a busy time of year

Christmas is fast approaching and I feel like I have so much to do and so little time to get it done. I have done NO shopping at all and I'm not sure when I'm going to get it done. I'll be making my first trip to Springfield in six weeks on Thur to go see my Dr. Kayler is going with me and we're meeting up with a friend and her daughter for lunch. I may try to do some shopping after my appt but I'm not sure how that's going to go by myself. I guess I'll give it a whirl and figure it out as I go. Hopefully the weather won't be nasty. 

On top of all the normal Christmas stuff we're having family stay with us for ten days right after Christmas. I'm so looking forward to having company but I think its going to be a little stressful too. I have some house cleaning to do before they come as well as some extra shopping. It will be fun to see Aidan and Lily meet their cousin for the first time and I will enjoy some adult conversation with Clint and Joy. What I'm dreading is the break in our routine b/c what we're doing right now with Kayler is working very well. I may have to be pretty strict with scheduling activities around her schedule instead of my own wishes. 

Saturday we're going to have Kayler's picture taken with Santa. That should be fun. Justin will be taking the pics at the YMCA so it should be pretty easy. That night we're going to a Chrismas party and then Sunday we're getting together with the Bayless family for pics and an afternoon of fellowship. I'm also hoping that we can make it to our church's Christmas program that evening. It's going to be a busy weekend. Unfortunately next week doesn't slow down any. I have a dentist appt, Kayler's Dr. appt and two days of computer class for work. I'm getting stressed just listing out all the activities to come. 

I better go get started on something on my to do list while Kayler is napping. 

proud mama

Ok, its official...I've definitely become one of those annoying moms who thinks their kid is the greatest in the world. No the truth is every mom should think their kid is the greatest and I definitely think Kayler Noel is. 

I have to brag on her just a little. She is doing so well sleeping! I have to thank my friend Katie who gave me a great book to borrow, Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. So far I swear by it. Last night was probably the best and easiest night so far. She ate at 7pm then had bath time with daddy and was in bed by 8pm. She was up at 1:30am to eat and back to sleep within the hour. Then she slept til 7am. I actually had to wake her up to feed her. I pretty much have her on a strict feeding schedule of every three hours during the day and at night Justin gives her a bottle whenever she wakes up. She naps in the morning for two hours, a short nap after her 10am feeding, an afternoon nap and another short nap after her 4pm feeding. She seems to do the best, both with eating and sleeping, if we can catch her before she is starving or exhausted. That's the whole philosophy in the book. 

I just spoke with my friend Dallion who told me about a couple with a much needed prayer request. They have a son who is globally brain damaged. He is approximately 2-3 years old but is like a newborn. He is in the hospital and not expected to live. In a way this is a blessing but I can only imagine the anguish they must be feeling. I pray for them to have peace in their hearts and for Soren to be free and whole and with the Lord. 

Okay...I'm now going to go hug and hold my healthy baby girl. Thank you God for her!

cold winter day

Well the weather is absolutely frigid. It was beautiful last week, warm enough to take a walk with only a light jacket and today its 30 degrees with snow on the ground. MO weather is crazy. While I love the seasonal changes its sort of making me nuts being cooped up in the house all day. 

Kayler is doing well. She is sleeping next to me in her boppy right now. Soon it will be time to eat again. Some days I feel like that's all I get done. I have a rather long list of things I'd like to get done around the house but its so hard to make time to do it. The days go so fast when they go in 3hr cycles. I guess I'll manage to get the important things done and the rest will just have to wait. 

Over the holiday weekend I got to spend some great time with my dad. He came over Friday afternoon for a few hours and again on Saturday evening. I cooked dinner Saturday. He got to spend some time with Kayler which is very important. It was good to visit with him and catch up. He is a very proud Papa.

As always there were some difficult moments of the holiday where I really missed my mom, brother and grandparents. I am so thankful for MY new family and for the family I have left. We spent some time with Justin's family on Thursday. Kayler got to meet her uncle Brian. It was so cute to see how tiny she looked in his big arms. It was good to see them and I was so glad we didn't end up going out to eat. It was nice to sit around the table at Grandma and Grandpa's house and enjoy a meal together. 

change of plans

I'm glad to say that there has been a change of plans for Thanksgiving. We're going to Grandma and Grandpa Ballard's for dinner. I'm glad to not be going out to eat but I also feel kind of bad b/c I know its hard on them to have us all at their house. No matter what we do Grandma always cooks so much and its a lot of work for them. 

