8.31.2012

Today is a Good Day

a VERY good day!

Four Reasons why today is so good:

1. We found our pediatrician! This has been a long and arduous process. Usually I wouldn't think twice about calling a doctor, but this is different. This is for our daughter and of course we want the best care we can find. I knew as soon as I heard the friendly voice of the receptionist on the other end we had made the best choice. She walked me through what I need to do when our baby girl arrives and encouraged me that the pediatricians at the practice were great. Plus, her birthday is on Juice Drop's due date (Sept. 19th!) so it's destiny, right?! :)

2. We bought life insurance! Another long and arduous process. We had been to our insurance agency three times before we finally decided which plan to go with and today we made the decision and it feels so good to be done with such a morbid but necessary process. I even started tearing up in the office thinking about if, God forbid, anything should happen to us who the beneficiary would be to take care of our daughter. I had to laugh to keep myself from really breaking down!

3. I finished making leg warmers for Juice Drop! I bought socks to turn into leg warmers way back in April when I found out she is a girl and finally got around to finishing that project today. Now her chubby little legs will be nice and warm this fall and winter :) I found the tutorial on how to make these cute little things here.

Not sure why this is so dark, but you get the gist--women's knee high socks
Complete! How cute are these? Ahhh, I can't way to see her in them! :)

4. Today begins Travis's birthday weekend! Lucky duck, he gets all weekend because, well, because he's so special and his birthday happens to fall on a holiday this year (Labor Day). Plus it's the last birthday where it's just him and me so we have to make the most of it! On the agenda for the birthday boy: movie tonight, The Ohio State Buckeye game tomorrow at Strike City, the Buckeye bar of Charlotte where you feel like you're back in Columbus (great feeling!), dinner out on Sunday, and a Labor Day cookout with great friends on Monday. What more could a guy ask for?!

Enjoy your Labor Day weekend and eat a hot dog or two for me! :)

8.29.2012

We are Full-Term!

If you remember correctly from last week's update I was given a pelvic exam including "everything likesuchas". Well the "everything likesuchas"was pretty normal, says my doctor--except I tested positive for Group Beta Strep. I knew right away as soon as she said it what that meant and my heart dropped.

No, I don't have strep throat and I'm not sick.

Basically Group Beta Strep is a bacteria that can live in the body without you even knowing it...awesome. It's fairly common and found in about 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women...sweet. When I go into labor I will be hooked up to an IV with antibiotics because if I don't get it treated I could pass the bacteria to the baby which could lead to an infection like meningitis or pneumonia. About 5 percent of babies infected with GBS die...dear Lord, hold me now!

Of course, I cried. That's just what pregnant mama's who are doped up on their own hormones do. Plus this wasn't a part of my birth plan!!! I was supposed to go au naturale without being hooked to anything!

I'm sure many of you are like Wah, Wah, ok? a little IV won't hurt and birth plans are pointless. But this news was something I didn't expect and it's always a blow to receive the unexpected. After researching a little more about what GBS is and how it can affect our baby, there's no question I'll take the IV.

Besides being in a poopy mood for about 2 hours, today is a fantastic day because we've reached full-term which means Juice Drop can come any day now!...ok, I know, she's my first so it'll probably be at least another 4 weeks but a mama can hope, right? :)

Baby Girl is ready for some Buckeye football! 



How far along? 37 Weeks
Total weight gain: 32 lbs--whoa, 3 pounds in a week is more than I should be gaining! I'm blaming it on Juice Drop--she's packing on the pounds! 
Maternity clothes? Most of the time. 
Stretch marks? Nope 
Sleep: Better, I think I'm just getting used to being uncomfortable
Best moment this week: Celebrating Juice Drop at my Charlotte baby shower!
Miss Anything? Being able to get up from a couch gracefully 
Movement: Morning, noon, and night! Hiccups, seeing feet, knees, elbows, and tush protrude :)
Food cravings: Chocolate
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are getting stronger. Cervix is still closed but head is down!
Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing ALL THE TIME (even when hardly anything comes out!), shortness of breath, memory lapse, clumsiness, swollen fingers and toes 
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? Off but on a necklace.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! 
Looking forward to: Travis' birthday weekend! Buckeye football, celebrating my man, and Labor Day festivities :)

8.27.2012

You can just call me Mrs. Clumsy McGee

Do not underestimate the clumsiness of a pregnant woman! It just happens. More than usual. More than before this huge bump came along. And usually the bump is the one who gets the punishment for it.

