Follow us as we stumble our way through our first year of life as parents and our second year of marriage!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Hard Times
So many people I know are struggling with things in their life lately.... some small things, some huge, life-changing things. For some reason this song just seems to fit all the mess lately. We all need some help. . . . luckily we have a God who loves us and is there in the midst of it all, even when we can't see His plan.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Not enough pictures
This post is about to cover a wide gamut of things so hang on tight and let's roll....
Momma Love
My dear, sweet, wonderful mom is in the process of retiring right now. A process you say? How can it be a process? Well, my mom has been the director of a really great preschool (after teaching there as well) for many years.... Tomorrow is the last day of "school" for the kids, but she is staying until mid-June to help with some transitional things.
Today the school had a picnic where they honored my mom---giving her a scrapbook filled with artwork and who knows what else from the kids and teachers. On top of that, they dedicated a new art display cabinet to her and it will have a plaque with her name and everything.
I know that there have been a mixture of good times, bad times, hard times, funny times, thankful times at this job and I know that leaving it will be tough for her.....but I am so glad that they thought to honor her. Mom, if I could get you a plaque the size of the wall to leave there I would. And then I would take you on vacation and maybe write your name in the sky because that's how great you are and that's how good of a job you have done. We are all so proud of you and love you so much.
Third 3rd Third 3rd Third Trimester (& a "shameful" secret)
Saturday (tomorrow is Friday) will be 28 weeks..... this is officially, my friends, THE FREAKING THIRD TRIMESTER. What?!?!!!!!!?! Where has the time gone? Some days it feels like time is c..r...a...w..l...i...n...g by and other times it feels like I can't even catch my breath because it is going by so quickly and there is so much left to be done. So. Much.
Everyone tells me that I need to "enjoy this time" and that I will "really miss it" when I am not pregnant anymore. Let me just tell you (cringing slightly with shame on my face, with one eye kind of squinted as I wait for a barrage of comments that I will probably get for this one), I have not really loved being pregnant. Don't get me wrong---I am thrilled that I have a little life inside of me. I am joyful that Tim and I are going to have the extreme honor and responsibility of raising a little girl. I absolutely cannot wait to be a mom. I cannot wait to parent with Tim and watch us grow as a family. But.............. being pregnant? Not so much. I see pictures of other friends who are pregnant now and they have almost all had that famous *glow* and have gained an appropriate amount of weight and you can just feel the cloud-nine-ness oozing out of them at every turn.
Me? Of course I have had moments where I am just blown away by the whole thing (in a good way) and feeling Lierre move is pretty cool. But. But I really hated being nauseous in the beginning. I don't cover all the food groups every day. I've had issues with my iron that still causes me to feel dizzy throughout the day, ranging from a teeny bit of vertigo type feeling to a full fledged lay in the floor while everything gets dark kind of experience. This issue has ranged from having a completely normal day, to days where I can't even finish my shower because if I don't sit down RIGHT NOW then I will pass out. In the past week or two my lower back pain has really increased. Little lady seems to be sitting right on a nerve that shoots down into my butt and into my legs, causing my legs/hip/butt to hurt or to feel tingly. This has really made sleeping difficult. Last night I woke up every thirty minutes to about every two hours.
Have I loved looking at baby stuff? Absolutely.... it has been fun to daydream about her room and plan things I want to do with Lierre when she is born/as she grows. I can't wait to hold and cuddle the mess out of this little girl! Have I been thrilled and excited about looking for and buying maternity clothes? Nuh uh. In fact (I have issues with shopping already), it makes me pretty tense to go and spend money on clothes that I will only be able to wear for a few months (yeah, yeah maybe a second child one day, but you never know). Other people seem to thrive on the attention they receive for being pregnant. I think it is so thoughtful when people ask me how I am doing and things, especially when I can tell that they really care what my answer is. But. Standing up in front of groups of people to "show them my stomach??" It's kind of humorous to me, yes, but I don't revel in feeling like an interesting side show.
It is also interesting for me to be one of the first of my group of friends to have a baby. In Tim's circle, most/many of his friends already have a baby/child or are at least married. In my group, I'm one of the first to get married. I am one of the first to have a baby. It makes for an interesting dynamic when at get togethers with Tim's friends, we fit right on in..... in my group of friends? Most are very supportive and excited, but there is definitely a little gap there. Especially with this time of year (cook outs, holidays, summer, etc) where everyone is slapping on their slinky bathing suits, grabbing a drink after work, tanning like its their job, running every day to keep "their figure".... it has made me feel left out at times. Oh boo hoo, Anna, poor you right? I'm not complaining, REALLY.... most of the time these are just passing thoughts or every day things that I handle. And not for one second would I trade any of the time that I have had with Lierre for any of that. But I always said if I had a blog I would do my best to be as honest as possible on it. There are times where my friends decided on a whim to go on vacation or to go to the beach for the day or weekend. While Tim never would have stopped me, my time these days are spent with him on his days off. We are being careful with money so that we can pay all the bills and have enough for Lierre's things. There are many nights when my friends will go out and I'm putting on my pajamas at 9:00 (let's be honest... 8:30....). There are times I get together with friends and hear about the new person in their lives, a recent date they have been on, or a recent trip they went on with their hubby/wife----and I am so happy for them all. But then when they ask me what I have been doing, I find myself scrambling at times to come up with an answer other than what really pops in my head (which is: compulsively reading/daydreaming/talking about our baby!!).
