Christmas!

Oh my goodness, my little boy is SO SPOILED! Jason and I set a limit for ourselves when it came to buying presents for him, but apparently we were the only ones. Grammie (Deborah) made him several interactive/learning quilt-toy-things. They are so cute. And goodness is that lady creative! And talented. Hopefully I can get my act together and upload some pictures of the things she made him because they are too cute not to show off. Nana (Martha) got him several decorations for his nursery. I am a huge slacker and still have nothing up on the walls, but thanks to Nana I will have the room finished before the end of this week. *fingers crossed* He got a ton of clothes and other toys, too. It was so fun watching him get spoiled by all of our family on Christmas day. He is one loved little boy!

He had a great night last night. I think he is getting sick, so it was possibly the calm before the storm in that respect. We have decided to let him use the paci instead of feeding him when he wakes up at night. We have agonized over this decision, but we figure if we can convince his body that he isn't actually hungry when he wakes in the middle of the night, then we can take the paci away in a few weeks and he will be good to go. Last night he went to bed at 8 (no paci), woke up at 3, cried for 10 minutes (our minimum before we go into his room), I gave him the pacifier, and we woke up for the day at 7:15. It was amazing! (Other than myself having a ridiculous time falling asleep last night for some unknown reason, but whatever.) I'm praying for another night like that tonight!

My Premier business is going strong! I sponsored my first new jeweler today! It is so exciting to share this opportunity with people and to see how excited they get about it, which is exactly how I felt. It is fun doing this with friends, too. Hopefully more people will seize the opportunity to make great money while having fun, and we can enjoy doing it together.

Hopefully I will have a chance to write again before the new year, but if not: God bless and Happy New Year!!

Christmas Break and Jewelry Update

I love teaching for many reasons, and one of those reasons is definitely Christmas break! I get to spend two and a half weeks with my sweet baby boy and other family, relaxing, enjoying time together, and EATING!! I am only two days into my break and have done so much already, including finishing up my Christmas shopping, meeting several friends and possibly new jewelers for lunch, and playing in a poker "tournament" with my Arizona family who is in town visiting. I even won one of the prizes! A $25 gift card to Best Buy, to be exact. So much fun. And Levi has gotten to spend so much quality time with his Gigi (Great-grandma). How blessed he is to have so much family that loves and cares for him. I knew three of my great-grandparents and I treasure the memories I have of them. Levi has met all of his living great-grandparents... all 6 of them! So incredible. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this break and all of the quality time that is going to come with it.

As for the jewelry update:
I had my training show and two other home shows and I am REALLY enjoying it! It is so awesome to see how happy the hostesses are when they get to pick out their free jewelry at the end of their show. And I am already making money! After one more show I will have my total initial investment paid off! So even if I decide I don't want to do this any more I will have lost NOTHING and have gained a TON of jewelry! I think I am going to keep doing it though.

In fact, I just opened a bank account just for me because of this jewelry stuff. It is so weird having money that is "mine." Jason and I have always had a joint account for everything, so now that I have my own it is a strange feeling knowing I can do whatever I want with it. I would love to be able to save up to do something nice and a big surprise for Jason, but I haven't figured out what to do yet. I also want to contribute to a fund for Levi for college or whatever, but I haven't completely figured out the logistics yet. Hopefully I can get it all figured out and get a good system for saving and playing and business stuff so that it isn't too difficult to sort out later. And I hope I can keep my priorities straight as I jump into this new adventure: God, family, everything else...

Surgery tomorrow :-(

Levi is having his surgery tomorrow to correct his circumcision. It should not be a big deal but it is still hard to let go of the worry when my baby boy is going to have full-fledged surgery. Jason and I are both praying about it a lot and would really appreciate any prayers you could share, too. Hopefully we will get it over with early in the morning so we can spend the rest of the day with Levi while he starts to recover. Tomorrow could be a great day or a terrible day, depending on how he reacts to everything. Let's pray it is a great day!

Sick Sick Sick

We have a sick sick baby... again. He woke up on Thursday night barely able to breathe and it kinda freaked me out. He had a terrible seal cough and was really laboring to get his breath. We quickly steamed up the bathroom and took him in there for a few minutes, then took him outside into the cold air. It didn't work right away but it worked in about 20 minutes. I never want to hear him breathing like that again... Jason ended up sleeping on the couch with the monitor on while I stayed in our room because I needed to get some sleep. It was a long night even with that arrangement. Thankfully we have the best family in the world and my sister took him the first part of Friday and my parents watched him in the afternoon. He sleeps so terribly at daycare that I thought it would be best for him to be with family instead.

Since then we have had one rough night after the other. Last night made three in a row of frequent wake ups, up for hours at a time because of coughing, and steamy bathroom/go quickly outside into the frigid air. Jason even tried to take the baby for a while this morning so I could sleep in, but it didn't work :-( Prayers would be appreciated for my little boy so that he starts feeling better!

First Thanksgiving

Levi celebrated his first Thanksgiving yesterday with Jason's family. It was so nice to see his family and be around them for some length of time. And Levi did GREAT for having been up for 4 hours by the time we finally headed home. It was quite an evening but he did great. He even had a little mashed potatoes, roll, and pumpkin pie. He LOVED the pie, lol, but he only got a little bit. Tonight we have Thanksgiving with all of my family that is in town. It is going to be an awesome afternoon and I can't wait to eat another feast! Not to mention I made my Gran's world-famous noodles for the first time all by myself, and I'm so curious to see how they turned out. Hopefully everyone likes them :-) I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving and a restful day. God bless!

Newest Adventure

So, not only am I teaching while taking care of a new baby, I have decided to add another component of chaos to my life. I am going to be a Premier Designs jewelry consultant. I never thought I would be that kind of person that does the home shows and sells things like this, but the opportunity came up and I am going to run with it! It is a Christian company, so that made me feel good about it right away. The jewelry is very affordable (or I wouldn't sell it), the hostess plans are phenomenal (or nobody would ever host a party), and all of the profit of the company goes into a fund that supports missions. I did a lot of praying, thinking, researching, and talking with other people who are in businesses like this one before I made my decision. I'm excited to get going with it and to make some money for us to be able to do some of the things that are outside of our current budget (like get a truck and a camper for this coming summer). I hope it is as fun as I am anticipating. I know it is going to be "work" but I am hoping that the fun outweighs the work. If nothing else, it is something super fun I can do over breaks and the summer that will bring in some more money than not doing anything. And who knows? Maybe eventually it will turn into something more than a hobby? And, since I can do it in any state in the country, maybe when I travel to see family or friends I will be able to set up some fun "girls night out" things for my loved ones. Maybe that is just a silly dream, but maybe not? I will try to write about it as things progress and as I start throwing parties and whatnot. But, if anyone is interested, let me know and maybe we can plan a party for the future!

