Sarah Jo started crawling late Thursday night!
I cannot believe that the teeny tiny baby we brought home from the hospital (what seems like yesterday) is now a crawler! I told Micheal over the weekend that we are now in a whole new world! It is so funny to be in the bathroom drying my hair and peek around the corner and see her coming down the hall! And she melts both mine and her daddy's hearts when she crawls to us. It is just so sweet to see her stop playing and decide to come love on us... pure bliss!
She has already started trying to pull up on anything and everything which sadly has led to a few more bumps and bruises. I hate when she hurts herself. It makes me want to put a helmet on her and bubble wrap everything. (Don't worry... I won't. I just want to).
She has also been very attached to Micheal and I. Which is just so sweet but so sad at the same time. I love knowing she finds comfort in our presence but I hate for her little heart to be scared when she can't find us. I am trying to be more intentional about leaving her with people more often to help her with this but its hard on both of us. This Sunday after Praise and Worship and Communion I took her back to the nursery. I usually stay in there and help the nursery volunteer because a) It's always nice to have an extra set of hands back there and b) I don't want to leave her yet. But this week when I went back there was already 2 youth kids and an extra adult back there so they obviously did not need any more help. So I decided to take a deep breath and leave. It was only for about 20-30 minutes and I shockingly did pretty well. I enjoyed the sermon and only checked the time like 4 times haha! At the very end of service one of the youth kids came and got me and told me Sarah wouldn't stop crying. Poor Baby. But all in all I think our first nursery experience went pretty well. :-)
Last night Micheal and I had the men's and women's Christmas Parties. It was a fun time and great to get to know more of the women in our church. We had a Holy Spirit Led gift exchange. The idea was for each person to bring a $10 gift and let the Holy Spirit lead you while shopping. Then attach a scripture to the gift and bring it to the party. Then we all drew numbers and exchanged gifts. My gift was a Venus Razor Shaving Kit with body wash, a bar of soap, tooth brush, toothpaste and an ornament. I was so excited because everything except for the ornament were things I needed to go get. And with the holidays its always nice to have a little extra to spend on Christmas. It was a kiss on the cheek from the Holy Spirit for sure. Also, it was funny because Micheal and I had been talking about razors for a week now! He used mine AND his all up and we kept forgetting to buy some more. God is so good and he cares about the little things. :-) I think he enjoyed watching Micheal and I give each other a hard time about razors and enjoys watching us have fun in our marriage. And when I opened up the bag and saw the razors I know He was smiling and saying "I love You Amanda!" :-)
Christmas is Coming! YAY!
Monday, December 12, 2016
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
7 Months and Thanksgiving
We have been pretty busy around here! Since the last time I posted we had Sarah Jo's 6 month well check, celebrated her first Halloween and now we are preparing for her first Thanksgiving! :-)
At her 6 month well check she did great! Still healthy and meeting milestones like a champ! I am so very grateful and thankful that we have a healthy baby girl. We moved forward with Baby Led Weaning after getting the ok from the doctor. She said there are no rules so just have fun with solids. Pretty much the only thing she can't have is honey and cow's milk until she is a year old. So we have been having a lot of fun with food! So far she has had cucumber, celery with peanut butter, pasta, scrambled eggs, toast with peanut butter, sweet potato, shredded chicken, apple sauce, green beans, and black beans. She has pretty much loved all of it! :-) In the beginning she would pretty much cough and spit out pretty much everything. But now she chews and swallows quite a bit and doesn't cough nearly as much. She has a lot of fun at meal times. We also do some purees but for the most part she eats food that we eat. For Thanksgiving I am excited for her to eat with us. I decided she is going to have some shredded turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and maybe some mashed potatoes. :-) It is going to be so fun.
For Halloween we had several activities! :-) We kicked things off with our Halloween party with our friends. We went over to Heath and Courtney's house and hung out and played games with the Talks, Adam and Ches, Butch, Paula, Heather, Mom and Adam Enloe. We decided we would all dress up so we went as a farm family. Micheal wore overalls and boots with a cowboy hat and I dressed up as the farmer's wife. And our sweet Sarah Jo was a duck! :-)
The weekend before Halloween was our annual Pumpkin Trail. It was a long day and a lot of work but a blast! :-) It was like 80 degrees and we were out there at 4:00 for the parade so we didn't dress Sarah Jo up until that evening when it cooled off. She was a cow this night. And a very adorable cow if I do say so myself! :-) The next evening we put Sarah back in her duck costume and went to the trunk or treat at the Baptist Church. It was so neat to show off our sweet girl.
Finally, on Halloween night we dressed her up again (as a duck) and took her to see her grandparents. We went to Nana and Poppa's, Cyndy and Jimmy's, and to see Granny Jo at the Nursing Home. By the end of the night Sarah was exhausted and DONE with Halloween. LOL. I told her that we wouldn't put that duck costume on her anymore. :-) We spent the rest of the evening passing out candy to trick or treaters and just hanging out. This was our first official holiday with our girl and we had a lot of fun!
To wrap up this post I am going to list some sweet things about Sarah Jo at 7 months that I don't want to forget.
-She started sitting up on her own earlier this month. I have always thought babies sitting up is just the cutest thing so needless to say I am loving this new sitting up thing. :-)
-My mom has this stuffed puppy that lights up and sings and whenever Sarah sees it she smiles THE SWEETEST smile. I love it!
-She has been having some issues sleeping lately so if we just cannot soothe her in her crib we bring her to bed with us. It is so sweet cuddling with her... even though I don't get much rest LOL.
-When she wakes up in the morning she will just talk and talk for a long time! She is just so content to just hang out in her bed and talk. When I get up and go in there she smiles the BIGGEST smile and does her little crunch which means "Hey Mom! Pick me up!" :-)
-Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch and she was sitting down at my feet and she started to pull up on my legs. She is soooo close to being able to pull up! I don't know if I am ready for that.
-When you are sitting in front of her playing with her she will find both of your index fingers and start standing up. She lights up when she stands up!
-She wants to chew on EVERYTHING. Anything you hand her, she aggressively grabs it and shoves it into her mouth. It is hilarious how intense she is.
-She has 2 teeth now. The center bottom ones. I didn't think her smile could get any sweeter... I was wrong!
-Right now her favorite toys are her dolls, her rattle, the remote control and a rubber spatula. :-)
-She loves watching sing along shows. :-)
-She still adores being outside and just out and about in general. She is the best companion. She just looks around and takes it all in when we are in stores or at church or wherever. And she still crashes out in her car seat. :-)
Well, that is all I can think of right now.
We are just living and loving this life with our girl. :-)
At her 6 month well check she did great! Still healthy and meeting milestones like a champ! I am so very grateful and thankful that we have a healthy baby girl. We moved forward with Baby Led Weaning after getting the ok from the doctor. She said there are no rules so just have fun with solids. Pretty much the only thing she can't have is honey and cow's milk until she is a year old. So we have been having a lot of fun with food! So far she has had cucumber, celery with peanut butter, pasta, scrambled eggs, toast with peanut butter, sweet potato, shredded chicken, apple sauce, green beans, and black beans. She has pretty much loved all of it! :-) In the beginning she would pretty much cough and spit out pretty much everything. But now she chews and swallows quite a bit and doesn't cough nearly as much. She has a lot of fun at meal times. We also do some purees but for the most part she eats food that we eat. For Thanksgiving I am excited for her to eat with us. I decided she is going to have some shredded turkey, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes and maybe some mashed potatoes. :-) It is going to be so fun.
For Halloween we had several activities! :-) We kicked things off with our Halloween party with our friends. We went over to Heath and Courtney's house and hung out and played games with the Talks, Adam and Ches, Butch, Paula, Heather, Mom and Adam Enloe. We decided we would all dress up so we went as a farm family. Micheal wore overalls and boots with a cowboy hat and I dressed up as the farmer's wife. And our sweet Sarah Jo was a duck! :-)
The weekend before Halloween was our annual Pumpkin Trail. It was a long day and a lot of work but a blast! :-) It was like 80 degrees and we were out there at 4:00 for the parade so we didn't dress Sarah Jo up until that evening when it cooled off. She was a cow this night. And a very adorable cow if I do say so myself! :-) The next evening we put Sarah back in her duck costume and went to the trunk or treat at the Baptist Church. It was so neat to show off our sweet girl.
Finally, on Halloween night we dressed her up again (as a duck) and took her to see her grandparents. We went to Nana and Poppa's, Cyndy and Jimmy's, and to see Granny Jo at the Nursing Home. By the end of the night Sarah was exhausted and DONE with Halloween. LOL. I told her that we wouldn't put that duck costume on her anymore. :-) We spent the rest of the evening passing out candy to trick or treaters and just hanging out. This was our first official holiday with our girl and we had a lot of fun!
To wrap up this post I am going to list some sweet things about Sarah Jo at 7 months that I don't want to forget.
-She started sitting up on her own earlier this month. I have always thought babies sitting up is just the cutest thing so needless to say I am loving this new sitting up thing. :-)
-My mom has this stuffed puppy that lights up and sings and whenever Sarah sees it she smiles THE SWEETEST smile. I love it!
-She has been having some issues sleeping lately so if we just cannot soothe her in her crib we bring her to bed with us. It is so sweet cuddling with her... even though I don't get much rest LOL.
