Ellie and Madi enjoy coming in the nursery with me to hang out. We tried to keep them out while taking pictures but it was just too hard. Here is Madi ready to play.
31 Days of Prayer
2 years ago
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Paige's Nursery!!
I figured the nursery is about as ready as it is going to be. We need to put the changing pad in place and complete a few other small details (that can probably wait) and we will be good to go.
Paige Update
Well, I went to the doctor for my weekly check-up. I had an ultrasound to check to make sure she was head down (which she was - yay). They also checked some other things, one of those was the amniotic fluid. Turns out I am low (or Paige is low - not sure how that really works).
So, I have been instructed to drink lots and lots of water over the weekend. Then I will go back Tuesday morning to be rechecked (ultrasound and normal check up). If the levels are still low we will go on over to the hospital and have her. Yes, that is right, Paige could be here Tuesday!
I seem to be progressing and made a lot of progress over the last week - Paige dropped a lot. I really think it is the low fluid levels that makes the doctor want to go ahead and get her here, but the progression helps too.
Please say a prayer that we have a happy and healthy baby, whether it be this Tuesday or next Thursday (our inducement date)!
So, I have been instructed to drink lots and lots of water over the weekend. Then I will go back Tuesday morning to be rechecked (ultrasound and normal check up). If the levels are still low we will go on over to the hospital and have her. Yes, that is right, Paige could be here Tuesday!
I seem to be progressing and made a lot of progress over the last week - Paige dropped a lot. I really think it is the low fluid levels that makes the doctor want to go ahead and get her here, but the progression helps too.
Please say a prayer that we have a happy and healthy baby, whether it be this Tuesday or next Thursday (our inducement date)!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
3rd Time's a Charm
Last week I had my 3rd interview for a promotion within my office and this time I finally got it! Yipee!! I figured it was either 3rd times a charm or 3 strikes and I am out - ha!
You may remember me talking about these job interviews back in the fall. Well, I knew I wouldn't get the first 2 and while this aggrevated me I knew the 3rd one was probably mine - I was right. The job title is Systems Accountant it is similar to what I did in Huntsville. It helped that I filled in at this job for 12 weeks back in the spring and have been doing it again since October. So, out of all 3 jobs I have interviewed for this one is the best fit. It stinks that it has taken so long to get here but I made it.
Now we can look forward to a pay raise just in time for Paige to get here! Happy Paige Day (or should it be happy pay day)!
You may remember me talking about these job interviews back in the fall. Well, I knew I wouldn't get the first 2 and while this aggrevated me I knew the 3rd one was probably mine - I was right. The job title is Systems Accountant it is similar to what I did in Huntsville. It helped that I filled in at this job for 12 weeks back in the spring and have been doing it again since October. So, out of all 3 jobs I have interviewed for this one is the best fit. It stinks that it has taken so long to get here but I made it.
Now we can look forward to a pay raise just in time for Paige to get here! Happy Paige Day (or should it be happy pay day)!
We're In!
We survived Black Tuesday and Paige has a spot in August at The Neighborhood School!
I got there at 4:50 am and I was NOT the first one there. How crazy is that? I was #3 though - the first lady got there at 4:15 and the 2nd at 4:30. Luckily, we were all needing different ages so I was the first for the infants.
So, I get there at 4:50. When does the next person get there? Um, 6:10 am and that person was Brad (he stopped and got me a donut and coffee, what a great husband!). I decided I would stay and see this through since I got there so early and there weren't as many people there. Others got there a little 6:30 but there weren't too many people.
It is kind of funny how it turned out (not too many people), but I am so glad we have a spot secured for her, plus it makes a great story!
I got there at 4:50 am and I was NOT the first one there. How crazy is that? I was #3 though - the first lady got there at 4:15 and the 2nd at 4:30. Luckily, we were all needing different ages so I was the first for the infants.
So, I get there at 4:50. When does the next person get there? Um, 6:10 am and that person was Brad (he stopped and got me a donut and coffee, what a great husband!). I decided I would stay and see this through since I got there so early and there weren't as many people there. Others got there a little 6:30 but there weren't too many people.
It is kind of funny how it turned out (not too many people), but I am so glad we have a spot secured for her, plus it makes a great story!
Thoughts on Pregnancy
It is hard to believe my pregnancy is close to being over! I am 36 weeks along and have actually enjoyed (as much as you can) being pregnant. I guess I am just one of those crazy ones. Oh, as a side note - I went to the doctor Friday and I/Paige is already starting to progress. Of course when I got home and read more about it, I read that you could be where I am up until week 40. We went ahead and scheduled an inducement for February 11th. I know some of you are thinking, isn't that kind of early? Well, not when your doctor is going to be out of town the next week! (I will be 38 weeks along and since I am progressing already she said it would be fine.)