Annnnnnyways, this sounds like I'm a negative Nancy, but I just thought I'd throw out a few other things. It's therapeutic for me and maybe mildly interesting for you? No? Cool, let's just keep going.
28 WEEKS
This Saturday/28 weeks, Lierre will weigh about 2 and a quarter pounds and is about 14.8 inches from head to heel. She can blink her eyes and may be able to see bright light coming through to her. She is also adding on a little bit of baby fat and the neurons in her brain are going crazy. Keep growing, sweet one.
If you want a laugh for what I have to look forward to after little lady is born, check out this website:
Ten Things They Don't Tell You....
*On a more serious note...*
A couple who is friends of my family just recently gave birth to a little boy.... at 23 weeks. His name is Mason and he needs as many prayers as he can get. He weighed 1 lb and 5 oz when he was born 2 days ago. He has held on strong, but currently has some bleeding in his brain. To stay updated, you can look at their blog: www.ljmatthews.blogspot.com. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly, greatly appreciated.
Momma Love
My dear, sweet, wonderful mom is in the process of retiring right now. A process you say? How can it be a process? Well, my mom has been the director of a really great preschool (after teaching there as well) for many years.... Tomorrow is the last day of "school" for the kids, but she is staying until mid-June to help with some transitional things.
Today the school had a picnic where they honored my mom---giving her a scrapbook filled with artwork and who knows what else from the kids and teachers. On top of that, they dedicated a new art display cabinet to her and it will have a plaque with her name and everything.
I know that there have been a mixture of good times, bad times, hard times, funny times, thankful times at this job and I know that leaving it will be tough for her.....but I am so glad that they thought to honor her. Mom, if I could get you a plaque the size of the wall to leave there I would. And then I would take you on vacation and maybe write your name in the sky because that's how great you are and that's how good of a job you have done. We are all so proud of you and love you so much.
Third 3rd Third 3rd Third Trimester (& a "shameful" secret)
Saturday (tomorrow is Friday) will be 28 weeks..... this is officially, my friends, THE FREAKING THIRD TRIMESTER. What?!?!!!!!!?! Where has the time gone? Some days it feels like time is c..r...a...w..l...i...n...g by and other times it feels like I can't even catch my breath because it is going by so quickly and there is so much left to be done. So. Much.
Everyone tells me that I need to "enjoy this time" and that I will "really miss it" when I am not pregnant anymore. Let me just tell you (cringing slightly with shame on my face, with one eye kind of squinted as I wait for a barrage of comments that I will probably get for this one), I have not really loved being pregnant. Don't get me wrong---I am thrilled that I have a little life inside of me. I am joyful that Tim and I are going to have the extreme honor and responsibility of raising a little girl. I absolutely cannot wait to be a mom. I cannot wait to parent with Tim and watch us grow as a family. But.............. being pregnant? Not so much. I see pictures of other friends who are pregnant now and they have almost all had that famous *glow* and have gained an appropriate amount of weight and you can just feel the cloud-nine-ness oozing out of them at every turn.
Me? Of course I have had moments where I am just blown away by the whole thing (in a good way) and feeling Lierre move is pretty cool. But. But I really hated being nauseous in the beginning. I don't cover all the food groups every day. I've had issues with my iron that still causes me to feel dizzy throughout the day, ranging from a teeny bit of vertigo type feeling to a full fledged lay in the floor while everything gets dark kind of experience. This issue has ranged from having a completely normal day, to days where I can't even finish my shower because if I don't sit down RIGHT NOW then I will pass out. In the past week or two my lower back pain has really increased. Little lady seems to be sitting right on a nerve that shoots down into my butt and into my legs, causing my legs/hip/butt to hurt or to feel tingly. This has really made sleeping difficult. Last night I woke up every thirty minutes to about every two hours.
