I know, I'm terrible at giving updates on our lives. I do apologize, but time certainly does get away from me. Following our terrible loss back in March, Josh and I really started focusing on God. Looking back at everything, He is even more good than I could have ever imagined. Going back to that post (Read it here), let me give a little update before getting to the pregnancy.
I did get the chance to start a support group for women going through loss. There may only be 3 of us right now, but without Relate Church, it would just be me trying to figure out what to do. The more I meet with these women, the bigger my dreams are becoming in what we can accomplish. I am really excited to see how everything unfolds.
Shortly after my surgery, Josh and I decided to jump all in and fully give 10% back to Relate. We had been giving a good portion (like, 7%) but the penny pincher in me said "No, no way, we can't do it!" The amazing thing about it all... Wonderful things started happening for us once we started tithing. I still don't understand how it's been happening, but God has truly been blessing our 90%... To the point that we were able to purchase a home that I thought there was no way we would be able to swing. We really couldn't be happier. We have way more house than we need at the moment, but we've got BIG plans for it.
Josh's job is definitely getting busier, and they have hired someone who starts next week.. And they'll be hiring more around the end of the year (I think that's the time frame, but I know it's changing). As far as my Mary Kay goes, I do believe it'll be getting off the ground soon. At least I'm praying it will be. ;)
Which leads us back to the pregnancy. You know how you have a "plan" and you're all excited because you can see life working out the way you always dreamed it would? And then God looks at your plan and says "Nope, nice try.. We're going to do it this way instead." Well, that's what happened here.
Shortly after Josh's sister got married, I was really struggling being on birth control (something we decided to try for a few months until we got the medical bills organized). Josh and I weren't fully seeing eye to eye on the situation (more because I was struggling to lay out the logical reasons instead of the emotional reasons), and I really just started praying for an answer. Was I supposed to be on this or not? The answer I got was mind blowing. I got this beautiful vision one night while I was sleeping. Without boring you with all the details, Josh and I were sitting in bed with Jack between us, and each of us holding a baby. Twins. Boy/girl twins. I tell you, I can still see them clearly when I think back to this. This was God just telling me to trust him. It took me a day or two to tell Josh, because at the time it was so overwhelming. In the end, he was okay with the decision and even got a little confirmation himself on the situation. So, off the birth control I went. And there was no anxiety, no moments of "I must be pregnant" or moments of disappointment. Looking back, I was amazed at myself. I never took a pregnancy test to even "make sure" I wasn't pregnant (and I did that A TON.. Just ask Josh).
So, during this time, we just lived. Then September crept up and Josh and I were looking at our health insurance options. Long story short, the increase in premiums were going up too high, so Jack and I were going off Josh's plan and going to get our own plan. Only problem? There would be a three month gap where we wouldn't have insurance. Toward the end of the month, before we lost insurance, Josh said to me "Now, you're only job is to not get pregnant!". Of course I just laughed.
It was a few days later that I had a second vision come to me, only this time I wasn't sleeping. And I'm telling you, it still weirds me out a bit. At the top of our staircase we have a loft. I was sitting on the floor trying to urge Jack to move faster as I needed to get him dressed. So I'm yelling down the stairs "C'mon, Jackson, it's time to go!". All of a sudden his little head pops up into my line of vision, except he's no longer 3. He's about 6 and I can hear myself yelling "Jackson, you need to slow down! You're going to knock your sister down the stairs!". I think my heart stopped for a moment after that.
Here's the thing about our current baby plans... We don't have any. Not that we don't want more children (clearly we do), but we've realized we've kept trying to push something that we weren't really ready for. So we were just letting the situation rest in God's hands, knowing that when the time was right, He would give it to us. So October 1st, Jack and I lost insurance. October 2nd I started feeling "off". I really thought I was being over sensitive. Like, c'mon Nicole, you just lost health insurance, of course you're going to wonder if you're pregnant. It's terrible timing! I looked at my calendar. The only way we would have conceived was if I had, in some crazy, unbelievable way, ovulated like a "normal" woman on day 14. Let me tell you something people, I have PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). I don't just ovulate on day 14. In my entire life, this has NEVER happened! If I'm lucky, day 18, but DEFINITELY NOT day 14.
I'm going to go ahead and guess you already know what I'm going to say. On October 3rd, I went and bought a pregnancy test because I absolutely COULD NOT get it out of my head. And I'm pretty sure Josh thought I was crazy. But I took the test immediately when I got home.. And it was positive. I had ovulated early (for me). This wasn't just some fluke. This was the work of God. He has blessed us more than we deserve and we are so thankful for it, there really aren't enough words.
So here we are. I'm 8 weeks pregnant, and everything looks BEAUTIFUL. I've had two doctors appointments (and they're being wonderful and working with me and my lack of insurance) and one ultrasound. My ultrasound was this past Thursday and the baby (yes, just ONE!) was measuring right on schedule and had a very strong heartbeat of 158. We feel confident that this baby is here to stay, and yes, my gut is still saying it's a girl! But we'll find that out in June! ;)
So that's it.. That's how we got here. Continued prayers are appreciated as we're not completely "out of the woods" yet, but we're holding on tightly to Jesus and know that His plans for us are already laid out and that they are plans for GOOD.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
This is an opinion post!
Here's the scoop people. I try not to force my opinions on Facebook. Every day there are posts about how Obama is horrible, people suck at driving, this man deserves jail because of doing this, guns don't kill people - people kill people, the government should have zero say with what I do with my body, etc., etc., etc... There are some things I agree with, some things I just shake my head at, and some things that occasionally I'll put in an opinion. I try not to do the third because it ends up being a debate, and I don't enjoy doing that on social media. I've learned over the years that it doesn't matter how logically, eloquently or delicately you try to say something, someone will look at it as an attack and tell you that you're wrong and start arguing.
That being said, I'm not trying to start a fight when I say this, but I feel like it needs to be said.
Please, please, PLEASE stop judging parents you see out in public!!
Trust me, I get it. There are parents out there who aren't really being parents. They let their children make the rules and we're creating a generation of selfish children who expect everything to just be handed to them. I get it. But that being said, you have NO idea what that parent is going through. Yes, maybe that kid throwing a temper tantrum in Walmart really is spoiled and doesn't like that his mom said he couldn't have a chocolate bar. Or maybe, their kid is like mine and usually very well mannered but is just having a bad day. We ALL have bad days, children included. We, as adults, usually find someway to fix a bad mood, whether it's through exercise, venting to a family member or friend, punching a wall... whatever. Kids don't know how to do that. All they know how to do is cry and scream. And yeah, maybe the bad mood is caused from Mom having a bad day and not paying enough attention to her kid. But maybe she just lost her job and has no idea what do next. Maybe she's been talking on her phone for an hour because someone close to her is going through cancer. Maybe her kid is autistic and she just needs a break. Or maybe she really is just an oblivious mom and doesn't realize the damage she's doing to her child. Or maybe she really doesn't care. Even if you know the reason, does that give you any right to get on Facebook and complain about it?
There are so many parents out there going through so much crap. Josh and I are lucky because despite all the crap we've gone through over the years, we've only gotten stronger. We are a minority, though. We have a wonderful boy who 95% of the time is perfect out in public. But he's still a kid. The first time we went to a small group down here in Savannah, Jack was having an off day. We were new to the area, to the church, and were so looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully making new friends. And Jack ended up running around our new friends' backyard, tipping over plates of food that had been left on a table. That is absolutely not our kid, and we barely even recognized the faces we were with at that point. It. Was. Embarrassing. Mostly because I know, thanks to Facebook and other websites, what society thinks when they see a kid misbehaving. "That kid is wild." "They have no control over their child." etc., etc., etc... We know all those families pretty well now and considering it's never been mentioned, I like to think if there were any ill thoughts, they've been wiped from that awful experience..
Since then, I've changed the way I look at children behaving poorly in public. Are there times where it's obvious it's not just a bad day and there are some issues with parenting? Absolutely. But has anything been solved by complaining on Facebook about it or being vindictive about it? Absolutely not. If you know my family and saw Jackson acting like a brat out in public, what would you think then? Would you still hold the opinion that we're horrible parents? Probably not. So why is it okay to judge a parent you don't know when they could be exact same as us? How about next time you're sitting next to a table in a restaurant with a screaming kid, instead of shooting daggers at the family for ruining your meal, you smile at them or just ignore it. Maybe say a small prayer for the family. Pray that the child is having a bad day and things will get better. Just please stop judging parents you don't know!
(And also, if you see a parent out in public with children and no wedding ring, don't just assume they aren't married and have had kids out of wedlock. I can't tell you how many times I've gone out in public without my wedding ring on because I took it off to bake bread or something of the sort and forgot to put it back on... For days! You don't know their story, you have no right to assume anything!)
Thanks for listening to me rant. I hope if anything, it let you see another side of the story..
That being said, I'm not trying to start a fight when I say this, but I feel like it needs to be said.
Please, please, PLEASE stop judging parents you see out in public!!
Trust me, I get it. There are parents out there who aren't really being parents. They let their children make the rules and we're creating a generation of selfish children who expect everything to just be handed to them. I get it. But that being said, you have NO idea what that parent is going through. Yes, maybe that kid throwing a temper tantrum in Walmart really is spoiled and doesn't like that his mom said he couldn't have a chocolate bar. Or maybe, their kid is like mine and usually very well mannered but is just having a bad day. We ALL have bad days, children included. We, as adults, usually find someway to fix a bad mood, whether it's through exercise, venting to a family member or friend, punching a wall... whatever. Kids don't know how to do that. All they know how to do is cry and scream. And yeah, maybe the bad mood is caused from Mom having a bad day and not paying enough attention to her kid. But maybe she just lost her job and has no idea what do next. Maybe she's been talking on her phone for an hour because someone close to her is going through cancer. Maybe her kid is autistic and she just needs a break. Or maybe she really is just an oblivious mom and doesn't realize the damage she's doing to her child. Or maybe she really doesn't care. Even if you know the reason, does that give you any right to get on Facebook and complain about it?