Amazing day

Today was the best day I have had in a really long time. Jason and I both had the day off today, so it was extra special that we were able to spend time together and with Levi. Not to mention we were extra productive today! We:
1. Took my car to the dealership to get the oil changed and get a recall fixed
2. Took Levi to the doctor to have his 6 month appointment and shots. The doctor said they usually like to see babies at 9 months also, but Levi has hit several 9 month milestones that they would check, so he didn't need to be seen then.
3. Got the last part of the things we needed for our bathroom remodel. We can officially use our master bathroom completely!
4. Went by my school to check on my fish. We have had some serious fish difficulties in my class and I wanted to check that they were still alive. They are! At least, the four that were alive on Wednesday. Why are fish so challenging? I thought they would be an easy, straight forward class pet...
5. Ate lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.
6. Got fish for our home aquarium.
7. Went to visit Jason's grandparents whom we haven't seen in several weeks. They were so excited to see how much Levi is growing!
8. I went to a jewelry party a friend of mine hosted and got a little bit of Christmas shopping done.

It was such a good day and the baby was so good, it gave us hope for what family outings will be like in the near future! We know things can come up and the baby can be cranky or whatever, but it was so nice to have a pleasant day with no issues. I am one happy mama right now :-) And tomorrow is Saturday!! Woohoo!!

6 months old

My little man is officially half way to being a year old. WOW how time flies!! I simply can't believe he is already this old. I know I keep writing about sleep, but last night he only woke up once. It was amazing. I'm hoping now that he is getting older he is going to start sleeping more at night. Although, I've had too many bad nights to be counting my chickens before the hatch at this point. Right now I feel like maybe last night was a fluke and waking 2-5 times is his normal. Ugh. I digress...

He is now sitting up like a pro, reaching for everything in sight, and it seems like he is itching to be able to do all the things Jason and I do (read books, eat, write, walk, etc.) He is amazing to watch and is growing so quickly! I will be honest, though, I don't really miss when he was a tiny little guy. He is so much fun right now and I am enjoying seeing him reach every milestone! He still has not rolled from back-to-belly, but he is sitting up so well he might kinda skip that stage. His trunk control is tremendous. He is not really showing any signs of crawling just yet, but he LOVES being on his feet and bouncing/walking around. He has also started giving us "kisses". They are really slobbery and his mouth is wide open, but I am sure that is what they are. He also likes snuggling when he first wakes up and before he goes to bed. We have still been letting him cry himself to sleep when he is sleepy so he doesn't get used to falling asleep on us, but sometimes I still rock him to sleep just because I want to. I know before long he will be running around and not interested in being rocked to sleep, so I am still taking advantage of it when I can.

Jason was hunting last weekend and he got an elk!! I am so proud of him! It was his very first hunt and they were planning to head back home. They pulled up to a clearing, Jason told my dad to stop the Jeep, he got out, walked around to get a little closer to the animal, and then got it! It was literally 10 minutes before they were going to call it quits and head back home. But, since they got one, they had to stay another night out there, so that meant another night alone with Levi. It wasn't too bad but I'm certainly glad to have Jason back. We have already had some of the meat and it is delicious! There is not much better than super-fresh elk meat... the taste of my childhood. I know Jason was excited and hopefully he continues to be successful so we can continue to have amazing meat in the freezer (and on our dinner plates!).

I think that's it for now. I don't have many new pictures, but hopefully soon. God bless.

Blah

So, Jason is out of town for his hunt. Friday night Levi and I went to the school's Halloween carnival with a friend and her little girl. It was really fun and super nice to get to see everyone that was there and show off the babies! Friday night Levi only woke up twice, so that was ok. Then we had some company come down to play with Levi. I then was able to go to a mommy-baby Halloween party. It was a ton of fun! Levi was dressed up as a puppy and he did so well.


Saturday evening we ate dinner with Debbie, Christine, and Matt. Thankfully! I wouldn't have known what to eat had Deb not offered to feed me. Then, Levi and I came home and I bathed him and put him right down to bed. He slept until 11:30pm then got up 5 TIMES between then and 6:30am. Ugh. I'm so tired! I'm also incredibly frustrated because he used to be such a good sleeper and now he is reverting back to what he was doing a couple of weeks ago. It is so hard when Jason isn't here to help because I always just end up feeding Levi since he won't calm down for me otherwise. I am hoping Jason will be home tonight but it doesn't seem like it. I haven't heard from him yet, but I'm hoping soon. He will for sure be home tomorrow, but that means I have to take Levi to daycare tomorrow morning, which will be a first for me when I'm working. It is not going to be easy, but I have to do it! I will probably be late to work tomorrow (not late, but later than I normally get there, which will still be early, hopefully). I'm not sure what I am going to do if tonight is like last night, though, because I can't really handle many more nights like that.

Also, I have to figure out how I am going to get my lesson plans and sub plans done. I don't even know what language to do my lessons for because my sub is not bilingual but I no longer have my English teacher's materials since they were taken to another teacher at my school. I'm just at a loss as to what to do. I guess I will have to figure it out!

Thanks for your prayers. I don't know how single parents do it. I'm exhausted and I've just had him by myself for two days and nights. One more to go. I can do this...

Alone again

Jason and his dad headed up to Jemez to do another scouting trip for his upcoming hunt which means it is just Levi and I, and Abby, tonight! Hopefully he does just as well as he did last night because I can totally do that again :-) He slept from 7:30-3:00, back down until 7:00, then back down until 9:30am. It was amazing! I don't know what he did yesterday to make him so exhausted, but it was great for the night!

My little boy is over leaning on us and just wants to sit up by himself now. I guess he realized he can do it by himself and he doesn't want our help. He is going to be moving around before we know it and I'm not entirely sure I am ready for that. I think I am, but I'm already missing my little baby (even though getting more sleep is so nice).

Pray for us tonight! I've done it before and it isn't usually a big deal, but I have to make sure I eat dinner and pump and all those things that can go by the wayside when I am tired. And pray that Jason and his dad have a good, safe trip up to Jemez and that they hurry home :-)

Sitting up, zoo trip, and first food

Levi sat up, completely unassisted on his changing table, for at least a minute last night. It was so cool! He was so proud of himself because he would play with a toy and then look up at me and give the biggest gummy smile you have ever seen. It was precious. I can't believe how fast he is growing!

We went to the zoo with some friends a couple of weekends ago. We didn't take many pictures of the animals because I already have a bunch of those, but we did get some cute pictures of the baby and our friends' little girl, Sofia. She is one month and one day older than him but he already weighs at least 2lbs more than her. She's just a tiny little thing. Here are the best pictures we got.





Levi also has started trying to eat baby food. His first attempt was carrots and he HATED them, haha. Here are a couple of pictures of that momentous occasion.

Over the hump

Yes my friends, Levi has finally gone back to his normal (or better) sleeping pattern! Praise Jesus! Monday night he went to bed at 8pm, woke up at 1am but fell right back to sleep after about 5 minutes, got up at 3am to eat, then back down until we got him up. Tuesday he went down at 8pm, woke up at 3:30am to eat, then back down until we got him up. Last night he went to bed at 8pm, woke up at 1am and 2am, both for only 5 minutes, then up at 3am to eat, and back down until we got him up. Jason hasn't had to get up at night for 3 nights in a row! I have had to so Levi can eat, but let me tell you, after a month of waking up every 2 hours overnight, having a 7 hour stretch feels magnificent! We are hoping this is going to be his new norm and we can eventually move that feed back a little bit, but we aren't going to mess with anything right now. Yay! My little boy is growing up...

