  I was excited to have my baby, but I was dreading the induction because most people whose bodies aren't ready have terrible labors and end up having a c-section anyways.  I was so scared! 

That night they gave me cervadil, which is supposed to help soften the cervix and dilate you.. That was Monday. Well, they thought I would have him by the next night but when they checked me in the morning, I had only dilated 1 cm.  I was very disappointed and dreading the pitocin they were going to give me.  Pitocin forces your body to have contractions and push the baby down.  If your body isn't ready, it's hell.  Well, my body wasn't ready.  I knew going in that it was going to be a miracle to not have a c section. 

Well, the contractions weren't all that bad during the day, I could feel them and could tell I was having them but they weren't super painful... well, they started getting painful...  I was having pretty strong contractions for 3 hours.. and around 7 or 8 they checked me and I had dilated one HALF of a cm.  I was so upset.  I had gone all day with contractions and was hoping for a couple cm at least.  They offered to give me an epidural and I was hesitant because I heard that having an epidural can slow down your contractions and make your body kind of come to a halt as far as labor is concerned.  I mentioned that to my nurse, and she said that I was in for a long hard labor no matter what and to take the epidural. 

Oh, did I mention that they told me I would be having my baby around 7 or 8 Tuesday night?  Yeah, that came and went... I hadn't eaten or had anything to drink for 24 hours and was heading into a night of no food or water.  The epidural helped a lot... in the middle of the night, I started getting TERRIBLE heartburn... imagine that, heartburn and nothing in my stomach... it was disgusting.  Well, I asked for heartburn medicine and the only thing they could offer me was this disgusting drink that tasted like bile and salt... what a thing to put in an empty stomach!  Well after a couple hours, I started feeling really nauseous.  Started throwing up that disgusting drink and the nothing that was in my stomach. 

Well, needless to say, I didn't sleep that night much at all... even with the relaxing epidural... Feeling sick with heartburn and nausea... ya, no sleeping for me.  Well, my doctor seemed to think that being on pitocin all night would make me have the baby Wednesday morning... yeah, I hadn't dilated at ALL when they checked me in the morning.  Still one and a half cm.  I cried.  obviously.  I talked to Jordan about just opting to have a c section if it was just going to end up that way anyways... It was rough... even with an epidural, i was miserable.  I kept getting sick throughout the day.  Most horrible experience ever... throwing up nothing and stomach acid.  SICK! 

They checked me sometime in the afternoon and I was 3cm and 75% effaced!   I was making progress!  I told Jordan that if I was still making progress, I wouldn't ask for a c section.  I went all first trimester without throwing up, what was a few more hours of throwing up... bleh.  Well around 3 or 4, don't remember... They checked me again and I was 7 cm and completely effaced.  I was so excited!  She told me I would probably be pushing around 7!  I then just started praying that it would actually happen and that I would deliver naturally! 

The nurse came in around 5:30 and told me I was ready to start pushing!  I was shocked!  and super excited... well I pushed for an hour and a half and my epidural almost completely wore off by the end.  It was really rough... those are the contractions I was dreading... But it was all worth it!  There was a little scare when he came out though, he had the cord wrapped around his neck and he was all blue and limp.  There was a FLOOD of nurses and doctors who came in to make sure he was okay.  It didn't take long for him to start breathing and making noise.  It was precious!

All the crap and days of not eating were so worth it.  Right when he was born, I asked for a huge glass of water... I was dying of thirst!  I'm pretty sure I drank  64 ounces in like an hour.  Best water I've ever had.  48 to 50 hours without food or water... yikes. 

Anyways, thanks for all the prayers!  I was so thankful to not have a c section!  God really blessed me!  :) 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

My pregnancy so far...

I am now 35 weeks and I feel like I'm going to have the baby tomorrow. I have been having contractions every day that DON'T feel like braxton hicks... I went to the Dr. yesterday and she said that the contractions aren't doing anything yet and are just "practice contractions". That's great and everything, I just wish they didn't hurt so bad! They definitely stop me in my tracks and make me think about different ways I can breathe or sit to be more comfortable. So I have been thinking about my pregnancy and what about it I was expecting and not expecting. It was definitely smooth sailing through my first and second trimester! I could work out, eat what I wanted, sleep comfortably, I wasn't sick at all... I was just spoiled throughout all of that time... THEN the third trimester hit. I felt it immediately. Mostly with the acid reflux and indigestion... But there are a few more things that have started happening recently that I did not expect...
 Here is a list of things that I wasn't expecting during pregnancy...
 1. painful "practice contractions" that don't do a THING!
2. Terrible acid reflux and indigestion. No dinner after 4 or 5:00
3. hemorrhoids... TMI?? whatever.
4. taking a simple walk feels like I ran a marathon... even getting up from sitting sometimes.
 5. getting up 3-6 times a night to go to pee
6. restlessness. I lay in bed for an hour before falling asleep and wake up with the sun... maybe my body is just preparing for when the baby is here.. but it could have just let me enjoy my last couple months of SLEEP!
7. strange dreams
8. The crazy urge to set up and organize baby stuff ALL the time.
9. ligament pain in my stomach... youch!
10. my hip bones actually getting wider
11. Gaining 30 lbs
12. I honestly wasn't expecting to get any stretch marks because they don't run in the family, but Jordan noticed some last night. :(
 13. Not being able to settle on a name!
14. HOT FLASHES!!!
15. Bras being sooo uncomfortable because the underwire rests on my now humungous belly (oh, and did I mention the sweat that gathers between my tummy and the ladies? Not pretty..)
16. People are kind of judgy about some of my decisions and very opinionated.