Have I loved looking at baby stuff? Absolutely.... it has been fun to daydream about her room and plan things I want to do with Lierre when she is born/as she grows. I can't wait to hold and cuddle the mess out of this little girl! Have I been thrilled and excited about looking for and buying maternity clothes? Nuh uh. In fact (I have issues with shopping already), it makes me pretty tense to go and spend money on clothes that I will only be able to wear for a few months (yeah, yeah maybe a second child one day, but you never know). Other people seem to thrive on the attention they receive for being pregnant. I think it is so thoughtful when people ask me how I am doing and things, especially when I can tell that they really care what my answer is. But. Standing up in front of groups of people to "show them my stomach??" It's kind of humorous to me, yes, but I don't revel in feeling like an interesting side show.
It is also interesting for me to be one of the first of my group of friends to have a baby. In Tim's circle, most/many of his friends already have a baby/child or are at least married. In my group, I'm one of the first to get married. I am one of the first to have a baby. It makes for an interesting dynamic when at get togethers with Tim's friends, we fit right on in..... in my group of friends? Most are very supportive and excited, but there is definitely a little gap there. Especially with this time of year (cook outs, holidays, summer, etc) where everyone is slapping on their slinky bathing suits, grabbing a drink after work, tanning like its their job, running every day to keep "their figure".... it has made me feel left out at times. Oh boo hoo, Anna, poor you right? I'm not complaining, REALLY.... most of the time these are just passing thoughts or every day things that I handle. And not for one second would I trade any of the time that I have had with Lierre for any of that. But I always said if I had a blog I would do my best to be as honest as possible on it. There are times where my friends decided on a whim to go on vacation or to go to the beach for the day or weekend. While Tim never would have stopped me, my time these days are spent with him on his days off. We are being careful with money so that we can pay all the bills and have enough for Lierre's things. There are many nights when my friends will go out and I'm putting on my pajamas at 9:00 (let's be honest... 8:30....). There are times I get together with friends and hear about the new person in their lives, a recent date they have been on, or a recent trip they went on with their hubby/wife----and I am so happy for them all. But then when they ask me what I have been doing, I find myself scrambling at times to come up with an answer other than what really pops in my head (which is: compulsively reading/daydreaming/talking about our baby!!).
Annnnnnyways, this sounds like I'm a negative Nancy, but I just thought I'd throw out a few other things. It's therapeutic for me and maybe mildly interesting for you? No? Cool, let's just keep going.
28 WEEKS
This Saturday/28 weeks, Lierre will weigh about 2 and a quarter pounds and is about 14.8 inches from head to heel. She can blink her eyes and may be able to see bright light coming through to her. She is also adding on a little bit of baby fat and the neurons in her brain are going crazy. Keep growing, sweet one.
If you want a laugh for what I have to look forward to after little lady is born, check out this website:
Ten Things They Don't Tell You....
*On a more serious note...*
A couple who is friends of my family just recently gave birth to a little boy.... at 23 weeks. His name is Mason and he needs as many prayers as he can get. He weighed 1 lb and 5 oz when he was born 2 days ago. He has held on strong, but currently has some bleeding in his brain. To stay updated, you can look at their blog: www.ljmatthews.blogspot.com. Your thoughts and prayers are greatly, greatly appreciated.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Mother's Glucose Carnival Baby Sweets
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| 26 weeks 3 days |
Ok, so this picture isn't good at all and kind of far away, but I figured if I kept waiting for a time where Tim and I were both together, not dressed in pajamas, and not rushing somewhere, we would never get a picture. My hair is wet because I'd just showered, so ignore that part. That's me and Lierre at 26 weeks and 3 days. Little bump is just growing right along and I am getting more excited to meet her every day.
Tomorrow morning I am going to take my 1 hour glucose test. Pleaaaase pray and cross your fingers that I pass the one hour and don't have to do the stinking 3 hour test. That just sounds awful to me.
This week Lierre's ears are more sensitive than ever. The websites say that she can probably even hear Tim's voice when we are chatting---when I told Tim this he thought about it throughout the day and then later that night said the sweetest "good night" to Lierre, so much so that I got a little teary eyed. However, my emotions have been a pogo stick this week, so it could just be that (but I don't think so). Also she is practicing breathing--keep it up little lady, get as strong as you can!
My lower back and hips have been killing me this week. I mean the worst ever. One night it was so bad that I kept both Tim and myself up by tossing, turning, getting up, rearranging, moaning, etc all night long. Since then it hasn't been quite as bad, but still pretty bad. I need some prenatal yoga or something to help stretch it out. Other things I have been thinking about this week---reading up on/deciding on some big "items" for baby like car seats, carriers, strollers and the like. Also I have been trying to read up on making a birth plan.... While I know birthing tends to be full of surprises sometimes and I need to be flexible, I also want to be informed on just about everything so that if x, y, z happens I will know what is going on and can keep it together a little better (so I like a little control, so sue me....).