Speaking of growing up: Jason finally got to see Levi roll over yesterday. He did it twice about a month ago but hasn't done it since. Jason was gone on a business trip so he missed it. Well yesterday afternoon we were playing on the floor and he did it over and over again. I stopped putting him on his tummy for a while because I didn't want him to get bored, but as soon as Jason got home I flipped him over and he promptly rolled right onto his back. Jason was so excited! (I filmed the event earlier in case Levi decided he didn't want to perform for daddy, lol). It is so cool watching his developmental leaps! I have a feeling my little boy isn't going to be so little for much longer.

This weekend we are going to the Balloon Fiesta and the zoo. Should be fun! Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend :-)

Great-grandparents

This week Levi got to meet and spend time with his Gran and Grandad (my dad's parents). He has now met 6 of his great-grandparents. I was fortunate enough to have known 3 of my great-grandparents, but my Memaw (the last one) just passed away a couple of months ago. We were so wanting to take Levi out to Texas to visit her, because we knew the time was coming, but it just didn't work out. I am so blessed to have known this wonderful woman for 24 years, and she will truly be missed. But I'm so grateful that Levi is getting to know so many of his great-grandparents! I know so many people don't even get to know their grandparents, much less one more generation. I've just been thinking about this a little bit recently so I wanted to get it out. My little boy is so blessed with how much family he is going to get to know and love! Not to mention how much they are already loving on him...

Babies!

So many new babies are being born to friends of mine and it is such an exciting time! It's so fun to think about all the little blessings in our friends and families' lives. I can't wait to meet all these little guys (and girls) and to start forming a play group for Levi to grow up knowing and playing with.

Last night I was reading through the journal I started in December. I read the story of Levi's birth and it brought back such memories. Then I was reading the entries leading up to his birth. Early in April a bunch of us made predictions about when he was going to be born. Apparently, I picked May 3rd... Crazy!! We eventually made a pool and everyone put in $5 for the date they picked. I didn't end up picking May 3 because my sister picked May 2 and I wanted to spread out the guesses a little, but I should have picked May 3 because I knew that was when he was going to come. So crazy that I knew (or at least had a gut feeling) that he would come that day, of all days I could have picked.

Levi has now put himself to sleep twice again today. The second time I laid him down he was asleep in 2 minutes. It is so neat to see how much he is growing and becoming more independent. I know I am going to miss this time when he is grown, but I love watching him grow. He is also going through a stage where I seem to be the only one that can calm him down. It was cute at first, but now he screams every time I walk out of the room. Jason can usually calm him down, but he really wants me. I LOVE how he lights up whenever he sees me. His smile and laugh are so contagious that I can't help but join along with him. Being a mom is so much fun, even though it is totally exhausting. I hope I can start enjoying it more when he eventually sleeps better. I will take what I can get though.

Babies everywhere!

It is so much fun being at the time in our lives when many of our friends are having children of their own. So many babies to enjoy all at the same time! Some friends of ours are in the process of having their baby right at this very moment. She went in at 9pm (TX time) to be induced. Baby boy will be here in no time and I am so excited for them! Another friend just found out she is having a little boy, a third friend is having a little girl, and even another friend is going to have her baby girl in just a couple of weeks. And yet another will find out tomorrow if she is going to have a son or a daughter. It's crazy to think that we are at this stage in our lives. I still don't feel old enough to have a job and be out of college, much less be a married home-owner with a 5 month old son, a grown-up job, and friends with all those things, too! It's so fun.

On more of a reality note, Levi is starting to sleep better. Last night he only got up twice, which is about half the amount of times he has been getting up recently. It is a nice change. I'm trying not to get my hopes up for a sleeping turnaround, but it is nice getting more sleep.

Here is the latest picture of him in his jumperoo that his Grammie got him. It was taken on my phone so the quality isn't great, but he is precious nonetheless.

8 hours

Yes my friends, Levi slept 8 straight hours last night. It is a miracle! There wasn't a storm or anything, he just slept! I think he may have woken up once but promptly put himself back to sleep. He hasn't felt well this morning so I didn't get to sleep in, but he is back asleep now and has been sleeping off and on for 12 hours! I don't know if this is going to be his new norm, but I certainly hope so. I am still going to take a nap today, but I hope my little man has started to figure himself out so we all get some more sleep. Maybe he will take another good nap this morning so I can sleep some more too. Thanks for the prayers, they work!

So Tired... again

I know I sound like a broken record, but I'm so tired!! Levi has been sleeping terribly recently and I am just not able to catch up when the weekends roll around. I guess that is the problem with doing the bathroom remodel right now because our house is nice and noisy on the weekends. It is so hard to find the solution to get him to sleep. Yes, we have tried everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. You name it- We have tried it. I'm not sure how Jason is functioning as well as he is. Oh wait, he doesn't have to entertain 22 2nd graders all day long on 4-5 hours of sleep. Ugh. I told him I am going to NEED a nap today, so hopefully he gets enough done in the bathroom to give me some time to sleep and not worry about the baby.

Other than that we are all doing really well. Work is going just fine for both of us. Jason has been doing a lot of trainings recently so he is learning a whole bunch of new stuff, so he is really enjoying that. He is ready to have his security clearance so he can work on real projects, but for right now he is enjoying learning. My kids are getting better with each day and we are all making progress towards being a well-functioning classroom. I am thrilled at how well they are learning Spanish, considering many of them have never heard a word of Spanish in their lives. It is going to be so interesting to see how much they know by the end of the year.

I also need to ask for some prayers for a family friend. They adopted a boy at the same time my parents did and he is threatening to leave to go back to Ukraine. Long story short, his dad is fed up and bought him a plane ticket, but cancelled it when the boy decided to stay for "a little longer." They are living moment by moment through this emotional roller coaster and it is stressful for everyone involved. Thankfully, though all this, my family realized how my brothers feel about going back to Ukraine and they both think it is a completely idiotic idea, which we are really glad to hear. Both of them have talked about going back before, but they both understand how much better their life is going to be here. But this other boy does not have the maturity to see that. Please pray for this family.

Sleep situation and remodel

Our little Levi decided he does not like sleep. At least, he doesn't like it as much as his dad and I do... So, unfortunately for all of us, we have started having he just cry himself to sleep when he wakes up in the middle of the night. We always go in to check on him when he wakes up, and then periodically while he is awake to make sure he isn't stuck up against the side of the crib or anything like that, but we are not picking him up (or feeding him) anymore. His doctor said that after they reach 9 lbs they have enough sugar reserves to be able to last the night and they just get up out of habit. Last night was the 4th night we have done it and so far we are seeing few results. Although, he doesn't just cry uncontrollably. He will cry for a little bit (3 minutes maybe), then whimper for a bit, then is usually back asleep well within 20 minutes of when he woke up. If it was longer than that then we would know something else was going on and we would pick him up and feed him. It is so hard on a mama to hear her baby crying when she knows she can fix it, but at what cost? It isn't good for any of us for him to eat several times at night when we know he doesn't need to. So hopefully we will get into a good routine soon and he will start sleeping longer than 4 hour stretches. It is so hard to be working and not getting much sleep. I know people do it all the time, and I am one of them currently, but I would love to get just a little more sleep at night! We have also started giving him a tiny bit of rice cereal to see if that helps him sleep longer at night. So far no luck, but hopefully soon.