I am thankful just to be able to get together and to have a family to get together with. 

holiday blessings

What a great time I'm having being a mommy. Kayler is doing so well. She's doing really good on a feeding schedule and last night she slept through the night except for one feeding. Justin and I were so excited when we woke up at 6am and she was still sleeping. She woke up at 6:30 happy and hungry. She's growing and changing everyday and I already miss how small she was when she was born. 

I'm so very proud of Justin as a daddy. I knew he would be great but God has truly blessed me with such an amazing husband and father for our daughter. He doesn't mind getting up with her at night and he is so excited to spend time with her when he gets home from work. 

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I have to say that I'm a little disappointed with our plans. We're going out to eat with Justin's family for lunch. It's just not the same as cooking and sitting around the table in our own home with our family. We're doing it for convenience sake but its still not the same. I may cook a small amount and have my dad over on Friday or over the weekend. I at least want to make a pumpkin pie and I love to have left over turkey. We'll see what I have time to do. 

Great news for my friend Jenni and her family. Granton got the all clear to come home from KC. They will be home on Monday, just in time for a blessed Thanksgiving. Also they found out they are having a girl so there will be no chance of her having the same disorder that Granton has. I'm excited b/c our little girls will grow up together and be in the same grade in school just like Jenni and I. We've been friends for 20 years and I hope that our girls will grow to be just as good of friends as Jenni and I are. Good friends like that are hard to come by. I'm so happy for her and her family.

As we approach the holidays I am very thankful for my new family. The holidays are hard as I always miss my mom and brother even more than normal. This year I feel I have a little piece of each of them in Kayler. I have enjoyed talking to her about her Nana and uncle Michael and I took her to their gravesides last week. I will do my very best to have her know as much about each of them as possible, especially that they are always watching over her and are her special angels in Heaven. I know they sent her to me. Thank you God for my family, bless each of them. 

don't worry, pray

I am trying to start a new habit. I have a desire to intervene for my daughter, husband, family and friends through prayer. This comes from what the sermons at church have been about. I believe a couple of weeks ago Billy spoke about what power prayer has, how it should be the first thing we do not the last thing we turn to. And how amazing it can be to lift someone up to the Lord. 

I'm slowly learning how to focus while I pray. I often have a hard time with my thoughts wondering away and I lose track of what I'm doing, thinking or saying to God. 

Lately, as you can imagine, my focus has been on Kayler and on Justin and I learning how to be parents. I've been praying for wisdom, guidance, knowledge and His will to be done in all our lives. Finances have also become a focus. As we have a lot of debt with our building and business investments. I know they will one day pay off and we'll be glad that we took this risk. Right now it's tough though. I know with the economy its tough on everyone. So I pray for guidance and wisdom in creating a plan and a budget for the coming year. 

I don't really know where to start as far as making a budget. It's something I've had a desire to do for a while and I have started several times but have a really hard time knowing where to start and keeping up with it. If anyone has any advise let me know. I would appreciate it. 

Don't worry, pray. As I am a worrier this is hard but I'm learning. 

A busy world

I knew my life would change once Kayler arrived but I didn't know how differently wonderful it would truly be. Except for the first few days home, which were really rough, I've had a great time getting to know my daughter. We are both learning how to do things and I think I'm doing a pretty good job of figuring it out as I go. After all she doesn't know that I don't know what I'm doing. :) 

I'm loving all her little noises and faces that she makes. She's a really good baby so far. She usually sleeps about 3 to 4 hours at night and lets mom and dad get a little rest. She did however get her daddy's appetite so we eat a lot and often. 

We've been out of the house several times. We voted last weekend and went for a few short visits. We've also been to church twice and she was very good. It was fun to show her off to everyone but I do notice that I'm a little protective of her when people go to touch her. It kind of makes me cringe thinking about all the germs. 

I got some really good advice from a friend and co-worker who came to help over the weekend. I was feeling confused and a little guilty about some advice I'd received and choices that we'd made about caring for Kayler. She said as long as you are doing what you need to do for your daughter that's all that matters. She also went on to say that my sanity is important for Kayler too. I totally agree. 

Better run. Fussy baby.

The cutest little girl ever. :-)

Our cute little one in person. Yeah. 

Kayler's arrival

Kayler Noel is here. I can't believe Justin and I made such a perfect and beautiful little girl. Here's the stats on her...She was born Sunday Oct 26 at 3:55pm. She weighed 7lbs and is 20 inches long. She has quite a bit of dark brown hair, much like her daddy. :)

We have enjoyed getting to know her and showing her off to our friends and family who have visited this week. I was so glad that my dad actually got to be at the hospital when she was born. Justin's mom and the Butler's were there too.  So far she seems to be her daddy's girl. She has his hair color, eye shape and temperament. She does have my nose and chin and her Uncle Michael's ears. We're fighting a very mild case of jaundice and will find out tomorrow how that is going. I'm not worried as she is eating well and looking great. 