There are so many parents out there going through so much crap. Josh and I are lucky because despite all the crap we've gone through over the years, we've only gotten stronger. We are a minority, though. We have a wonderful boy who 95% of the time is perfect out in public. But he's still a kid. The first time we went to a small group down here in Savannah, Jack was having an off day. We were new to the area, to the church, and were so looking forward to meeting new people and hopefully making new friends. And Jack ended up running around our new friends' backyard, tipping over plates of food that had been left on a table. That is absolutely not our kid, and we barely even recognized the faces we were with at that point. It. Was. Embarrassing. Mostly because I know, thanks to Facebook and other websites, what society thinks when they see a kid misbehaving. "That kid is wild." "They have no control over their child." etc., etc., etc... We know all those families pretty well now and considering it's never been mentioned, I like to think if there were any ill thoughts, they've been wiped from that awful experience..
Since then, I've changed the way I look at children behaving poorly in public. Are there times where it's obvious it's not just a bad day and there are some issues with parenting? Absolutely. But has anything been solved by complaining on Facebook about it or being vindictive about it? Absolutely not. If you know my family and saw Jackson acting like a brat out in public, what would you think then? Would you still hold the opinion that we're horrible parents? Probably not. So why is it okay to judge a parent you don't know when they could be exact same as us? How about next time you're sitting next to a table in a restaurant with a screaming kid, instead of shooting daggers at the family for ruining your meal, you smile at them or just ignore it. Maybe say a small prayer for the family. Pray that the child is having a bad day and things will get better. Just please stop judging parents you don't know!
(And also, if you see a parent out in public with children and no wedding ring, don't just assume they aren't married and have had kids out of wedlock. I can't tell you how many times I've gone out in public without my wedding ring on because I took it off to bake bread or something of the sort and forgot to put it back on... For days! You don't know their story, you have no right to assume anything!)
Thanks for listening to me rant. I hope if anything, it let you see another side of the story..
Monday, June 9, 2014
Disney World!
As I'm sure y'all saw, Josh and I took Jack to Disney World this past weekend. We decided that we just live too close to Orlando to not spend at least one day there before Jack turns 3. For those who don't know, children under 3 get into Disney for FREE! And while we wanted to spend a full week there and really do Disney "the right way", it just costs too much money, and we're hoping to get into a house soon. So we got a cheap hotel and spent 1 full day in Magic Kingdom.. And we're SO glad we did! We had a really great time and Jack LOVED meeting Mickey! He loved all the rides and it was definitely the little family vacation that we needed. :)
That being said - as we were walking around the park I kept saying "Next time we go back we need to remember..." I probably said it about a dozen times or more. So, I'm writing down everything I can remember about our trip and all the tips I want to remember for next time! Some of them will sound kind of silly, like why didn't you think of that before you went, but I'm just going to chalk it up to being such an impromptu trip that I didn't have TIME to think of the little things (seriously, we booked the hotel two days before we left!). So here we go:
We stayed in a motel just outside of the Disney parks, and it was a decent motel. I wasn't grossed out to be sleeping there or anything, but next time, I'll definitely be planning our trip on the down times and staying in the park. The motel I found on hotels.com had a base price of $35. After all the fees and taxes, it was $55. Add in the $17 it cost us to park and it probably would just be better to stay at one of Disney's economy hotels and have the constant shuttles to and from the park for free. I know most of the surrounding motels/hotels offer shuttle service, but I don't know the frequency of how often and how late/early they travel. I know the Disney hotels offer shuttles until after the parks close (which depending on the season and the park, can be after midnight).
We packed a lot of snacks and sandwiches for the park, which was great because we spent a minimal amount on food at the park.. but next time, I'm making the sandwiches ahead of time, because in the end my loaf of bread got completely smashed and it was kind of a hassle to make them in the park.
Find out if there are any activities going on in the parks, and go to a different one.. Unless of course you really really want to be there for the activities and you don't mind crowds. This past weekend was one of their Star Wars Weekends, so it seemed like the park was empty just because lots of people were going to Hollywood Studios (or what used to be MGM for those who haven't been there in a while).
It took Jack a couple rides before he really figured out that waiting in line would get him on to this really fun ride, but once he figured it out, he was wonderful waiting in line. He'd just hold our hand or play with the stickers that you'll see employees handing out in the gift shops. But... if you sense a meltdown coming soon, don't take your kid into a line that has cool stuff to play with while you wait (Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh) because they will have a complete temper tantrum when you pick them up and move forward in line. Now, it's really awesome if you kid seems to be getting bored, to go to these rides because they have some freedom to really play. Dumbo was the best because the put you in this giant play room that looks like a circus and give you a buzzer. You let your kid play until your buzzer goes off or they're ready to be done playing.
Park tickets are now plastic, like a credit card, and they have a fancy little code thingy you can scan with your cell phone and it will open up the My Disney Experience app. From there you can connect everyone's card in your group and register for the Fast Passes without even going to the rides. You automatically get three different rides, and then you can check out a station (they're everywhere around the park, just look for the FP+ signs) to get more. We barely had to wait to go on Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, and it's a small world... Which is obviously great with a toddler. The longest we stood in line was probably half an hour, and I definitely think that was Jack's max. I ended up holding him a lot and entertaining him by singing songs and playing silly games. Over half an hour of that and we probably would have had several meltdowns.
Use the rider swap and have a plan of when you're going to use it. I had briefly read something about the rider swap on a pinterest blog, but couldn't really remember the details about it... So when Jack finally fell asleep, Josh and I kind of were in a "what do we do now?" mode.. And when we get into that kind of a zone, it's hard to make a decision. We weren't really sure how it worked, and if it was really worth it.. But finally about half an hour into Jack's nap, we decided to pick a ride and try it out. Josh really wanted to ride Space Mountain, so of course we were directly across the park from it.. All you have to do is walk up to the line with your kid who isn't big enough for the ride, ask for a rider swap, and one person waits in line. Once that person is done with the ride, the next person gets to go through the Fast Pass line instead of waiting again. And the best part is, if you have more than one kid, say ages 6 and 3, the 6 year old can ride the ride with the person waiting AND the person switching. Win-win for the 6 year old! I wish we had started doing that earlier, because we probably would have been able to do 3 rides while he was napping instead of just 1.
Going to Downtown Disney first. The plan next time is to drive in the morning, check into the hotel, and hit up Downtown Disney. There are TONS of huge gift stores, and we figure it'll be better to get the souvenir shopping out of the way so we're not wasting time in the park doing it. One of my things is always buying a Christmas Tree ornament on every vacation we take, and I spent a good 15 minutes in Magic Kingdom trying to decide which one to buy. Turns out I could have bought the same ornament at Downtown Disney. Everything you can find IN Disney (seriously, EVERYTHING), can be found in Downtown Disney - and if you're not staying IN the parks, parking for Downtown Disney is free, so it's perfect if you arrive later in the day and don't want to go into the parks for the evening but need something to do. Next time, since Jack will be older, I'll buy something for the characters to sign there instead of waiting until we get to the park.
Sunscreen. Seriously, sunscreen. I know, this is a given, right? But seriously, know your skin and understand Florida.. And DON'T try a new product. Use what you KNOW works. All summer I've been using Jack's 50+ sunscreen. Granted he was mostly covered in the stroller for half the day, but he only slightly got darker in his legs. He didn't even get red or pink. He just has a short line from his legs sticking out of the stroller. Me, on the other hand, have these incredibly attractive blotchy spots from the sunscreen not working. Why? Because I tried something new. I bought (at Josh's request) "regular" sunscreen (aka non-baby sunscreen). It came with a free small spray sunscreen bottle. And I thought "Hey! That'll make applying quick and easy for us!" Besides the fact that you really have no idea if you've gotten even coverage, that crap doesn't stick to your skin if you are physically sweating. Seriously, it was 90+ degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Let me tell you, my shoulders look awesome. I should have just used the baby sunscreen and I would have saved myself a lot of pain. Oh, and bring aloe. Even if you think your sunscreen will properly protect you.
In the next week or so, I'm going to make a complete list of items to pack for a Disney trip. That way, whenever our next Disney trip is, I can just pull up a list, make a few adjustments if necessary (like Jack is out of diapers so we need underwear instead, etc) and just go from there. I'm a list person, and because this trip was so quick and unplanned, there ended up being a lot of miscommunication between me and Josh. Like, I didn't realize I had to pack his tennis shoes. He didn't pack them, either. He walked the park in Adidas sandals. Not ideal, at all.
Next time, if we want to stay for the fireworks, we're going back to the hotel in the middle of the day to nap and rest. We left the park around 8:30, 9:00. Fireworks are at 10. And I so badly wanted Jack to see them, but he was getting so exhausted, (as were we) I don't think he would have made. And since we left before the fireworks and night parade, we had a heck of a time getting out the park. People started sitting and getting comfortable for the parade and fireworks around 6:30, 7:00. That meant to get out, we were weaving between crowds and people who didn't care that they were blocking walkways. That being said, if you're going to stay to watch the fireworks, stay toward the back of the park. Besides the fact that the lines were getting shorter and shorter the closer the time got, it was way less crowded.
Oh! If you buy your tickets online (totally not necessary unless you're doing some sort of package and it makes more sense to), be sure to go up to the ticket window and let them know if it's your first visit or your kids first visit or someone's birthday, etc., because they give you adorable free buttons! I'll be writing on Jack's and sticking it in his baby book! :)
That's all I can think of right now. If I realize I've missed something, I'll be sure to update this and let y'all know.