We have started the last remodel project in our house. We are completely redoing our master bathroom now. It is gutted, down to the studs and the concrete, and the rebuilding will start this weekend. I'm so excited to FINALLY have a nice, clean bathroom. The people before us didn't really take care of the bathroom so it was disgusting when we moved in. The drywall was falling apart, there were holes from where mice (?) once lived, the floor was peeling up, there was mildew and possibly mold in the shower, and not to mention it was horribly outdated. It's going to be so much different and I can't wait! We even got a fancy bathtub that has little air bubble holes. They aren't strong like jets, but there is like 100 little holes where heated air can come out and it just stirs the water a little. I think Levi will love it when he gets a little bigger, too.

So there is the most recent update. Thank you, Lord, for the amazing family I have and that, even though I am exhausted, I have such a fantastic blessing that is making me feel that way. Please help me through the day with my second graders!

Must... sleep...

We are severely lacking in the sleep department these days. Levi got sick while Jason was out of town and was up three times a night during that period. Well, he hasn't slept well since then. It is SUPER frustrating to know he isn't hungry but to have to feed him anyway to get him to go back to sleep. We are probably going to just let him cry (with us rubbing his back and trying to soothe him in his bed) and see if we can get it down to just once, or no times, a night. I'm so exhausted, I hope something works quickly because I can't keep this up! It's even more frustrating because he was down to just once a night before he got sick, then I don't know if he got in the habit of waking up or what, but now he is up at least twice, but usually more like 3-4 times each night. Not easy on this working mama! Speaking of, I should head to bed. Here are some recent pictures of our little guy.


"I'm 4 months old today!"

Playing with mommy


Going to work in the garden with dad. (He promptly fell asleep as Jason was watering the garden)

Rolling over

Levi rolled over for the first time this evening!! Unfortunately Jason is in South Carolina for a business trip so he wasn't here to see it. He will see it tomorrow though, and I'm so excited for it! Levi had help twice then did it completely by himself twice, and it was such a strange feeling that I had. I felt so proud, even though I had nothing to do with it. I guess that is what it feels like to be a parent, and what it feels like to be proud of your kids. I loved it. It is so fun to see him reach all his milestones. I know I am not supposed to wish away any of his stages, because he won't be little forever, but it is so much fun seeing him grow and change so much. Hopefully I can get some pictures of him rolling so I can show him off :-)

Memaw

My great-grandmother, Beulah "Memaw," passed away yesterday afternoon. She had been battling some kidney issues for a couple of weeks, and I'm not sure if that is what the major issue was, but she was in a nursing home because her daughter could no longer care for her at her home. At 94 years old she was still living "alone" at her home, and relatively healthy, although she had a lot of back pain from a surgery she had several years ago.

Enough about her physical health... She was so sweet and loved all of her children, grand children, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren so tenderly. I believe she had 8 great great grandchildren, Levi being the youngest. She was a phenomenal baker and made the best pies in Texas. She also made biscuits and chocolate sauce that were amazing! And the very best part about her was her heart for Jesus. She always, as long as I have known her, has exemplified the Christ-centered life and I'm so happy that she is now dancing in Heaven with her husband, both praising Jesus with everything in them. It is such an amazing thought to know that I will see both of them again some day!

I am so blessed to have known my great grandmother. I'm sad that Levi won't get to know her but he will certainly hear stories about her. I love you, Memaw, and I'm glad you are no longer in pain. See you soon!!

Pictures

I was told that I failed to keep my promise of uploading pictures, so here you go, I'm making up for it. These are all within the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Lack of sleep

My little boy has decided he does not want to sleep anymore. Last night, for example, he woke up 6 times between 12:30 and 5:45. You do the math. We are completely exhausted and have no idea what to do to help him stay asleep. He is not hungry and rarely needs anything except to be cuddled and put back down. It is so FRUSTRATING!! This has been going on for the past 3 weeks and I'm at my wit's end. He sleeps great on his tummy during the day and I can get some good naps out of him. But nighttime is a different story. I spent more time praying last night for better sleep than I did actually sleeping. I don't know what else to do. I know some babies sleep well and others don't and there is nothing we can really do about it, but we keep trying new things and NOTHING is working. We've tried swaddling, inclining his bed a little, white noise, different pajamas, fewer blankets, more blankets, bath before bed, no bath before bed, many naps during the day, keeping him awake during the day, etc. ARGH!! I'm so exhausted I can barely think straight, and all that is running through my mind is how I am going back to work in two weeks. It makes me want to cry when I think about it. Please pray for us that we can make it through this and keep our sanity, and that whatever is waking Levi up will sort out and go away so he sleeps better at night.

Yet again

So I know it has been a while, again, but I have an excuse this time. I have been at training for the last 4 days for work. Does that count? lol

Actually, there isn't a whole lot of new stuff to report, only that Levi is growing like a weed! He is 13+ lbs, 24 in long, and as cute as a button. He has been smiling like crazy and sleeping in his own room. He has also started taking bottles regularly while I am gone during the day. He is spending a lot of time with his Grammie and Grandpa Ken, and overall is doing fantastic! We are still lacking in a routine, but hopefully he is getting closer to falling into one. As soon as I upload some more pictures I will post them. Keep praying for us that we find a routine soon, and that he starts sleeping more at night. Thanks so much and I promise I will do my best to post pictures this weekend.

Outings! Routine!!

Today was Levi's first outing to a restaurant with my family. He went to a restaurant yesterday for lunch, but it was informal and quick. Today, though, we went for lunch as a family and he did GREAT!! He was wide awake the whole time, hung out with my mom for a while, me for a while, and my dad for a while with no complaints at all. It was awesome!

Also, he seems to be getting into more of a routine during the day. He gets up at 6am (no matter what, and it can be frustrating when I just want to sleep, but at least he is predictable!). He eats, we play for a few minutes, he sleeps for 30-60 minutes, eats again or plays for a while, then takes his morning nap from 2-3 hours long (during which time Grammie comes over while I go to Zumba and shower). Then he wakes up to play, eats, plays some more, and eats a little more, then sleeps for 2-3 more hours in the early afternoon. Recently he has been staying awake after than until about bedtime, sometimes 4 hours! Then we start the bedtime routine at about 8:30. That means eating, bath, lotion, more eating (hopefully) then he is out for the count. He will sleep anywhere from 3-5 hours the first stretch, then gets up every 3 hours after that. It seems pretty loosey-goosey, but it feels like more of a routine than I originally thought. I love the predictability :-)

Anywho, there is the latest update. I hope things continue to go as smoothly as they are right now. I think I am getting this down finally (and I know that means things will change now, lol). I love being a mommy!

Growing boy!

I know, I know, it's been a while since I have updated. Thankfully, nothing much new has happened to catch you up on. Levi still sleeps about the same amount of time at night (4-5 hours at first, then 3 hours after that, up at 6am regardless of what time he ate last). We have started to figure out a nap pattern, which includes him napping for a good long stretch right after lunch-ish. He is sleeping right now, as a matter of fact. He LOVES sleeping on his tummy, but we only let him do that if we can watch him like a hawk. It will be a while before we are OK with it when he is on his own. We are starting to toy around with the idea of him sleeping in his own room, but I'm not quite ready for that yet, even though I'm sure I would get better sleep. He grunts, moans, and groans a lot, but doesn't always wake himself up, but it certainly wakes me up!

