'Tis The Season

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving! Good food and good time spent with family. We have so much to be thankful for, and the older I get, the more I find that I appreciate Thanksgiving as a time to slow down and remember those things. I love Christmas, but I realized this year that it kind of upset me that Thanksgiving kind of gets ignored. So, I really wanted to soak it up this year. My parents came up to spend the holiday with us since I cannot travel far anymore. We enjoyed visiting on Wednesday, cooking together leisurely on Thursday, and then ate some yummy food around the table. We sure did miss the rest of our family but were very thankful to have my parents here to celebrate with us. Naptime in the afternoon and a great showing by the Aggies on Thursday night topped off a wonderful Thanksgiving.

On Friday morning, we got up and went to the early showing of Blindside. If you haven't seen, you MUST! You will not regret it. Seriously, best movie I have seen in a long time. Go!!! When we got back to the house, we pulled down the Christmas decorations and got busy. With our sweet girl's impending arrival, we wanted to make sure we got everything set up before she gets here. My mom helped us put up the tree, which I love. Chris's grandparents gave us their "old" tree because it was just a bit too wide for their space. We were happy to inherit a beautiful, prelit tree. I think it fits our living room perfectly! So, thanks Grandmamma & Grandaddy!

We go back to the doctor on Tuesday instead of Monday this week. Dr. G ordered another sonogram because she wants to be certain of the size of our sweet pea. The ultrasound tech was booked up until Tuesday, so we have to wait. It feels weird not to plan on going tomorrow, but I will wait if it means I get to take yet another peak at that sweet little girl. Maybe we'll have some news to share after the appointment on Tuesday.

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with family wherever you were. As we usher in the Christmas season, I hope you will be blessed with peace and joy...the exact things Jesus came to bring!

38 weeks and Happy Thanksgiving!

38 weeks here we are, and it is officially the holiday season! I remember back at the beginning of April when we found out that we were expecting this sweet little one that it felt like this time of year would never get here. But, somehow, it has arrived, and I am getting a little impatient for another sweet arrival! My belly has gotten even bigger, and my excitement has too. Here is proof of the former:

At my 38 week appointment on Monday, Dr. G confirmed that my belly had gotten bigger and thinks that our sweet little girl may have put on a pound in the past week!! Wow. I am now dilated to 3 cm and about 75% effaced. Because of my progression and the fact that it is Thanksgiving week and Dr. G will be out of town this weekend, she asked if she could strip my membranes, which is a procedure that can stir things up and get labor going if it's super close. So, we said, "sure." I thought it might be painful but was pleasantly surprised that it was not bad at all. However, I am still here and still pregnant. We are still waiting but are thankful every moment for a healthy pregnancy and a few more restful nights together.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am mindful of all the things I have to be thankful for. I am beyond blessed and hope that tomorrow will not only be full of good food and family {my parents are celebrating with us here in Rowlett} but also a day to continually be reminded of how grateful we are for the things God has provided us. I am thankful for my sweet husband who is always willing to serve me and love me in whatever ways I need {and so much more that would take me forever to list here}. He truly is my best friend, and I adore him. I am thankful for this precious child growing inside of me. I cannot wait to meet her and begin the journey of being her mommy. I am thankful for my family and their unconditional love. I am thankful for great friends. I am thankful for my home where I have more space than I need and a bed, food, and comfortable temperatures with running water. I am thankful for Wrigley. And so so much more. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you have a wonderful day.

the nursery!!!

The nursery is finally done {except for her initials which will not go up until after she has arrived :)}, and we LOVE it! I am warning you now that this post will contain lots of pictures, but I hope you enjoy them. So, here it is...baby girl's nursery!

This is the view from the door, looking to your right.

View from the door to the left. Above the glider are 2 dresses that were mine when I was a baby.

Giraffes are kind of a sub-theme in her room. One of our good friends, Gretchen, hand-painted this giraffe for us, and it is just perfect in her room!

Her dresser/changing table. My mom made the cover for the changing pad. I decorated the canvases above the dresser using paint, ribbon, and wall stickers.

Facing the door... her toy box and the window pane, which is super special. Read below.

This window pane was given to us by our dear friend, Kristy Crim, and inside it are letters that Chris has written to our baby. The first one he wrote the night we found out we were pregnant, the second the day we found out she was a girl, and he will write one more {to go on the bottom} on the day she is born. I LOVE this!

Another view of the bookshelf. The little outfits on top were Chris's when he was little! The rest of the shelf is filled with books and goodies that have been given to us either when we were babies or for our sweet girl.

Another view of her crib...I just love her bedding, and the quilt her Mimi made her is the perfect touch.

Another view from the door, so you can see the window.

Her closet, already full of clothes. She will be one well-dressed baby.

Sweet baby shoes

Her bows and more closet :)

Thanks for hanging in there with me! We are thrilled with how it all turned out. Now all we need is our sweet pea to enjoy it with us.

low prices. low expectations.