That being said - as we were walking around the park I kept saying "Next time we go back we need to remember..." I probably said it about a dozen times or more. So, I'm writing down everything I can remember about our trip and all the tips I want to remember for next time! Some of them will sound kind of silly, like why didn't you think of that before you went, but I'm just going to chalk it up to being such an impromptu trip that I didn't have TIME to think of the little things (seriously, we booked the hotel two days before we left!). So here we go:
We stayed in a motel just outside of the Disney parks, and it was a decent motel. I wasn't grossed out to be sleeping there or anything, but next time, I'll definitely be planning our trip on the down times and staying in the park. The motel I found on hotels.com had a base price of $35. After all the fees and taxes, it was $55. Add in the $17 it cost us to park and it probably would just be better to stay at one of Disney's economy hotels and have the constant shuttles to and from the park for free. I know most of the surrounding motels/hotels offer shuttle service, but I don't know the frequency of how often and how late/early they travel. I know the Disney hotels offer shuttles until after the parks close (which depending on the season and the park, can be after midnight).
We packed a lot of snacks and sandwiches for the park, which was great because we spent a minimal amount on food at the park.. but next time, I'm making the sandwiches ahead of time, because in the end my loaf of bread got completely smashed and it was kind of a hassle to make them in the park.
Find out if there are any activities going on in the parks, and go to a different one.. Unless of course you really really want to be there for the activities and you don't mind crowds. This past weekend was one of their Star Wars Weekends, so it seemed like the park was empty just because lots of people were going to Hollywood Studios (or what used to be MGM for those who haven't been there in a while).
It took Jack a couple rides before he really figured out that waiting in line would get him on to this really fun ride, but once he figured it out, he was wonderful waiting in line. He'd just hold our hand or play with the stickers that you'll see employees handing out in the gift shops. But... if you sense a meltdown coming soon, don't take your kid into a line that has cool stuff to play with while you wait (Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh) because they will have a complete temper tantrum when you pick them up and move forward in line. Now, it's really awesome if you kid seems to be getting bored, to go to these rides because they have some freedom to really play. Dumbo was the best because the put you in this giant play room that looks like a circus and give you a buzzer. You let your kid play until your buzzer goes off or they're ready to be done playing.
Park tickets are now plastic, like a credit card, and they have a fancy little code thingy you can scan with your cell phone and it will open up the My Disney Experience app. From there you can connect everyone's card in your group and register for the Fast Passes without even going to the rides. You automatically get three different rides, and then you can check out a station (they're everywhere around the park, just look for the FP+ signs) to get more. We barely had to wait to go on Buzz Lightyear, Peter Pan, and it's a small world... Which is obviously great with a toddler. The longest we stood in line was probably half an hour, and I definitely think that was Jack's max. I ended up holding him a lot and entertaining him by singing songs and playing silly games. Over half an hour of that and we probably would have had several meltdowns.
Use the rider swap and have a plan of when you're going to use it. I had briefly read something about the rider swap on a pinterest blog, but couldn't really remember the details about it... So when Jack finally fell asleep, Josh and I kind of were in a "what do we do now?" mode.. And when we get into that kind of a zone, it's hard to make a decision. We weren't really sure how it worked, and if it was really worth it.. But finally about half an hour into Jack's nap, we decided to pick a ride and try it out. Josh really wanted to ride Space Mountain, so of course we were directly across the park from it.. All you have to do is walk up to the line with your kid who isn't big enough for the ride, ask for a rider swap, and one person waits in line. Once that person is done with the ride, the next person gets to go through the Fast Pass line instead of waiting again. And the best part is, if you have more than one kid, say ages 6 and 3, the 6 year old can ride the ride with the person waiting AND the person switching. Win-win for the 6 year old! I wish we had started doing that earlier, because we probably would have been able to do 3 rides while he was napping instead of just 1.
Going to Downtown Disney first. The plan next time is to drive in the morning, check into the hotel, and hit up Downtown Disney. There are TONS of huge gift stores, and we figure it'll be better to get the souvenir shopping out of the way so we're not wasting time in the park doing it. One of my things is always buying a Christmas Tree ornament on every vacation we take, and I spent a good 15 minutes in Magic Kingdom trying to decide which one to buy. Turns out I could have bought the same ornament at Downtown Disney. Everything you can find IN Disney (seriously, EVERYTHING), can be found in Downtown Disney - and if you're not staying IN the parks, parking for Downtown Disney is free, so it's perfect if you arrive later in the day and don't want to go into the parks for the evening but need something to do. Next time, since Jack will be older, I'll buy something for the characters to sign there instead of waiting until we get to the park.
Sunscreen. Seriously, sunscreen. I know, this is a given, right? But seriously, know your skin and understand Florida.. And DON'T try a new product. Use what you KNOW works. All summer I've been using Jack's 50+ sunscreen. Granted he was mostly covered in the stroller for half the day, but he only slightly got darker in his legs. He didn't even get red or pink. He just has a short line from his legs sticking out of the stroller. Me, on the other hand, have these incredibly attractive blotchy spots from the sunscreen not working. Why? Because I tried something new. I bought (at Josh's request) "regular" sunscreen (aka non-baby sunscreen). It came with a free small spray sunscreen bottle. And I thought "Hey! That'll make applying quick and easy for us!" Besides the fact that you really have no idea if you've gotten even coverage, that crap doesn't stick to your skin if you are physically sweating. Seriously, it was 90+ degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Let me tell you, my shoulders look awesome. I should have just used the baby sunscreen and I would have saved myself a lot of pain. Oh, and bring aloe. Even if you think your sunscreen will properly protect you.
In the next week or so, I'm going to make a complete list of items to pack for a Disney trip. That way, whenever our next Disney trip is, I can just pull up a list, make a few adjustments if necessary (like Jack is out of diapers so we need underwear instead, etc) and just go from there. I'm a list person, and because this trip was so quick and unplanned, there ended up being a lot of miscommunication between me and Josh. Like, I didn't realize I had to pack his tennis shoes. He didn't pack them, either. He walked the park in Adidas sandals. Not ideal, at all.
Next time, if we want to stay for the fireworks, we're going back to the hotel in the middle of the day to nap and rest. We left the park around 8:30, 9:00. Fireworks are at 10. And I so badly wanted Jack to see them, but he was getting so exhausted, (as were we) I don't think he would have made. And since we left before the fireworks and night parade, we had a heck of a time getting out the park. People started sitting and getting comfortable for the parade and fireworks around 6:30, 7:00. That meant to get out, we were weaving between crowds and people who didn't care that they were blocking walkways. That being said, if you're going to stay to watch the fireworks, stay toward the back of the park. Besides the fact that the lines were getting shorter and shorter the closer the time got, it was way less crowded.
Oh! If you buy your tickets online (totally not necessary unless you're doing some sort of package and it makes more sense to), be sure to go up to the ticket window and let them know if it's your first visit or your kids first visit or someone's birthday, etc., because they give you adorable free buttons! I'll be writing on Jack's and sticking it in his baby book! :)
That's all I can think of right now. If I realize I've missed something, I'll be sure to update this and let y'all know.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Well, hello there!
It's certainly been a while, hasn't it? I've thought about updating so much, but as usual, there are just other things that I should be doing.. Like dishes and laundry. Let me back up for a bit, and catch everyone up.
We'll go back to last August. Josh and I celebrated 6 years married by moving to Savannah, GA. Admittedly we were not excited about the move at all, but weren't given a whole lot of choice in the matter. It was either move to Georgia, or move back to Michigan... And well, we figured we'd give Savannah a shot. Best. Decision. Ever.
A month after we moved we started church searching. I started doing searches through Google & Google Maps, picked out a few, wrote them down with their service times and just picked based on their statements & reviews. So Sunday came around and I went back to the computer to make sure I had the correct address for the one we were going to visit.. And I somehow didn't notice that the church we had picked was located in Florida. So... I scrambled to find the list and find church #2. Instead I popped back on Google and just picked the first one that came up. Turns out, Relate Church was doing their 2 year anniversary service, so not only did we learn what the church was all about, but Josh was sitting in one of the random seats with a free movie ticket. Score! They were exactly what we were looking for, so needless to say, we immediately got involved and haven't looked back since.
Shortly after that, I drove up to Michigan. Mom was finally getting her port out and I wanted to be there. While I was there, I was feeling .... off. So, I got a pregnancy test and discovered that I was in fact pregnant. This was pregnancy #5 and I figured it had to be some sort of sign. Josh and I were finally living in the same state again, we found a wonderful church, and now finally, I was pregnant again. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long. This was our first experience with what they call a chemical pregnancy. It kind of depends on what doctor you see, but some consider it a miscarriage, some don't. The only difference I've found is that a lost pregnancy is considered a chemical if it was early enough that there wouldn't be a heartbeat. Many women will have these but never realize it unless they're actually TRYING to have a baby, because they'll put off the symptoms as PMS and they may just start their period a few days late. Anyway, that pregnancy ended as a chemical. It was disappointing, but not the end of the world. We hadn't really been trying, so we figured we'd give it a few months and discuss our options then, especially considering I didn't have a doctor down here yet.
Skip to November, it happened again. I couldn't believe that only two months later I was getting another positive test. I think in my head I was convinced it wasn't real, so we didn't tell anyone. A few days later it proved to be another chemical. So there went pregnancy #6.
At this point, I just wanted to get through 2013, find a doctor and figure out a plan. Because I NEED a plan. I couldn't just keep doing this "winging it" thing. I finally went to a doctor at the end of January and ended up getting an ultrasound to check on my PCOS (polycsytic ovarian syndrome). We discussed a "plan" and went from there.