The whole experience has not been bad for me. I didn't have any morning sickness, maybe just a few days of not feeling well. I was tired throughout the way, but nothing I couldn't handle. Through in a little heartburn, even when drinking water, and now some swelling, but still nothing too bad and nothing I wouldn't do it again for our sweet litte Paige. I will have to say the hardest part has been the back pain. I had it from the beginning through September and then it came back in December.
Other things I have learned -
1) People will say the oddest things to a pregnant woman. I had someone come to my office on Friday and say, "Whoa, your feet are swollen". Really, you say that to a pregnant a woman? I wouldn't say that to anyone, much less a pregnant woman. "You look like you are getting bigger". That is another comment I have heard. I don't think any woman ever wants to hear that. The only response I can really think of is, "Good, that means the baby is growing". Along the way I was told I looked like I was having twins, it looked like we were going to have a football player, and I just keep looking bigger every time they see me (and this is without any excitement in their voice. I can handle the "big" comments as long as it is with a squeal of excitement.).
2) You can get heartburn from drinking water. Who would've ever imagined?
3) You don't get to eat all the time. In the beginning I was so hungry and couldn't get enough food in me. I was going to eat Brad out of house and home (that is the time to go to a Brazilian steakhouse!). Then, in November I just lost my appetite and didn't have much room for anything. Just last week I got my appetite back (only to learn that Paige has dropped and that totally makes sense). It is nice to have that hungry feeling again. I may try to squeeze in those last few donuts or scoops of ice cream
4) Your lips can stay chapped for 9 months. There is not enough chapstick in the world to keep my lips from staying moist enough. Just when I think they are getting better, I realize they are not.
5) Getting up from the couch or the bed really is hard. It started becoming hard for me back in November and all I could think about was how hard it would be as time went on. Well, it hasn't gotten any easier.
6) Good sleep comes in cycles. I have always been a really good sleeper but I feel like God has been preparing me for lack of sleep throughout the pregnancy. I went through the tired phase, then the I can't sleep phase, then back to the sleeping phase. I am hoping the sleeping phase can hold out until she comes so I will be as rested as I can be when she gets here.
With all of this that I have learned, I am constantly reminded of how she is worth it - she is worth the back pain, heartburn, sleeplessness, all of it - and I can't wait for her to get here!!
The whole experience has not been bad for me. I didn't have any morning sickness, maybe just a few days of not feeling well. I was tired throughout the way, but nothing I couldn't handle. Through in a little heartburn, even when drinking water, and now some swelling, but still nothing too bad and nothing I wouldn't do it again for our sweet litte Paige. I will have to say the hardest part has been the back pain. I had it from the beginning through September and then it came back in December.
Other things I have learned -
1) People will say the oddest things to a pregnant woman. I had someone come to my office on Friday and say, "Whoa, your feet are swollen". Really, you say that to a pregnant a woman? I wouldn't say that to anyone, much less a pregnant woman. "You look like you are getting bigger". That is another comment I have heard. I don't think any woman ever wants to hear that. The only response I can really think of is, "Good, that means the baby is growing". Along the way I was told I looked like I was having twins, it looked like we were going to have a football player, and I just keep looking bigger every time they see me (and this is without any excitement in their voice. I can handle the "big" comments as long as it is with a squeal of excitement.).
2) You can get heartburn from drinking water. Who would've ever imagined?
3) You don't get to eat all the time. In the beginning I was so hungry and couldn't get enough food in me. I was going to eat Brad out of house and home (that is the time to go to a Brazilian steakhouse!). Then, in November I just lost my appetite and didn't have much room for anything. Just last week I got my appetite back (only to learn that Paige has dropped and that totally makes sense). It is nice to have that hungry feeling again. I may try to squeeze in those last few donuts or scoops of ice cream
4) Your lips can stay chapped for 9 months. There is not enough chapstick in the world to keep my lips from staying moist enough. Just when I think they are getting better, I realize they are not.
5) Getting up from the couch or the bed really is hard. It started becoming hard for me back in November and all I could think about was how hard it would be as time went on. Well, it hasn't gotten any easier.
6) Good sleep comes in cycles. I have always been a really good sleeper but I feel like God has been preparing me for lack of sleep throughout the pregnancy. I went through the tired phase, then the I can't sleep phase, then back to the sleeping phase. I am hoping the sleeping phase can hold out until she comes so I will be as rested as I can be when she gets here.
With all of this that I have learned, I am constantly reminded of how she is worth it - she is worth the back pain, heartburn, sleeplessness, all of it - and I can't wait for her to get here!!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Adventures in Daycare
All along Brad and I have known we wanted Paige to go to The Neighborhood School. This is where Brad's cousin Jamie takes her daughter, Ella, and will be taking her son, Myles. I've toured the school and loved it since I walked in. Well, as I stated in a previous post, it takes a lot to get in and we know there is a chance it may not happen.