I didn't feel very good yesterday. Thankfully with the cuddles of this sweet pup and some home cooked food from mom, I am feeling much better today!
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| MY FIRST MOTHER'S DAY CARD EVER |
Mother's Day was this past Sunday. We spent some nice time with my mom and my family. I got a few cards which made me feel very special. Throughout the day (Debbie Downer alert), however, I had many different kinds of mothers on my heart. I couldn't help but think of certain people I know (including family members) who have lost their little ones in the past year or two and how they must be feeling--I can't even fathom it. The emptiness they must feel in their arms and in their hearts must be so overwhelming. I thought about women who have issues with infertility and my heart broke for them, too. Once again I can't imagine what it must feel like to try so hard and want and wait and pray for a child and not be able to conceive. Here's to hoping for miracles for all of you. And lastly I thought about birth mothers who have had to give up their little ones for whatever the reason. No matter what their situations, I am sure there was at least a moment, if not many moments, where they missed the little ones that they gave up, where they imagined the "what ifs" and felt such a longing for their little ones...... If you fall into any of these categories, you were on my heart on Sunday and I said many prayers for you all.
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| Serious Timmy at the carnival |
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| Carnival fun |
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| Yummy chicken recipe that is the easiest thing ever that I tried this week |
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| I made these. JUST kidding, we got them in NY and I've been missing them ever since. |
That's all for now---I will let everybody know the results of the glucose test later. As always, thanks for your support, your kind words, reading these silly posts of mine, and just generally being awesome.
Monday, May 7, 2012
25 weeks!
Tim and I spent a few lovely days in NY/CT..... but there will be more info and a few pics on that later!
We are at 25 weeks as of this past Saturday!! Not anything too thrilling except that there is about a 50% chance that if I gave birth today, my baby would survive (given, with serious medical intervention and probably long-term effects). That's pretty exciting news..... but I would prefer if Lierre kept baking away for about oh, 15 weeks or so.
Baby's size: about 13 and a half inches and about a pound and a half. If you want the veggie comparison, she's about the size of a Rutabaga. She's starting to get a little fat on her and if I could see her hair right now (if she has any), I would be able to tell what color it is.
Sleep: It is silly how hard it is for me to roll over at night. I have always been a side sleeper, and a left side sleeper at that, but for some reason I keep waking up on my back (which is what I'm supposed to be avoiding!). Go figure. Tim and I stayed at a hotel for 2 nights of our trip and it had the most glorious, squishy, perfect King sized bed. Such great sleep. But here back at home, it is a little more difficult.
Food cravings: Unfortunately many, many sweet things. And still turkey sandwiches. And at this exact moment, a Green Peace Roll from Imperial Koi (check it out next time you are there).
Symptoms I have: Nothing too crazy. Just the normal going to the bathroom every five minutes. My hips have been hurting off and on again, but I've got it under control. =]
Next Doctor's Appointment: May 16th for my Glucose test. I hear horrible things about it.... what was your experience like if you have had it? After that I will go back in about two weeks to get my Rhogam shot since my blood type and Tim's are opposites.... A negative and A positive. I think after that I will begin going every two weeks.
Movement: Pretty stinking big movements. Tim got to feel her a few times over the past few days. I think for him it is a mixture of shock, excitement, and ewww weird.
Belly Button: Still an innie, but almost a nothing it is so shallow. I don't want an outtie. :-(
What I'm looking forward to: registering for baby girl's things on Tim's next days off and getting her nursery room cleared out and cleaned up.
What I miss: I don't even like drinking really, but there have been a few times lately where it would have been so nice to have a fruity alcoholic drink or some wine with friends. Oh, and feeling decent in a bathing suit!
As soon as Tim and I ever have a second together and think about taking a picture instead of just hanging out, I will post a belly picture.... it's huge.... so just hold your horses!
We are at 25 weeks as of this past Saturday!! Not anything too thrilling except that there is about a 50% chance that if I gave birth today, my baby would survive (given, with serious medical intervention and probably long-term effects). That's pretty exciting news..... but I would prefer if Lierre kept baking away for about oh, 15 weeks or so.
Baby's size: about 13 and a half inches and about a pound and a half. If you want the veggie comparison, she's about the size of a Rutabaga. She's starting to get a little fat on her and if I could see her hair right now (if she has any), I would be able to tell what color it is.
Sleep: It is silly how hard it is for me to roll over at night. I have always been a side sleeper, and a left side sleeper at that, but for some reason I keep waking up on my back (which is what I'm supposed to be avoiding!). Go figure. Tim and I stayed at a hotel for 2 nights of our trip and it had the most glorious, squishy, perfect King sized bed. Such great sleep. But here back at home, it is a little more difficult.