At the end of February, I got another positive pregnancy test. Pregnancy #7. It was incredibly difficult to handle the anxiety that came with that test. Something in my gut wasn't sitting right, but I worked very hard on not worrying about it, praying about it and trying to find peace with it. So I went to the doctors, got some blood work done and my numbers came back very, VERY low. They thought I was having another chemical. For the next week, I was a mess. In my head, all I heard was "it's over", yet my body wasn't doing anything. If anything, I was still feeling pregnant. So I went back to the doctor the next week and found out all my numbers had gone up. I was in fact still pregnant. We were shocked, to say the least. And if there was ever a moment when you realize you really just need to blindly trust that God is in control, that was the moment.
I went back to the doctor two days later to get an ultrasound to make sure things were progressing appropriately. What I thought was going to be a wonderful, happy day quickly turned into a nightmare. It turned out the pregnancy had implanted in my fallopian tube. For those who don't remember from health class, that's not where it's supposed to implant, and it ends up putting the mother in danger due to internal bleeding that will happen if it isn't caught in time.
Needless to say, hours later, I went into surgery to have the baby & hopefully just a portion of my tube removed. Thankfully, Relate Church stepped up for us and were there immediately. They came and picked Jack up from the hospital, they arranged babysitters for the next day since I stayed over night, they brought us meals, they prayed over us.. It still makes me tear up thinking about how wonderful they were and are.
The pregnancy had progressed further than the doctor anticipated. My tube had started rupturing and I did in fact have internal bleeding. He ended up taking my entire right tube out, so I am now officially lopsided. Recovery was rough physically. My mom flew down first thing the next morning and stayed a week. My mother in law flew over for the next week. Both ended up being a tremendous help and blessing.. If anything just because our toddler can be exhausting for a healthy person, forget someone who is struggling to get out of bed.
Emotionally, I've actually been doing really well. While I was in the hospital, I had a lot of time to just meditate and read the Bible. I won't say that it's been easy, because it hasn't been, and I don't think it ever will be, but I have found peace with everything. I have my "why me?! this is so unfair!" moments, but there is something that I'm learning from this, and somehow going through all this, it's going to help someone else. I haven't figured out how yet, but I know I'll get there.
I'm not sure we'll ever have more kids. It may be because my body isn't cooperating or because we decide to not try again. The reality is, no matter how okay with this I am, the thought of possibly going through it again seems too difficult. We've got a lot that we've decided to focus on right now instead of more children. Josh's sister is getting married in a few weeks, so we've got that we're looking forward to, we're hoping to start training for the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in November, I'm trying to figure out how to set up a support group for infertility/miscarriage/pregnancy loss, we're hoping to have the money to buy a house by September, I'm trying to get my Mary Kay business off the ground here in Savannah, Josh is trying to get more people hired down here so he doesn't have to spend multiple 12+ hour days at the hospitals, etc., etc., etc.
In the end, despite how depressing some of this undoubtedly is, we're happy right now. We've been through a lot in the last 3 years, but through it all, I know we've gotten stronger.. All these trials have brought us here, and we know we are right where we're supposed to be.
I'm going to end this now, as Jack is just waking up from a nap. I hope this finds everyone doing well. I'll try to update soon. :)
We'll go back to last August. Josh and I celebrated 6 years married by moving to Savannah, GA. Admittedly we were not excited about the move at all, but weren't given a whole lot of choice in the matter. It was either move to Georgia, or move back to Michigan... And well, we figured we'd give Savannah a shot. Best. Decision. Ever.
A month after we moved we started church searching. I started doing searches through Google & Google Maps, picked out a few, wrote them down with their service times and just picked based on their statements & reviews. So Sunday came around and I went back to the computer to make sure I had the correct address for the one we were going to visit.. And I somehow didn't notice that the church we had picked was located in Florida. So... I scrambled to find the list and find church #2. Instead I popped back on Google and just picked the first one that came up. Turns out, Relate Church was doing their 2 year anniversary service, so not only did we learn what the church was all about, but Josh was sitting in one of the random seats with a free movie ticket. Score! They were exactly what we were looking for, so needless to say, we immediately got involved and haven't looked back since.
Shortly after that, I drove up to Michigan. Mom was finally getting her port out and I wanted to be there. While I was there, I was feeling .... off. So, I got a pregnancy test and discovered that I was in fact pregnant. This was pregnancy #5 and I figured it had to be some sort of sign. Josh and I were finally living in the same state again, we found a wonderful church, and now finally, I was pregnant again. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long. This was our first experience with what they call a chemical pregnancy. It kind of depends on what doctor you see, but some consider it a miscarriage, some don't. The only difference I've found is that a lost pregnancy is considered a chemical if it was early enough that there wouldn't be a heartbeat. Many women will have these but never realize it unless they're actually TRYING to have a baby, because they'll put off the symptoms as PMS and they may just start their period a few days late. Anyway, that pregnancy ended as a chemical. It was disappointing, but not the end of the world. We hadn't really been trying, so we figured we'd give it a few months and discuss our options then, especially considering I didn't have a doctor down here yet.
Skip to November, it happened again. I couldn't believe that only two months later I was getting another positive test. I think in my head I was convinced it wasn't real, so we didn't tell anyone. A few days later it proved to be another chemical. So there went pregnancy #6.
At this point, I just wanted to get through 2013, find a doctor and figure out a plan. Because I NEED a plan. I couldn't just keep doing this "winging it" thing. I finally went to a doctor at the end of January and ended up getting an ultrasound to check on my PCOS (polycsytic ovarian syndrome). We discussed a "plan" and went from there.
At the end of February, I got another positive pregnancy test. Pregnancy #7. It was incredibly difficult to handle the anxiety that came with that test. Something in my gut wasn't sitting right, but I worked very hard on not worrying about it, praying about it and trying to find peace with it. So I went to the doctors, got some blood work done and my numbers came back very, VERY low. They thought I was having another chemical. For the next week, I was a mess. In my head, all I heard was "it's over", yet my body wasn't doing anything. If anything, I was still feeling pregnant. So I went back to the doctor the next week and found out all my numbers had gone up. I was in fact still pregnant. We were shocked, to say the least. And if there was ever a moment when you realize you really just need to blindly trust that God is in control, that was the moment.
I went back to the doctor two days later to get an ultrasound to make sure things were progressing appropriately. What I thought was going to be a wonderful, happy day quickly turned into a nightmare. It turned out the pregnancy had implanted in my fallopian tube. For those who don't remember from health class, that's not where it's supposed to implant, and it ends up putting the mother in danger due to internal bleeding that will happen if it isn't caught in time.
Needless to say, hours later, I went into surgery to have the baby & hopefully just a portion of my tube removed. Thankfully, Relate Church stepped up for us and were there immediately. They came and picked Jack up from the hospital, they arranged babysitters for the next day since I stayed over night, they brought us meals, they prayed over us.. It still makes me tear up thinking about how wonderful they were and are.
The pregnancy had progressed further than the doctor anticipated. My tube had started rupturing and I did in fact have internal bleeding. He ended up taking my entire right tube out, so I am now officially lopsided. Recovery was rough physically. My mom flew down first thing the next morning and stayed a week. My mother in law flew over for the next week. Both ended up being a tremendous help and blessing.. If anything just because our toddler can be exhausting for a healthy person, forget someone who is struggling to get out of bed.
Emotionally, I've actually been doing really well. While I was in the hospital, I had a lot of time to just meditate and read the Bible. I won't say that it's been easy, because it hasn't been, and I don't think it ever will be, but I have found peace with everything. I have my "why me?! this is so unfair!" moments, but there is something that I'm learning from this, and somehow going through all this, it's going to help someone else. I haven't figured out how yet, but I know I'll get there.
I'm not sure we'll ever have more kids. It may be because my body isn't cooperating or because we decide to not try again. The reality is, no matter how okay with this I am, the thought of possibly going through it again seems too difficult. We've got a lot that we've decided to focus on right now instead of more children. Josh's sister is getting married in a few weeks, so we've got that we're looking forward to, we're hoping to start training for the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon in November, I'm trying to figure out how to set up a support group for infertility/miscarriage/pregnancy loss, we're hoping to have the money to buy a house by September, I'm trying to get my Mary Kay business off the ground here in Savannah, Josh is trying to get more people hired down here so he doesn't have to spend multiple 12+ hour days at the hospitals, etc., etc., etc.
In the end, despite how depressing some of this undoubtedly is, we're happy right now. We've been through a lot in the last 3 years, but through it all, I know we've gotten stronger.. All these trials have brought us here, and we know we are right where we're supposed to be.
I'm going to end this now, as Jack is just waking up from a nap. I hope this finds everyone doing well. I'll try to update soon. :)
Monday, June 10, 2013
An Overdue Update!
I've been staring at this blank screen for several minutes now and have no idea where to start... I think I'll issue a small warning here, this will probably be slightly depressing. God is good, life is good, but that doesn't mean life has been all sunshine and rainbows.
So I'm going to start in the middle of 2012. Looking back, I should have realized that I couldn't stay on the top of the world forever. At the time, our boy was just about to turn 1 and doing wonderful (still is!). We had just gotten back from a family vacation to Charleston with my parents and sister (and my aunt & uncle joined us for a bit!). We had finally found a new church home. Things were great. And then 3 weeks before Jack turned one, someone very close to us was diagnosed with cancer. Time seemed to drag during treatments, but things are looking up now. We now have a Survivor in the family. :)
In the middle of chemo treatments (early November), Josh and I found out we were pregnant. And hilariously, we were due July 15 (Jack's birthday). It seemed perfect. Some brightness in an otherwise crappy time. And then I miscarried during the week of Thanksgiving. For those who don't know, or don't remember, this was my second miscarriage, as I had one before Jackson. Statistically, you have a 20% chance of having a miscarriage with no known problems. So the fact I had two is not really rare, just unlucky. So I tried to stay positive and wait out the recommended amount of cycles before we started trying again.