For instance:

~For every meal there is bound to be leftovers found on the bump, usually on a very nice maternity dress or shirt, and said dress or shirt can only be hand washed--who is their right mind would make a maternity garment that can only be hand washed? Riddle me that!

~Lots of tripping takes place in these parts these days. Tripping up the stairs, tripping over things that cannot be seen because the bump gets in the way (remember, I lost sight of my feet months ago!), and tripping over nothing at all (I swear, there was something there!)

~Bumping into things with aptly named the bump. Forgetting that I have a bump there and trying to fit through small spaces (uh, huh, yeah right). Tossing and turning in the night while picking up the bump in order to actually move can be quite challenging and may lead to the occasional Braxton Hicks--it's better to just lie in one spot until nature calls for the third time.

With all this said, I'm hoping my clumsiness is just a side effect of being pregnant and doesn't actually stay around after Juice Drop comes. It would make me feel a whole lot better if I was known as the competent mother who had it all together and not the clumsy mother. What kind of mother would drop food on her child, or trip up the stairs with her child, or bump her into things?

Who am I kidding?! I guess worse things could happen, right? I can definitely see me doing all the above when she's here and it not even phase her. At least she'd grow up knowing nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes, and we all trip once in a while. Picking ourselves back up with a smile on our face is the most important thing. I'm so thankful for God's grace and mercy and I pray she feels His grace and mercy even more so!

I'll leave you with a few snapshots of our fourth and final baby shower. It was a beautiful day filled with love from our amazing friends and family here in Charlotte. We feel as prepared as we could ever be now, and it's all thanks to everyone who has blessed us throughout this pregnancy. We feel so loved!


i LOVE this!


Delish and such a beautiful display!

And here we are having Abby help me clean up the soap that got on my bump--see, always getting in the way!


Juice Drop's best friend, Kiah and Kiah's beautiful Mama, Heather. Not too long ago we were showering Heather and Kiah!


With my sister, Emily, being so close now she was able to join us! I felt so blessed to have her there.


Travis' cousins also joined us! They have been such a great support to us since we moved to Charlotte over a year ago.





Thank you Sylvia, Abby, Angela, and Kari. You sure know how to make a Mama feel special. Love you all! :)

8.22.2012

4 weeks sounds a LOT closer than 1 month

We've finally come to weekly appointments! I say this with enthusiasm but also with trepidation. We're coming to the end of this whole pregnancy, and at the end comes a living, breathing, human being solely dependent on Travis and me! No more cute little bump; I get the real deal, folks, and am I really ready, prepared, and equipped to be responsible for another life?!

Ehh, I got this...right?