-When she wakes up in the morning she will just talk and talk for a long time! She is just so content to just hang out in her bed and talk. When I get up and go in there she smiles the BIGGEST smile and does her little crunch which means "Hey Mom! Pick me up!" :-)
-Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch and she was sitting down at my feet and she started to pull up on my legs. She is soooo close to being able to pull up! I don't know if I am ready for that.
-When you are sitting in front of her playing with her she will find both of your index fingers and start standing up. She lights up when she stands up!
-She wants to chew on EVERYTHING. Anything you hand her, she aggressively grabs it and shoves it into her mouth. It is hilarious how intense she is.
-She has 2 teeth now. The center bottom ones. I didn't think her smile could get any sweeter... I was wrong!
-Right now her favorite toys are her dolls, her rattle, the remote control and a rubber spatula. :-)
-She loves watching sing along shows. :-)
-She still adores being outside and just out and about in general. She is the best companion. She just looks around and takes it all in when we are in stores or at church or wherever. And she still crashes out in her car seat. :-)
Well, that is all I can think of right now.
We are just living and loving this life with our girl. :-)
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Fun with Friends
In order to bring in a little extra income and help out my Mommy friends I have been babysitting a few times a week. I watch Karder pretty regularly when Kamille has marketing events for work and I keep Wyatt as a backup for Kimberly if his regular daycare worker is unavailable. It has been neat to watch babies at three different stages. Karder just turned two months and Wyatt just turned one in September. Karder reminds me where we have been and how quickly time flies and Wyatt shows me how much we have to look forward to! And my girl is right in the middle! :-)
Today Wyatt is here. (I have not been brave enough to watch all three of them at the same time yet. LOL.) He is so sweet. He crawls and cruises like a champ. He is so close to walking it isn't even funny. I love watching him and Sarah interact and just watch each other. It is so fun. Right now he is munching on his snack in his high chair next to me while Sarah naps. :-) I just love meal time and snack time with Wyatt. It is so sweet to watch him eat and take drinks out of his cup like such a big boy. I can't wait to do that with Sarah Jo.
Tonight Micheal has Wednesday night youth so Sarah and I will just hang out and make some meatloaf for dinner. She enjoys watching me cook. She sits in her bumbo chair and I talk her through all the steps. It will be fun when she is big enough to pour and stir! :-) Right now her main job is usually chewing on a rubber spatula... which is pretty essential to the cooking process if you ask me! :-)
Well Mr. Wyatt is about done and now its time to play!
Until next time!
Today Wyatt is here. (I have not been brave enough to watch all three of them at the same time yet. LOL.) He is so sweet. He crawls and cruises like a champ. He is so close to walking it isn't even funny. I love watching him and Sarah interact and just watch each other. It is so fun. Right now he is munching on his snack in his high chair next to me while Sarah naps. :-) I just love meal time and snack time with Wyatt. It is so sweet to watch him eat and take drinks out of his cup like such a big boy. I can't wait to do that with Sarah Jo.
Tonight Micheal has Wednesday night youth so Sarah and I will just hang out and make some meatloaf for dinner. She enjoys watching me cook. She sits in her bumbo chair and I talk her through all the steps. It will be fun when she is big enough to pour and stir! :-) Right now her main job is usually chewing on a rubber spatula... which is pretty essential to the cooking process if you ask me! :-)
Well Mr. Wyatt is about done and now its time to play!
Until next time!
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
The Wonderful World of Solids!
At Sarah's 4 month well check back in August I asked Dr. Dalton about her opinion when it comes to introducing solids to Sarah. She said that we can do whatever we feel comfortable with as far as when and how to introduce them. She said she started her first (out of five) on solids at 4 months because it is exciting but ended up stopping and waiting until later simply because it was a mess trying to feed a 4 month old. And with her other babies she waits until 6 months and does baby led weaning. I told her that I plan on doing baby led weaning and wanted to skip cereals and try to wait until closer to 6 months. I made it to 5 months and then I just couldn't stand it! I wanted to explore the wonderful world of solids with my girl!
I started slow and just gave her frozen chunks of bananas in her mesh paci to help soothe her gums (teething probs). She absolutely loved it! A few days later I tried a small piece of frozen strawberry in there. She was not a fan. It was hilarious and sad at the same time. I thought maybe the strawberry was sour so I tasted it and it was as sweet as could be! I couldn't believe she did not like it!
After that I waited a few more weeks and we introduced some apple sauce. She like it but was pretty fussy later that day so I thought it made her have a tummy ache. We paused again and a couple of weeks ago started again. So far she has had sweet potatoes, butternut squash, peas, bananas and apple sauce (all purees). She has loved them all and we have not had any other issues! (Other than last week when she was eating some bananas and wanted more and more and more and almost ate a full container. Well I learned my lesson when I cleaned up spit up bananas all night and had to deal with an inconsolable baby at bedtime.) Mommy learned her lesson and will put the brakes on before Sarah eats her fill of bananas again! :-)
So next week at her 6 month well check I am going to get more information on baby led weaning from Dr. Dalton and we are going to ditch the purees (for the most part) and start eating actual solids. I am excited! I know in the beginning she will mostly just play with it and (maybe) a few bites will actually end up in her mouth. But I just LOVE to watch her explore and discover new things. I am so excited for all of the firsts that are in our future. But I have moments where I miss my newborn so much. My heart has felt more happiness and sadness at the same time since I became a mommy. I feel so incredibly blessed and privileged to get to raise this beautiful girl! She has my heart and always will! :-)
I started slow and just gave her frozen chunks of bananas in her mesh paci to help soothe her gums (teething probs). She absolutely loved it! A few days later I tried a small piece of frozen strawberry in there. She was not a fan. It was hilarious and sad at the same time. I thought maybe the strawberry was sour so I tasted it and it was as sweet as could be! I couldn't believe she did not like it!
After that I waited a few more weeks and we introduced some apple sauce. She like it but was pretty fussy later that day so I thought it made her have a tummy ache. We paused again and a couple of weeks ago started again. So far she has had sweet potatoes, butternut squash, peas, bananas and apple sauce (all purees). She has loved them all and we have not had any other issues! (Other than last week when she was eating some bananas and wanted more and more and more and almost ate a full container. Well I learned my lesson when I cleaned up spit up bananas all night and had to deal with an inconsolable baby at bedtime.) Mommy learned her lesson and will put the brakes on before Sarah eats her fill of bananas again! :-)
So next week at her 6 month well check I am going to get more information on baby led weaning from Dr. Dalton and we are going to ditch the purees (for the most part) and start eating actual solids. I am excited! I know in the beginning she will mostly just play with it and (maybe) a few bites will actually end up in her mouth. But I just LOVE to watch her explore and discover new things. I am so excited for all of the firsts that are in our future. But I have moments where I miss my newborn so much. My heart has felt more happiness and sadness at the same time since I became a mommy. I feel so incredibly blessed and privileged to get to raise this beautiful girl! She has my heart and always will! :-)
Monday, October 10, 2016
Nap Strikes!
Last week our sweet, normally great little napper decided that she had much more interesting things to do during the day than sleep. :-) Needless to say, that made for some long days for me and my girl. I have read that while they are going through major developmental milestones (like sitting, which she is sooo close to doing) that they have more REM sleep which equals more night awakenings and shorter naps. Well, that sounded exactly like what was going on with us. So on Friday afternoon I decided on a whim to try to lay her in her crib when I knew she was tired and let her fall asleep on her own. She enjoys laying in her crib so she talked and played for a while and then started to fuss. I went in a gave her the pacifier and left. I repeated this process a few times and eventually she went to sleep! I couldn't believe that it actually worked! It is now Monday and I have done this all weekend for her naps and it has been incredible. She has learned that when I lay her down in her crib that it is time to sleep. And her normally 20-30 minute naps have turned into an hour or more! I am just so proud of my girl! :-) As of right now she seems to be able to be up for about 2 hours before she starts showing signs of sleepiness. So I just time it from the time she wakes up and 2 hours later we start winding down for nap. I know all of this could change tomorrow but for right now it is working for us and I could not be happier.