I praise and thank God for this perfect little one who He has trusted us with. I pray for His guidance in all that we do as new parents. I also thank Him for our incredible friend Dallion who was our doula. I hope I never have do give birth without her. She was amazing before, during and after Kayler's birth. 

It's almost time to eat again. Three hours goes by so quickly. :) Pictures will be coming soon.

Coming soon...Baby Kayler

Progress is being made toward Kayler's arrival. I saw my Dr. yesterday and I was dilated 1cm at that time. I've been having contractions since Thursday evening. They're not yet regular so we still have some work to do. I know 1cm isn't much but it's a start and my contractions have been more uncomfortable since he checked me so I'm hoping I've made a little more progress since then. It's very exciting and I'm greatly anticipating her arrival. 

Please continue to pray for me, Justin and Kayler as we go through this new and exciting time in our lives. Thanks so much. I'll keep you posted!!!

Well I guess anticipation would be the word I would use to describe what's going on in our house. I saw the Dr. yesterday and no changes but I have started having some practice contractions once in a while. I was a little disappointed that I wasn't dilated a little but I guess that will come. I'm just praying that I can do this myself and not have to be induced. I have a hard time believing that the modern world of technology knows better than nature when baby Kayler should be born. 

This coming week is my last at work and I'm looking forward to having that time off. As much as I'm ready to have this baby, it would be nice to have several days off before her arrival to get somethings done around the house. If only I had the energy to get it all done. I don't think my nesting energy has kicked in yet. 

To change the subject completely, when is this crazy election going to be over. Is it just me or is almost every major race really close this time around? I've never found myself to have much interest in politics, more so this year than ever. I guess that's b/c of the state of the economy. It's so crazy and scary right now. It makes me nervous with all the loans Justin and I have with our investment in the building. He assures me that all is well and that we're doing fine so I am trying hard to have faith in my husband and the decisions we've made and not to worry about it. The economy has certainly had an impact in how I'm spending money these days. Shopping at different stores like Aldi instead of Wal-Mart for my groceries is one way I've learned to save money. Justin and I went a few weeks ago and bought a cart full of groceries for $150. I couldn't have done that at Wal-Mart. 

I'll close with a few prayer requests and praises...Continue to pray for Granton. He has gained weight this week but the Dr say it is unlikely that they will be home by Thanksgiving. He proved them wrong before. Also pray for his mom, Jenni, who is expecting their second child. Pray for a strong healthy baby and an easy pregnancy. I have a friend who I don't want to share her name but she is going through a really tough time. She has a lot of health issues, both physical and psychological. She is struggling financially as well. Her family is also in a tough position as they try to help her and she refuses to accept the help they've offered. Pray for my friend Elizabeth who is expecting her first baby. Finally please pray that I will go into labor on my own without having to be induced. That the labor and delivery will go smoothly without complication and that Kayler will be born strong and healthy. Pray that Justin and I will make the best choices for her as we learn to be parents. Finally a big praise. One of my co-workers offered last night to come to my house next week and help make sure I have everything I need for the baby. Also she's picked out three days to come to our house after Kayler is born to help us with the baby and the house. This is something I've been praying for for quite a while. I'm so thankful for her willingness to help us. I know Justin and I will need help and with the lack of family close by I'm thankful for friends like Stephenie.

36 week visit

Well I learned some exciting news at the Dr. today. I am 50% effaced which means I'm getting closer to having this baby. That sort of freaks me out a little for several reasons but it makes me very excited too. Hopefully, as her father says, we still have a couple of weeks to go. Plus with my doula being out of town I really don't want to do this birth without her!!!
Other news I learned is that my group B strep culture was negative. That simply means that I won't need antibiotics during labor. One less thing to do done to me! :)
I do have a prayer request...Early on in my pregnancy I took care of a pt who turned up positive for TB. Today I had to get my skin test done. Pray that it will come back negative so I don't have to worry about x-rays and TB meds that make you feel horrible. Not something I want to have to deal with with a new baby.
It's been an interesting week at work. Our floor moved to another area of the hospital. The actual move went pretty smooth but the week as been a little harry as we have been full to the capacity of our new unit all the while trying to learn where everything is stored. Not a real fun process. Plus just for grins I also changed shifts during this mess so it's been a little stressful. I've just tried to keep the focus on my patients that I was caring for that night and not worry about the rest of it. We'll eventually find everything we need but we're not there yet.