Food cravings: Unfortunately many, many sweet things. And still turkey sandwiches. And at this exact moment, a Green Peace Roll from Imperial Koi (check it out next time you are there).
Symptoms I have: Nothing too crazy. Just the normal going to the bathroom every five minutes. My hips have been hurting off and on again, but I've got it under control. =]
Next Doctor's Appointment: May 16th for my Glucose test. I hear horrible things about it.... what was your experience like if you have had it? After that I will go back in about two weeks to get my Rhogam shot since my blood type and Tim's are opposites.... A negative and A positive. I think after that I will begin going every two weeks.
Movement: Pretty stinking big movements. Tim got to feel her a few times over the past few days. I think for him it is a mixture of shock, excitement, and ewww weird.
Belly Button: Still an innie, but almost a nothing it is so shallow. I don't want an outtie. :-(
What I'm looking forward to: registering for baby girl's things on Tim's next days off and getting her nursery room cleared out and cleaned up.
What I miss: I don't even like drinking really, but there have been a few times lately where it would have been so nice to have a fruity alcoholic drink or some wine with friends. Oh, and feeling decent in a bathing suit!
As soon as Tim and I ever have a second together and think about taking a picture instead of just hanging out, I will post a belly picture.... it's huge.... so just hold your horses!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Why our Sunday was anything but relaxing...
Yesterday was a pretty busy, happy day for me. I went to a nice sale with my mom and got baby Lierre some lovely things for her room and burp cloths, had lunch with her, and got some important cleaning down. However, all day in the back of my mind I noticed how I hadn't felt Lierre moving much. For the past week she has been making herself known, punching and jabbing and waking/keeping me up. Yesterday I only felt a few little flutters in the morning (when she is always the most active), and a few in the evening. I was relieved that I had felt her move, but concerned that it wasn't as much as normal.
This morning I woke up and concentrated all my might on her and told myself I would feel her and then go on about my day. Five minutes past, ten minutes..... I decided to roll over since this normally jolts her a little bit. Another five minutes. Nothing. I got up and went to the bathroom and purposely jumped kinda hard into bed again and lay there, hands on my stomach, breathing slowly, concentrating.... nothing. I drank a half a bottle of water, sat up and moved around. I felt one or two teeny tiny flutters. The flutters were reassuring, but it was definitely not her good morning pokes that I have been feeling. I kept waiting to feel some more. Nothing. Then I decided maybe I needed something cold or with sugar. I filled and drank two glasses of orange juice with ice. Ate breakfast. Not a nudge. Maybe I wasn't being active enough?? I decided to walk my dog and then lay down again. One little flicker of movement and then nothing.
At this point I didn't know what to think. Sure, I had felt her move which was a great sign. But where were her big movements? Where was the pattern that I have grown used to? Where were her morning pokes that wake me up and keep me up every day?
Long story short, after much hemming and hawing Tim convinced me to call the on-call nurse at my office (I hate phone conversations, I hate feeling like I am "overreacting"). After describing the decrease in movement I heard the nurse say "I think it is best if you go ahead and go to Women's Hospital and go to triage and they will check you there." I hung up the call as best as I could and tried to tell Tim as calmly as I could. We kept reassuring each other that we had felt her, so that was good, but let's go ahead and head that way. More than once Tim and I ran into each other getting changed and getting our things together. At one point I watched him and asked "Do you feel like me where you have no idea what you are doing or why you even came in a certain room?" His answer was yes. I got teary eyed but sternly told myself to get it together and to not panic. While brushing my teeth my prayers went something like this "Oh God, oh God..... please God..... ok, ok, your will God..... but please God.... need peace..... be with us.... *insert static sound while I can't think of anything else to say.*" The drive there was fine.... Tim was driving extra carefully (for him) and I was snapping at him to go faster (unusual for me).
We got checked in and almost immediately got taken back into a room. Glad that they were taking us seriously, nervous that everything was going so fast. They used the doppler to listen for a heartbeat. And sweet relief, oh lovely joy there it was.... as strong as can be. But then they wanted me hooked up to a monitor for about a half hour just to be perfectly sure. I had to click a button every time I felt her move. I told my mom (who showed up to support us) that I felt like clicking was like having to take a test I didn't study for. Tim and my mom tried to talk to me and ask questions and keep up a running conversation since we had felt her move (she HATED the monitor and immediately started kicking) and heard her heart. But I was completely zoned out. It was that or break down sobbing in the room for first being so worried to then being so happy. When we got the ok to leave and walked outside it was like I was taking my first breath all day.
I then proceeded to binge eat my feelings the rest of the evening haha.
Long story short--- Tim and I are both so happy and thankful that everything is ok. I am glad that we went for peace of mind. God is good.