I am also trying to introduce a lovey to her. From about 2 months to 4.5 months our precious girl would go to bed around 9:00 and sleep until around 9:30 the next morning. She slept like a rock all night and didn't make a peep. It was glorious! Well we had several transitions around that 4.5 month mark like weaning from the swaddle and eventually moving her to her crib. Since then she has started crying out for her paci throughout the night. She doesn't really fully wake up but it just seems like she can't soothe herself back into a deep sleep when she starts to stir. I give her the paci and she goes right back to sleep. Sometimes we do this 20 times a night while other nights just once or twice. It can be pretty frustrating to say the least (LOL) so I am hoping by introducing a lovey she will find comfort in that when she starts to stir and be able to eventually go back to sleep without her paci. I know she may not take to it and that is fine but I think its worth a try. We have been holding the lovey while we eat and keeping it in her crib while she sleeps. We will see if she starts to take to it. :-) I have considered trying to wean her from her paci but honestly I am just not up for that and I don't think Sarah is either. She loves her paci (aka her baby) and it just comes in so handy for sleeping and in the car and other times when she is overwhelmed. So I will continue my job as night time paci popper! :-) (And know that someday she will learn to put it back in herself) :-)
Well that is the big update in our lives right now! And I can hear my little girl waking up from her almost TWO HOUR NAP! Score! :-)
Happy Monday everyone! :-)
I am also trying to introduce a lovey to her. From about 2 months to 4.5 months our precious girl would go to bed around 9:00 and sleep until around 9:30 the next morning. She slept like a rock all night and didn't make a peep. It was glorious! Well we had several transitions around that 4.5 month mark like weaning from the swaddle and eventually moving her to her crib. Since then she has started crying out for her paci throughout the night. She doesn't really fully wake up but it just seems like she can't soothe herself back into a deep sleep when she starts to stir. I give her the paci and she goes right back to sleep. Sometimes we do this 20 times a night while other nights just once or twice. It can be pretty frustrating to say the least (LOL) so I am hoping by introducing a lovey she will find comfort in that when she starts to stir and be able to eventually go back to sleep without her paci. I know she may not take to it and that is fine but I think its worth a try. We have been holding the lovey while we eat and keeping it in her crib while she sleeps. We will see if she starts to take to it. :-) I have considered trying to wean her from her paci but honestly I am just not up for that and I don't think Sarah is either. She loves her paci (aka her baby) and it just comes in so handy for sleeping and in the car and other times when she is overwhelmed. So I will continue my job as night time paci popper! :-) (And know that someday she will learn to put it back in herself) :-)
Well that is the big update in our lives right now! And I can hear my little girl waking up from her almost TWO HOUR NAP! Score! :-)
Happy Monday everyone! :-)
Monday, September 26, 2016
Ephesians 3:16-21
16 May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, 18 be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; 19 and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself].
20 Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, 21 to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:16-21 (AMP)
This. This. This. I want this so badly in my life. Before bed last night I was reading and came across this verse in the Amplified version. I am a wordy person so I LOVE all the extra words in this version of scripture. What really grabbed my heart was verse 19... to know God practically, through personal experience which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience). Oh my goodness. This is going to be my prayer for the coming weeks. I am going to memorize, live, and breathe this verse. Because knowledge without experience is not good enough for me. I want to experience Christ's love in a new and deep way. This is my heart's cry and I cannot wait to dig into this deeper with the Lord.
Abba,
You know every crevice of my heart. The good, the bad and the ugly. And you know that I am so ready to cast away all distractions and get to the heart of what our relationship looks like. It is unique and cannot be compared to anyone else's. I love you Abba and I want to know you more. Please give me eyes to see and ears to hear you speaking to me. Help me to experience your love and your shalom peace! I am so excited to move forward on my journey with you! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your goodness! Thank you that all of your promises are yes and amen!!!!!
Amen and Amen!
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Crib, Friends and Church!!
So I have to start by saying I am so HAPPY! I FINALLY sat down and moved all of my pictures of Sarah (including pregnancy) onto my external hard drive so I can get them off my phone! Shout out to Adam and Ches for surprising me with a hard drive last week! I feel so relieved to know that are now backed up and safe! So I was able to delete them from my phone, which has been full for weeks. So I haven't been able to take pictures or videos on my phone. But I am back now!!! :-) It is so awesome to have that accomplished.
So Miss Sarah has been doing great! We moved her to her crib 1 week ago and she has been doing well with the transition. I was a little nervous because she has been restless the last few weeks and needing me to replace her pacifier all. night. long. And the thought of having to get up and walk into her room to give it to her over and over did not sound appealing to me... it is so much easier to roll over and give it to her! LOL! But last Sunday I just decided it was time. The first night she did AWESOME. Self soothed like a champ and only needed her paci once. The next few nights were a little rough but not bad considering. And now she is pretty much only needing me to go in once or twice (not counting all the times I just go peek on her to make sure she is ok.) :-) And when I do go in I just give her the paci and she goes right back to sleep. I am just so proud of her making this transition! And I am a little proud of myself for doing it too. I was not looking forward to not having her next to me but we knew it was time. Poor thing has pretty much out grown her bassinet. Here is a picture of the first night Sarah slept in her bassinet next to a more recent picture. As you can tell she has done a lot of growing!
Another big moment this week is that we almost have a sitter on our hands! I am so ready for her to be able to sit on her own. She will be so much happier to play sitting up instead of laying down! Sister is over laying on the floor. LOL. She will play for a little bit but then starts doing her little crunch which is code for pick me up please!!
Yesterday we went to Lubbock and met my sweet friend Kayla Foshee for lunch! This was the first time she got to meet Sarah. :-) We went to the Plaza, a new restaurant in Lubbock and it was delish! Sarah had so much fun and was definitely showing off for Kayla. She was talking and squealing up a storm. Kayla brought Sarah a sweet outfit and a fun toy! Sarah loves it! Here she is holding it while fighting to stay awake right before bed time last night.
And lastly I have to show how adorable she looked for church this morning. Today was also her first Sunday in the nursery! I have to note that I worked the nursery lol... I am not ready for her to be in there without me yet. Ha Ha! But she had a blast and loved watching all the other kids!
So Miss Sarah has been doing great! We moved her to her crib 1 week ago and she has been doing well with the transition. I was a little nervous because she has been restless the last few weeks and needing me to replace her pacifier all. night. long. And the thought of having to get up and walk into her room to give it to her over and over did not sound appealing to me... it is so much easier to roll over and give it to her! LOL! But last Sunday I just decided it was time. The first night she did AWESOME. Self soothed like a champ and only needed her paci once. The next few nights were a little rough but not bad considering. And now she is pretty much only needing me to go in once or twice (not counting all the times I just go peek on her to make sure she is ok.) :-) And when I do go in I just give her the paci and she goes right back to sleep. I am just so proud of her making this transition! And I am a little proud of myself for doing it too. I was not looking forward to not having her next to me but we knew it was time. Poor thing has pretty much out grown her bassinet. Here is a picture of the first night Sarah slept in her bassinet next to a more recent picture. As you can tell she has done a lot of growing!
Another big moment this week is that we almost have a sitter on our hands! I am so ready for her to be able to sit on her own. She will be so much happier to play sitting up instead of laying down! Sister is over laying on the floor. LOL. She will play for a little bit but then starts doing her little crunch which is code for pick me up please!!
Yesterday we went to Lubbock and met my sweet friend Kayla Foshee for lunch! This was the first time she got to meet Sarah. :-) We went to the Plaza, a new restaurant in Lubbock and it was delish! Sarah had so much fun and was definitely showing off for Kayla. She was talking and squealing up a storm. Kayla brought Sarah a sweet outfit and a fun toy! Sarah loves it! Here she is holding it while fighting to stay awake right before bed time last night.
And lastly I have to show how adorable she looked for church this morning. Today was also her first Sunday in the nursery! I have to note that I worked the nursery lol... I am not ready for her to be in there without me yet. Ha Ha! But she had a blast and loved watching all the other kids!
I can't believe we almost have a 6 month old on our hands!!! :-( Time needs to slow down!
Friday, September 23, 2016
A New Beginning
I want to remember this moment.
I have really been struggling lately. Fear and worry have been literally dragging me down. These are things that in my flesh I have always been susceptible to.
It is exhausting... it makes you rude, selfish and just not fun to be around. I struggle because I go to God and I feel like nothing changes.
However, I continue to call out to the One I know can set me free and give me His Shalom peace.
Today, I have been set free. In Jesus' mighty name I am a new creation, the old is gone the new IS HERE! I have His Shalom peace inside of me. It flows through my veins.
Today I choose to trust Him fully and completely!
It is a new beginning. Praise you Jesus for you are faithful always!!
You will keep in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on you because he trusts in You! Amen and Amen!!
I have really been struggling lately. Fear and worry have been literally dragging me down. These are things that in my flesh I have always been susceptible to.
It is exhausting... it makes you rude, selfish and just not fun to be around. I struggle because I go to God and I feel like nothing changes.
However, I continue to call out to the One I know can set me free and give me His Shalom peace.
Today, I have been set free. In Jesus' mighty name I am a new creation, the old is gone the new IS HERE! I have His Shalom peace inside of me. It flows through my veins.
Today I choose to trust Him fully and completely!
It is a new beginning. Praise you Jesus for you are faithful always!!
You will keep in perfect peace whose mind is fixed on you because he trusts in You! Amen and Amen!!
Monday, September 5, 2016
Vacay 2016
We got back from our Ruidoso trip last night. We had a wonderful time!
We headed out early Friday morning. Micheal, Sarah and I rode in our van and Mom, Dad, Ches and Adam rode in the Mirano. We met up in Portales for breakfast. We went to a little diner. The food was alright but their version of hashbrowns was not up to par. LOL. :-) After breakfast we made it to Roswell and stopped to take a bathroom break and feed Sarah. Once that was done we finished the trip. First we met up with Nanny and Pappy in Cloudcroft for a late lunch and then headed back into Ruidoso to check into our cabin. We had a good time with Nanny and Pappy! Audra and Ben were there too and that was an awesome surprise! :-) Nanny and Pappy recently adopted a dog and they named it Foxy. It is the funniest thing! It's teeny tiny and has the biggest ears ever. They love it so much! We ate porkchops and fried potatoes. It was yummy! We didn't stay very long because Sarah was a little fussy and we were just ready to be at our cabin and get settled in for the evening. We said our goodbyes and headed out.