This past Friday it was my job to scope out the rest of the daycares in the area and come up with a back up plan. Plus, The Neighborhood School does not accept new children until August 1st and we need something starting in May.
The week before I picked up a local magazine at the doctor's office listing all of the daycares in the area. I was really pumped about going and seeing all of these and trying to become educated on daycares. I had mapped out which ones I was going to go to and was ready to hit the ground running. I also had my checklist in hand of things I was looking for (security, child to teacher ratio, curriculum for the older kids, etc.).
Stop #1 - close by the house, had a nice ad in the magazine. Strike 1 - big metal building. I almost didn't go in because of this but thought I better look because that was the point of the excursion. Strike 2 - no security what so ever. Strike 3 - the director did not tell me the ratio of kids to teacher for infants and it looked like there were more kids than there needed to be in the infant room. Strike 4 - no real rooms for the toddlers. They had these short "walls in the next room. These poor little kids didn't get cribs (when I thought they needed them), they got cots instead.
Stop #2 - well, after I found this place (had to drive around a little bit), I saw that it was a house in the ghetto of Daphne. I didn't even get out of the car for this one. Does this classify as a "stop"? This one was advertised as the "Harvard of Early Childhood Educations". I guess you could get a Harvard education in the ghetto, but I decided Paige is not.
Stop #3 - Kept on driving past this one too. It was house with 2 cars in the driveway. I have nothing against a house serving as the daycare but they advertised they took infants (6 wks) through preschool. You would think they would have more employees. If we couldn't find anything else, I would consider going in this house. It was in a fine part of Spanish Fort, I just didn't get a good feeling when driving by.
Stop #4 - I actually went in - mainly because it was a real building! This one is on the OK list, meaning Paige could go here for 2 months and I would be fine with that but I don't want her there forever. They had some security, not as much as I would like. For instance, the doors were locked most of the day but during prime drop off and pick up times the doors were unlocked. The director sat down and talked with me for a bit and explained the inner-workings of the daycare to me. I went ahead and put our name on the waiting list just in case - no money involved.
Stop #5 - Kept on driving past this one. Sketchy house with one car in the driveway on an even sketchier street.
This was where my adventure was supposed to end. I had already been to 2 other daycares (The Neighborhood School and one other before) so I thought I would have plenty to chose from and I thought I would totally worn out from getting out of the car so much and seeing the same things over and over again. Since I didn't have any success I thought I would try to find 2 others before going home.
Stop #6 - Must have driven past it and didn't feel like back-tracking to find it.
Stop #7 - Couldn't find this one at first and almost called it a day but then I found it and boy am I glad I did. This one is the Christ the King (Catholic church) Early Childhood Development Center. I thought it would cost too much or they wouldn't take non-Catholics but it is affordable, even as a non-Catholic. They have security - really double security (outside door and inside to get to the real daycare section), they have a good ratio of children to teachers, some of the teachers in the school even have degrees. They have most everything that The Neighborhood School seems to offer. There were parents there that looked happy and normal and the staff seemed normal and happy (as you can tell, I like normal and happy), so overall it was a good visit and is now at the top of the list of back-ups.
Who would have thought it would be so hard to find a good daycare?!?
This past Friday it was my job to scope out the rest of the daycares in the area and come up with a back up plan. Plus, The Neighborhood School does not accept new children until August 1st and we need something starting in May.
The week before I picked up a local magazine at the doctor's office listing all of the daycares in the area. I was really pumped about going and seeing all of these and trying to become educated on daycares. I had mapped out which ones I was going to go to and was ready to hit the ground running. I also had my checklist in hand of things I was looking for (security, child to teacher ratio, curriculum for the older kids, etc.).
Stop #1 - close by the house, had a nice ad in the magazine. Strike 1 - big metal building. I almost didn't go in because of this but thought I better look because that was the point of the excursion. Strike 2 - no security what so ever. Strike 3 - the director did not tell me the ratio of kids to teacher for infants and it looked like there were more kids than there needed to be in the infant room. Strike 4 - no real rooms for the toddlers. They had these short "walls in the next room. These poor little kids didn't get cribs (when I thought they needed them), they got cots instead.
Stop #2 - well, after I found this place (had to drive around a little bit), I saw that it was a house in the ghetto of Daphne. I didn't even get out of the car for this one. Does this classify as a "stop"? This one was advertised as the "Harvard of Early Childhood Educations". I guess you could get a Harvard education in the ghetto, but I decided Paige is not.
Stop #3 - Kept on driving past this one too. It was house with 2 cars in the driveway. I have nothing against a house serving as the daycare but they advertised they took infants (6 wks) through preschool. You would think they would have more employees. If we couldn't find anything else, I would consider going in this house. It was in a fine part of Spanish Fort, I just didn't get a good feeling when driving by.