Chemo ended a few weeks before Christmas, and radiation started New Years Eve. During that time, Josh's job at Beaumont had taken a bad turn. He was miserable, which in turn made me miserable. For the last several years though, my parents, sister and I had been dreaming and talking of moving to Charleston, SC. We all love the area, and since we all hate the cold and snow, it was a perfect dream. Our biggest hold up was Josh, because the man doesn't hate the cold and snow the way we do.. And he absolutely hates humidity and heat. That was part of our plan when we vacationed there earlier in the year... To see how well Josh would handle it and if he would be interested in the move. And he loved it! We were thrilled! So back to him being miserable ... We all knew that it would be hardest for Josh to find a job in that area. Katie being a teacher means she really could go anywhere once she's ready.. And Mom and Dad were planning it when they retired. So we discussed moving now, just because there were plenty of jobs available down in North Carolina and we figured, we may as well start sooner than later trying to get there. Plus, who knew how long the jobs would be available, and we didn't want to be stuck in Michigan with everyone else down south. If he never found anything in SC, then at least we'd be closer in NC then MI.
Josh started applying for jobs on New Years Day and started interviewing that very next week. Everything went much quicker than I had anticipated, but we soon realized we were doing the right thing ... Because this company he's working for right now, when the CEO called Josh to interview him, said that he needed someone in Salisbury for a couple years until he got the business going in Charleston... !! We were so excited! So now, (it may be a few years longer than we anticipated) we know we'll eventually end up in the same place as everyone else. :) Things were finally looking up again, for the entire family (although, admittedly, they're still upset that we're so far away, but knowing this will bring us closer in the end is worth it!). 2013 was definitely going to be our year!
Radiation was scheduled to end on Valentine's Day. So we all had a special day planned, though not together. Since the last 8 or 9 months had been so hard, Josh and I decided to have Katie babysit (and who would she rather spend Valentine's Day with??? She'll tell you Jack!) and enjoy an evening out. I had been sick for the previous month before this, and was excited to finally be able to relax and have a nice glass of wine (I was on all kinds of medication, and one that I was told if I drink at all on it, I'd be violently sick). So looking at the calendar, I realized I should probably just take a pregnancy test to make sure I could have a glass of wine. And the test came back positive. I was absolutely in shock. Statistically, it should not have happened. The chanced has been so tiny.. So naturally I felt good about this pregnancy. We were going to have a little Halloween baby!
Due to my previous losses, we were monitoring this pregnancy closer. I got the first couple blood draws, and they were fantastic numbers! Then we got an ultrasound. We found a sac, but no baby. But it was still a little early, and quite possibly were just a little off on our dates. Went a week and a half later for another ultrasound and found a heartbeat! This put us almost into the middle of March, only days before Josh and I flew down to Salisbury to look for housing. We spent the weekend down here, then on Sunday I flew back to Detroit and Josh flew to Oaklahoma City for his training. I had another ultrasound that Monday. Everything came shattering back down when we found out we there was no heartbeat. I'm not sure I would have been able to handle it if my mom hadn't been there with me. It was an absolutely horrible week, and I got to throw in a funeral for a boy I grew up with in the middle of it, all with my husband being half way across the country. Since we were moving in two weeks, I was given one week for my body to naturally take care of the miscarriage, and thankfully, it did only a couple days later. Again, I was lucky my mom and sister happened to be over at the time, because I'm not sure how I would have handled it one my own.
I ended up having my check up on the day we moved. Talk about stress... Since it was miscarriage #3, I ended up getting blood work done, looking for any blood diseases. That wait is one of those conflicting waits.. Where you don't want anything to come back positive, but at the same time you do so you can understand why this has been happening to you. Well, one of the tests came back positive. I won't bore you with all details, but it turns out I have a blood clotting disorder where my blood clots too well... Which could mean that when the umblical cord is forming, because the vessels are so small, that my blood could be clotting and cutting off circulation to the cord. So now I'm taking 5 different daily meds/vitamins. It's exhausting, honestly.. But I know it'll be worth it in the end.
On top of that, Josh has been working in Savannah, Georgia every week since we moved here. So Sunday through Thursday I get to experience what it would be like to be a single mom.. And I have the utmost respect for the women who do it.. It's an incredibly hard job. Thankfully, it looks like he'll be working in NC by the end of the month. We'll be looking forward to that. :)
Now we've got so much to look forward to... The cancer is gone! In just 5 weeks our little boy turns 2... I know I'm not supposed to say this yet, but I feel old! I'm looking forward to enjoying a summer with my boys. We've got so much to explore down here.. We have a wedding to celebrate in October (that had I kept the baby we wouldn't have been able to go to).. We will be planning a vacation to Kentucky in March to celebrate some 30th birthdays.. And hopefully, somewhere down the line, a successful pregnancy.
I think that's where I'm going to leave things today. I need to get moving. I've got some Mary Kay product to mail out and grocery shopping to do before nap time. I will try to keep this a little more updated in the future. :)
So I'm going to start in the middle of 2012. Looking back, I should have realized that I couldn't stay on the top of the world forever. At the time, our boy was just about to turn 1 and doing wonderful (still is!). We had just gotten back from a family vacation to Charleston with my parents and sister (and my aunt & uncle joined us for a bit!). We had finally found a new church home. Things were great. And then 3 weeks before Jack turned one, someone very close to us was diagnosed with cancer. Time seemed to drag during treatments, but things are looking up now. We now have a Survivor in the family. :)
In the middle of chemo treatments (early November), Josh and I found out we were pregnant. And hilariously, we were due July 15 (Jack's birthday). It seemed perfect. Some brightness in an otherwise crappy time. And then I miscarried during the week of Thanksgiving. For those who don't know, or don't remember, this was my second miscarriage, as I had one before Jackson. Statistically, you have a 20% chance of having a miscarriage with no known problems. So the fact I had two is not really rare, just unlucky. So I tried to stay positive and wait out the recommended amount of cycles before we started trying again.
Chemo ended a few weeks before Christmas, and radiation started New Years Eve. During that time, Josh's job at Beaumont had taken a bad turn. He was miserable, which in turn made me miserable. For the last several years though, my parents, sister and I had been dreaming and talking of moving to Charleston, SC. We all love the area, and since we all hate the cold and snow, it was a perfect dream. Our biggest hold up was Josh, because the man doesn't hate the cold and snow the way we do.. And he absolutely hates humidity and heat. That was part of our plan when we vacationed there earlier in the year... To see how well Josh would handle it and if he would be interested in the move. And he loved it! We were thrilled! So back to him being miserable ... We all knew that it would be hardest for Josh to find a job in that area. Katie being a teacher means she really could go anywhere once she's ready.. And Mom and Dad were planning it when they retired. So we discussed moving now, just because there were plenty of jobs available down in North Carolina and we figured, we may as well start sooner than later trying to get there. Plus, who knew how long the jobs would be available, and we didn't want to be stuck in Michigan with everyone else down south. If he never found anything in SC, then at least we'd be closer in NC then MI.
Josh started applying for jobs on New Years Day and started interviewing that very next week. Everything went much quicker than I had anticipated, but we soon realized we were doing the right thing ... Because this company he's working for right now, when the CEO called Josh to interview him, said that he needed someone in Salisbury for a couple years until he got the business going in Charleston... !! We were so excited! So now, (it may be a few years longer than we anticipated) we know we'll eventually end up in the same place as everyone else. :) Things were finally looking up again, for the entire family (although, admittedly, they're still upset that we're so far away, but knowing this will bring us closer in the end is worth it!). 2013 was definitely going to be our year!
Radiation was scheduled to end on Valentine's Day. So we all had a special day planned, though not together. Since the last 8 or 9 months had been so hard, Josh and I decided to have Katie babysit (and who would she rather spend Valentine's Day with??? She'll tell you Jack!) and enjoy an evening out. I had been sick for the previous month before this, and was excited to finally be able to relax and have a nice glass of wine (I was on all kinds of medication, and one that I was told if I drink at all on it, I'd be violently sick). So looking at the calendar, I realized I should probably just take a pregnancy test to make sure I could have a glass of wine. And the test came back positive. I was absolutely in shock. Statistically, it should not have happened. The chanced has been so tiny.. So naturally I felt good about this pregnancy. We were going to have a little Halloween baby!
Due to my previous losses, we were monitoring this pregnancy closer. I got the first couple blood draws, and they were fantastic numbers! Then we got an ultrasound. We found a sac, but no baby. But it was still a little early, and quite possibly were just a little off on our dates. Went a week and a half later for another ultrasound and found a heartbeat! This put us almost into the middle of March, only days before Josh and I flew down to Salisbury to look for housing. We spent the weekend down here, then on Sunday I flew back to Detroit and Josh flew to Oaklahoma City for his training. I had another ultrasound that Monday. Everything came shattering back down when we found out we there was no heartbeat. I'm not sure I would have been able to handle it if my mom hadn't been there with me. It was an absolutely horrible week, and I got to throw in a funeral for a boy I grew up with in the middle of it, all with my husband being half way across the country. Since we were moving in two weeks, I was given one week for my body to naturally take care of the miscarriage, and thankfully, it did only a couple days later. Again, I was lucky my mom and sister happened to be over at the time, because I'm not sure how I would have handled it one my own.