We arrived at our cabin about 45 minutes later and got unloaded. The first thing I did was unpack and get our room organized. Living out of a suitcase with a baby was just not an option for me. :-) Since Sarah had been in and out of the car all day long I decided that we were done with outings for the day so we just hung out at the cabin for the rest of the evening. Mom, Ches, Micheal and I played cards while Adam and Dad played golf. And sweet Sarah hung out on the balcony with us. :-)
The next morning we woke up and had a lazy morning. Dad cooked everyone breakfast and we played cards and hung out. We got ready and headed out to lunch later that afternoon. We went to K-Bob's. It was so yummy! Then it was back to the cabin to chill some more. We played some more games (that is our favorite thing to do in Ruidoso, if you can't tell!) LOL! The guys played golf some more and I took a nap! :-) That was so nice! We lounged around and ordered pizza for dinner. To write about it sounds really boring LOL but it was so wonderful to just be together with no agenda!
The next day we decided to head out to Cloudcroft to go explore. It took like forever and a day to get there but it was a nice trip. When we got there we went to eat, I think the place was called Jakes. It was so yummy! They had delicious burgers! Yum!! After we ate I let Sarah taste the lemon from my water. She made a hilarious face and then smiled real big. I think she is going to like sour stuff like her mama! After we ate we shopped around for a bit and then went to the Old Apple Barn. It's a neat shop full of all kinds of souvenirs and cute signs. And they sell homemade Apple Pie and old fashioned floats and all kinds of yummy treats! We hung out there for a while and then made the long trip back to Ruidoso. When we got back we played some more cards and ate some yummy pie from the Apple Barn. :-)
The next day was the last full day of our trip. We went to lunch at Casablanca, it was delish! Then we all loaded up and went to Alamogordo for the day. We dropped Adam and Dad off at the Space Museum while Micheal, Mom, Ches, Sarah and I went to the zoo. It was a small little zoo but we still had a good time. Afterwards we picked up Dad and Adam and headed out to White Sands. It was so much fun. My back was hurting so I didn't play much. I managed to get up the hill and slide down once and after that I decided it was better to just hang out with Sarah. :-) After White Sands we drove back into Alamogordo and and had dinner at Long John Silvers. We had not been there in so long and it was yum! We got back to the cabin and put Sarah to bed and then we stayed up and played cards some more and just soaked up our last night.
The next morning we all got up and around. We had to be out of the cabin by 11:00. We got everything packed up and situated and then headed downtown for some shopping and lunch. We ate at our favorite Italian Place, Michealangelos. But it was under new ownership so everything was different. I enjoyed the food but it wasn't as good as the original place so we probably won't be going back. After lunch we walked down to the ice cream parlor and had some yummy dessert. Then it was time to hit the road back home. After a quick stop for gas we were on our way.
We had a wonderful trip and we are so grateful for the chance to get away for a bit and have some fun!
**I didn't take many pics on my phone. But here a few!
We headed out early Friday morning. Micheal, Sarah and I rode in our van and Mom, Dad, Ches and Adam rode in the Mirano. We met up in Portales for breakfast. We went to a little diner. The food was alright but their version of hashbrowns was not up to par. LOL. :-) After breakfast we made it to Roswell and stopped to take a bathroom break and feed Sarah. Once that was done we finished the trip. First we met up with Nanny and Pappy in Cloudcroft for a late lunch and then headed back into Ruidoso to check into our cabin. We had a good time with Nanny and Pappy! Audra and Ben were there too and that was an awesome surprise! :-) Nanny and Pappy recently adopted a dog and they named it Foxy. It is the funniest thing! It's teeny tiny and has the biggest ears ever. They love it so much! We ate porkchops and fried potatoes. It was yummy! We didn't stay very long because Sarah was a little fussy and we were just ready to be at our cabin and get settled in for the evening. We said our goodbyes and headed out.
We arrived at our cabin about 45 minutes later and got unloaded. The first thing I did was unpack and get our room organized. Living out of a suitcase with a baby was just not an option for me. :-) Since Sarah had been in and out of the car all day long I decided that we were done with outings for the day so we just hung out at the cabin for the rest of the evening. Mom, Ches, Micheal and I played cards while Adam and Dad played golf. And sweet Sarah hung out on the balcony with us. :-)
The next morning we woke up and had a lazy morning. Dad cooked everyone breakfast and we played cards and hung out. We got ready and headed out to lunch later that afternoon. We went to K-Bob's. It was so yummy! Then it was back to the cabin to chill some more. We played some more games (that is our favorite thing to do in Ruidoso, if you can't tell!) LOL! The guys played golf some more and I took a nap! :-) That was so nice! We lounged around and ordered pizza for dinner. To write about it sounds really boring LOL but it was so wonderful to just be together with no agenda!
The next day we decided to head out to Cloudcroft to go explore. It took like forever and a day to get there but it was a nice trip. When we got there we went to eat, I think the place was called Jakes. It was so yummy! They had delicious burgers! Yum!! After we ate I let Sarah taste the lemon from my water. She made a hilarious face and then smiled real big. I think she is going to like sour stuff like her mama! After we ate we shopped around for a bit and then went to the Old Apple Barn. It's a neat shop full of all kinds of souvenirs and cute signs. And they sell homemade Apple Pie and old fashioned floats and all kinds of yummy treats! We hung out there for a while and then made the long trip back to Ruidoso. When we got back we played some more cards and ate some yummy pie from the Apple Barn. :-)
The next day was the last full day of our trip. We went to lunch at Casablanca, it was delish! Then we all loaded up and went to Alamogordo for the day. We dropped Adam and Dad off at the Space Museum while Micheal, Mom, Ches, Sarah and I went to the zoo. It was a small little zoo but we still had a good time. Afterwards we picked up Dad and Adam and headed out to White Sands. It was so much fun. My back was hurting so I didn't play much. I managed to get up the hill and slide down once and after that I decided it was better to just hang out with Sarah. :-) After White Sands we drove back into Alamogordo and and had dinner at Long John Silvers. We had not been there in so long and it was yum! We got back to the cabin and put Sarah to bed and then we stayed up and played cards some more and just soaked up our last night.
The next morning we all got up and around. We had to be out of the cabin by 11:00. We got everything packed up and situated and then headed downtown for some shopping and lunch. We ate at our favorite Italian Place, Michealangelos. But it was under new ownership so everything was different. I enjoyed the food but it wasn't as good as the original place so we probably won't be going back. After lunch we walked down to the ice cream parlor and had some yummy dessert. Then it was time to hit the road back home. After a quick stop for gas we were on our way.
We had a wonderful trip and we are so grateful for the chance to get away for a bit and have some fun!
**I didn't take many pics on my phone. But here a few!
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Anticipation!
So tomorrow we are leaving for Ruidoso!! Vacay 2016!!! Woot Woot!!
Mom and Dad were nice enough to rent a cabin for all of us to stay in! Adam and Ches are going too! We are so ready to get away and just hang out as a family for a few days. I am so grateful to my parents for paying for us to go with them. Otherwise there would not be any vacation this year. We are so blessed!
We plan on leaving tomorrow morning around 8am! I think the day before vacation is almost better than the actual vacation lol! The anticipation of knowing you are about to go on an adventure is the best!
I believe the tentative plan is to go into Cloudcroft tomorrow and meet up with Nanny and Pappy in their camper for an early campfire dinner! Then we will head into Ruidoso and get settled into our cabin. We will be there until Tuesday. One day we plan on driving up to Alamogordo and go to White Sands. Ches has never been there so we are looking forward to showing her! :-)
I am a little nervous about how Sarah will do. We have done a few quick trips but never any more than 1 or 2 nights. She has been such a happy baby lately and so laid back and more comfortable being in new places so I am cautiously optimistic. She still screams her little head off if anyone other than Micheal or I are holding her. I am hoping that will get better this week. She does pretty good with my mom but I am hoping she will get more used to my Dad while we are away. I hate that she cries when he holds her. He loves her so much. It doesn't phase him any but I don't like it. LOL.
So today I am just cleaning and packing and getting everything ready for us to be gone. Sarah and I got up early this morning and got so much done. We both are showered and dressed for the day. And the laundry is going, the kitchen is cleaned, the beds are made and the bottles are sterilized! And its not even lunch time! I am feeling very accomplished. :-) I have a chiropractor appointment this afternoon and then we are having dinner with Kimberly from the youth group tonight so that will be fun.
Well, Sarah is napping so I better keep moving so I can get everything done before its time to head out!
Be blessed! :-)
Mom and Dad were nice enough to rent a cabin for all of us to stay in! Adam and Ches are going too! We are so ready to get away and just hang out as a family for a few days. I am so grateful to my parents for paying for us to go with them. Otherwise there would not be any vacation this year. We are so blessed!
We plan on leaving tomorrow morning around 8am! I think the day before vacation is almost better than the actual vacation lol! The anticipation of knowing you are about to go on an adventure is the best!