I have a funny story to share with you from my Wal-Mart escapade yesterday. I had been planning to make my big grocery trip for the next several days, including Thanksgiving, on Friday {yesterday} all week long. Even though it was raining, I was determined to go and get it over with because honestly grocery shopping isn't my favorite thing to do. And, who really enjoys going to Wal-Mart? So, I set out on Friday morning to get it done. All the shopping itself went fine, and my cart was loaded down. I probably couldn't have fit much more in it, and I definitely couldn't have pushed it with much more in it. So, I headed to the check-out lines. I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't a long line and began unloading my stuff.

This is where the fun begins. I had picked up a few things for church, so I was paying for those things separately. When the lady checking me out saw that I had those few things separate, she asked why. So, I just told her that it was for church, and I had to keep it separate so I could be reimbursed. She proceeds to say, "I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you supposed to give to church?" Wow. I decided to be polite, although there were many snappy things going through my head. So, I just said something about that being a good question and brushed it off.

Bad start to my experience with this check-out lady. So, she notices I am pregnant and asks me if it is a boy or girl. So, I tell her it's a girl, and she says, "oh, it will look like you." {How would she know anyway?!?} I say, "Yeah, my husband always says he hopes so too." She says, "HUSBAND?!?!?!?!?" in her most flabbergasted voice. Trying not to be offended, I say yes. She says you look too young to have a husband. Thanks, but by now, I am getting a little exhausted by her comments. She continues for a few minutes about how horrible the last month of pregnancy is. Again, thanks.

As if that isn't bad enough, she takes a look at all the stuff I am getting and says, "I can tell you are pregnant." Okay. Now she's done it. I mean, seriously?!? Who says that? So, again, I try to maintain my composure {what little is left of it} and say something about it actually not being just for me...

Finally, I am free. Or at least that is what I think. I go outside to pouring down rain. Great. I have an umbrella, but what good does that do you when you are trying to unload an entire cart full of groceries. I toss the umbrella into the trunk and start furiously throwing bags into the trunk, trying desperately not to crush the bread or eggs with the milk. The 40-something year old cart guy comes up, and I think, "oh, he's going to be a gentleman and help me, the 9 month pregnant lady, with my cartload of groceries." Nope. He just stands there waiting for my cart, but apparently I am taking too long. So, he just goes in! That's right, he leaves me there to get soaking wet because I was taking too long!

I finally finished, got into the car looking like a drowned rat, and couldn't help but laugh. Oh Wal-Mart, what would I do without you? I guess you get what you pay for :)

37 weeks and another good check-up :)

So far, I am doing better with blogging this week than last, so that is good. Is anyone else just loving this cold weather? It's nice to actually be able to use the word "cold" and not "chilly." Although I have adored the gorgeous fall weather we've been having, I am looking forward to dipping into some nice cold weather. Something about it just makes it feel like the holidays, and the season is definitely upon us. So, I will enjoy opening the door to 40 degree weather at least for a day or two and wrap up in a nice blanket on the couch. So wonderful!

We have officially reached full term! That has seemed so far away for so long that it is really hard to believe that it is actually here. 37 whole weeks of carrying this little lovey in me, and I have honestly cherished every moment of it. Have you ever really thought about how incredible the whole process is? My body knows exactly what to do at exactly the right time, and I don't even have to think about it. I don't even have to understand it or know what is taking place because my body just KNOWS. It creates a life while I go on with mine. I can't imagine not believing in God after going through this amazing experience. He has been so good to us throughout the whole thing, and I am truly blessed to have felt so great and have everything go so smoothly! We are constantly praising Him for our little girl and the privilege of witnessing this miracle!

We went back to the doctor yesterday for our weekly check-up, and things are still looking great. I am dilated to "almost" 3 cm and still 50% effaced. The doctor is optimistic and always so positive about everything. Chris and I still can't get over hearing her sweet heartbeat everytime we go...the best thing ever! I have definitely been having more and more contractions, so I guess my body is just doing what it was meant to do and getting ready for the craziest/best experience of my life. We are already praying for a smooth, healthy delivery and just trying to be patient in the meantime. Only 3 more weeks until we get to meet the child we've been praying over for 9 months now!

the week that got away...

So sorry that I haven't posted this week! I thought about blogging probably every evening but just never got around to it. {Or maybe it's that I just didn't feel like it :)} I will try to briefly catch you up on what has been happening around our house this week.

On Monday morning, Chris and I got up and went to Target and Babies R Us to get the last bit of necessities for our baby girl. We officially have everything we need, along with pretty much anything we could want, set up for her when she arrives. We also got the most precious Christmas outfit EVER! You will not want to miss those pictures once the sweet pea is here. Monday afternoon brought our weekly appointment with Dr. G. Everything is still going well, and we are continuing to progress! Love getting good news at those appointments. Funny how going to the doctor becomes so much fun. Monday night was a girls' Bible study with some of the girls from church. Fun but tiring day!