We had our 36 week appointment today, and by far was the longest time we've waited but I think it was the funniest appointment we've ever had. I don't know about you other woman but the only man I like down in my pelvic region is my husband so when the nurse informed me (after making the comment that having sex while she was pregnant helped her baby...thank you very much for that image, Nurse Jessie) they'd be swabbing "down there" for strep B and "everything likesuchas" I asked if I would be having a female or male doctor perform all these niceties. Oh, you have a female doctor today. Phew! Close call--especially when all I saw outside my room were male residents! Well, what do you know, a male resident walks in 15 minutes later(!!!) and right away Travis and I look at one another. I think he could tell what we were thinking because as he sat in his nifty swirly chair and before he asked any questions, he exclaimed I won't be doing your pelvic exam, just checking the heartbeat. We about died when he left the room. Poor guy, only a student trying to get an A, and here we are giving him the eye, like, you betta not think you'll be doing my pelvic exam! Well, what do you know, that same male resident came strolling back in a half hour later(!!!) with the doctor who actually would be performing the pelvic exam and we could tell by the expression on his face he was thinking hey guys, I'm just observing, not doing the pelvic exam, I repeat, not doing the pelvic exam! We decided to let off the evil eye this time and trust that the female doctor would be taking over. She asked a few questions and out the door they both were yet again. After being in our little room for a total of 45 minutes (not to mention in the waiting room for over 30 minutes!) the doctor and a nurse, sans male resident, finally arrived to do my pelvic exam. "Everything likesuchas" was great and we found out my cervix is still closed but her head is down low and ready to go! So all in all, a long day but we went away happy to have heard her heartbeat (wow, alliteration!) knowing she's in the right position, and laughing at both ours and the male resident's reaction to a simple pelvic exam. Oh boy, I guess I better get used to the idea of being vulnerable because when I'm in deep labor I don't think I'll really care who performs a pelvic exam and "everything likesuchas"!



How far along? 36 Weeks
Total weight gain: 29 lbs 
Maternity clothes? Most of the time. 
Stretch marks? Nope 
Sleep: good, not great...God's way of preparing us for what's to come :)
Best moment this week: Helping move my sister, Emily, into her dorm room only 20 minutes from us!
Miss Anything? Being comfy
Movement: Morning, noon, and night! Hiccups, seeing feet, knees, elbows, and tush protrude :)
Food cravings: nada this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are getting stronger. Cervix is still closed but head is down!
Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing ALL THE TIME (even when hardly anything comes out!), shortness of breath, memory lapse, clumsiness, swollen fingers and toes 
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? Off but on a necklace, still very bitter about this.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! 
Looking forward to: My final baby shower this Saturday with all my Charlotte peeps! :)

8.21.2012

As of Late...

The reason why I've only been posting weekly updates as of late is because all that is on my mind is this BABY! She takes up all my thoughts, all my doings, all my prayers, and I don't want to bore you with all of that. So instead I'll just post some pics of our happenings and as of late--and no, they're not all about Juice Drop...if they were, then I'd really need to get a life!

urban eagles camp.


ten hour road trip for a dear friend.
Mexican corn on the cob.
pregnancy perks.
what if I joined the Avengers? awesome.



mini golf.
best friends.
laughter.
big brush.





Juice Drop's first (and better be only!) vandalism.
best friends.
sisters.
maywedge.
bride and bridesmaid.






third baby shower.
preteen ministry days.
fishing partners.
bros and sistas.
food baby and real baby.






8.16.2012

Home Sweet Home


Home has never felt so great! 

As we pulled in to our neighborhood after our final road trip I took a deep breath and was overcome with joy and peace in knowing that this is where we belong and in 3.5 seconds I'd be able to really kick up my feet and just chill out for the first time in a week. It was wonderful being greeted by a couple of the boys who then helped us bring in our luggage, and while I was ready to be alone with just Travis, it was nice having them stay a bit and hang out. Travis taught them a few things on the guitar while I started dinner. It was a perfect evening back home. 

The icing on the cake came later in the evening...lounging on our red couch and Travis' hand on my belly with Juice Drop dancing through our entire movie! Too presh! :)

P.S. Blue Like Jazz = Uh-Mazing! 



How far along? 35 Weeks and 1 Day
Total weight gain: 28 lbs
Maternity clothes? Most of the time. 
Stretch marks? Nope 
Sleep: Oh, the ush, waking up every 1-2 hours to pee, plus my sinus infection kept me awake while in bed even more so
Best moment this week: Seeing the joy on Travis's brother's face when he saw me for the first time in a year. He had tears in his eyes and he couldn't really believe his baby niece was inside of me :)
Miss Anything? Subway and sleeping on my back
Movement: Morning, noon, and night!
Food cravings: a 12 inch turkey sub from Subway sounds amazing right about now!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are getting stronger.
Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing ALL THE TIME (even when hardly anything comes out!), shortness of breath, memory lapse, clumsiness, swollen fingers and toes 
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? Off but on a necklace, still very bitter about this.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! 
Looking forward to: My sister, Emily, moving in to college tomorrow which is only 20 minutes from us!!! :)

Pictures as of late soon to come!