I believe the tentative plan is to go into Cloudcroft tomorrow and meet up with Nanny and Pappy in their camper for an early campfire dinner! Then we will head into Ruidoso and get settled into our cabin. We will be there until Tuesday. One day we plan on driving up to Alamogordo and go to White Sands. Ches has never been there so we are looking forward to showing her! :-)
I am a little nervous about how Sarah will do. We have done a few quick trips but never any more than 1 or 2 nights. She has been such a happy baby lately and so laid back and more comfortable being in new places so I am cautiously optimistic. She still screams her little head off if anyone other than Micheal or I are holding her. I am hoping that will get better this week. She does pretty good with my mom but I am hoping she will get more used to my Dad while we are away. I hate that she cries when he holds her. He loves her so much. It doesn't phase him any but I don't like it. LOL.
So today I am just cleaning and packing and getting everything ready for us to be gone. Sarah and I got up early this morning and got so much done. We both are showered and dressed for the day. And the laundry is going, the kitchen is cleaned, the beds are made and the bottles are sterilized! And its not even lunch time! I am feeling very accomplished. :-) I have a chiropractor appointment this afternoon and then we are having dinner with Kimberly from the youth group tonight so that will be fun.
Well, Sarah is napping so I better keep moving so I can get everything done before its time to head out!
Be blessed! :-)
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
365 Days
365 days have passed since I found out I was going to be a mommy! I can't believe it.
This has been without a doubt the most exciting journey I have ever been on. Being a mommy is the most amazing gift I have ever been given. Every day I wake up and am just so thankful that I get to be Sarah's mom.
A letter to my girl:
Sarah Jo,
Hey there baby girl. 1 year ago today I found out that you were coming. In a bathroom in Colorado we began our journey together. The second that test turned positive my life changed forever. You became mine and I could not wait to meet you. April seemed like a lifetime away. But until you made your grand appearance I was looking forward to being pregnant and feeling you grow inside me. Unfortunately, just a couple weeks after finding out I was having you I got sick... morning sickness (more like all day sickness) set in big time! And it pretty much lasted until you arrived. BUT its ok because the Dr. gave me some medicine that helped me SO MUCH! :-) And just so you know... I would do it all over again, nausea and all! I always heard people say they don't remember what they did before they had kids. I never really understood that until now. I had a beautiful life before you were born but now that you are here I realize that something was missing... and that something was you. You are my dream come true. Everything I do now is more fun because you are with me. It's like my life has started over and things I have done a million times before are now new and exciting because I get to see them through your beautiful eyes. I love taking you out in public and showing you off! My heart swells with pride when people stop and ooh and awe over you. It's one of my favorite things! I just want to show you off to everyone!!
We have already experienced so much in our 365 days of knowing each other... your kicks and somersaults in my tummy, your first cry, your first smile, your first coo and laugh (music to my ears), sleeping through the night (You rock sister!), figuring out how to use your hands, and so many other things. It is such a privilege to watch you grow. I feel like I am in a constant struggle between being so excited about seeing you grow into the person you will become and wanting you to stay my baby forever. You have my heart little one and you always will.
Always remember that I love you more than all the stars in the sky, the trees in the forest and the sand on the beaches!
Thank you for coming baby girl!
Love,
Mommy
This has been without a doubt the most exciting journey I have ever been on. Being a mommy is the most amazing gift I have ever been given. Every day I wake up and am just so thankful that I get to be Sarah's mom.
A letter to my girl:
Sarah Jo,
Hey there baby girl. 1 year ago today I found out that you were coming. In a bathroom in Colorado we began our journey together. The second that test turned positive my life changed forever. You became mine and I could not wait to meet you. April seemed like a lifetime away. But until you made your grand appearance I was looking forward to being pregnant and feeling you grow inside me. Unfortunately, just a couple weeks after finding out I was having you I got sick... morning sickness (more like all day sickness) set in big time! And it pretty much lasted until you arrived. BUT its ok because the Dr. gave me some medicine that helped me SO MUCH! :-) And just so you know... I would do it all over again, nausea and all! I always heard people say they don't remember what they did before they had kids. I never really understood that until now. I had a beautiful life before you were born but now that you are here I realize that something was missing... and that something was you. You are my dream come true. Everything I do now is more fun because you are with me. It's like my life has started over and things I have done a million times before are now new and exciting because I get to see them through your beautiful eyes. I love taking you out in public and showing you off! My heart swells with pride when people stop and ooh and awe over you. It's one of my favorite things! I just want to show you off to everyone!!
We have already experienced so much in our 365 days of knowing each other... your kicks and somersaults in my tummy, your first cry, your first smile, your first coo and laugh (music to my ears), sleeping through the night (You rock sister!), figuring out how to use your hands, and so many other things. It is such a privilege to watch you grow. I feel like I am in a constant struggle between being so excited about seeing you grow into the person you will become and wanting you to stay my baby forever. You have my heart little one and you always will.
Always remember that I love you more than all the stars in the sky, the trees in the forest and the sand on the beaches!
Thank you for coming baby girl!
Love,
Mommy
Sarah Jo's Birth Story
It all started on April 14th. It was a Thursday afternoon. I was leaving work for the day at 5:00 and I just had a feeling that was going to be my last day. I stopped on my way to the car and turned back and looked at my office door. I kind of soaked it in for a minute and then went on my way.
When I got home from work Micheal and I decided to go for a walk. I was so ready to have this baby and I knew walking was good so off we went. We walked down to see my mom at the chiropractor's office. I was scheduled to get an adjustment the following week but Kimberly said she could go ahead and see me that day. She adjusted me and we all jokingly agreed that I would have the baby over the weekend. I was all for that! :-)
Micheal and I went home and made Little Ceasar's Pizzas from the kit we bought from the local cheerleaders. I rearranged closets and washed and hung clothes for Sarah. Micheal helped me and we got a lot done. I was nesting for sure!
We ate our pizza and I sat in my chair and Micheal sat on the couch and we talked for a long time. Mostly about the baby and how ready we were (although Micheal was still banking on the fact that he had another nine days before her due date!). I just remember it being such a nice conversation and we just had a fun evening together.
About 10:00 that night I started feeling some pains, I didn't say anything to Micheal because they kind of felt like gas pains and so I wasn't convinced it was labor. But they lasted all through the night and they were rhythmic. I got very little sleep that night. The next morning I got up and started getting ready to go to work. After I took a shower I decided that I was going to call in to work because at this point I was pretty convinced that I was in labor. I texted my boss and let her know that I would not be in. I tried to get someone to fill in for me but nobody was available. Luckily I had a very understanding boss so it was no big deal. When Micheal got up I let him know that I was pretty sure I was in labor but that it was very early. I told him to go ahead and go to work.
After he left I texted my mom and asked her to come help me finish putting Sarah's laundry up because it wasn't finished and I didn't want to have her with her nursery a mess. She was so excited and came right over. I tried to help her but I was pretty uncomfortable so she had me just sit down while she finished hanging her clothes. She also put the final items in our overnight bag for the hospital. My dad came over and cooked me breakfast. I ate it in bed. I texted Micheal and told him to cancel our plans with our friends that night. We were supposed to go to Lubbock with Heath, Courtney, Adam, Ches, Kamille and Colton. The guys were going to go go-karting and we were going to get pedicures. My plan was to have pretty toes for the delivery and for the foot massage to put me in labor lol. Turns out Sarah had other plans.
Micheal had lunch plans with his brother but at about 11:30 I texted him and told him I thought he should come home because we were going to have to go to the hospital soon. In the mean time I was texting my Doula and timing my contractions. They were pretty sporadic but no more than 4 minutes apart for the most part. I was so ready to go to the hospital but did not want to get sent home. I didn't want to have to be roaming around Lubbock while in labor. If I couldn't be at the hospital I wanted to be home.
A little before 12 Micheal got home for lunch and I told him to go ahead and eat but that we should head to Lubbock after he finished. (Mom and Dad offered to get us a hotel room if the hospital sent us away so that made me feel better) Around 1:30 we got in the car. Micheal and I took our car and Mom and Dad were going to meet us over there. It was a nice ride to the hospital. Micheal said a prayer while we were on the road and we just talked and timed my contractions. I was just so afraid they were going to send me home when we got there. I knew that if you could talk during/in between the contractions and were still in a good mood that it was most likely early labor. I also knew that if I was only at a 1 or 2 when we got there I was definitely getting an epidural. LOL. My plan was to go natural for as long as I could and take pain meds as needed. I didn't know if I could do it but I had always wanted to try.
We finally made it to the hospital. I remember when we got out of the car Micheal saw a diaper on the ground and he said "Look! Its a sign!" I sure hoped he was right! We got inside and the sweet volunteer ladies at the front asked me if I was in labor (I certainly did not look like I was). We told them I was and they got me a wheel chair. On the way up to L&D I tried to look like I was in more pain that I was because I didn't want them to send me away. LOL. We made it to labor and delivery and they had Micheal fill out some form and then took me to be checked. I changed into my gown and went into the exam room. The nurse's name was Marla and she was so sweet. I told her I had never been checked before as she was hooking me up to the monitor. I had a contraction and asked her "Is that a contraction?" She said it was and at that moment I breathed a sigh of relief! It wasn't just gas! Yay! Ha Ha! She checked me and told me that I must be superwoman because I was at an 8! At that moment I burst into tears. Micheal looked at me and asked if it was time to let people know and I said Yes! :-) He had called his mom on the way to the hospital but we hadn't told anyone else until we knew what we were dealing with.