Stop #4 - I actually went in - mainly because it was a real building! This one is on the OK list, meaning Paige could go here for 2 months and I would be fine with that but I don't want her there forever. They had some security, not as much as I would like. For instance, the doors were locked most of the day but during prime drop off and pick up times the doors were unlocked. The director sat down and talked with me for a bit and explained the inner-workings of the daycare to me. I went ahead and put our name on the waiting list just in case - no money involved.
Stop #5 - Kept on driving past this one. Sketchy house with one car in the driveway on an even sketchier street.
This was where my adventure was supposed to end. I had already been to 2 other daycares (The Neighborhood School and one other before) so I thought I would have plenty to chose from and I thought I would totally worn out from getting out of the car so much and seeing the same things over and over again. Since I didn't have any success I thought I would try to find 2 others before going home.
Stop #6 - Must have driven past it and didn't feel like back-tracking to find it.
Stop #7 - Couldn't find this one at first and almost called it a day but then I found it and boy am I glad I did. This one is the Christ the King (Catholic church) Early Childhood Development Center. I thought it would cost too much or they wouldn't take non-Catholics but it is affordable, even as a non-Catholic. They have security - really double security (outside door and inside to get to the real daycare section), they have a good ratio of children to teachers, some of the teachers in the school even have degrees. They have most everything that The Neighborhood School seems to offer. There were parents there that looked happy and normal and the staff seemed normal and happy (as you can tell, I like normal and happy), so overall it was a good visit and is now at the top of the list of back-ups.
Who would have thought it would be so hard to find a good daycare?!?
Black Tuesday
Tomorrow is the big day for daycare registration. I went to this school, The Neighborhood School, back in August to get on the waiting list. Well, they don't have a waiting list, they have registration on a first come first serve basis and tomorrow is that day.
So, tomorrow we will be getting an early start to the day. Registration starts at 7 am. My plan is to get there at 5 am, maybe earlier, and then Brad will come and relieve me at 6 am so I can go to work. Hopefully we will be one of the first 2 infant parents because that is the number of spots they have available! How crazy is that?!? They really have 4 spots but 2 are already claimed by children who have siblings already at the school, leaving the other 2 spots for newcomers.
Wish us luck on our "Black Tuesday" (instead of Black Friday) adventure and let's hope Paige gets registered!
So, tomorrow we will be getting an early start to the day. Registration starts at 7 am. My plan is to get there at 5 am, maybe earlier, and then Brad will come and relieve me at 6 am so I can go to work. Hopefully we will be one of the first 2 infant parents because that is the number of spots they have available! How crazy is that?!? They really have 4 spots but 2 are already claimed by children who have siblings already at the school, leaving the other 2 spots for newcomers.
Wish us luck on our "Black Tuesday" (instead of Black Friday) adventure and let's hope Paige gets registered!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Check
I have a list of to-do's that feel a mile long. A lot was accomplished this weekend and I forgot to mention 2 things we were able to check off.
1) Saturday is was supposed to rain all day so Christina and I took my car to get the bookcase. We knew the bookcase was 70" tall and figured they would put 2 or so inches of padding on each size. We also knew that if we scooted up really close we had 78" worth of space in the back. So, we get to the store and ask if they can measure to see if it will fit in the car. The lady comes back and says it is exactly 78". Christina and I agreed that we wanted to try to get it in the car. Well, the high school boy got it loaded and I tried to put the back down and it wouldn't close - we were about 5" off! Bound and determined we asked him if he had any rope so we could tie the back down and sure enough he did. So, here is how we drove back from Pensacola...
2) I have really been wanting to park in the "expectant mothers" parking places at stores. At first it wasn't a big deal to me. I thought it would be fun but thought I needed the exercise at the same and didn't really worry about it. Well, now I am tired and the parking spot looks great, but I haven't been able to find any. I checked Target, Publix, Winn Dixie, you name it, and no parking spots to be found...that is until Sunday. We went to Babies-R-Us. Brad parks the truck in a normal spot and as we are walking in we see the spot! Being the sweet husband he is, he went back and moved the truck for me, basically so I could say we parked in the "expectant mothers" parking spot. Another thing checked off my to-do list!
1) Saturday is was supposed to rain all day so Christina and I took my car to get the bookcase. We knew the bookcase was 70" tall and figured they would put 2 or so inches of padding on each size. We also knew that if we scooted up really close we had 78" worth of space in the back. So, we get to the store and ask if they can measure to see if it will fit in the car. The lady comes back and says it is exactly 78". Christina and I agreed that we wanted to try to get it in the car. Well, the high school boy got it loaded and I tried to put the back down and it wouldn't close - we were about 5" off! Bound and determined we asked him if he had any rope so we could tie the back down and sure enough he did. So, here is how we drove back from Pensacola...