T-shirts for tummies

I have a new idea to help save all pregnant women out there trying to keep their sanity. If anyone else is like me by the end of the pregnancy you think you're going to scream if anyone asks you any number of the same old questions that you've been answering for nine months. They may include any of the following
1) You still haven't had that baby?
2) What are you having?
3) When are you due?
4) What are you naming the baby?
5) How are you feeling?
6) Is the nursery done yet?
My list could go on but I think you get the point. Anyway so my idea is to make a t-shirt with the answers to these questions on it. Of course who has time to do that! :)
Seriously, I know people are well meaning and if no one asked me I would think that no one cared but I'm so tired of answering the same old questions. I think the next time someone asks me one of these questions I might go off the deep end and give them some smartallic answer like her name is going to be Jezabelle! (That one's for you Billy).
Thankfully I'm back to feeling like myself again, or as much as one can being nine months pregnant, after my bought with stomach flu. I'm now back to evening shift at work which is for the most part easier and I'm part time which is definately easier.
Do say a prayer that I don't have Kayler before the 12th b/c my doula is out of town til then and I don't want to do this without her support. It would be my luck though! Pray for her safe travel and return home. Also say a prayer that my poor, hardworking husband doesn't kill himself trying to finish our building. He's up at the crack of dawn and works til midnight. One of these days he's going to wear out and I worry that he's going to work himself til he's sick. He could use some encouragement for anyone who sees him or talks to him.
Thanks for humering me and my pregnancy insanity!!!

Triage Visit

Well it's been a rough couple of days but I think the worst is behind us. I woke up Wed morning at 0130 with horrible stomach pain. I knew I wasn't in labor but didn't know what was going on. I ended up spending the rest of the night in the bathroom on the toilet with the trash can in front of me. NOT fun!!! This continued til sometime mid-morning when I was finally able to sleep for a couple of hours. By mid-afternoon my stomach decided to settle down but my muslces started to cramp. Knowing I was pretty dehydrated at this point I called my Dr. I ended up at Labor and Delivery triage Wednesday evening. I thought I would get IV fluids but they ended up just checking my urine, monitoring me and the baby for a couple of hours and sent me home. By that point I was able to keep some fluids in me. I was a little frustrated and felt a little foolish since they really didn't do much for me but better safe than sorry. They told me to drink lots of fluids and rest, nothing I didn't already know to do.
This whole mess with the economy has really got me thinking and a little worried. I'm so not a financial guru, I barely understand basic concepts when it comes to the business world but I know enough to know that things aren't looking good. I keep thinking of how things were in the Great Depression and really hope that that isn't the direction the country is going in. It's scary to think of and I say that knowing that I have one of the best jobs that I could ask for even if we do have another depression. My job security as a nurse is pretty tight. Thankfully. It still however makes me nervous with all the debt we have accumulated with our building purchase and remodeling. I know that Justin and I are in a whole lot better shape than a lot of people probably the majority of people. That said I would like to keep it that way. I'm trying to come up with ways to save money, spend less and still live comfortably. There's a lot we could do without if we had to and we might just have to. Of course adding a baby to the family during all this is a little stressful but I know it will all work out ok. We just have to be smart and trust that God will provide for us what we need.

only five to go

My preganacy continues to go well and I'm so looking forward to having this little girl in my arms. I had another Dr. appointment today but I saw the Nurse Practitioner instead of Dr. Lenhert. She said everything looks great. Next time they will do a quick ultrasound to check for position and size. I've had fun working on her room the last few days. I also went shopping at Target and got some of those must have items. We still need some bigger items like our stroller/carseat combo but other than that we have everything else covered. Anything else is just icing on the cake.
A quick note on my friend Jenni's little boy, Granton. One week ago today he was able to move out of the hospital and into the Ronald McDonald house. What a blessing!!! Continue to pray for him as there are still goals to meet before he can come home.
I could also use a prayer or two as I've been feeling a little lonely lately. Justin is busy with the building and studio and we don't get to see each other much. Plus I've been missing my mom and brother too. It's not fare that they had to miss out on my little girl's life. It gives me comfort to know that she has several Guardian Angels watching over her but it's not the same.
I'm glad to be dropping back to part-time at work this week. Tomorrow and Sunday are my last 12hr days. I'll be working four days a week instead of three but at least the days won't be so long and I'll be working evening shift so no more getting up at 0430. At least not til there's a hungry baby involved. :)

33 week update

I had my 33 week checkup on Monday. Things continue to look good. No major problems other than the normal discomforts. The tiredness has definately set in. Yesterday I took two naps. I will feel really good for about two hours and then the energy is gone. I'm not looking forward to working the next two days, 12hr shifts are getting to be way to hard. Only two more weeks til I drop to part time and I can't wait. Hopefully I'll survive without having to call in again.
My baby shower is this weekend and I'm so excited about it. I hope that lots of friends and family are able to come. I'm so looking forward to seeing everyone. And of course getting all the fun baby stuff is great too. Thanks to my great friends who are throwing it for me. You guys mean so much to me!