They quickly began moving me to a room. I told Marla that I had been praying for every nurse involved in Sarah's delivery and she was truly an answer to prayer! On the way to our room I heard the Marla say into her little speaker that she had a woman in labor dilated to an 8 with a bulging bag. I remember thinking what the heck is a bulging bag!? Micheal texted Devan, our doula and let her know it was time! I had a list of people to text on my phone and Micheal was busy supporting me and texting away for the next little bit. My parents got there and brought us drinks. Which I thought was so funny because it was such a normal thing in the midst of such an incredible moment! My dad was all teary eyed and just standing in the corner and I told him that he was going to have to leave if he was going to do that. I said it through my own tears half jokingly half not. He wanted an excuse to leave lol. He later told me that he was glad I said that. :-)
I talked to Meg on the phone and cried. She was so sweet and was crying too. I don't even remember what all we said. Other than Meg I didn't talk to anyone else on the phone but I had Micheal in charge of texting everyone! I had a list on my phone of people to contact. Nanny and Pappy got there and came in and hugged me and we talked for a few minutes before they went back to the waiting room. We all kind of hung out for a little bit and I continued to labor. Devan (our doula) was such a blessing. She guided Micheal and I and helped me try some different positions to make me comfortable and continue to progress.
Dr. Perales came in around 3. She was so sweet as always. She asked me if I wanted her to break my water. I really wanted as few medical interventions as possible so I told her no. She said that was fine and said she would come back to check on my in a couple of hours. In my head I was like a couple of hours!? The way everyone was acting this baby was coming like now! And now I have to wait a few hours for her to come back! After she left my doula explained that it could take that long for my water to break, but if I let her break my water I would probably be pushing within the hour. I immediately said "Go get Dr. Perales." I decided if I was going to do this... lets do it now.
Dr. Perales came back in a broke my water. After that everything kind of gets fuzzy and I wish I would have wrote all of this down sooner, so I am just going to do my best. I labored in the bed for the rest of the time. They helped me get comfortable and eventually I ended up using the banana... that sounds so weird but its basically a birthing ball in the shape of a banana. I laid on my side and continued to labor. At this point things got pretty intense. I was no longer talking or in between contractions. I was at a 9 and starting to get the urge to push. My doula told me that if I had the urge I could push but not too hard. It was so crazy because I had heard that when your body is ready to push you have very little ability to stop it... and they were right. I just worked with my body and pushed with every contraction. Finally, Marla came back in to check me and she told me that I was still at a 9 but if I felt ready to push I could and once Sarah dropped lower I would be at a 10. At this point my Mom left the room and it was just Micheal, Devan and Marla with me. They were all so awesome. I continued to push and I kept asking if anything was happening. I just wanted to know all of this hard work was doing something. LOL. They continued to coach me and we got closer and closer. At one point I asked them if I was having a contraction and they both looked at each other and kind of laughed. They were in shock that I just wasn't in pain. I didn't get it either but I sure was grateful.
Finally, Dr. Perales came in the room and I knew something was finally happening! Sarah Jo was coming! I was having a baby! All of these thoughts were running through my mind. I told her I am so glad you are here! I pushed some more and it felt like forever. They asked me if I wanted a mirror so I could see. And I said no, I just want her to be here. They started talking about her hair and what color I thought it would be. They asked me to guess but I was in no mood for guessing games lol. RIght as she was crowning they told me that my water had meconium in it so NICU would be in here to check her as soon as she was born. I said ok. I was only focused on having my baby.
I pushed one more time and she was finally here. I don't remember her crying... but Micheal does (and my mom who was standing outside the door). I just remember her being so calm. They cleaned her up, checked her and laid her on my chest. Dr. Perales was working on me and I just remember being so uncomfortable in the stir ups. I kept asking when can I put me legs down!? The injections, the stitches, none of that hurt, my legs were just very uncomfortable. They were too short to fit in the stirrups properly so the nurses were having to hold them and it sucked. LOL. She stitched me for a while and I kept telling Sarah, "I'm sorry Sarah, I will be with you in a minute." I kept trying to look down at her but I couldn't see her super well because of how I was laying. I was so happy that she was here and just amazed at how calm and alert she was. She just laid there so patiently while they worked on me.
If I could go back in time and do it again I would have had someone in the room to video the event. I so want to go back to that moment. It was so powerful...meeting my child for the first time. But I felt like I didn't really comprehend everything because I was all over the place emotionally, and I was tired. I don't think I cried. I just was so relieved that she was here and that the labor part was over.
At that time the nurse came in and told me that everyone was waiting outside. I was so excited as everyone walked in. It was the moment I had dreamt of for so long. Introducing my family to my daughter. Nanny, Pappy, Mom, Dad, Adam and Ches all came in. It was such a special time.
We spent some time with them and then the nurse said it was time for us to get moved into a new room. Everyone left to go eat and said they would be back after they went to eat. The nurse told Micheal to put Sarah's shirt and hat on her and wrap her up while she helped get me situated for the move. Micheal later told me he freaked out when she told him that. He was like oh my goodness... I have to do this by myself!? I remember looking over and he had the little shirt almost on her... and then the next time I looked it was off again and he asked the nurse "Does she have to wear this shirt?". The nurse said no so he just wrapped her up. It was so funny! Micheal and I had a lot of laughs while he dressed her for those first few weeks. She was quite the wiggle worm and did NOT enjoy the process. LOL! He worked up a sweat every time I think. :-)
We finally got moved into our room around 10:00pm. The post partum nurse came in and helped us get settled. She was AWESOME! We loved her so much. She checked my uterus and made sure it was shrinking like it was supposed to. Praise the Lord everything was working like it was supposed to. I thanked her for being much more gentle than the nurses in the delivery room. LOL. She laughed and said they get that a lot in post partum. My parents came back in with Adam and Ches and brought us dinner. I had wanted a cold sandwich for my entire pregnancy! I couldn't eat them while pregnant unless the meat was heated. So that's what they brought me. We visited with them and they hugged on Sarah. I told my mom that we didn't need her to stay and she said to call if we changed our minds. And just like that it was just Micheal and I with our girl. We looked at each other and were like... "What just happened!?" Just a few hours ago we weren't even sure we were in labor and now we have a baby!
It was a beautiful experience. A life changing experience. A sacred experience. Writing this has been so difficult for me because I want to go back to that moment so bad and just relive it... her birth. It was incredible. I was so proud that I did not have to have pain meds and know without a doubt that my entire labor and delivery was anointed by God. That is the only way I know how to explain it. I didn't ever feel any pain... it was intense pressure and discomfort but no pain. We were prayed over by Pastor Larry a few months earlier and while he was praying he spoke natural child birth over me. It was out of no where and Micheal and I both attribute my amazing delivery to that moment of prayer. It was absolutely amazing. I couldn't have asked or imagined a better experience. Just like Ephesians 3:20 says. Our God is such a good, good Father!
When I got home from work Micheal and I decided to go for a walk. I was so ready to have this baby and I knew walking was good so off we went. We walked down to see my mom at the chiropractor's office. I was scheduled to get an adjustment the following week but Kimberly said she could go ahead and see me that day. She adjusted me and we all jokingly agreed that I would have the baby over the weekend. I was all for that! :-)
Micheal and I went home and made Little Ceasar's Pizzas from the kit we bought from the local cheerleaders. I rearranged closets and washed and hung clothes for Sarah. Micheal helped me and we got a lot done. I was nesting for sure!
We ate our pizza and I sat in my chair and Micheal sat on the couch and we talked for a long time. Mostly about the baby and how ready we were (although Micheal was still banking on the fact that he had another nine days before her due date!). I just remember it being such a nice conversation and we just had a fun evening together.
About 10:00 that night I started feeling some pains, I didn't say anything to Micheal because they kind of felt like gas pains and so I wasn't convinced it was labor. But they lasted all through the night and they were rhythmic. I got very little sleep that night. The next morning I got up and started getting ready to go to work. After I took a shower I decided that I was going to call in to work because at this point I was pretty convinced that I was in labor. I texted my boss and let her know that I would not be in. I tried to get someone to fill in for me but nobody was available. Luckily I had a very understanding boss so it was no big deal. When Micheal got up I let him know that I was pretty sure I was in labor but that it was very early. I told him to go ahead and go to work.
After he left I texted my mom and asked her to come help me finish putting Sarah's laundry up because it wasn't finished and I didn't want to have her with her nursery a mess. She was so excited and came right over. I tried to help her but I was pretty uncomfortable so she had me just sit down while she finished hanging her clothes. She also put the final items in our overnight bag for the hospital. My dad came over and cooked me breakfast. I ate it in bed. I texted Micheal and told him to cancel our plans with our friends that night. We were supposed to go to Lubbock with Heath, Courtney, Adam, Ches, Kamille and Colton. The guys were going to go go-karting and we were going to get pedicures. My plan was to have pretty toes for the delivery and for the foot massage to put me in labor lol. Turns out Sarah had other plans.