2) I have really been wanting to park in the "expectant mothers" parking places at stores. At first it wasn't a big deal to me. I thought it would be fun but thought I needed the exercise at the same and didn't really worry about it. Well, now I am tired and the parking spot looks great, but I haven't been able to find any. I checked Target, Publix, Winn Dixie, you name it, and no parking spots to be found...that is until Sunday. We went to Babies-R-Us. Brad parks the truck in a normal spot and as we are walking in we see the spot! Being the sweet husband he is, he went back and moved the truck for me, basically so I could say we parked in the "expectant mothers" parking spot. Another thing checked off my to-do list!
Moving Through Labor
Brad and I signed up to take the Moving Through Labor class with our hospital. This 4 week class is designed to help you know what to expect during labor. We both went into this with little expectations and really just wanted to learn. I have a feeling I am going to be one of those ladies who have no clue they are in labor. Everyone keeps telling me I will know, but I am just not so sure; Brad and I both joke that he is going to have to deliver the baby in the car.
Each week we cover a couple of different topics and I thought I hit the highlights -
Week 1: Pioneer women had babies all the time with out medicine - ladies, you can do it (which 2 of the mommas in the class are interested in this, me - not so much)!! I am thinking, there is not need for me to be a pioneer woman. They didn't have antibiotics back then either and people died so I am perfectly good with using the medicine God gave us. I am also thankful for the medicine God gave us! No "natural" childbirth coming from this momma! I do not feel like any less of a woman for not going through natural childbirth - this is kind of the teacher implied.
Week 2: Preterm labor was the scare of this week. She gave us all the warning signs for perterm labor then told us how one of her friends lost her baby at 6 months because the friend didn't recognize the signs. Um, that is totally me with not recognizing the signs. Brad reassured me that we are far enough along that if something were to happen it would not be because I didn't recognize the signs. She also talked about c-sections this week and how we should try to avoid them because it may make us less of woman. Whatever!!! If I need a c-section, then we are doing it, no questions asked. My health and Paige's health are what's important, not me feeling more like a woman.
Week 3: Nothing scary!! Instead, we got to watch a wonderful dvd (ha!). This was the wonderful birthing dvd. The couples they find to be in the videos are just crazy. I can not imagine exposing myself like that - there is not enough money in the world for that. After the movie was done one of the fathers-to-be asked about an epidural and the instructor proceeded to say everything would be different. I am glad we spent 30 minutes learning about labor positions I don't plan on using.
Week 4: This week was about getting down to the nitty gritty of c-sections and hospital tour. I guess we learned stuff but I know that if I need a c-section we are going to do it, no questions asked. I think they wanted to go over this so you would be prepared in case you needed one. Mentally, I am prepared for this. The hospital tour was nice. We got to see the nursery, labor/delivery room, triage room, OR, and recovery room. The funny/freaky thing for the night was the huge, ET like light that comes from the ceiling when it is time for the baby to be born. It makes sense that the doctor needs to see but I never imagined this huge light coming from the ceiling.
Other funnies from the class - while we take it serious, we don't at the same time. We have received handouts on things coaches can say while the lady is labor. One of my favorites, that means Brad is NOT allowed to say is, "I am proud of you". Really, "I am proud of you"?? Saying that during labor, I do not think so!! Brad can be proud of me when I get a promotion at work or when I do something else good, being proud of me during labor - I don't think so! Well, he can be proud, he just doesn't have to tell me. We also do this mat time where you learn to breath and relax. The whole thing just cracks me up and I can't take it serious. I am sure these breathing exercises will be nice and helpful when the time comes but I feel so goofy laying on the floor doing this. The relaxing music cracks me up too. The lady always has it playing when we walk in the room. I guess the thought of labor does make me tense up but I just have never been one of those relaxing people. One good thing about mat time was that Brad gave me a back massage. I am now accustomed to my weekly back massage. Even though we didn't have mat time during our last session, I got a modified back massage during the tour - yay!
Overall, the class was good. I feel like we are better prepared, or at least as prepared as we are going to be. Now on to the real thing!
Each week we cover a couple of different topics and I thought I hit the highlights -
Week 1: Pioneer women had babies all the time with out medicine - ladies, you can do it (which 2 of the mommas in the class are interested in this, me - not so much)!! I am thinking, there is not need for me to be a pioneer woman. They didn't have antibiotics back then either and people died so I am perfectly good with using the medicine God gave us. I am also thankful for the medicine God gave us! No "natural" childbirth coming from this momma! I do not feel like any less of a woman for not going through natural childbirth - this is kind of the teacher implied.