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| My hospital bracelet |
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| To make ourselves feel better, we got my dog a bone that is way too big for him. |
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| He was excited. |
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| This has nothing to do with anything, I just made them earlier in the week and they were awesome. |
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Happy 23 weeks!
Eeeeekk.... sorry it has been so long since I/we posted anything! The last week has been pretty stinking busy. Where to begin? Hmmm. I guess we will start with Friday night when we picked up Tim's dad from the airport. Every year for the last 3 years Tim has put together a hockey game at the Ice House to raise money for the families of officers in Winston-Salem who have lost loved ones in the line of duty. It is a ridiculous amount of work and Tim diligently and selflessly does it---everything from setting up ice time, to designing and ordering t-shirts, visiting restaurant after restaurant to receive donations for us to raffle off, to organizing the teams and more. It is a pretty big deal. Anyways, we were lucky to have Tim's dad stay with us for a few days to come and see the hockey game. We would have loved for his mom to be here, too, but unfortunately she is battling breast cancer (and winning I think!) and with her doctor's appointments couldn't make it. We will see you there next year!
So, Saturday was the game. It was a great time (What was the score you ask? Ah... uhmm.... well... I think Winston won haha) and a lot of money was raised for scholarships and other things. We were blessed enough that Cafe Pasta rented out the entire place for free for the players and families afterwards and we were treated to some delicious food and a two person band. It was a nice way to relax and unwind after the busy events leading up to the game.
Sunday we took Tim's dad to the Asheboro zoo since he had never been. It was a pretty warm day, but pretty much the perfect day to munch on Dippin Dots while we looked at animals. Lemme tell you.... the zoo is huge. Anyone around here knows that much. But if felt even bigger lugging around a baby in my tummy while walking. Did you know that at the zoo the land is like a triangle?..... no matter which side you come from, you are walking up hill for half of it. Phew. Tim was a sweetheart as always and made sure to give me ample breaks and make sure we were doing well.
Monday we went to Celebration Station after going out to breakfast to play putt-putt against Tim's dad. Also, very hot. My feet officially have flip-flop tan from the morning. Then we visited my mom who had rotator-cuff surgery earlier in the week and rushed home to get his dad's luggage and then take him all the way back to the airport (we live nowhere near the airport).
These were just the big moments from the week. . . not even including all the normal day-to-day stuff like laundry and walking the dog and cleaning and eating..... oh, not to mention we went to the doctor on Wednesday! What a mess that appointment was. The whole point of us going to the doctor that day was to get another ultrasound since they couldn't see Lierre's (Lee-air.... Lee-air.... keep practicing, it gets easier) heart well and so that we could start rotating doctors and meet everyone. We were all the way through with a rushed visit with my first "new" doctor and he was out the door before Tim called out "Aren't we supposed to get an ultrasound today?" The doctor assured us no, no we were not. I had to explain they couldn't see Lierre's aorta last time and blah blah blah and oh, what do you know, it was written right there on our file and they had just forgotten to schedule us that day. I mean, I understand that everyone makes mistakes. It's just the fact that that was the sole reason for us to go. The only reason we had to go back. And then they didn't even read our file to know anything about us. And then told us we were wrong. All in all it made me much more uneasy about staying at this practice. I really like my own personal doctor, but the though of being shuffled around for the next 4 months meeting people who know nothing about us and may not be as supportive as my own doctor during delivery for my laboring wishes really makes me pause and my skin crawl a little bit. Ehhh.... I was in a bad mood the rest of the afternoon. Not because they made a mistake, but because I felt like nothing more than a chart that day.
Anyways, after waiting another hour there was (thankfully) a cancellation in the ultrasound part of the practice and we got to see our little lady. The ultrasound tech was MUCH nicer this go 'round which made me feel better. Lierre is weighing in at 1 pound 3 ounces and her heart rate fluctuated between 142-149 beats a minute---she is right on track.
She is so special to us already. It is amazing how much she is on my mind and I have not even met her yet. I don't think I can go 5 minutes without my mind wandering to her.
My own stats at the doctor: I have gained almost 10 pounds since my first doctor's visit. This is pretty normal I suppose. What my thinking is..... if she only weighs a pound and it has taken 22 weeks (now 23) for her to get there.... and I am so awkward and uncomfortable at times already.... where are her next 5, 6, 7, 8 pounds going to go over the next 18?! It is mind boggling.
Also because I still get so so so dizzy (hence me writing this instead of being in the shower right now) and the heartbeat sound in my ears has gotten so loud I can't hear people talking sometimes.... they checked my iron levels. Mild anemia is from about 11-13 .... my count was at 9.5. So anyways, I'm not having to take extra iron pills every day. I really, really, really hope it helps. It's getting to the point where it is hard for me to do just about anything active sometimes (E.g. yesterday at Edward Mckay's used books, I ended up just sitting in the floor for about 15 minutes).