8.08.2012

the day we've been waiting for!

This is it! Today is the day! The day we've been waiting for! 

No, we haven't gone into labor just yet...

Today we embark on a long journey, a journey filled with hourly stops for bathroom breaks, walks to avoid swelling, and drinking 5 gallons of water to stay hydrated. All for my dear, dear friend Lindsey Marler, who will be getting married to the wonderful Matt Runda on Saturday! 

Feel special, Linds, because you're one of the only people I'd travel 10 hours for! 

I will proudly don a beautiful purple maternity bridesmaids dress, waddle down the aisle, and sit on my tush, legs up, during the reception while one of my best friends marries the man of her dreams. 

I cannot wait! I know this weekend it going to be an absolute blast...as long as Juice Drop stays right where she is!

You see my necklace? Yeah, that's my engagement/wedding ring; still kind of bitter it's around my neck and not on my finger :(







How far along? 34 Weeks
Total weight gain: 28 lbs
Maternity clothes? Most of the time. 
Stretch marks? Nope 
Sleep: This week has been surprisingly better. I'm still waking up every few hours to pee but I'm getting more comfortable with my array of pillows :)
Best moment this week: hearing my sister Stef's voice who I haven't heard in almost 2 months! Even though it was a very brief conversation, her voice brought so much joy to my heart. 
Miss Anything? Being able to sit up without having to turn to my side to do so. I look ridiculous and Travis enjoys my struggle, not nice, hubby!
Movement: Morning, noon, and night! Hiccups at least twice a day :) 
Food cravings: Nada
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are getting stronger.
Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing ALL THE TIME (even when hardly anything comes out!), shortness of breath, memory lapse, clumsiness, swollen fingers and toes (this heat is redonkulous!)
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? The ring has officially come off...very, very sad :( 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Unless I'm outside or hungry lol
Looking forward to: Lindsey and Matt's wedding!! and seeing friends in Indiana :)

P.S. You see my husband at the top of this page? Yeah, he's a stud! ;)

8.06.2012

You said "I know that this will hurt"

The Lord has made Romans 8:22-28 known to me on a couple of occasions.

First, it was a little over a year ago when everyone and their sister were getting pregnant. If you know anything about me, you know that I've always desired to be a mother. I feel like it's part of the calling God has placed on my life. I've been ready since I was a kid and for Travis and me to wait as long as we did to finally have a child took a lot of patience and trusting in God. I was reassured of God's timing and his faithfulness when I stumbled upon this passage and more aptly this verse:

"But if we look forward to something we don't have yet, we must wait patiently and confidently." Romans 8:25 (NLT)

Then a few months ago the Lord brought this passage back to me.

I love God's Word because it's always relevant to what you're going through. You could've read a certain passage 10 times throughout a given year and each time it says something different, something that applies to what you're going through at that specific time.

When I stumbled upon this passage again I was beginning to feel the affects of pregnancy, and I was also thinking a lot about the type of birth I was going to have. Do I want to have pain meds that allow me to feel nothing, and not know what my body is going through or do I want to go natural and feel every contraction, every pain--a pain so powerful some women compare it to completing a marathon? Usually I would say give me the drugs!! But something inside of me was telling me I can do this without meds, I can get through this pain! And I think that something was the Holy Spirit.