Week 2: Preterm labor was the scare of this week. She gave us all the warning signs for perterm labor then told us how one of her friends lost her baby at 6 months because the friend didn't recognize the signs. Um, that is totally me with not recognizing the signs. Brad reassured me that we are far enough along that if something were to happen it would not be because I didn't recognize the signs. She also talked about c-sections this week and how we should try to avoid them because it may make us less of woman. Whatever!!! If I need a c-section, then we are doing it, no questions asked. My health and Paige's health are what's important, not me feeling more like a woman.
Week 3: Nothing scary!! Instead, we got to watch a wonderful dvd (ha!). This was the wonderful birthing dvd. The couples they find to be in the videos are just crazy. I can not imagine exposing myself like that - there is not enough money in the world for that. After the movie was done one of the fathers-to-be asked about an epidural and the instructor proceeded to say everything would be different. I am glad we spent 30 minutes learning about labor positions I don't plan on using.
Week 4: This week was about getting down to the nitty gritty of c-sections and hospital tour. I guess we learned stuff but I know that if I need a c-section we are going to do it, no questions asked. I think they wanted to go over this so you would be prepared in case you needed one. Mentally, I am prepared for this. The hospital tour was nice. We got to see the nursery, labor/delivery room, triage room, OR, and recovery room. The funny/freaky thing for the night was the huge, ET like light that comes from the ceiling when it is time for the baby to be born. It makes sense that the doctor needs to see but I never imagined this huge light coming from the ceiling.
Other funnies from the class - while we take it serious, we don't at the same time. We have received handouts on things coaches can say while the lady is labor. One of my favorites, that means Brad is NOT allowed to say is, "I am proud of you". Really, "I am proud of you"?? Saying that during labor, I do not think so!! Brad can be proud of me when I get a promotion at work or when I do something else good, being proud of me during labor - I don't think so! Well, he can be proud, he just doesn't have to tell me. We also do this mat time where you learn to breath and relax. The whole thing just cracks me up and I can't take it serious. I am sure these breathing exercises will be nice and helpful when the time comes but I feel so goofy laying on the floor doing this. The relaxing music cracks me up too. The lady always has it playing when we walk in the room. I guess the thought of labor does make me tense up but I just have never been one of those relaxing people. One good thing about mat time was that Brad gave me a back massage. I am now accustomed to my weekly back massage. Even though we didn't have mat time during our last session, I got a modified back massage during the tour - yay!
Overall, the class was good. I feel like we are better prepared, or at least as prepared as we are going to be. Now on to the real thing!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Before...
I forgot to include a before picture of the nursery...
The walls were a lovely margarita green. I would say we had quite a transformation!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Weekend Warriors
The big painting weekend finally arrived! Me being the planner I am, planned this back in the fall (a 3 day weekend seemed like a great time for Brad to paint!). I decided when we got the furniture that I wanted pink stripes and have been excited about them since then.
Brad’s brother, Justin, and his wife, Christina, graciously offered to come down and help. We had the best time visiting and getting Paige’s nursery ready. We did way more than just paint the nursery. While the paint dried Christina and I picked up the bookcase for Paige in Pensacola, bought decorations for the nursery, and found a side table (that we all worked to refinish). Brad and Justin didn’t sit still either; they put together the swing, bouncer, stroller, and glider. Let me tell you, reality is setting in! Seeing the swing in the den and having her room basically ready makes it so real!! I was not able to help with the painting so I dog-sat and tried to be the best waitress they could ask for.
Brad’s brother, Justin, and his wife, Christina, graciously offered to come down and help. We had the best time visiting and getting Paige’s nursery ready. We did way more than just paint the nursery. While the paint dried Christina and I picked up the bookcase for Paige in Pensacola, bought decorations for the nursery, and found a side table (that we all worked to refinish). Brad and Justin didn’t sit still either; they put together the swing, bouncer, stroller, and glider. Let me tell you, reality is setting in! Seeing the swing in the den and having her room basically ready makes it so real!! I was not able to help with the painting so I dog-sat and tried to be the best waitress they could ask for.
Just what Justin and Christina wanted to be doing on their Friday night - painting their niece's nursery!
Brad and Justin taping off the stripes. What more could you ask for on a Sunday night? I think they both were excited they were close to being done with the taping...then they got to finish the rolling Christina had started.
It was very late when the stripes were finished (I was proud of myself for staying up). After all the hard work, a toast was in order in Paige's honor.
Paige is so lucky! Aunt Christina painted 2 pictures for her. We were at the baby store in Pensacola and we saw a neat pictures. She is crafty and offered to paint something similiar. Not only did she paint what we saw in the store, she painted this matching ladybug picture - too cute!
I would say the nursery is 95% done. We have a few things to buy, a couple to hang, a little more to organize, and then I think we will be done. I love the way the nursery is coming together. My newest favorite thing to do is sit in the glider and just take it all in. I will post pictures of the finished product once everything is done (it will probably be a couple of weeks).