 Ok, so pregnancy hasn't been only terrible... I have enjoyed a lot of things about it...

 Now the GOOD things I didn't expect:
1. All of the love and support from everyone in my life basically!
2. All of the free stuff I have gotten from people I know... I've pretty much not had to buy anything for my little guy! :)
3. Finding out that i was having a BOY!!!!!
4. Being pregnant the same time as my sister!
5. How strong my hair has gotten... which I know will change once I have the baby.
6. How healthy my nails are (probably from my prenatal vitamin)
7. This summer is extremely mild compared to most Texas summers... Very doable in the state I'm in.
 8. How excited I get when I feel the baby move. It really is an amazing thing.
 9. Jordan actually gives me back rubs when I ask now! :)
 10. I am so not as moody as I thought I was going to be

 I'm sure there are more things that are pluses but they're just not coming to mind right now.

 So this week started my weekly appointments. I should only have three more until the baby comes... hopefully not more! The appointment went okay, but I was very disappointed to find out that my contractions aren't "REAL". Made me a little upset. I don't want to have him early but I just wanted to know that I wasn't being over dramatic. I have heard that "practice contractions" like the ones I've been experiencing, feel like REAL ones! It worries me that I'm not going to know the difference when it comes to going into labor. Sometimes the water doesn't even break... so... how will I know?? I just get really nervous thinking about the next weeks to come!

 Interesting side-note... I could be further along than the Dr. thinks. According to my calculations, my baby should have the due date of August 3... I thought I was pregnant for a whole month before I got the confirmation that I was... I had so many negative pregnancy tests.. and I just KNEW I was pregnant. I got so upset with every test I took. I remember crying to Jordan... not because I really wanted to be pregnant, but because I was mad at the tests for being so wrong. I knew I was pregnant. Then when I went in to the Dr and got my first ultrasound, it told me I was going to have the due date of August 18. So... I could have the baby earlier than I thought! Here's hoping that he's born healthy and with no issues no matter when he's born! (earlier than the 18th I hope!!!)

 Pray for the next few weeks and for my contractions to not be so bad please!!! :) Hopefully, the next post I post will have pictures and the final name decision of my new baby BOY!!!!!!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

30 weeks

Here is another little pregnancy update. My summer has started and I am trying to soak it all up before the little one arrives. I am excited about him coming but I'm also just trying to take it easy and one day at a time. One thing I do wish is that I could drink as much iced coffee and beer as I want... and wine... and I want to work out. I want to work out HARD! I really miss it. Sometimes i feel like getting up and trying but I know I would hurt myself. I only have 9 weeks left... that's not very long! I need to stop looking forward and start enjoying now. While it lasts. I really am just kind of done being pregnant though. I want to meet my little rascal! :) Ok, now for the little update: How far along? 30 weeks, 5 days Total weight gain: the dr. told me I've gained about 17 but my scale at home says 25... hmm... Maternity clothes? Definitely. Right now I'm wearing yoga pants and workout clothes... pretty much the comfiest thing. Stretch marks? No! God has blessed me! Sleep: Yeah, sleep would be nice... jk... I sleep pretty good but get up at least three times to pee and I also wake up every time I turn over because it's so much work. Best moment this week: Hmm... I dunno, anytime I'm with Jordan is the best moment. I love him. Miss Anything? I miss beer. Especially right now at the beginning of summer. I want an ice cold beer. Movement: My goodness, yes. He is a mover and a shaker. Food cravings: I want sweet things... but is that abnormal? Anything making you queasy or sick: Not so much. Gender: Boy. woop WOOOOP! Labor Signs: Nope Symptoms: Ha. where do I begin? Back pain, acid indigestion, hot flashes, emotional, hungry all the time but no room in my smooshed stomach for food... Belly Button in or out? in still.. it looks like it's smiling. Wedding rings on or off? on. :) Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. Looking forward to: Seeing Jordan when he gets off of work every day. I am soaking up every moment as just Jordan and I before the baby gets here...

Monday, April 16, 2012

22 week update!

How far along? 22 weeks 2 days
Total weight gain: 12-15 pounds
Maternity clothes? oh yes. I have shoved myself into some of my old jeans and i have to pull a shirt way down so you can't see that my zipper is undone... haha... but yes, lots of skirts and dresses and stretchy leggings!
Stretch marks? No I do not! I really hope I don't get any! I heard steady weight gain and coco butter help.
Sleep: ugh... I want to sleep on my tummy so much... I've been putting a pillow underneath me to prop me up so I can... but I still get up at least once a night to pee. I never sleep all the way through the night... but I better get used to that.
Best moment this week: This week? Seeing Annabelle and Katie again! My baby shower that my wonderful work friends threw me! :)
Miss Anything? I actually really have been missing working out hard. I am noticing my body getting softer, which is fine I guess, but I really do miss it...
Movement: Yes! Last week he was VERY active! Kicking and punching at the same time! This week, he's been a little less active, I think he's in a different position though.
Food cravings:Anything, everything... I'm starving ALL the time. Nothing fills me up. Pregnancy hunger takes a lot of self-control!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: BOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Labor Signs: I better not! But no.
Symptoms: Hungry, tired, clingy, emotional. haha
Belly Button in or out? in
Wedding rings on or off? On, I think my fingers are actually smaller than they were before. My ring spins around on my finger.
Happy or Moody most of the time: I would say happy, but ask Jordan I guess...
Looking forward to: Jordan getting a job and SUMMER!