I ended up having my check up on the day we moved. Talk about stress... Since it was miscarriage #3, I ended up getting blood work done, looking for any blood diseases. That wait is one of those conflicting waits.. Where you don't want anything to come back positive, but at the same time you do so you can understand why this has been happening to you. Well, one of the tests came back positive. I won't bore you with all details, but it turns out I have a blood clotting disorder where my blood clots too well... Which could mean that when the umblical cord is forming, because the vessels are so small, that my blood could be clotting and cutting off circulation to the cord. So now I'm taking 5 different daily meds/vitamins. It's exhausting, honestly.. But I know it'll be worth it in the end.
On top of that, Josh has been working in Savannah, Georgia every week since we moved here. So Sunday through Thursday I get to experience what it would be like to be a single mom.. And I have the utmost respect for the women who do it.. It's an incredibly hard job. Thankfully, it looks like he'll be working in NC by the end of the month. We'll be looking forward to that. :)
Now we've got so much to look forward to... The cancer is gone! In just 5 weeks our little boy turns 2... I know I'm not supposed to say this yet, but I feel old! I'm looking forward to enjoying a summer with my boys. We've got so much to explore down here.. We have a wedding to celebrate in October (that had I kept the baby we wouldn't have been able to go to).. We will be planning a vacation to Kentucky in March to celebrate some 30th birthdays.. And hopefully, somewhere down the line, a successful pregnancy.
I think that's where I'm going to leave things today. I need to get moving. I've got some Mary Kay product to mail out and grocery shopping to do before nap time. I will try to keep this a little more updated in the future. :)
Monday, March 4, 2013
Furniture for Sale
Hi everyone!
Since we're moving in a few weeks, we're selling the majority of our furniture instead of moving it down south. Let me know if you're interested in any of these pieces. All prices are as marked OR BEST OFFER! (So don't be afraid to negotiate!)
Since we're moving in a few weeks, we're selling the majority of our furniture instead of moving it down south. Let me know if you're interested in any of these pieces. All prices are as marked OR BEST OFFER! (So don't be afraid to negotiate!)
Loveseat: $150
Cushions are slightly worn and probably need to be scrubbed a little bit (we do have a toddler!).
Rocker: $100
In good condition
Glass Bookshelf: $50
(Sorry for the mess with it - We haven't gone through this room yet!)
Glass kitchen table + 4 black chairs: $150
In great condition
Couch + Storage Ottomans: $250
Corner desk: Free
(You would need to come and take this apart yourself - and it was slightly broken when we bought it so we can't guarantee how well it would hold up)
Black wood bookshelf: $30
50" 1080p Panasonic Plasma TV: $400
5 Speaker Surround Sound + Stands: $100
TV stand: $100
Curio Cabinet: $50
CD Spinning Rack (solid oak, holds 200 CDs): $50
Side Glass Table: $25 (This matches the bookshelf)
Message me on facebook or call/text me if you're interested in any of this!
Monday, June 27, 2011
The ECV...
Unfortunately did not work. The doctor actually tried much longer than I was told they would, but I guess I was a really "good sport" about the whole thing. It really didn't hurt at all, so he tried for almost 10 minutes. We did get the baby to spin about 90 degrees, so now it's laying in me side to side. Hopefully the baby will just get the hint and flip the rest of the way on its own!
In most cases, I'll be scheduling the c-section on Friday at my doctors appointment. I will try to update Friday or Saturday with the latest news!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
9 Months!
Well, we made it! I hit the 36 week mark on Friday which means I'm officially 9 months pregnant! I can't believe we made it this far. I thought for sure I wasn't going to make it this far!
I had a doctors appointment and an ultrasound on Thursday. The ultrasound went great! The first thing the tech told us was that the baby has a full head of hair already! I was amazed that you could see it on the ultrasound, but sure enough (once she pointed out what to look for), it was there!! I can't say I'm really surprised about it though, Josh and I both had full heads of hair when we were born, so it would have been a shock to have a bald baby. The baby weighs approximately 7lbs, 3 oz already! If I make it to 40 weeks, we have the possibility of having a 9+ pound baby! Unfortunately, the baby is still breech. It's still possible of the baby spinning on it's own, but the likely hood of that happened are much smaller now.
So, since I don't really want to risk it, we're going into the hospital tomorrow to have an External Cephalic Version done. We have to be there at 7:00am and they'll get me all prepped for it. The procedure will be done around 9:00am, assuming the doctors don't have some sort of emergency. I'll be getting medication to relax the uterus and then I'll have two doctors come in and try to spin the baby! The first doctor who told me about the procedure when I was 34 weeks, Dr. Love, told me that there is a 50% chance of it working. On Thursday, when I saw Dr. Wallace, she told me the chance was as high as 60-70% of success. While those are pretty good odds, I'm still trying to prepare myself for it not working. I was told that the doctors will only try to spin the baby for about 3-5 minutes. I guess it's one of those it's going to work situations, or it isn't. So they don't try for very long because it is uncomfortable (from what I'm told). After they try, whether it is successful or not, I will have to be monitored for an hour or two before I'm allowed to go home. I guess there is a less than 1% chance of the procedure putting me into labor. So while we won't be expecting it, we will be taking the hospital bag with us tomorrow just in case. Speaking of... We should probably install the car seat...
So, what happens if the procedure doesn't work? In most cases, I'll have a c-section done the week of July 10th. But I'm trying not to think about that yet.
I will try to update this tomorrow once we get home and let everyone know how we're doing. Though with my super slacker skills, don't be surprised if I don't update until Tuesday or Wednesday.
Please pray that our baby flips for us! :)
Monday, June 13, 2011
34 Weeks & Counting!
I know it's been a while.. I'm so bad at updating this. I know this is long over due and I'm going to apologize because I know it's kind of going to be all over the place. I'm so scatter-brained right now!
We hit the 34 week mark on Friday! I had a doctors appointment and I got the okay to come off bed rest!!! At 34 weeks, they expect the baby to be developed enough to be delivered, so if I go into labor they won't try to stop it. I was told I still have to take it easy but I can resume all normal activity. I've been slowly trying to get the nursery ready. We've got some baby clothes and sheets washed already, they just need to be folded and put away! Our mounds of baby stuff is slowly disappearing from our living room. I'm hoping I'll be able to fly through the rest of my shower thank yous now, too.
I'm starting to get a little anxious just knowing how much needs to be done before the baby gets here. We've got less than six weeks until our due date, assuming that we make it that far. Of course, I'll be pissed if I end up going past the due date after spending five weeks in bed! But I still need to pack a bag for the hospital.. I really should have done that five weeks ago. At the same time I'm trying to clean some of the house, too. It's a little weird WANTING to clean the bathroom, but since I'm allowed to do stuff, I'm dying to do it.. I just don't physically have the energy to do it. It's amazing how much muscle you loose. My back definitely is not used to carrying all this extra weight in the front of me!
So medically, I'm only 1cm dilated, which is good news. Baby is still being stubborn (I'm sure it's the Italian blood) and is still breech. My doctor said if I make it to 37 weeks then I'll go in the hospital and try a procedure to spin the baby. I would be given a medication to relax my uterus and they would physically try to turn the baby from outside my belly. It only has a 50% success rate, but I figure that's a 50% chance of me being able to deliver vaginally. If I go into labor between now and then, I'd have to have a c-section. I've been praying hard the baby will flip on it's own, but I'm pretty sure I'm already starting to drop so I don't think it'll actually do it on it's own. Hopefully I'm wrong. :)
In non-baby news, Josh and I have decided to sell his car. (He's got a 2003 Focus, if anyone is interested.) We plan on using the money to pay off the rest of my car and get rid of/lower some monthly bills since I'll be home with the baby. So even though I'm allowed to leave the house, I've been trying to mentally prepare myself for being a one car family.
Josh's job is going well. He's really enjoying the work. I'm loving his hours (7-3:30). We finally get to have dinner together at a normal time! It's still taking some adjusting!
Well, I can't think of much else to write. I'll post pictures once we have the nursery complete.. Hopefully in the next week or two. Hope this finds everyone well!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
31 Week Update ... A Little Late
I realize this is past due, but I had a pretty busy weekend and didn't get a chance to update this. Then I went to do it yesterday and I decided to wait since I had an ultrasound today. So, let me back up and start with my appointment last Friday.
My doctor was happy with how I've been handling the bed rest. My cervix has shifted a little forward since being in the hospital, but it's still long and closed. I was measuring ahead of the 31 week curve. Because of measuring ahead, she ordered an ultrasound so we could find out approximately how big the baby is and so we could get a better idea of how long my cervix is.
The ultrasound appointment was today. Our little one is measuring 4 lbs 8 oz and is currently breech. The cervix was measuring at 3.5cm long which is good. That's a pretty average length. The ultrasound tech did say that the cervix might be starting to dilate a little bit, but she couldn't tell me for sure that it was. So, I'm not worrying about it right now.
I have another doctors appointment this Friday and we'll get to discuss all of the results of the ultrasound. I think I'll have quite a few questions by the time I get in there. I'm hoping I'll only have two more weeks of this bed rest stuff.
Other than doctors appointments, our baby shower was this past Sunday. For everyone who was there or sent gifts, thank you SO much for everything! I hope everyone had fun. It was wonderful seeing everyone together!
I will try to remember to update on Friday after my appointment, but if I don't get around to it, I hope everyone has a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!
God Bless
Friday, May 13, 2011
Happy 30 Weeks!
Hi everyone!
I had my first doctors appointment since being the hospital and I like to think that we got good news. I am going to be on my "modified" bed rest for the next four weeks.. That's kind of crappy news.. But, I know it's all for the best.