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Showered With Love
Not only did we have the shower Friday night, we had another one Saturday morning! My wonderful friends threw this for Paige. I feel so blessed to have friends like this and could not have asked for anything better. I was amazed by all the friends and family who came out on the chilly morning (I believe it was 18 degrees outside when I left). One funny thing - I had the hardest time sleeping Friday night. I think it was that I had such a great time Friday night and knew that Saturday was going be great. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning! The shower did not disappoint. Paige received tons a nice gifts and best of all I got to see friends and family!
Me with the hostesses (Ashley, Jennifer, Christina, Rebecca, and Emily)
Every detail was so special!
Her nursery is pink and green with stripes and polka dots
Another thing that really stuck out to me was how sweet all of the husbands were/are. They let their wives get out and come to our shower while they watched their kids. The more I thought about it, the more I appreciated them too! Some even helped get the party ready.
Emily's husband Matt cleared the steps the night before.
Rebecca's Billy helped by setting out placemats.
Me and my college friend Ashley. She drove from Piedmont to come celebrate. We had other friends and family make long treks to come - it really meant a lot to me!!
We received a lot of cute Auburn outfits. This one is from my sweet friend Susan. I can't wait for Paige to wear it!
I love everything/anything monogrammed! Paige received tons of cute monogrammed gifts - bibs, burp cloths, blankets, you name it!
My sister-in-law, Liz, made this blanket. Emily Paige is embroidered all around the edge - so cute!
The grandmas and me (Nanny and Nana)
Words can not express how grateful Brad and I are for these 2 showers! We truly felt showered with love. While I enjoyed receiving all the gifts (who doesn't!), I enjoyed seeing all of my friends and family even more. I can't wait for Paige to get here so she can meet everyone and everyone can meet her!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Shower for Little Tiger
Brad and I trekked it Huntsville for the weekend (we made it even with all the snow and ice Huntsville had). Friday night we were honored and celebrated the upcoming birth of Paige, our little tiger (or should I say tigerette!), with my dad's side of the family and his friends.
My sweet stepbrother, Jonathan, and stepsister, Joanna, planned a special shower for us at Rosie's (one of our favorite resturants!). Everything was just perfect!
My sweet stepbrother, Jonathan, and stepsister, Joanna, planned a special shower for us at Rosie's (one of our favorite resturants!). Everything was just perfect!
Dad, Donna, me, Brad, Joanna and Jonathan
The details were so special! Little Tiger was the theme. As you can see, we had little tigers everywhere.
Brad and I were the judges of the playdough baby game. Cheryl knew how to speak to these parents' heart - a War Eagle baby!! Everyone's babies turned out so cute. Cheryl made it easy to pick 1st place, but 2nd and 3rd were a little harder.
Paige received awesome gifts! I think everyone knows us and knew we would love an AU outfit.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Church on the Eastern Shore
Brad and I have finally found a church home down here - yay!! I feel like we visited all of the churches across Baldwin County, all sorts of denominations and all sorrts of sizes, before deciding on this one. The church is the Church on the Eastern Shore. It is about 10 minutes from our house, affiliated with Southern Baptist (I am a little fuzzy on this because they are somewhat non-denominational also), and have around 3,000 members with 1,500 in regular attendance. This sounds vaguely familiar to our old church. :)
We took the membership class Sunday night and one of the things that stuck out to me was that the church wants to make it hard for people in Baldwin County to go to Hell. I thought that was an interesting way to look at it. The church is always looking at ways to lead others to Christ, any way possible.
Instead of Sunday morning Sunday school, this church has the weekly evening meetings in small groups at someone's home. In Huntsville we were not as interested in this but down here we kind of liked the idea. We thought that since we travel a lot or have company this would allow us to still have the small group interaction even if we were not there Sunday mornings.
The next step is finding a small group. I think we will join our first one over the next few weeks and go from there. We both are excited about meeting new people and really getting plugged in with the church!
If you get bored, check out the church's website, www.cotesonline.org.
We took the membership class Sunday night and one of the things that stuck out to me was that the church wants to make it hard for people in Baldwin County to go to Hell. I thought that was an interesting way to look at it. The church is always looking at ways to lead others to Christ, any way possible.
Instead of Sunday morning Sunday school, this church has the weekly evening meetings in small groups at someone's home. In Huntsville we were not as interested in this but down here we kind of liked the idea. We thought that since we travel a lot or have company this would allow us to still have the small group interaction even if we were not there Sunday mornings.
The next step is finding a small group. I think we will join our first one over the next few weeks and go from there. We both are excited about meeting new people and really getting plugged in with the church!
If you get bored, check out the church's website, www.cotesonline.org.
Newborn Basics
Brad and I are all about taking classes that Thomas Hospital offers on labor, newborns, whatever. We started our "Moving Through Labor" class a few weeks ago (more on that later!) and last night we went to Newborn Basics.