He is gaining weight like crazy. In fact, he is gaining about double the average. Doctors like to see 1oz a day of gain, but my chunker gains 2 oz a day. He is almost 12 lbs already! It is easy to see how much he is changing already. He is getting great head-control, can track objects with his eyes, and has been smiling regularly. It is pretty much the most precious thing ever.

I am going to get back into Zumba and working out in general this week. Before that happens he has to be good at taking a bottle, though, and we are still working on it. For whatever reason he won't take a bottle. I expected to have him not take one from me, but he won't take one from Jason either. My sister has been successful, although she said she doesn't have a secret or a trick. It is frustrating because we end up wasting so much milk when we try and he just doesn't take it at all. I know he will get it eventually, but at the moment we are unsuccessful.

I think that is all from us for now. Hope all of the daddies and daddies-to-be had a great Father's Day! Take care and God bless.

Levi's "procedure" (and some pictures)

This week we took Levi to get circumcised. It started out a little rough because he was hungry when we got there, so he was very unhappy. The Dr. didn't let us (my mother in law went with me) go in the room with him while they did it, but we could hear him crying from the waiting room where we were. I knew he was in good hands so it wasn't so bad. Then, when we got back in the room the doctor said he did well then he let me feed him.

When we got home, he was sleeping. After a couple of hours I tried to change his diaper and it was soaked in blood. Blood was dripping all over the changing table and it took me several minutes to get another diaper back on him. I called the doctor back and they said to bring him in again. Fortunately, it didn't seem like he was in any pain. When we got to the doctor's office they called us right back and got to work on him. Apparently something happened to him that had a 5% chance of happening (lucky us) but the doctor just fixed him right up. The hardest part was holding Levi's hands while he was laying on the bed while the doctor was stopping the bleeding. He was SCREAMING because he was so uncomfortable without a diaper on, someone messing with him, and being on his back while nobody is picking him up. It was so hard and yes, I did cry a little.

I'm so grateful that the doctor got the bleeding stopped and he has been doing well ever since. It was pretty traumatic for me, but everything is good now. He is healing well and definitely not in pain. Being a mom definitely comes with more difficulties than just sleep deprivation. My heart breaks when he cries and I can't figure out what is wrong. Even when I know he is safe, not hungry, etc., it is still hard to hear him crying uncontrollably. I guess I am going to have to toughen up a little, huh! He is adorable and right now is sitting with his dad on the couch, just sleeping.

Life is so different now than it was before, and everything is twice as hard. For example: showering and doing my hair is basically impossible when I am here by myself. Eating can be a challenge sometimes, too. I have spent a ton of time on the couch watching tv recently and I'm really ready to get back to my active life. This past week I spent 3 days at school packing up my classroom and finishing all of the end-of-year paperwork. Levi came with me and was really great for the most part. It was still hard getting everything done, though. Thankfully my mom and mother in law came and helped me out. I don't know what I would do without them!

Now I get to enjoy my summer and just hang out with Levi without worrying about school stuff. Oh how different this summer will be...

Pedicures, Patios, and Sleeping Babies

Yesterday my fantastic, wonderful, kind mother-in-law came over to watch Levi while I went and got a pedicure. My feet were desperate since I hadn't done anything to them since a week before Levi was born. It was so nice to know that he was safe and happy while I was out enjoying myself for a few minutes. I love being a mom, and I love my little boy more than I thought possible, but sometimes it is really nice having a little time for me.

Jason has had an interesting work schedule this week. He had a job interview on Thursday morning, joined us at Levi's doctor's appointment in the afternoon, and took Friday off. He and his dad have been working on making a back patio for us at our house. Right now they are out picking up the flagstone in town. It is going to be so nice to have a larger patio where we can entertain and hang out in the backyard. We have a porch right now, but it is pretty small and barely holds the table we have out there. We are going to have a Memorial Day get-together to break it in, so hopefully they get it finished! Shouldn't be too hard since they made so much progress yesterday.

In baby news, Levi slept for 5 straight hours last night! I thought I was dreaming when I looked at the clock at 3am (having gone to be at 10pm). He ate like a ravenous child then promptly went back to sleep. Ok, maybe not promptly, but once he was asleep he didn't wake up again until 6am. It was a great night and I feel much more rested than I have in a while. Should be a good day!

Settling In

As Levi sleeps I figure I should take this opportunity to write a short update. We are still doing well. He slept for 4 hours straight last night and Jason and I felt so refreshed when we woke up this morning after that! There is a huge difference between segmented sleep and straight sleep, just fyi. Levi only really got up once last night, then once early this morning, so that made a huge difference. And on top of that Jason got up with him at 7am so I could get a little more sleep. I feel like I have so much energy today! Too bad I can't get much done because the baby is sleeping and I don't want to wake him up. Hopefully I can get something done because our house is a mess.

Yesterday Jason went fishing with a friend, my dad, and my brothers. My fabulous mother-in-law came over in the morning so I could get some school work done. I have report cards to do and math tests to grade, so having her there to keep Levi occupied when he wasn't eating was a huge help. I even got to eat breakfast at a reasonable hour because she was there with us. She stayed until lunch time. I then got a shower while Levi was sleeping (not easy to do because he normally screams his little head off while I am in the shower, and sure enough, when I got out he was crying. It breaks my heart! I know it is OK for them to cry, and I knew he wasn't hurt or anything, but it is still hard to listen to.). My mom came over around 3pm so I could finish up my report cards, which I did. It was so nice to get those done! I have to bring them back to school on Wednesday completed, and I'm so glad they are done before Tuesday evening.

This week should be pretty laid back. Wednesday I am headed to school for a staff luncheon to say "goodbye" to the teachers that are leaving. I am not looking forward to seeing any of them go and they are ALL going to be missed. Thursday Levi has his 2 week checkup, although he will be 3.5 weeks old (his doctor is out of town). I know he is gaining weight, though, because I weighed him last Wednesday and he weighs 8lbs+. Yay for a growing boy! Jason is going to take off Thursday and Friday of this week, and he has next Monday off, too, so we get to have daddy home for several days. It is going to be so nice! I feel bad for always calling my mother-in-law to come over when I have to get something done, even though I know she really enjoys it, so having Jason home will help me be a lot more productive (hopefully).

OK, I think that is all for now. Here is a picture of our little man that I took last week. He keeps changing! I'm so excited to see what he is going to look like as he grows up, and to see what kind of a man he turns into. Mommy-hood is incredibly difficult, but so rewarding. I love my new role :-)

Two weeks old

Levi is two weeks old today. I can't believe I have been a mother for two weeks! It still amazes me that God has entrusted this little life into Jason's and my hands. He must know something I don't (duh) because I am completely ill-equiped without His help.