Micheal had lunch plans with his brother but at about 11:30 I texted him and told him I thought he should come home because we were going to have to go to the hospital soon. In the mean time I was texting my Doula and timing my contractions. They were pretty sporadic but no more than 4 minutes apart for the most part. I was so ready to go to the hospital but did not want to get sent home. I didn't want to have to be roaming around Lubbock while in labor. If I couldn't be at the hospital I wanted to be home.
A little before 12 Micheal got home for lunch and I told him to go ahead and eat but that we should head to Lubbock after he finished. (Mom and Dad offered to get us a hotel room if the hospital sent us away so that made me feel better) Around 1:30 we got in the car. Micheal and I took our car and Mom and Dad were going to meet us over there. It was a nice ride to the hospital. Micheal said a prayer while we were on the road and we just talked and timed my contractions. I was just so afraid they were going to send me home when we got there. I knew that if you could talk during/in between the contractions and were still in a good mood that it was most likely early labor. I also knew that if I was only at a 1 or 2 when we got there I was definitely getting an epidural. LOL. My plan was to go natural for as long as I could and take pain meds as needed. I didn't know if I could do it but I had always wanted to try.
We finally made it to the hospital. I remember when we got out of the car Micheal saw a diaper on the ground and he said "Look! Its a sign!" I sure hoped he was right! We got inside and the sweet volunteer ladies at the front asked me if I was in labor (I certainly did not look like I was). We told them I was and they got me a wheel chair. On the way up to L&D I tried to look like I was in more pain that I was because I didn't want them to send me away. LOL. We made it to labor and delivery and they had Micheal fill out some form and then took me to be checked. I changed into my gown and went into the exam room. The nurse's name was Marla and she was so sweet. I told her I had never been checked before as she was hooking me up to the monitor. I had a contraction and asked her "Is that a contraction?" She said it was and at that moment I breathed a sigh of relief! It wasn't just gas! Yay! Ha Ha! She checked me and told me that I must be superwoman because I was at an 8! At that moment I burst into tears. Micheal looked at me and asked if it was time to let people know and I said Yes! :-) He had called his mom on the way to the hospital but we hadn't told anyone else until we knew what we were dealing with.
They quickly began moving me to a room. I told Marla that I had been praying for every nurse involved in Sarah's delivery and she was truly an answer to prayer! On the way to our room I heard the Marla say into her little speaker that she had a woman in labor dilated to an 8 with a bulging bag. I remember thinking what the heck is a bulging bag!? Micheal texted Devan, our doula and let her know it was time! I had a list of people to text on my phone and Micheal was busy supporting me and texting away for the next little bit. My parents got there and brought us drinks. Which I thought was so funny because it was such a normal thing in the midst of such an incredible moment! My dad was all teary eyed and just standing in the corner and I told him that he was going to have to leave if he was going to do that. I said it through my own tears half jokingly half not. He wanted an excuse to leave lol. He later told me that he was glad I said that. :-)
I talked to Meg on the phone and cried. She was so sweet and was crying too. I don't even remember what all we said. Other than Meg I didn't talk to anyone else on the phone but I had Micheal in charge of texting everyone! I had a list on my phone of people to contact. Nanny and Pappy got there and came in and hugged me and we talked for a few minutes before they went back to the waiting room. We all kind of hung out for a little bit and I continued to labor. Devan (our doula) was such a blessing. She guided Micheal and I and helped me try some different positions to make me comfortable and continue to progress.
Dr. Perales came in around 3. She was so sweet as always. She asked me if I wanted her to break my water. I really wanted as few medical interventions as possible so I told her no. She said that was fine and said she would come back to check on my in a couple of hours. In my head I was like a couple of hours!? The way everyone was acting this baby was coming like now! And now I have to wait a few hours for her to come back! After she left my doula explained that it could take that long for my water to break, but if I let her break my water I would probably be pushing within the hour. I immediately said "Go get Dr. Perales." I decided if I was going to do this... lets do it now.
Dr. Perales came back in a broke my water. After that everything kind of gets fuzzy and I wish I would have wrote all of this down sooner, so I am just going to do my best. I labored in the bed for the rest of the time. They helped me get comfortable and eventually I ended up using the banana... that sounds so weird but its basically a birthing ball in the shape of a banana. I laid on my side and continued to labor. At this point things got pretty intense. I was no longer talking or in between contractions. I was at a 9 and starting to get the urge to push. My doula told me that if I had the urge I could push but not too hard. It was so crazy because I had heard that when your body is ready to push you have very little ability to stop it... and they were right. I just worked with my body and pushed with every contraction. Finally, Marla came back in to check me and she told me that I was still at a 9 but if I felt ready to push I could and once Sarah dropped lower I would be at a 10. At this point my Mom left the room and it was just Micheal, Devan and Marla with me. They were all so awesome. I continued to push and I kept asking if anything was happening. I just wanted to know all of this hard work was doing something. LOL. They continued to coach me and we got closer and closer. At one point I asked them if I was having a contraction and they both looked at each other and kind of laughed. They were in shock that I just wasn't in pain. I didn't get it either but I sure was grateful.
Finally, Dr. Perales came in the room and I knew something was finally happening! Sarah Jo was coming! I was having a baby! All of these thoughts were running through my mind. I told her I am so glad you are here! I pushed some more and it felt like forever. They asked me if I wanted a mirror so I could see. And I said no, I just want her to be here. They started talking about her hair and what color I thought it would be. They asked me to guess but I was in no mood for guessing games lol. RIght as she was crowning they told me that my water had meconium in it so NICU would be in here to check her as soon as she was born. I said ok. I was only focused on having my baby.
I pushed one more time and she was finally here. I don't remember her crying... but Micheal does (and my mom who was standing outside the door). I just remember her being so calm. They cleaned her up, checked her and laid her on my chest. Dr. Perales was working on me and I just remember being so uncomfortable in the stir ups. I kept asking when can I put me legs down!? The injections, the stitches, none of that hurt, my legs were just very uncomfortable. They were too short to fit in the stirrups properly so the nurses were having to hold them and it sucked. LOL. She stitched me for a while and I kept telling Sarah, "I'm sorry Sarah, I will be with you in a minute." I kept trying to look down at her but I couldn't see her super well because of how I was laying. I was so happy that she was here and just amazed at how calm and alert she was. She just laid there so patiently while they worked on me.
If I could go back in time and do it again I would have had someone in the room to video the event. I so want to go back to that moment. It was so powerful...meeting my child for the first time. But I felt like I didn't really comprehend everything because I was all over the place emotionally, and I was tired. I don't think I cried. I just was so relieved that she was here and that the labor part was over.
At that time the nurse came in and told me that everyone was waiting outside. I was so excited as everyone walked in. It was the moment I had dreamt of for so long. Introducing my family to my daughter. Nanny, Pappy, Mom, Dad, Adam and Ches all came in. It was such a special time.
We spent some time with them and then the nurse said it was time for us to get moved into a new room. Everyone left to go eat and said they would be back after they went to eat. The nurse told Micheal to put Sarah's shirt and hat on her and wrap her up while she helped get me situated for the move. Micheal later told me he freaked out when she told him that. He was like oh my goodness... I have to do this by myself!? I remember looking over and he had the little shirt almost on her... and then the next time I looked it was off again and he asked the nurse "Does she have to wear this shirt?". The nurse said no so he just wrapped her up. It was so funny! Micheal and I had a lot of laughs while he dressed her for those first few weeks. She was quite the wiggle worm and did NOT enjoy the process. LOL! He worked up a sweat every time I think. :-)
We finally got moved into our room around 10:00pm. The post partum nurse came in and helped us get settled. She was AWESOME! We loved her so much. She checked my uterus and made sure it was shrinking like it was supposed to. Praise the Lord everything was working like it was supposed to. I thanked her for being much more gentle than the nurses in the delivery room. LOL. She laughed and said they get that a lot in post partum. My parents came back in with Adam and Ches and brought us dinner. I had wanted a cold sandwich for my entire pregnancy! I couldn't eat them while pregnant unless the meat was heated. So that's what they brought me. We visited with them and they hugged on Sarah. I told my mom that we didn't need her to stay and she said to call if we changed our minds. And just like that it was just Micheal and I with our girl. We looked at each other and were like... "What just happened!?" Just a few hours ago we weren't even sure we were in labor and now we have a baby!
It was a beautiful experience. A life changing experience. A sacred experience. Writing this has been so difficult for me because I want to go back to that moment so bad and just relive it... her birth. It was incredible. I was so proud that I did not have to have pain meds and know without a doubt that my entire labor and delivery was anointed by God. That is the only way I know how to explain it. I didn't ever feel any pain... it was intense pressure and discomfort but no pain. We were prayed over by Pastor Larry a few months earlier and while he was praying he spoke natural child birth over me. It was out of no where and Micheal and I both attribute my amazing delivery to that moment of prayer. It was absolutely amazing. I couldn't have asked or imagined a better experience. Just like Ephesians 3:20 says. Our God is such a good, good Father!
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Photos and Friends
Today was a fun day for Miss Sarah and I. :-)
LeeLee came into town a few days ago to stay with Kamille and help out with sweet Karder. Yesterday Kamille texted me and asked if Sarah and I wanted to come to her house and take pictures with them! I was so excited! :-) LeeLee is a great photographer and its always an adventure taking pictures with babies!