Neither of us really knew what to expect. The instructor for the labor class likes to scare you each week so I was thinking, "what am I going to be scared about tonight". Plus, the labor class is 4 weeks long, 2 hours each session and the newborn class is one night for 2 hours. Brad and I both wondered how you could learn about newborns in 2 hours but it took 8 hours for labor? We don't know much about labor or newborns!!
After last night, I can say that we both feel better about bringing Paige home! Not that we are experts by any means, but the information that was covered was very useful for clueless people like us.
One of the most interesting things I learned (and most of you are probably thinking, "you didn't know this??") was that "sshhing" your baby is actually soothing to them. I always wondered why people were telling their baby to be quite and thought it was kind of rude, but now it makes complete sense - the sshhing sounds like the womb. The same reason goes for why they like to swing, they have been swinging in your belly for 9 months and then all of sudden the swinging stops when they are born. So many of the things covered were common sense things that just needed to be brought to light for us. I can definitely say that last night's class was well worth the 2 hours away from home after a long day at work for each of us.
Tonight is our 3rd class on labor - should be interesting!!
Neither of us really knew what to expect. The instructor for the labor class likes to scare you each week so I was thinking, "what am I going to be scared about tonight". Plus, the labor class is 4 weeks long, 2 hours each session and the newborn class is one night for 2 hours. Brad and I both wondered how you could learn about newborns in 2 hours but it took 8 hours for labor? We don't know much about labor or newborns!!
After last night, I can say that we both feel better about bringing Paige home! Not that we are experts by any means, but the information that was covered was very useful for clueless people like us.
One of the most interesting things I learned (and most of you are probably thinking, "you didn't know this??") was that "sshhing" your baby is actually soothing to them. I always wondered why people were telling their baby to be quite and thought it was kind of rude, but now it makes complete sense - the sshhing sounds like the womb. The same reason goes for why they like to swing, they have been swinging in your belly for 9 months and then all of sudden the swinging stops when they are born. So many of the things covered were common sense things that just needed to be brought to light for us. I can definitely say that last night's class was well worth the 2 hours away from home after a long day at work for each of us.
Tonight is our 3rd class on labor - should be interesting!!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Shark Attack
So, you know your getting old when your Christmas list consists of cleaning supplies. One year I asked for a carpet cleaner and another year we used our Christmas money to buy a Dyson vacuum cleaner. Both have been so fun and made me feel so much cleaner! This year I asked for a Shark Steam Pocket Mop.
I got to use it over the weekend and it was so much fun!! What makes the story even more sad is that I had lunch with 2 of my coworkers last week and we were all talking about the Shark. One of the girls got one for Christmas and the other had seen them and we convinced her that she needed one. Before lunch I had not tried our's out but needless to say, that was my project when I got home from work that day.
Okie doke - now you know how exciting our life has been and why there hasn't been much posting on the blog!
I got to use it over the weekend and it was so much fun!! What makes the story even more sad is that I had lunch with 2 of my coworkers last week and we were all talking about the Shark. One of the girls got one for Christmas and the other had seen them and we convinced her that she needed one. Before lunch I had not tried our's out but needless to say, that was my project when I got home from work that day.
Okie doke - now you know how exciting our life has been and why there hasn't been much posting on the blog!
Christmas Part II
Well, you can tell we are at home and life is back in full swing. It has taken me 2 weeks to get these pictures uploaded! Oh well, better late than never! The last part of the week in Huntsville was mainly spent with family. Here are some pictures...
Christmas Eve with the Nixon's (Brad's mom's side of the family)
Brad, MaMaw, PaPaw, and me Christmas Eve.
Justin, Christina, me, Brad, Mom, and Dad Christmas Eve
Ellie helping Justin open gifts. She thought every gift was for her and that she needed to help.
Madi thought it would be better to rest
Ellie and Madi all tuckered out
Bill, Momma, me and Brad Christmas Day
Aunt Shirley, me and Brad Christmas Day evening
Everett and Liz opening the WonderPets boat we got Everett. After hearing the WonderPets song the rest of the afternoon, Brad and I realized that there could be some payback down the road! Luckily, the boat did have an off switch.
Me, Julio (oh I mean Wheeler), and Brad celebrating with the Brewster's on Saturday
Dad, Donna, me, and Brad celebrating Christmas Saturday evening
Grayson helping me open gifts at the Wright Family Christmas on Sunday
Me and Kaylee (our friends', Jon and Ashley, new baby girl)
We stayed with Brad's parents the entire week and took over their house (such a blessing to stay in one place - thank you!!). This was a familiar scene in their kitchen - 3 of us on our "cracktops".
Going to Huntsville is always fun and always busy. We had a great time visiting with friends and family and can't wait to go back and do it again!
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