Basically, since we don't really know what caused the contractions last weekend, we need to err on the side of caution. At this point in my pregnancy my cervix should still be hard, closed and long. Right now I've got two of those three points. The one that I'm lacking is hard.. So my cervix has softened. It's not the end of the world, but since it is soft, I have to be careful not to do too much and put too much pressure on it. Meaning little standing and sitting if I can help it. I'm basically allowed to be up and moving for about three hours a day. So I can shower, fix myself food and go to the bathroom.
So, the goal is to keep the baby in for at least four more weeks. I was told that 34 weeks is a big milestone for the baby and if I can make it that long, our little one won't have to spend TOO much time in the NICU. When I hit 34 weeks, assuming I'm doing well and am not dilated at all, I'll probably have some restrictions removed for the next two weeks. If I don't go into labor in those next two weeks, I was told that at 36 weeks I can start doing cart wheels on my front lawn (don't worry, we'll sell tickets for you all to see that!).
Obviously this is mostly guess work right now. There's no telling how fast I may start to dilate or anything, but it sounds like there is a really good chance we'll end up with a June baby instead of a July baby.
I'm not really sure how Josh is feeling about it, but I'm starting to feel quite overwhelmed by everything. I was really hoping that I'd be doing wonderfully enough at my appointment today that they were going to tell me I was fine and didn't need bed rest. I was definitely disappointed... So there's a good chance that in 4-6 weeks we'll have a baby and I'm not allowed to get out of bed to help get ready for it! I'm just going to keep praying that we have more than 6 weeks. Six weeks.. It sounds so close!
So that was basically my appointment today. I'll be going back every single week from here on out and they'll be checking my cervix for any changes. I am allowed to drive myself to my appointments (it's also the only time I'm allowed to drive.. but hey- at least it'll save on gas!) but since my mom is off on Friday's I made the appointments then. It's helpful to have someone else at the appointments to help remember questions and answers. I'll try to update every Friday or Saturday to let everyone know how things are going.
I am going to leave you with a belly shot tonight. In the last week the baby has definitely gone through a growth spurt. I certainly feel huge! (Seriously, compare this to the last pictures I posted... um.. HELLO BELLY!)
Hope this finds everyone well!
Monday, May 9, 2011
My Mother's Day at Troy Beaumont
For those who haven't heard, I spent the last two days in Labor & Delivery. Little Baby Tenney is still currently cooking, but is being a little stubborn.
We started out in triage where we got good news and bad news. The good news was the fact that I wasn't dilated at all and my cervix was still hard and closed. Bad news was the fact that I was going to have to stay at the hospital for at least 24 hours for monitoring and to stop the contractions. So they ran a bunch of tests and then moved me over to a real room to get me started on treatment.
Saturday evening I had noticed that I was getting quite a few contractions. At first I thought they were Braxton Hicks, but as they started becoming more regular and stronger, I called our on-call doctor. I was getting contractions anywhere from 2-6 minutes apart and over 15 an hour. So he told me to go straight to L&D to get checked out.
We started out in triage where we got good news and bad news. The good news was the fact that I wasn't dilated at all and my cervix was still hard and closed. Bad news was the fact that I was going to have to stay at the hospital for at least 24 hours for monitoring and to stop the contractions. So they ran a bunch of tests and then moved me over to a real room to get me started on treatment.
I had a rough first night there. Evidently I was dehydrated (which none of us can figure out how that happened because I drink 70+ ounces a day) so they were having trouble finding my veins to hook me up to the IV. After busting one of my veins and poking me two more times, they eventually put the IV into the inside of my elbow. I guess that's not an ideal spot for them because they use a thicker IV than most other areas of the hospital so if you bend your arm at all and cut off the medication, machines start going crazy with beeping. So for the first 6 hours at the hospital, I'd have to call in the nurse to reset everything at least twice an hour. Once they got the IV in me, they started me on magnesium to stop the contractions. It's a 24 hour drip and the first half an hour they triple the dosage to get things started. It's quite an uncomfortable medication to have in your system. It's basically a muscle relaxer so for 24 hours I wasn't allowed to get out of bed. They also gave me a steroid shot in the butt to help progress the baby's lung development in case I did go into labor. So the first night was rough, especially with sleeping. I finally kicked Josh out of the hospital at 1:00ish while I tried to get some rest. At 1:30 they brought in a CRNA to see if she could find a better vein for my IV since it kept going off so much. After half an hour and 4 more pokes, they still couldn't find one to use so they just tried to adjust my current one. Thankfully, that did the trick and I didn't have any more problems for the rest of the stay. I did sleep about 1-2 hours the first night.. It was my first ever over night hospital stay and between having to call the nurse for the bed pan every two hours to pee and all of the different noises, it was difficult trying to rest.
Josh came back up in the morning around 8:00. My doctor came in probably about half an hour later. My cervix was still hard and closed, about 2-2.5 cm long, which is really good. He went over all of my test results, and the biggest one was the Fetal Fibronectin test and that came back negative. This was a major relief for us because when the test comes back negative, it means you have a less than 1% chance of delivering in the next two weeks. So our biggest concern was just getting the contractions to stop. The doctor okay'd a clear liquid diet for me while I was on the magnesium, which was pretty good. It was nice to get something besides ice chips in my stomach.
After that, we had a pretty quiet day. Both of our parents (and my sister) came up to visit with us. Thanks to my sister, she brought up the Mother's Day gifts I had for our mom's, so we did get to celebrate a little bit, even if I was stuck in the hospital.
About 5:00pm the magnesium was really starting to bother me. It was causing chest tightness and I was getting hot flashes. The nurse turned the temperature down to 55 degrees in the room and they still had to put wash cloths dipped in ice water to try to cool me down. They ended up stopping the magnesium about an hour early since I was struggling with it so much. On top of the symptoms from the magnesium, I was also dealing with extreme heart burn from the lack of solid food. Once I got off the magnesium, I did start to cool off, but I also started shaking really badly. After an hour I was allowed to try to eat solid food and allowed to use the bathroom with assistance. Getting up the first time was rough - I was quite dizzy and not very steady, but quite excited about being able to use the toilet! Hahaha. It took me almost two hours just to eat a little bit of fruit, half a yogurt and half a ham sandwich. The shaking did subside after a few hours, and with the help of an antacid, while I was sitting the heartburn went away. Although when I did lay down for the evening I still had some of the effects of the magnesium so my chest was still tight. At 11:00 I got another steroid for the baby. Around 11:30ish they gave me a fairly strong pain killer that was safe for the baby but would also help with the remaining contractions that I was having and help me sleep. Unfortunately it made me incredibly dizzy, but I was able to sleep most of it off. Josh went home right after I got the pain killer since it was obviously knocking me out, plus he had to work today. So I finally got to sleep last night. I slept for about two hours a time, only waking up to go to the bathroom. Throughout the night my contractions got a lot better. I was only having one or two an hour and they didn't even wake me.
And that brings us to this morning! My doctor came in around 9:00 and did a quick exam. While she said that my cervix felt a little soft, it was still closed and long. I was discharged and I am on modified bed rest. Basically I have to be laying down at least one hour every morning, afternoon and evening, and the rest of the time I can be sitting with my feet up. I'm not allowed to do any chores (poor Josh) but I am allowed to get up to make myself meals and go to the bathroom. I'm also allowed 5 minute showers. I have to make an appointment for later this week where I'll get an ultrasound to check the baby and cervix (although the baby did quite wonderful throughout this whole thing - s/he never got stressed at all). I'm sure there will be lots to discuss at my next appointment - I've already started a list of questions to ask. I'm sure I'm going to be watched carefully from here on out.
So there's the latest news. While I would have rather not have all this happen, we really did have a great experience with the hospital. Everyone there were all wonderful and we were never out of the loop. I've already even met the lactation specialist and we discussed what would be expected for nursing if I do in fact have this baby early.
I think I've covered all of the big stuff - And since I'm home for good now, I will try to update this more frequently, especially as we start getting more news about what will be happening with the baby.
Hope this finds everyone well.
Friday, May 6, 2011
29 Weeks
So, Erin pointed out that I hadn't posted any new belly pics recently... So here they are! We've only got 11 weeks to go!
In the black shirt, I'm 25 Weeks.
In the purple, I'm 28 weeks, 5 days.
Hope this finds everyone well.
God Bless.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Happy Tuesday!
I apologize for letting this go so long without an update. These past few weeks have just flown by and we've been quite busy.
Our birthdays were at the beginning of the month, which most of you know. They were pretty quiet compared to some previous years, but still wonderful. Thanks to many relatives, we were able to purchase a video camera. We're both excited about being able to capture the little one in the future.
Josh starts his new job next Monday. He's definitely ready for something new. And thankfully, just last week we found out that Beaumont found a way to keep us on their insurance so we won't be having to pay for COBRA for those first five weeks. We are both so relieved about that. His first five weeks of training will be unpaid but that isn't such a scary thought anymore since we'll have insurance.
About a month ago, my company moved my location again. I'm now in our Saint Clair Shores office. It is a little closer to home, and is all expressway so I'm not on the road so long, which is nice. Unfortunately, they cut my hours again. I'm back to three days a week with no benefits, which means if I have to go on bed rest early or when I have the baby, I won't be paid. Kind of sucky, but we're trying to make the best of the situation.