We are making good progress with getting into a routine. Levi will sleep for 2+ hours in his bassinet at night. During the day he either sleeps in his swing or his bouncer. He is doing great with breastfeeding and I'm looking forward to pumping so Jason can help with some of the feedings. It will probably be at least another week or so before I start pumping for real because I want to make sure I have a really good milk supply before I begin. I am going to talk to a lactation consultant about it tomorrow, so hopefully I can get a plan together. Jason took him outside for a while this evening when he got home to water some trees and our garden and he seemed to really enjoy it. That could be a secret weapon that we use on him when he is super fussy because going outside really seems to calm him down.

I feel like I am holding my breath for that horrible day where he is inconsolable and cries all day/night for no obvious reason. We have been so blessed thus far with how he has been, and no matter what I will do what it takes to make sure he is happy and comfortable, but I'm just dreading that first time. I'm praying for the strength to get through it when it inevitably happens.

Tomorrow should be very interesting. It will be the first time I am going to try to get ready to go to town without any help here. Every time someone comes while I shower and get ready he just sleeps the whole time, so I am hoping that is how it goes tomorrow. I actually have to "be someone" tomorrow as I have a doctor's appointment, mommy support group, lunch with a friend, then I'm going to school to pick some things up and pay a visit to show off Levi to some of the people I work with. I hope I can handle all the time away from home, and I better make sure I have everything in order first thing in the morning so I make it to my appointment on time. Say a prayer for me if you think about it because I am going to need all the help I can get tomorrow morning!

Breakthrough!

Last night Levi slept in his bassinet! He woke up to nurse and he woke up once or twice other than that but Jason was able to rock him right back to sleep. It was amazing that Jason and I both got to sleep at the same time and in our room! Until now we have been taking turns staying in the living room because he wouldn't sleep except on one of us, and we didn't want to keep the other person up. It worked so great and we are hoping it stays this way from now on (and hoping it wasn't a fluke). He is asleep right now in his swing which has given me a chance to get laundry going and to do some straightening up in the nursery, something that hasn't happened since he has been home because he has had to be carried everywhere or he wouldn't sleep. It's a good day.

I have found that through this journey (so far) I have done more praying than I have ever done in my life. Don't get me wrong, I completely believe in the power of prayer, and I prayed constantly through my pregnancy for this little boy, but there is something about him being here and me having to take care of him that has forced me to trust God and to constantly ask for his help. I have had a few emotional evenings and frustrating moments (mostly with feeding) and i would not have made it through those very well without prayer. God is so faithful and He is reassuring me that He didn't make a mistake by giving me this precious gift to take care of. It's true that you don't know what love is until you have a child. It's still unreal that he is actually ours to raise and take care of, and we are still fumbling through the days. I pray every day that God gives me the wisdom and knowledge and skills to raise Levi to be a God-fearing man, and that he comes to know Christ at an early age. I'd appreciate your prayers for that as well! Thanks so much and I'll try to keep updating as new things happen!

Sleep deprived

Everyone always tells you how much babies sleep. They don't tell you, however, that they always want to sleep ON SOMEONE. This is the case with Levi. He only sleeps well if he is being held, making it very difficult for the person holding him to get any sleep. He is doing better and is actually starting to sleep other places, so I hope we are making progress, but this has definitely been the hardest part of being home. He is feeding extremely well and is only 3 oz away from his birth weight. He was down 7 oz on Friday but is creeping back up. He has until Tuesday to gain the rest of his weight, and I don't think it is going to be a problem!

My mother-in-law has been an absolute saint. She comes over around 9pm every evening so Jason and I can both get some sleep, then she goes home around 1am (or 2:30am as was the case last night!). I don't know how we would do it without her, but I do know we would both be a lot more tired. She comes over almost every day to watch him while I shower or nap or clean or whatever else I need to do. It is going to be a sad day when that isn't happening any more. Hopefully Levi will let us all get into a little bit of a routine so she doesn't HAVE to come over all the time, but she can just come when she wants. We'll see I guess.

Other than the sleep issues everything is going really well. I have an awesome baby boy and I'm trying not to take that for granted. He doesn't stay up for all hours crying. He eats and makes plenty of dirty diapers. And he is absolutely adorable on top of all that :-) God has truly blessed us by giving us this precious gift and we pray every day that we can raise Levi to love the Lord as much as Jason and I do. We would appreciate your prayers for that as well. Thanks! More pictures to come soon.

New phase

Jason has gone back to work, starting today, so I am on my own with Levi. Actually, that isn't quite true because I am getting so much help from my mother-in-law. She actually stayed until 1am this morning to take "first watch" with him so Jason and I could get some sleep. I don't know what we are going to do if he doesn't start sleeping on his own because I don't want to have to rely on her to do that very often, but I'm so grateful she was willing to do that for us. He is starting to be a more independent sleeper and will actually spend more than 30 seconds in his swing to sleep, which is a huge milestone. I'd love to get him to the point where he can sleep in his crib or bassinet, but I am going to take these small victories. He is really an easy baby, so far, and continues to eat well and just be content, in general.

Here are a couple of pictures so the world can see my handsome man. I think he looks like Jason...

Levi is here!

Our baby boy was born on May 3, 10:40am. He was 7 lbs 11oz, 21 in long, and has a full head of dark hair. I wanted to have a natural birth, if possible, and that is how it worked out. In fact, we made it to the hospital at 9:30am and he was born an hour later, so whether I wanted meds or not there was no time. My parents, Jason's mom, my sister, and of course Jason were in the room when he was born. I thought I only wanted the moms and Jason there, but by that point I didn't really care. I couldn't hear a word anybody except Jason was saying to me because they put oxygen on me and the mask was really loud. But, he is here an healthy, so I guess I did ok!

The whole story:

Sunday I had some labor pains starting at about 6am. They weren't very organized or intense, but they were definitely contractions. Then I took a nap at 2:30 pm and woke up and there were no more contractions at all. I was so frustrated because I thought it was time, and then nothing.

Well, because of that I decided not to go on my field trip on Tuesday to Santa Fe. I got everything squared away with my sub and she agreed to go on the trip for me. I went to work on Monday, got everything else squared away for when I was eventually going to be gone, and didn't have a single contraction all day. People kept saying how surprised they were to see me at work, but I was still almost a week away from my due date, so no biggie. I went home a little frustrated that I hadn't had any more contractions but I tried to take it easy and just wait for God's timing for the baby to come. Went to bed at 9:30, then...

3am- I wake up to horrible stabbing pains in my belly. I knew pretty immediately it was a contraction, even though they felt way different then the contractions I was feeling on Sunday. Sunday they felt a lot like cramps. Tuesday they felt a lot like stabbing, sharp lower belly and upper thigh pains. I managed to stay in bed for an hour before having to get up to go walk around. Jason decided to get up even though I told him he didn't need to. By 5am we had decided I was, indeed, in labor, as the contractions were about 7 minutes apart and they lasted about 1 min and 15 sec, or so. Jason emailed in to work and let them know that he wouldn't be in that day, and I decided we should start getting ready for the imminent trip to the hospital that we would be making later that day.