Count down mode

I am officially in count down mode for this pregnancy. While I have very much enjoyed being pregnant and it has been very easy I'm ready to have control of my body again. The discomforts are starting to pile up. For example; my thermostat is at least 10 degrees warmer than normal, my stomach is actually sore from all the activity on the inside, the insane amount of nightly bathroom trips, inability to eat even half of what I want due to the compression of my stomach in my chest etc...I could go on but I won't. I know all of you mothers out there already know what I'm talking about. None of it is that bad but nevertheless I'm ready to be done with it.
That being said I had a freak-out moment yesterday. Having not slept nearly the entire night Sunday I called in to work, something I rarely ever do. The next morning I realized that there may be many nights to come that are that way and that I have only seven weeks left. In seven weeks I'm going to be a mommy. I will be responsible for meeting all the needs of this little person. That really freaks me out. Life will never be the same. I've heard that it all changes for the better but part of me is still skeptical as I like my life the way it is. Too late now. :)
I said a long prayer yesterday about becoming parents, for our daughter and all the fears and anxieties that I have. Justin and I were at the store the other day and there were all these kids and their parents were constantly yelling at them. I so don't want to do that. I know there are going to be many more prayers going up to Heaven. Good thing I have several guardian angels up there. :)

31 weeks and counting

Time for our latest baby update. Actually there's not much to report on other than all is still on track and looking good. Kayler is growing just as she should be and being very active. I felt her do a complete 180 the other night. :) We didn't get to see Dr. Lehnert on Friday, just his nurse. The measurements and heartbeat both were great. I've gained 20lbs so far. I know it's all for Kayler but it still sounds like a lot. I was reading that til delivery half of what I gain will go to her. That's amazing.
Not much else to report on at this point. Justin is working freverently on the building to have it finished by baby time. We'll see what happens. It's coming along nicely. He had a major set back at the studio over the weekend. His brand new computer decided to quit working competely. I'm taking it to be repaired today. At least it will be under warranty. Just praying it won't take long to fix and that they can fix it.

Miricle baby

I have great news from one of my best friends, Jenni. Her son Granton, who has been fighting SCIDs disease as well as RSV, has greatly improved. He received a cord blood donation a couple of months ago and his tests are coming back with terrific news. His immune system is starting to grow and work and the transplant is taking hold. His RSV test from this week came back negative and he's starting to eat enough by mouth that he might soon be able to get rid of his feeding tube! So much wonderful news! Praise God for the awesome miricles He has worked in this baby boy!
Speaking of babies we have a Dr appointment today so I'll have a progress report soon. Our friend and doula came over last night and we had a great conversation. She really emphasized how important the first two weeks are for bonding. I'm hoping this sunk in with Justin a little more than before. It will be so important that he is able to bond with her quickly as he will be doing a lot of her care when I go back to work the first of the year. Dallion said the better the bonding in the first two weeks the better off you'll be down the road.
We also talked about having help around after we bring the baby home so that we have the opportunity to bond and to focus on recovery and rest. I am hopeful that my mother-in-law will be here and avaliable to help. I may ask a friend or aunt to come for a while as well because I'm not sure that Donna is going to be able/willing to be here as much as we may need her to be. We'll see how it goes and what are needs are when the time comes.
On a different note I have a bad habit I'm trying to break. I won't go into any detail but I will ask for your prayers for strength and will power to break it. Thanks!
As challenging as being pregant can be I have to say that I am truly enjoying the experience. I have been very blessed with an easy pregnancy. One of the things I'm enjoying most right now is all her movement. She's so active in there and it's amazing to feel and watch. The newest thing she's done is get the hiccups. She had them in church on Sunday and again Tuesday night in our lamaze class. Justin was so cute when I told him she had the hiccups b/c he didn't know that was possible. Such fun and so much more to come.