Also, Lierre is kicking up a storm.... it is getting a little stronger every day. It has mostly felt like pokes and jabs, but this morning Tim and I both got to feel her move across a portion of my stomach. Maybe a foot or an elbow?? It was very exciting and kind of tickled.
Anyways, off to begin the super long process that is showering/drying hair/trying not to pass out. Enjoy her sweet pictures.... I know we have been!
So, Saturday was the game. It was a great time (What was the score you ask? Ah... uhmm.... well... I think Winston won haha) and a lot of money was raised for scholarships and other things. We were blessed enough that Cafe Pasta rented out the entire place for free for the players and families afterwards and we were treated to some delicious food and a two person band. It was a nice way to relax and unwind after the busy events leading up to the game.
Sunday we took Tim's dad to the Asheboro zoo since he had never been. It was a pretty warm day, but pretty much the perfect day to munch on Dippin Dots while we looked at animals. Lemme tell you.... the zoo is huge. Anyone around here knows that much. But if felt even bigger lugging around a baby in my tummy while walking. Did you know that at the zoo the land is like a triangle?..... no matter which side you come from, you are walking up hill for half of it. Phew. Tim was a sweetheart as always and made sure to give me ample breaks and make sure we were doing well.
Monday we went to Celebration Station after going out to breakfast to play putt-putt against Tim's dad. Also, very hot. My feet officially have flip-flop tan from the morning. Then we visited my mom who had rotator-cuff surgery earlier in the week and rushed home to get his dad's luggage and then take him all the way back to the airport (we live nowhere near the airport).
These were just the big moments from the week. . . not even including all the normal day-to-day stuff like laundry and walking the dog and cleaning and eating..... oh, not to mention we went to the doctor on Wednesday! What a mess that appointment was. The whole point of us going to the doctor that day was to get another ultrasound since they couldn't see Lierre's (Lee-air.... Lee-air.... keep practicing, it gets easier) heart well and so that we could start rotating doctors and meet everyone. We were all the way through with a rushed visit with my first "new" doctor and he was out the door before Tim called out "Aren't we supposed to get an ultrasound today?" The doctor assured us no, no we were not. I had to explain they couldn't see Lierre's aorta last time and blah blah blah and oh, what do you know, it was written right there on our file and they had just forgotten to schedule us that day. I mean, I understand that everyone makes mistakes. It's just the fact that that was the sole reason for us to go. The only reason we had to go back. And then they didn't even read our file to know anything about us. And then told us we were wrong. All in all it made me much more uneasy about staying at this practice. I really like my own personal doctor, but the though of being shuffled around for the next 4 months meeting people who know nothing about us and may not be as supportive as my own doctor during delivery for my laboring wishes really makes me pause and my skin crawl a little bit. Ehhh.... I was in a bad mood the rest of the afternoon. Not because they made a mistake, but because I felt like nothing more than a chart that day.
Anyways, after waiting another hour there was (thankfully) a cancellation in the ultrasound part of the practice and we got to see our little lady. The ultrasound tech was MUCH nicer this go 'round which made me feel better. Lierre is weighing in at 1 pound 3 ounces and her heart rate fluctuated between 142-149 beats a minute---she is right on track.
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| Why yes, that is her toe touching her nose. |
She is so special to us already. It is amazing how much she is on my mind and I have not even met her yet. I don't think I can go 5 minutes without my mind wandering to her.
My own stats at the doctor: I have gained almost 10 pounds since my first doctor's visit. This is pretty normal I suppose. What my thinking is..... if she only weighs a pound and it has taken 22 weeks (now 23) for her to get there.... and I am so awkward and uncomfortable at times already.... where are her next 5, 6, 7, 8 pounds going to go over the next 18?! It is mind boggling.
Also because I still get so so so dizzy (hence me writing this instead of being in the shower right now) and the heartbeat sound in my ears has gotten so loud I can't hear people talking sometimes.... they checked my iron levels. Mild anemia is from about 11-13 .... my count was at 9.5. So anyways, I'm not having to take extra iron pills every day. I really, really, really hope it helps. It's getting to the point where it is hard for me to do just about anything active sometimes (E.g. yesterday at Edward Mckay's used books, I ended up just sitting in the floor for about 15 minutes).
Also, Lierre is kicking up a storm.... it is getting a little stronger every day. It has mostly felt like pokes and jabs, but this morning Tim and I both got to feel her move across a portion of my stomach. Maybe a foot or an elbow?? It was very exciting and kind of tickled.