7am- we called our families and let them know that we would probably be going to the hospital that day, though we didn't know when. The contractions were staying pretty consistent, not really getting much closer, but they were getting stronger. Jason's mom decided to come over and help me out. My parents were planning on going to Santa Fe for an errand (an hour away) and even after finding out that I was in labor they still thought they had enough time to go, and we agreed, so they made their plan for the day.
I found that laying down was completely out of the question- I had two contractions while laying down and the pain made me throw up. So, I found a comfortable position in one of our chairs and just hung out there. Jason was awesome about helping me through each of the contractions and reminding me that the pain would be over in a few moments. We were a little curious about why the contractions weren't getting much closer together, at this point from 5-7 minutes apart, still lasting a little more than a minute, but decided we should get ready to go to the hospital.

9am- We are finally ready to leave and got things prepared in case we were going to be at the hospital for a while before he was born. I was starting to question whether I could make it through without medication of some kind. At the moment, though, there was nothing I could do about it except make it though each of the contractions, one at a time. In the car I only had three or four contractions, which just reinforced the thought that I would be in labor for quite a while longer.

9:30am- We make it to the hospital, I have a contraction in the car right when we got there then I thought I could make it into the building because it shouldn't take 5 minutes to walk in. Well, how wrong I was... I got out, had a contraction. Walked 10 steps, had another contraction. Walked 10 more steps, had a contraction, and my water breaks. It was INTENSE. I was having them every 30 seconds (it felt like) and they were REALLY painful. Two people stopped us in the hallway to ask if we were OK. The first time we said yes and that I could make it. The second time I felt like I had to push the baby so she went and got me a wheel chair then hurried me upstairs.

9:45am- I get up to triage and they get me into a gown, have me sign my forms, and take me in to a room to a bed. I get checked and I am 8cm dilated. 8 cm!! No wonder they hurt so bad! They asked me if I wanted any meds to help with the pain. I was wavering so I asked how long they thought it would be before the baby was born. She said, "not long, but if you want meds now is the time." I said I would pass, but then told Jason that I think I did want them. They monitored me and the baby for a while, I'm not sure how long, gave me my wrist bands, then wheeled me off into the delivery room. Jason called my parents, told them NOT to go to Santa Fe, and also my sister.

In the delivery room (I'm not sure what time it is at this point) they hooked me up to monitors and the contractions are still coming on strong. I was feeling more and more like I need to push. I asked if I could push if I felt like it and she said yes, but not too much because we needed to wait for the midwife. After the midwife got there it was all a blur. They said the baby's heart rate was a tiny bit distressed, so they put something under one side of me. I put on the oxygen mask and then all I remember is pushing until he was born. He was born at 10:40 am. It was insane!

I guess his cord was tied in a knot, which must have happened a while back because he was too big to move around that much towards the end. They asked me if I wanted to feel his head after his head was out and I said "nope." LOL. They placed him on my chest when he came out and all I could feel was pure relief and joy. It was amazing. Jason cut the cord, they cleaned him up a little bit, and then I just got to cuddle with him. We finally were able to tell everyone what his name is and everyone loved it! I can't even describe every emotion that I felt that day, but it all ended in complete joy. He is so perfect with the most precious face, everything was worth it. Not to mention, all the pain and discomfort went away the second he was born, which was amazing. (It would soon be replaced by new pain and discomfort, but it didn't matter at that point.)

My plan was to have a natural birth- check!
My plan was to NOT have a party in the delivery room- close.
My plan was to rely on God to get me through every part of this experience- sometimes it was hard, especially when the pain was at it's worst, but He was so faithful to me through it all that now I know He didn't leave my side the whole time.
My plan was for Jason to have a positive experience- check! (I think)
My plan was to give birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy- double check!

There is a whole lot more I could write about the hospital stay and the days after, but I will leave that for another time. God is good. I have an amazing husband. My family is so great and supportive. Our baby boy has joined us and now we begin a whole new adventure!

9 days left!

Yep, the countdown is officially in the single digits for how many days are left until my due date. It is ridiculous how close it is, but unfortunately it still feels so far away. I am still working full time, have obligations outside of school, and I'm starting to think about next year. It is funny to hear the countdown of the other teachers here- 21 days left of school! Then I quietly mumble that I hope I have 5 or fewer and they say things like, "is it really that close??" etc. It is funny. I am in the middle of an assessment window, though, and I hope I can get most of those finished before I actually leave. I am mostly done, but not completely. We will see how far I get and when this baby actually comes. I just thought I would let the world know that I will be a mother in less than 10 days *fingers crossed*

One more appointment down

I went in yesterday morning for my 38 week appointment. It didn't start off well as I was the very first one in the office and they didn't call me back until 20 minutes after my appointment was supposed to be. I don't know what the hold up was because I was supposed to be the first appointment of the morning but whatever. I haven't gained any more weight in the last 2 weeks, which is really good, and puts me at a grand total of 37 lbs at the moment. I don't feel too bad about that since I had one really rough month (think Thanksgiving and Christmas time...) but otherwise have kept it under control. I'm still partly watching what I eat, but not nearly as closely as I was a while back. Anyway, my midwife didn't check me (I told her it just makes me anxious so I didn't want to know) and basically said, "If you don't have a baby I will see you next week." *sigh* I really badly want to have this baby really soon. I am so uncomfortable and tired all the time, I'm having a very difficult time focusing at work, and I just want to be able to hold/hug/kiss/love on this little boy. I know God has everything planned out to be perfect timing, but I wish He would let me in on His plan because patience is not a virtue I possess!

Jason has an interview today at another company. A while back there was some question as to whether he was going to be able to stay where he was because the program he was working on ended. When that was happening he applied to several places and is just now getting interviews, even though he has been assured a spot where he currently works. He decided to go through with the interview just to see what happens and then we will take it from there. He thinks he is going to stay where he is because he just moved departments and is excited about all he is going to be learning, but depending on how this interview goes and after some prayer we will make a decision. Say a prayer for him today! He told me several weeks ago when he knew this interview was coming up that I wasn't allowed to have the baby today. I asked him, "what if I wait and just go into labor at like noon? That should give you plenty of time at your interview then we can still have the baby today." He didn't think that was very funny.

I'm so thankful that I have everything ready (more or less) to go at school for when this child decides to make his arrival. I am not worried at all about how it will go when I have a sub in here full time. I'm supposed to go on a field trip next Tuesday to somewhere outside of the city for an all day excursion. I'm not entirely sure I want to go, just in case something happens. I think it will be fun and my kids are going to love it, but it makes me a little nervous. Although if I'm still pregnant at that point then I may want to go do a bunch of walking around to see if I can get anything moving. We will see!

Ok, gotta go get ready for the day. Take care and God bless! 10 days until my due date!

Next year

I just found out this week that I definitely have a job next year at the school I am working at right now. I can't even express how amazing it feels to know this so long before the end of the year! At my last job I was a short-term hire, so I knew that in May I would need to start applying for other jobs and hunting around. I didn't get this job until the day before teachers went back to work, so that made for a long summer of interviewing, applying, and wondering. To know that I won't have to do that again this summer is so wonderful. I can just relax and spend time with the baby.