Tuesday

The last time I wrote I talked about running into an old friend. For those of you who went to BHS it was Haley Hawkins. Her and her husband are living in Branson, have a five year old daughter, Haven and are expecting their son, Heston, any day now.
It is so amazing to see how much we've all changed since those days at BHS. Who and what each of us have grown up to be and do. To see some of my closest friends have successful careers and families has been really great. Nothing too surprising from anyone that I'm still good friends with but our ten year reunion, next year, will prove to be interesting I'm sure.
Nine weeks, give or take, and counting now before Kayler's arrival. Even though I've had two ultrasounds that say baby girl there's still a part of me that won't believe it till I see HER. We're going to have a lot of pink to return if she turns out to be a HE. Hopefully that won't be the case. I've done a lot of mental prepartion for having a daughter and for all of a sudden to have a son would be quite a shocker.
I'm a little anxious about after the baby is born and how I'm going to handle everything. Am I going to have enough help? I'm trying to get Justin convinced to take at least a week off from work when she's born. He's worried about not having a pay check during that time and I'm worried about recovery and survival. Hopefully he'll turn around and realize when the time comes that he really needs to be home with his wife and daughter. He's a hard working man but a bit of a work-aholic sometimes.
The nursery is coming together nicely. I still need to clean out the closets but we're making headway. Hopefully it will be ready in time for her arrival.
Lindsey--Thanks for reading my nonsense. Hope the transition back to work is going okay. I dread that day. Good to know you have a sitter you trust. That's so important.

just rambling

I've been trying to imagine what our life is going to be life once Kayler is here. I'm so excited to get to meet her, hold her, play with her. I can't wait. Thankfully pregnancy continues to be easy so hopefully the next 10 weeks or so will go by quickly. I am slowly gaining more confidence in myself in preparation for labor and birth. I'm doing exercises and relaxation to help me prepare.
I guess as any first time mom I have my fears. Not just about labor and birth and pain but about parenting, her health, etc. I guess I'm already starting to worry about her. I love what a friend of mine has to say "don't worry, pray" Easier said than done for me as I've always been a worrier but I'm getting better at it.
Saw a good friend from high school this week at Wal-Mart. I hadn't seen her for over a year. She is pregnant too and due in just a few weeks. We got the chance to chat for a few minutes and exchanged email addresses so hopefully we can keep up with each other better. Next year will be our ten year high school reunion. That seems so weird.
Justin is busy working on the lofts in our building today. I'm off from work and hoping to get stuff done around the house. It seems that the housework is never ending and I can never stay on top of it. Looking forward to going to church tomorrow for the first time in a month and then Justin and I are going to work around the house on some projects that I need his help with.
Even though I don't think anyone reads my nonsense it's still good for me to get all this out that goes on in my head. And if you do read it then just know that most of it is just me rambling on about my life and what goes on in my head.

encouraging class

We had our first childbirth class last night. I was sort of dreading going for multiple reasons but I'm now glad we're doing them. The class was full, about twelve couples. The teacher is very upbeat and energetic. While a lot of the info is a repeat for us from our classes with our doula and just general knowledge from nursing school I still found it helpful. Sort of reaffirming what we already know. I also found it to be very encouraging. The class is taught with the philosophy that the woman's body is made to give birth, that while it is painful it is pain with purpose. I totally buy into that last part.
Justin and I had a good talk on the way home about life after the baby is born, what we expect, what we anticipate our needs will be from each other. It was one of the first real good conversations we've had so that was also encouraging. We also talked about work and jobs and what the future might hold in that dept. He is considering selling the studio in the next few years. I encouraged him to do whatever makes him happy. Something to pray about for sure.

Freecylcling and Craigslist

My sister-in-law Joy got me started on Freecycle. If you don't know what it is I'll explain: basically it's an internet community that posts stuff they want to give away or get for free. It's a way to get rid of stuff you don't need by giving it to someone else. I joined the Bolivar and Springfield community several months ago hoping that I would have as much luck as Joy has. She has got all kinds of great stuff for herself and her kids. I, on the other hand, haven't received anything worth while. I'm a little frustrated with the site actually. No one ever posts anything I'm interested in and most of them are for junk or animals they no longer want. With the economy the way it is people are really getting crazy. They post looking for big ticket items that cost a lot of money. I guess in a way I understand but then there are people on there asking for toilet paper. I sort of feel bad for them in a way that they can't even afford TP but hey we can still afford our internet. Seriously people. I know money is tight believe me with all our debt with our building I know but I think I would give up my internet access before I couldn't afford TP. Okay I'm done with that rant for now.
Craigslist on the other had has been a success. I recently bought a $200+ jogging stroller at a great price. Never mind that I had to drive to Wainsville to get it but I still think it was worth it. I need to learn how to post things on Craigslist so I can get rid of some of my junk.
Justin and I got the crib together last night. I was trying to help and he got frustrated with my suggestions so it wasn't as fun as I'd hoped but its done now and looks great. I'll be washing bedding and putting that on later today. I can't wait to have her room all ready for her. We start our childbirth classes tonight. I hope that they will be worthwhile but I'm not putting too much faith in them. I'm mostly going b/c of the discount we get for going. I'm sure there will be a lot of good information especially about baby care. We'll see. I'm not too excited about the drive up and back an extra day a week but oh well. At least we're going to do something fun today before class, we're going to Target to register for baby stuff. I love picking things out. So much fun. So much to look forward to.