Now this passage isn't directly about pregnancy but instead compares our life with Christ here on earth longing for that day in Heaven to a woman who is pregnant, giving birth, and in a whole LOTTA pain. Take a look see (I've added the italicized in parenthesis):

"All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us (Juice Drop). The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance (I'm yearning for a full delivery!). That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us (I'm enlarged and haven't seen Juice Drop just yet). But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy (pregnancy takes a while, just as labor does, but in the end it's all worth it!). Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along (when labor gets too intense or I get too tired, God is right there with me, experiencing the pain too). If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in us and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans (oh, I'll be groaning all right!). He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God (He knows my body better than I do, and He knows I can do this!). That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good (and when I see my daughter's face, all will be GOOD!)." Romans 8:22-28 (The Message)

Wow! What an amazing passage not just for me going through labor but for that yearning and desire to be with our Heavenly Father. How great the Father's love for us that we will go through whatever it takes to be with Him, and all along He is there right beside us going through the same pain and anguish. We find joy in enduring these "birth pangs" because we know in the end it is all worth it, our joy will be complete, and we will experience no more pain!

I know it sounds crazy, to experience pain for the joy that comes in the end. But I look forward to feeling that pain, to that feeling where I know I'm alive, so that in the end I will be pain-free and will know joy like I've never known before!


**Disclaimer: I realize circumstances arise when pain meds and other medical procedures are necessary for the mother and for the baby. I do not believe this makes the mother less of a mother, less of a woman, or less of a child of God. If you choose or it's deemed necessary to have medical intervention, then that's great. My goal is to have a natural birth and whatever happens in the labor and delivery room happens, and I'm trusting God to get me through it, whether it's naturally or with medical intervention. 

8.01.2012

a little overwhelmed...to say the least

Wow, I am spent!

On top of getting anxious about Juice Drop coming in roughly 7 weeks, losing my mind and forgetting to pay bills, we are having to unpack the boxes we still have yet to unpack from moving in 6 months ago!

What were we thinking waiting until the end like this?!

And on top of unpacking boxes, these are the things that need to be done just in general and in her nursery:

Get life insurance
Find a pediatrician
Write a birth plan
Pack ours and Juice Drop's hospital bags
Sew changing pad cover, pillows, and curtains
Paint doll baby bed and little rocking chair
Buy lamps and nightlight
Artwork
Make mobile
Buy storage containers

Oh yeah, and do our job by spending time with kids and connecting with adults in our neighborhood and take a week off next week to drive to Indiana to be in one of my best friend's weddings!

Phew! Can I take a nap now?













How far along? 33 Weeks
Total weight gain: 28 lbs
Maternity clothes? Most of the time. 
Stretch marks? Nope 
Sleep: I had a great night's sleep last night! Woo Hoo!! I only had to get up once to pee and it was cool enough in our room that I could use blankets to cover up. Uh-Mazing! I realize this was just a teaser because I know my sleepless nights will reemerge very soon (most likely tonight).
Best moment this week: Spending time in Greenville and having my girl friends there throw me my 2nd baby shower! *pics below*
Miss Anything? Being comfortable.
Movement: Morning, noon, and night! Hiccups at least once a day :) 
Food cravings: Nada
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope
Gender: GIRL!!!
Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks are getting stronger.
Symptoms: Back and rib pain, Braxton Hicks, peeing ALL THE TIME (even when hardly anything comes out!), shortness of breath, memory lapse, clumsiness, swollen fingers and toes (this heat is redonkulous!)
Belly Button in or out? Outie!
Wedding rings on or off? I'm trying my hardest to keep my ring on until Lindsey and Matt's wedding. 
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy! Unless I'm outside or hungry lol
Looking forward to: Getting this apartment straightened and finally finishing the nursery!

My baby shower in Greenville was amazing! I got to see some ladies I haven't seen in a few years and it was so great reconnecting with everyone. A huge thank you goes out to the ladies who were involved in putting it all together and making me feel very special! Donica, Dee, Beth, and Jayne, you all ROCK!

These cupcakes are too cute!!
 
The food was delicious!

We got a lot of great things for Juice Drop!

Ok, check out this candy-it's called Juicy Drop Taffy!!! 

I'm in love with these Mary Jane socks!












Prayers over Juice Drop 
 I feel so blessed! Thank you Beth, Donica, and Dee!




P.S. a durian looks like this: ...hopefully Juice Drop isn't as prickly ;)