Speaking of baby, we're only three weeks away from the third trimester already. It is amazing how quickly the time goes. We've been busy figuring out our registry and deciding how to decorate the nursery. I've been rapidly growing over the last few weeks, as well as the baby. My belly button is nearly flat, which I find fascinating for some reason. It's quite an experience so far. Josh has been able to feel the baby kicking a number of times already, but the little one doesn't want to cooperate around the grandparents at all. I've also been able to see the baby moving around and kicking which is just awesome. I've been feeling great... I even think that whole nesting thing might be starting to kick in a little bit... And I say that because I have never had the desire to scrub our bathroom floor (sure, I've used the wet jet on it, but I've never gotten down on my hands and knees to scrub it).. I just haven't pulled the motivation to actually do it. I figure it's right around the corner. Haha. :)
I'll leave you with some pictures, I took some today just for you! :)
23 Weeks, 4 days
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Happy Almost March!
Hi everyone!
I know it's been a while since I've been on here. I'm officially terrible at updating this thing!
We've had a busy week or two here at our house. We're quite excited because Josh was officially offered the IOM job that he had interviewed for back in November/December. He starts that job in April, which is a little later than we wanted, but we'll make do.
The baby is doing well. I am officially 18 weeks today! I saw my doctor on Tuesday and he is super excited for us and told me that so far I have a perfect pregnancy! Hopefully that stays the same after our first ultrasound this coming Tuesday! We're so excited to see our little one! :)
In other news, Josh's brother Nick proposed to his girlfriend last week! (She obviously said yes!) We are so excited to be gaining an awesome sister!
Also, my little cousin (though he's not so little anymore), Mark, has joined the Army. We are so proud of him! He will be going off to boot camp at the beginning of July and coming home for a couple of weeks in September.
I guess that's it as far as big news goes. Our birthdays are right around the corner now. I'm actually kind of excited about turning 25... I'm not sure why, but I am!
I caught a cold on Tuesday night and I think Josh is now getting it... So needless to say, I'm exhausted and off to bed. I'll leave you with a belly pic that I just took today. I promise that I'll try to start taking more and posting!
Hope everyone is well!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The First One
I can't believe I'm doing this, but here are two baby bump pictures. I guess I'm growing more than I though I was.
This is at 14 weeks, 5 days:
And this is today at 15 weeks, 6 days:
So there you have it. Two belly bump pictures. I'm still quite amazed that I'm showing as much as I am.. I really thought it would take longer.
I hope that if you had to travel in the snow today you made it everywhere safely. And if you were one of the lucky ones like me, I hope you enjoyed the day off! (I spent my day reading and napping!)
Saturday, January 22, 2011
It's Facebook Official
All of our family and close friends have known that we are expecting since Christmas. A special few got to know before Thanksgiving. And now it's facebook official, and to be honest, it's scaring the crap out of me.
I never really expected to get to a point in pregnancy that I actually could share it with the facebook world. It was just safer in my mind to prepare myself for the worst while hoping for the best. But here we are, into the second trimester, a little past 14 weeks along and everyone knows.
Besides being terrified about everyone knowing, I'm doing pretty well. I'm not feeling nearly as sick anymore, which is a blessing. The all day sickness was really wearing me down. And I am finally getting my energy back. Although, if I do too much I immediately need a nap. Thankfully I married a wonderful man who has been nothing but understanding from day one.
I have been thankful that for the most part, I can at least eat whatever I want. Some days it may not taste good, but if I wait a day or two, no problem. The only thing I can't eat is Italian food. I'm not sure what it is, but it makes me feel so sick. I can handle pizza sauce, so it must be something in the herbs and spices or something. I was hoping it would be a first trimester thing and I'd be back to normal by now, but it's not looking promising. :(
I finally got my Christmas decorations down today. I know, total slacker, right? I always have my decorations down on New Years Day, but with being exhausted and feeling sick, it just wasn't happening. After taking down the decorations, I got to take a two hour nap while Josh cleaned the house. Did I mention how wonderful my husband is?
Outside of pregnancy news, Josh spoke to the lady who would be hiring him for the IOM job at Beaumont. They are now hiring three new people and Josh is still their number one choice. She pretty much said that he'd have the job which is fabulous. The only down side is the fact that the new start date would be the first Monday in April. I feel like this is cutting things really close to when the baby is due, especially since we'll be going those first five weeks of training without pay and insurance. Obviously, we'll go on cobra for the month and we do have lots of time before then to save for the no pay part, but that won't make the situation any less stressful. We will get through it, obviously, but it's just difficult for me because I feel like everything is up in the air. I'm a planner, I need everything planned. This being so far away does not allow me to be able to plan.
My job is going okay. Kind of the same as always. I hate the drive, but I'm at least starting to enjoy it out there a little more. Maybe it was my lack of energy that had me hating it, but it's definitely getting better. I still haven't made any decisions about what I'm going to do after the baby comes. Ideally, I'd love to go part time, but as I work four 10 hour days, I'm not sure what the bosses would say to that. That's something I'm hoping I won't have to worry about though for another couple of months.
Sydney turned three at the beginning of the month. I can't believe we've had her for three years already (okay, almost three years). She's finally calmed down a lot.. Not sure if it's because she's just getting older or if the pregnancy has anything to do with it. She's definitely noticed the changes in me and she has become a lot more cuddly (I really didn't know this was possible). Don't get me wrong though, she's still a little turd when she wants to be. Just like a child, right?
I hope this finds everyone well.
Until next time-
God Bless.
PS - Our due date is July 22, 2011!
I never really expected to get to a point in pregnancy that I actually could share it with the facebook world. It was just safer in my mind to prepare myself for the worst while hoping for the best. But here we are, into the second trimester, a little past 14 weeks along and everyone knows.
Besides being terrified about everyone knowing, I'm doing pretty well. I'm not feeling nearly as sick anymore, which is a blessing. The all day sickness was really wearing me down. And I am finally getting my energy back. Although, if I do too much I immediately need a nap. Thankfully I married a wonderful man who has been nothing but understanding from day one.
I have been thankful that for the most part, I can at least eat whatever I want. Some days it may not taste good, but if I wait a day or two, no problem. The only thing I can't eat is Italian food. I'm not sure what it is, but it makes me feel so sick. I can handle pizza sauce, so it must be something in the herbs and spices or something. I was hoping it would be a first trimester thing and I'd be back to normal by now, but it's not looking promising. :(
I finally got my Christmas decorations down today. I know, total slacker, right? I always have my decorations down on New Years Day, but with being exhausted and feeling sick, it just wasn't happening. After taking down the decorations, I got to take a two hour nap while Josh cleaned the house. Did I mention how wonderful my husband is?
Outside of pregnancy news, Josh spoke to the lady who would be hiring him for the IOM job at Beaumont. They are now hiring three new people and Josh is still their number one choice. She pretty much said that he'd have the job which is fabulous. The only down side is the fact that the new start date would be the first Monday in April. I feel like this is cutting things really close to when the baby is due, especially since we'll be going those first five weeks of training without pay and insurance. Obviously, we'll go on cobra for the month and we do have lots of time before then to save for the no pay part, but that won't make the situation any less stressful. We will get through it, obviously, but it's just difficult for me because I feel like everything is up in the air. I'm a planner, I need everything planned. This being so far away does not allow me to be able to plan.
My job is going okay. Kind of the same as always. I hate the drive, but I'm at least starting to enjoy it out there a little more. Maybe it was my lack of energy that had me hating it, but it's definitely getting better. I still haven't made any decisions about what I'm going to do after the baby comes. Ideally, I'd love to go part time, but as I work four 10 hour days, I'm not sure what the bosses would say to that. That's something I'm hoping I won't have to worry about though for another couple of months.
Sydney turned three at the beginning of the month. I can't believe we've had her for three years already (okay, almost three years). She's finally calmed down a lot.. Not sure if it's because she's just getting older or if the pregnancy has anything to do with it. She's definitely noticed the changes in me and she has become a lot more cuddly (I really didn't know this was possible). Don't get me wrong though, she's still a little turd when she wants to be. Just like a child, right?
I hope this finds everyone well.
Until next time-
God Bless.
PS - Our due date is July 22, 2011!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Happy New Year!
Well, I've finally had some time to sit down and update this properly, instead of just whining about how my blog isn't pretty. (Sorry, it was a weak moment)
I hope everyone had a great New Year! We had our 2nd Annual New Years Eve party and I like to think that it was a success. :) When the clock struck midnight we had 15 of our closest and best friends and family with us (though we were missing a few who couldn't be there!). We spent the evening playing some Rock Band, eating, drinking and catching up with everyone. It's really nice seeing people together who we haven't seen in months since they live 500+ miles away.
I had a lot of people asking for the recipes of all the snacks I had out, so this post will include those! (I know, finally, right? It only took me two weeks!) If you have trouble reading them, just let me know and I can help clear things up. I think they're pretty easy to read, but I grew up reading my mom's writing, so I'd understand if you couldn't read it real well.
And again, just because I've been lazy, I apologize if you haven't gotten our Christmas card yet, I swear it's in the mail as we speak! (Or read. Or whatever.)
Anyway, enjoy the recipes and I hope 2011 treats everyone well! I know it's been kind to us so far. :)
Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
Chicken Dip
Cheesy Nacho Dip
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Sorry, it's ugly...
As I'm becoming more familiar with the blogging world, I've realized an awful thing with my blog. It is butt ugly! So then I thought, I could do something cute with it...
Wait, no I can't.
How is it, with a husband as nerdy as mine, I am completely clueless? If all it involved was dragging and dropping a picture, I'd have no problem. It makes me miss the days of livejournal how easy it was to make your journal cute...
Erin - teach me how to make mine cute like yours!!! Hahaha.
On a completely different note... Only 195 more days to go! woot!
Wait, no I can't.
How is it, with a husband as nerdy as mine, I am completely clueless? If all it involved was dragging and dropping a picture, I'd have no problem. It makes me miss the days of livejournal how easy it was to make your journal cute...
Erin - teach me how to make mine cute like yours!!! Hahaha.
On a completely different note... Only 195 more days to go! woot!
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