baby update

Baby Update: I saw my OB Friday and he says everything sounds and looks great. He was thrilled with my test results from my last appt which was encouraging. We mostly had a question and answer session and I got a lot of answers that I liked. I am struggling between two views of birth. The first being the modern, medical side of birth. Being a nurse I want to trust that technology, medications and montioring are all safe and helpful for labor and delivery. The second part is the woman in me who knows that God created my body to be able to give birth and that I don't need all these "intervention" to help me do it. My Dr's advice is to keep an open mind and to be flexible. As he said, I've not done this before so I don't know what I'm in for. I continue to try to educate myself and pray for direction and peace of mind.
Kayler's room is now painted and we'll be assembling the crib soon. I'm so excited to get it done. I know that this is just one more thing on my busy husbands "to do" list so I'm trying not to put any added pressure on him. He's working so hard. God has truly blessed me with a hardworking man. I know he is doing is all for our future and I'm so grateful for that. Someday soon it will all pay off.
This morning I read the update on my friend Jenni's baby, Granton. He had a bit of a scare last night as he spiked a temp, his BP and HR shot up and he was vomitting. I pray that all has not settled down and that the Dr's will find what the problem was and take care of it. I lift him up to God for Him to watch over and heal. They've been through so much and it's been such a long battle. I pray for continued strength for Jenni and Daniel and healing for Granton.
The weather has been beautiful her for the past few days. It's only been about 80 and not very humid at all, not at all like normal MO August weather. I hope to get out today and enjoy it by taking my dog, Libby, for a walk. It will be good for me to stretch my legs too and walking is such a great exercise for pregnancy.
Ashley

landlord woes

It was a fast trip to St. Louis but a fun one. We left Sat at 11am and got home Sun at 4:30pm. The game was a lot of fun although the Cardinals lost 2-1. Our seats were great, right behind home plate on the second level. I wouldn't recommend staying at the Hyatt downtown. It's what used to be the Adam's Mark and used to be really nice. We didn't have a great experience. Next time I think we'll try the Druay Inn and Suites.
Work has been very busy the last couple of days. Yesterday was complete caous for the last few hours. As staffing shift changes at 3pm so did my whole group of patients. I ended up picking up four new patients and getting one from the ICU. It wasn't a bad day just hectic and I was tired.
Baby update: We go back to the Dr. on Friday starting our every two week visits. I've heard that this makes the last bit of pregnancy go by quickly. Last night while laying in bed waiting for Kayler to stop rolling around so I could sleep I got to thinking...I won't always be pregnant but I'll always be a mom from now on. I know that seems obvious but it's an overwhelming thought at times. It seems there is still so much to do before she's born and not much time to get it all done.
I'm looking forward to dropping back to part time at work in a month and a half. It will mean working one more day a week than what I'm doing now but working eight hour shifts instead. Then after my maternity leave I'll only work three eights a week which will be nice.
We had our first tenants move out of our loft this past weekend and are experiencing the first of many frustrations in the landlording business. They still don't have all their stuff out. We were in the apt last night and there is a ton of stuff up there including a piano and mattresses. One more thing to have to hassel with. Hopefully they will be getting it out by the end of the week as they're not paying rent for the month of Aug. We need to be getting it ready for the next renters, which we don't have lined up yet. That's a big prayer need for us right now is that we will be able to find renters for the lofts that are ready and that Justin will be able to get the others finished before the baby is born.
I have the next three days off from work so I hope to get a lot of stuff done around the house. Hopefully I'll have the energy to do it.