Tuesday marked 36 weeks! That means that at the most we get to meet this little lady in FOUR weeks. 4 weeks! Can't wait. Here is the 36 week belly. I feel like there is no way we can get any bigger, and yet she proves me wrong every week.

Tuesday afternoon was another long but fun afternoon. Let me preface what happened with a brief history... We got the carseat a couple of weeks ago, and I told Chris that I wanted to "practice" getting it in and out of the Xterra. Really, we both wanted to make sure I could do it since the backseat was SO tall, and I am, well, not so tall :) Let's just suffice to say that I had a VERY hard time. I almost had to crawl into the backseat to get it off the base. So, in swoops my amazing prince of a husband who did some research, did some negotiating, and took me on Tuesday to get our new {to us} car. We said goodbye to Roxy, the Xterra, and traded for this beauty.

And, the best news is, I can actually get the carseat in and out without any trouble!

The rest of the week consisted of errands, dinner with sweet friends, a lovely pedicure, earning $140 for driving to and from downtown Dallas {a whole other story}, getting things washed and put away for baby, cleaning house, and enjoying a fabulous dinner date with my love. So, there it is. Our week. I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend! Be blessed.

another sweet shower

Some ladies from our church here hosted a shower for baby girl on Sunday, and it was wonderful! Everything was just precious, and I had a great time. Let me just say that our baby is going to be one loved little girl. All the gifts were incredible, but I was most thankful for everyone's presence and excitement for her arrival. We are so blessed with some great friends here.

They went all out on this shower! Here are some pictures:

the guest sign-in table

the cake table

everyone even got to take a sweet little favor home

the hostesses and me

my mom got to come!

I'll leave you with Wrigley modeling one of her gifts :)

The First Run For Their Lives: Completed!

A few weeks ago, I posted about Run For Their Lives--an 8 person relay from Lake Ray Hubbard to Lake Conroe. Chris was the mastermind behind this relay, and the sole purpose was to raise money for the children in captivity in Ghana.

The first Run For Their Lives has been completed. The 8 runners began the trek on Thursday, October 29 at 7:00pm and finished at about 5:00am on Saturday, October 31. It was a huge success! The run went more smoothly than we could have imagined, and the runners were nothing short of awesome. Not only did they complete the relay 5 hours faster than predicted but they had incredible attitudes the whole time and raised lots of money for the Mercy Project.

{the 8 runners before the relay began}

We also were blessed with 3 other selfless people who dedicated their weekend to driving the car and van so the runners could rest and to provide extra measures of safety during the night runs.

The best thing about Run For Their Lives is that we are now $5,000 closer to reaching our goal of $40,000 to build a house for rescued children in Ghana!!! God is so good. We have been so blessed by the many people who have really begun to get excited about the Mercy Project and helping the kids in Ghana. If you want to learn more about the Mercy Project or are interested in getting involved, check out the website at www.mercyproject.net It has lots of information about what the project is, how we got involved, and how YOU can get involved. Please head on over there and check it out. We are really excited about what God has already done and is going to continue to do through the Mercy Project! Join us!

35

35 weeks pregnant and 35 days left.

I have been feeling great still, just a little more tired, and I am still sleeping relatively well. I told Chris a week or so ago that I feel like my definition of "sleeping well" needs a little adjustment. I usually wake up about 3-4 times each night to go to the bathroom, but I am almost always able to fall immediately back to sleep...even when Little Miss is going to town!

And, behold the swollen face in the picture above. It is officially upon me. As much as I was hoping to avoid this, it has happened. Oh well. If that is the worst problem I encounter this pregnancy, I cannot complain. Just know that I do NOT enjoy posting pictures of myself with the fat face thing going on, so you should know that I truly love you all :)

We went to get an ultrasound and to our 35 week appointment yesterday. Again, the doctor wanted to see just how big our sweet pea is, and again, we were told by the ultrasound tech that she is not so big at all. She is, however, perfect in every way! I love seeing her sweetness on that screen and watching her suck away on her little hand. So precious! When we got to Dr. G's office, she said that she actually still thinks that our little girl is a bit bigger than even the ultrasound said. She estimates about 6 lbs. right now, which would put her around 8 lbs. at full term. I am also at the point where it is time to start the weekly appointments to check for progress. I am currently 1.5 cm dilated and 50% effaced! And, the baby's head is LOW. Dr. G was thrilled, and I am excited that my body is doing what it is supposed to do. Just further reminder of the miracle that is the way God created the human body to work...simply incredible! We will see what next week brings.

So, yesterday was a great day full of great news about our precious little one. We have been so blessed, and we continue to pray that God will bless the end of this pregnancy and the new life that will result from it. Only a few weeks left until we get to meet her. I can't wait!