Speaking of the baby, I had an appointment with my midwife on Wednesday. Apparently my blood pressure is pretty high, so she had me get some baseline blood work done and will see how I am doing on Tuesday when I go back in. If it is still high and my blood work changes any, they will induce me. Part of me is really excited about this idea because that means I get to meet my son earlier than anticipated. The other part of me doesn't want this to happen because I know my chances of making it through an induction without any kind of pain meds are slim to none. I am not totally opposed to pain meds, but I want to try to have a natural birth if possible (plus the meds are so expensive!). I want to try to have him at the water-birth center in our hospital, although I will not be having a water birth. We will see what happens though, and the most important thing to me is to have a healthy baby, so I will do whatever I need to to make that happen.

That's the update for now. Stay tuned for more!

Baby update

I had an appointment with my midwife yesterday and she did my Group B Strep test. I don't really know what that is, but I had to undress from the waist down and I'll have my results in a week. She offered to check me yesterday and of course I was really curious to see if I had made any progress, and sure enough! I'm "at least 2 cm dilated" and she could feel his head. She also said my cervix is pretty soft, although I'm not sure what that means. Haha, can you tell I'm a first-time-mom? She did not check to see how big he was but I'm figuring he is between 6.5 and 7 lbs, according to my last ultrasound and baby's "average" weight gain.

Speaking of weight gain, since I have cut way down on the sugar I only gained 1lb in the last two weeks, compared to the 3lbs I gained the week before. I am up to a grand total of 37lbs so far and I hope I can keep it under 40lbs by the time he is born. I know everyone is different, and I had a really rough month in there (Thanksgiving to Christmas) which made my weight skyrocket. My midwife seems very pleased and not at all concerned about it, though, which makes me feel good about it. I've been very active the past few days (hence the dilation?) and feeling great, overall. I'm exhausted by the end of the day usually, but I haven't had as much swelling in my feet/hands, and the heartburn is subsiding for the most part.

Thank you for the continued prayers. One thing that has really been weighing heavy on our hearts has been how we are going to raise a Godly child. Neither Jason nor I were raised in a Christian home, and while my parents are Christians now, I can't really get any pointers from them on how to raise young children to love God. We have some other couples we can use as examples, but we are just praying that God gives us the wisdom and the strength to do what is best for our little boy and guide him to Jesus. As scripture says, "Train up you children in the ways of the Lord and when they are old they will not depart from it." We are confident in that promise and trust that God will take care of him.

More updates to come as things progress!

4 weeks left

Yesterday was April 8, meaning I had one month left to make it to my due date. That is crazy! As of tomorrow I have exactly 4 weeks to make it to my due date. It feels like just yesterday (ok, maybe last week) that I was finding out I was pregnant and then going to my doctor's appointment. How can I be so close already? And I'll admit that it has been a little hard to focus at school recently. It doesn't help that it has been 2 straight weeks of testing for my kids, which means I have a lot of down time where I just have to monitor them and not teach, so my mind was free to wander at will. And trust me, it was wandering like crazy. I spent a lot of time working on sub plans this last couple of weeks and I actually have 4 weeks of them completed. I am only required to have two weeks for my long-term sub, but I needed to have something planned in case I went into labor early because my sub has another obligation that week so I don't know who would be in my class that week. Then, I made a week's worth of "emergency" plans for if I am out sick or something. If those don't get used up then my sub can use them the last week of school. I'm glad I was so productive but now I can spend time thinking about other things that need to get done before the baby comes (laundry washed and put away, bed made, closet finished, etc.). Hopefully being back on a normal schedule will help me focus and be distracted, rather than obsessing over this upcoming change.

Not only that, but it is very possible I will have to find another job for next year. There is a pretty serious budget cut here which means my school has to get rid of several teachers. Seeing as I am at the bottom of the seniority list, that means more than one or two people have to either retire or transfer for me to be able to stay there. I want to stay, of course, but I know there is nothing I can do about it so I am just leaving it in God's hands and trying not to think about it too much. I have faith that He will place me exactly where I need to be, as He has done with my last couple of jobs. Prayers are appreciated!

Counting Down

We are smack dab in the middle of state testing right now and it is getting old quickly. I want to get back to teaching! My students are doing great, though, and are working really hard during EVERY test. If only it didn't take 2.5 weeks to finish the darn thing. Anyway, I thought time was going by really slowly, but I just realized that I have basically 5 weeks left and then I will be done with the year and get to spend time with my baby boy! I can't believe how close it really is. I think it is really going to hit me when my colleague goes on maternity leave starting next Friday, because I know I am only 4 weeks behind her. CRAZY!!

I spent the evening organizing all the gifts from my first two showers. I had a shower yesterday at work (with this same girl I work with) and I hadn't gotten around to organizing the stuff from my Lubbock shower. It felt good to get the room in order a little because I know there will be tons more presents coming this weekend. I have both family showers this weekend and I can't wait to see everyone, especially those who I haven't seen much since becoming pregnant. It is going to be tons of fun. I wish EVERYONE I loved and cared for could be at my showers, but I know that is not possible, so I guess they will just have to be with me in spirit.

Prayers would continue to be appreciated for Jason, me, and the baby. We are getting so close and are starting to get a little nervous. Not to mention I am getting much more uncomfortable these days. (Oh, and I have to completely cut out all processed carbs and sugar... long story short- I have an "infection" of sorts and my midwife said this will really help. I hope so because it certainly is a sacrifice for me! I admit that I love my sugar and my carbs...)

Lubbock baby shower pictures!

Here they are! I can't possibly put all of them up, but here are the best ones. Thanks to Rachel and Joni for throwing the most wonderful, special shower for me. I don't have words to express my appreciation! And thanks to everyone who made it, it was a very special day for me to get to spend celebrating this new life with my nearest and dearest friends.

Shower, traveling, and testing

I had my first baby shower! You'll have to excuse the lack of pictures. My camera has them but I haven't hooked my camera up to my computer for the first time yet, and I'm not sure what all that will take, so I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet. Pictures will be coming, though, I promise! Anywho, this shower was in Lubbock and hosted by my wonderful friends Rachel and Joni. It was a small shower with my dearest friends from Lubbock, although some of them don't even live there and still made the trip up (thanks Sunnie, it was awesome seeing you!). I got some wonderful gifts, but most of all I was able to celebrate the new life inside of me with some of the people that are closest to my heart. My mom and grandmother were even able to make the trip. (My mom happened to be in Lubbock anyway that day, traveling back from visiting my grandparents, and my grandma wanted to come so she drove 3.5 hours each way just for the shower. I love her!) It was so special and I'm so glad I got to spend that time with my nearest and dearest friends.

Yes, Lubbock, TX was our destination. It wasn't the most exciting drive, and I had to stop every hour to go to the bathroom. Aah, the unsung joys of pregnancy. Going out there wasn't bad at all, except for the stopping all the time. Coming back, however, was pretty much torture. I was miserable in the car. If I had been thinking I would have ridden with my parents in their RV, as they were going back at the same time as we were, but I thought I could handle it. WRONG!! I mean, I made it, but I whined and moaned and complained the whole time. I guess my traveling days are over until this little guy comes and no longer puts unnecessary pressure on random nerves and muscles.

This week is the start of the state test here in NM. My kids are all really nervous, and since this is their first experience with this test, they don't really know what to expect. Say a little prayer for them if you think about it today! I am confident they will all do OK, but I'm not sure they are so confident. Gotta love testing time, right? Two weeks of pure testing, coupled with stress and weird schedules. Aah...