Off to St. Louis

As I write this I'm waiting for Justin to get home so we can head off to St. Louis. It's our 6th anniversary tommorw-my how time flies. As it was the day we were married it's proving to be the hottest weekend of the summer. Which only makes sense since we have tickets to the Cardnials game tonight. I've learned a few tricks over the years of going to hot August ball games on how to stay cool but we'll see how they hold up to the heat of pregnancy.
I'm a little computer challenged so when my hardworking husband gets a break I'll have to have him show me how to personalize my blog with pictures and what-not. I took belly pics yesterday so I'll try to put a couple on for those of you who wish to see how much I've grown lately. :)
I can't believe it's been six years!!! I'm as much in love with Justin today as I was the day we were married, maybe more. We've been together for ten years now if you count the four years of dating premarriage. I can't imagine my life with anyone else. My life in many aspects isn't what I dreamed of, it's way better. I thank God for the blessings He's given me, especially for Justin.
Say a prayer for safe travel for us as we will make the round trip to St. Louis in less than 36hrs.

summer-saults and ice

Okay...what's with the ice fetish that comes with pregnancy? My good friend Katie told me about it and I observed her with it through two pregnancies but it's so funny to me. I think the baby likes it when I eat it too b/c she usually starts moving around a whole lot. Not that she's been still much lately. Especially tonight since I got home from work she's been doing summer-saults. It's such a weird and cool and sometime uncomfortable feeling. I could see her moving from one side to the other tonight after dinner. How crazy is that.
Thanks to Joy and Lindsey for making comments. How exciting. Joy I hope you can enjoy these few days before Clint leaves. How long will he be gone this time? I know you've told me. :) ha ha but I can't remember. :)
Lindsey I know my life is about to change and I guess it's one of those things that you can't really imagine how it will be til it's here. Keep the advice coming. I'll take all I can get.
Better go for now. It's about bedtime but my hubby is still busy working on the building. Is that thing ever going to get done? Most days it seems endless. I guess I'll wait up a while for him.

A busy time

I'm feeling a little overwhelmed by all that needs to get done in the next few months before the baby arrives. Our house has been very busy with moving our bedroom downstairs and getting started on the nursery. Neither of those projects are done yet and I'm really wanting them to be. It's tough b/c I can't do a lot that I normally would as far as moving furniture and carrying things up and down the stairs. Justin is so busy with work and the building that I try not to nag him about the house but it's frustrating to look at all day.
Today I'm going to try to move as much into our bedroom as I can including clothes but of coarse that means I have to clean out the closets first. I also want to move all my bathroom stuff downstairs so I don't have to keep going back and fourth all the time. I'm excited to get it all done but it will probably wear me out.
Justin and I are celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary this coming Sunday. We've now been together for ten years. I can't believe it. We're going to St. Louis Sat to the baseball game and then spend the night. This is our anniversary ritual and it's always fun. I'm looking forward to spending some time with him. God has so richly blessed my life with a wonderful husband and I can't wait to see him as a father to our baby. Fun times to come.
Better go get to work on the move.

Baby Update

I saw my OB today and all is checking out fine. The heartbeat sounds good and I'm measuring the correct week (27). One big praise is that I passed my glucose tolerance test! YEAH!!! I was nervous about this but followed my Dr's advice and ate an Atkins type breakfast before the test. Also my H/H levels are good which means I'm not anemic.
I also did some shopping today while in Springfield. I went to Children's Orchard which is a resale kids clothing store. They have a little of everything in there are it's full wall to wall. I found it all a bit overwhelming, which is pretty much how I feel everytime I try to go baby shopping. I don't know what to buy, what sizes to get etc. It's so much to comprehend that I end up leaving the store. I have most of the essentials, I think anyway, I guess we'll figure the rest out as we go. I know the big things left to buy are a carseat, stroller, swing and clothes. I've tried to resist buying clothes but I'm starting to feel like this kid isn't going to have anything to wear.
Speaking of wearing things, the girls are finally comfortable. Praise the Lord. I went to a mother and baby support store that's part of the hospital and was measured for the correct size and fit. Now they were big to start with so as you can imagine they've only grown to a 34 G!!! This freaks me out a little but I guess I new it was coming. The other thing that freaked me out a little is the lady who was fitting me informed me that I'm carrying this baby way to low for it to be a girl and I also still have curves, which apparently you supposedly lose when you have a girl. I told her two ultrasounds have said it's a girl but she just looked at me and smiled. So for Justin I guess there is still hope for a baby boy. He may wear pink the first 6 mo of his life. I guess we'll have to wait and see but it makes me nervous. My intuition has felt girl all along and like I said two US showed a girl. Oh who knows....
OK enough for now. Later.

first try

Hello--This is my first attempt at blogging. I figure that since there are so many changes and exciting things going on in my life right now that it might be helpful for me to have an outlet to express my life through. We'll see how it goes. Bear with me as I learn what I'm doing with this blog and all other crazy aspects of my life.