Anyways, off to begin the super long process that is showering/drying hair/trying not to pass out. Enjoy her sweet pictures.... I know we have been!
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Eggcelent
Thursday was my last day at my most recent job. Although I have mixed feelings about this, I will not delve any deeper into it at the moment. Instead I will show this picture of some beautiful flowers my husband had waiting for me that afternoon. . .
There's a song that I like that talks about how much God loves us. "I love you more than the sun and the stars that I taught how to shine/ You are mine and you shine for me, too/ I love you/ Yesterday, and today, and tomorrow I'll say it again and again/ I love you more."
Now.... I know almost each and everyone of you just skimmed over those words (who isn't guilty of doing that, especially for stuff like lyrics?). However, I urge you to read that again. God who spent all of this time creating everything beautiful in this world.... taking time to decide where each star should go, each spring flower and beautiful blooming tree, the warm sunshine..... he did all of that and yet it all pales in comparison with how much He loves us. He loves us more than all of that and to save us from ourselves, our imperfections, our relentless tendency to mess up again and again and again.... to give us hope in times of trial or sickness, to give us redemption plain and simple, He gave us Jesus. Jesus lived a life that was every bit as normal as everyone else's at the time--except he did it all perfectly. This is not to say he was never tempted or that he never felt pain--he felt it all just as sharply as the next person. But he was perfect. And instead of leaving us to fail, to drown in hopelessness, to be alone in the world, he resigned himself to selflessly and lovingly take on our flaws, our sins, our brokeness and leave it all on the cross. Because of this selfless act of Jesus, we all have the chance to claim him and to then claim eternal life. Not just life forever....but life after death, life after death in paradise. He loves us so much. I love the JOY and the fresh start that comes with Easter.
That's it for this week..... I have a special egg saved just for you readers.
Isn't he sweet? To top it off, Tim had bought all the "ingredients" necessary to dye Easter eggs!! I love doing them every year and had almost forgotten about them this year in the rush of so many different things going on, so of course I was very excited and eager to make them. Thanks, Tim!
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| The beginning |
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| Hard at work |
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| One of our cartons of finished eggs |
In other news.... many people have been asking us about what our little one's name is going to be. Well, what better way to tell everyone than to put her name on Easter eggs?!?!
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| Yes, this is the same picture, I just like how it is brighter. |
Our little girl's name is going to be: Lierre (Lee-air) Elizabeth Bloch. Lierre is/was my middle name before I got married. It means "Ivy" in French which is my mom's name. Elizabeth is Tim's mom's name and has been passed down many generations in their family... it's also nice that it is my grandmother's name as well. We definitely think we are going to try to go by the full "Lierre," but if we ever do shorten it or people insist on a nickname (which they sometimes do), she will be "Leah" (Lee-uh), not Lee. It's a big name for a little girl, but I think she will handle it well. She's bound to be awesome.
I am 21 weeks today and she is measuring in at the length of a carrot and her eyelashes/eyelids are almost fully formed. I think some early nesting is kicking in because all I do when I sit around is think about how I want to organize and things I can get rid of and things that I need. This doesn't mean that I actually do anything about it, but at least I'm starting to think and feel the urge to get things ready.
Oh, in other exciting news, I'm pretty sure I have been feeling her move for the last 3-4 days. It's pretty cool. I can't wait until I feel it more consistently and especially until Tim can feel her, too!
In other eggcelent news, the reason for this holy week, the reason for Easter, the whole beautiful redeeming part of being a Christian:
Now.... I know almost each and everyone of you just skimmed over those words (who isn't guilty of doing that, especially for stuff like lyrics?). However, I urge you to read that again. God who spent all of this time creating everything beautiful in this world.... taking time to decide where each star should go, each spring flower and beautiful blooming tree, the warm sunshine..... he did all of that and yet it all pales in comparison with how much He loves us. He loves us more than all of that and to save us from ourselves, our imperfections, our relentless tendency to mess up again and again and again.... to give us hope in times of trial or sickness, to give us redemption plain and simple, He gave us Jesus. Jesus lived a life that was every bit as normal as everyone else's at the time--except he did it all perfectly. This is not to say he was never tempted or that he never felt pain--he felt it all just as sharply as the next person. But he was perfect. And instead of leaving us to fail, to drown in hopelessness, to be alone in the world, he resigned himself to selflessly and lovingly take on our flaws, our sins, our brokeness and leave it all on the cross. Because of this selfless act of Jesus, we all have the chance to claim him and to then claim eternal life. Not just life forever....but life after death, life after death in paradise. He loves us so much. I love the JOY and the fresh start that comes with Easter.
That's it for this week..... I have a special egg saved just for you readers.
Thanks for reading, thanks for your kind supportive words!!!
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