After Sarah's afternoon nap we headed over there. And oh my goodness...Sarah did sooo good! I was so proud of her. She smiled and cooed the whole time! And the pictures turned out so great! I can't wait to get them printed and framed. We were even able to get one of Karder and Sarah. And it is so sweet. I know we will treasure it always!
After our picture session I went to the chiropractor to get adjusted (for the second time this week). I am trying to get my back on the mend before our trip.
Then it was time to head home and give Sarah a bottle and take a much needed nap. Poor thing was exhausted.
Then it was time to start getting dinner ready since Heath and Courtney were coming over. We had a few hiccups in the evening... Heath ended up having to spend all day at Lowes picking up lumber and it took way longer than he planned so they were running late. And then the timer went off signaling that my meatloaf was done and when I went to take it out the oven was off. LOL. So needless to say it was a pretty late dinner but we had a nice evening with them. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends. They are just great!
This is a side note but yesterday was Sarah's 4 month well check. I just want to document this so I will remember. :-)
She weighs 14lb 9oz and is 24.5in long
We are still dealing with excessive spit up from her reflux but Dr. Dalton said since she is a happy spitter she does not feel like we need to put her on medicine. She also said reflux usually resolves around the 5 month mark so fingers crossed we won't have to deal with it much longer.
Dr. Dalton said her head is nice and round so I don't have to feel pressured to force tummy time. Sarah HATES it and I have been making myself paranoid that she is going to have a flat head. LOL. It's nice to get mommy fears resolved.
Finally, she said we can start solids whenever we feel like we are ready. :-) I am leaning towards closer to 6 months or waiting until she stops spitting up so much. But I am super excited about it so I may end up jumping the gun and just going for it. I want to do baby led weaning so I am looking into doing that instead of the purees. But again, we will see.
She had to get another set of shots and she cried. :-( But as soon as I picked her up she stopped. The nurse gave her a rattle for being such a good girl. :-)
I think that is all for now!
Have a blessed night everyone!
LeeLee came into town a few days ago to stay with Kamille and help out with sweet Karder. Yesterday Kamille texted me and asked if Sarah and I wanted to come to her house and take pictures with them! I was so excited! :-) LeeLee is a great photographer and its always an adventure taking pictures with babies!
After Sarah's afternoon nap we headed over there. And oh my goodness...Sarah did sooo good! I was so proud of her. She smiled and cooed the whole time! And the pictures turned out so great! I can't wait to get them printed and framed. We were even able to get one of Karder and Sarah. And it is so sweet. I know we will treasure it always!
After our picture session I went to the chiropractor to get adjusted (for the second time this week). I am trying to get my back on the mend before our trip.
Then it was time to head home and give Sarah a bottle and take a much needed nap. Poor thing was exhausted.
Then it was time to start getting dinner ready since Heath and Courtney were coming over. We had a few hiccups in the evening... Heath ended up having to spend all day at Lowes picking up lumber and it took way longer than he planned so they were running late. And then the timer went off signaling that my meatloaf was done and when I went to take it out the oven was off. LOL. So needless to say it was a pretty late dinner but we had a nice evening with them. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends. They are just great!
This is a side note but yesterday was Sarah's 4 month well check. I just want to document this so I will remember. :-)
She weighs 14lb 9oz and is 24.5in long
We are still dealing with excessive spit up from her reflux but Dr. Dalton said since she is a happy spitter she does not feel like we need to put her on medicine. She also said reflux usually resolves around the 5 month mark so fingers crossed we won't have to deal with it much longer.
Dr. Dalton said her head is nice and round so I don't have to feel pressured to force tummy time. Sarah HATES it and I have been making myself paranoid that she is going to have a flat head. LOL. It's nice to get mommy fears resolved.
Finally, she said we can start solids whenever we feel like we are ready. :-) I am leaning towards closer to 6 months or waiting until she stops spitting up so much. But I am super excited about it so I may end up jumping the gun and just going for it. I want to do baby led weaning so I am looking into doing that instead of the purees. But again, we will see.
She had to get another set of shots and she cried. :-( But as soon as I picked her up she stopped. The nurse gave her a rattle for being such a good girl. :-)
I think that is all for now!
Have a blessed night everyone!
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Weekend in Abilene
This weekend we went to Abilene for Addison's fifth birthday party! We left Friday after Micheal got off work. It was a nice get away and we enjoyed seeing Matt, Miranda and the kids. Addison was so excited to love on baby Sarah and Braxton is crawling all over the place!
We got to their house a little after 9 on Friday night. Addison met us at the car. :-) She is so sweet, she asked us if she could carry anything in for us. Such a great hostess! Sarah was in the absolute BEST mood the whole time we were there. Talking and smiling the whole time. It was great. Since she was so happy and laid back Addison got to hold her and play with her quite a bit! The first time she held her she said, "She is so beautiful". It was adorable! She and Uncle Micheal played paper, rock, scissors and thumb war while I fed Sarah and then it was time for bed. I was nervous about how Sarah would sleep since we were off schedule and away from home, but she did awesome. It took a while for me to get her to sleep simply because she was so wound up. She was ready to party. LOL. But once she dozed off she was out until morning. :-)
We woke up the next morning and had breakfast and just hung out and enjoyed one another. Around 2:30 we left for the birthday party. It was at the gymnastics center in Abilene. It was a really neat place. The kids ran around and played hard! They had tons of trampolines, a harness, a foam pit and bars for the kids to swing on. I would have loved to have my birthday party there when I was her age! Micheal, Sarah and I just hung out and watched. I tweaked my back somehow last week so I was trying to rest it so it doesn't get worse before our Ruidoso trip. Otherwise I would have had to go check out the fun for myself!
After cake and presents we hit the road back home.
We stopped to feed Sarah and ourselves at Whataburger in Sweetwater and made it home a little after 8.
I am so proud of how great our girl did on this trip. She just was so happy the whole time! Gives me hope for our Ruidoso trip! :-) We leave on Friday and I am so excited! Yay!
This morning I decided to keep Sarah home instead of going to church. It was a hard decision because I love going to church. But I was tired and Sarah loves being at home. Since we have a busy week ahead I thought I would give us both a little break and stay home. :-)
Tomorrow is Sarah's 4 month check up and then just a few more days and we will be off on our vacation!
Happy Sunday!
We got to their house a little after 9 on Friday night. Addison met us at the car. :-) She is so sweet, she asked us if she could carry anything in for us. Such a great hostess! Sarah was in the absolute BEST mood the whole time we were there. Talking and smiling the whole time. It was great. Since she was so happy and laid back Addison got to hold her and play with her quite a bit! The first time she held her she said, "She is so beautiful". It was adorable! She and Uncle Micheal played paper, rock, scissors and thumb war while I fed Sarah and then it was time for bed. I was nervous about how Sarah would sleep since we were off schedule and away from home, but she did awesome. It took a while for me to get her to sleep simply because she was so wound up. She was ready to party. LOL. But once she dozed off she was out until morning. :-)
We woke up the next morning and had breakfast and just hung out and enjoyed one another. Around 2:30 we left for the birthday party. It was at the gymnastics center in Abilene. It was a really neat place. The kids ran around and played hard! They had tons of trampolines, a harness, a foam pit and bars for the kids to swing on. I would have loved to have my birthday party there when I was her age! Micheal, Sarah and I just hung out and watched. I tweaked my back somehow last week so I was trying to rest it so it doesn't get worse before our Ruidoso trip. Otherwise I would have had to go check out the fun for myself!
After cake and presents we hit the road back home.
We stopped to feed Sarah and ourselves at Whataburger in Sweetwater and made it home a little after 8.
I am so proud of how great our girl did on this trip. She just was so happy the whole time! Gives me hope for our Ruidoso trip! :-) We leave on Friday and I am so excited! Yay!
This morning I decided to keep Sarah home instead of going to church. It was a hard decision because I love going to church. But I was tired and Sarah loves being at home. Since we have a busy week ahead I thought I would give us both a little break and stay home. :-)
Tomorrow is Sarah's 4 month check up and then just a few more days and we will be off on our vacation!
Happy Sunday!
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Living the Dream
Yesterday I was cleaning up around the house while Sarah took a nap. And all of a sudden I had a memory.
I remembered when I lived at my apartment before Micheal and I got engaged. Man, I was so proud of my little home. I have always, always wanted to be a home maker. That was my dream forever. And I finally had a home to make! LOL. One afternoon I was cleaning and cleaning. I scrubbed and straightened and cleaned everything I could. When I finished I went and made a cup of cappuccino and just looked around my little nest with such pride. I literally had nothing else to do... the laundry was done, the kitchen was clean, the floors were scrubbed, everything was dusted... literally everything. In that moment standing there I told myself that there would be a time in my life when I would remember this moment. This moment where I lived alone and everything was perfect. Because someday I would live with my husband and children and everywhere I looked I would see something that needed to be done. And I smiled... because in that moment I wished that I could be the future me. The one with a husband and a family and a mess to clean up. :-)
And now... here I am. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
Dreams do come true! :-)
I remembered when I lived at my apartment before Micheal and I got engaged. Man, I was so proud of my little home. I have always, always wanted to be a home maker. That was my dream forever. And I finally had a home to make! LOL. One afternoon I was cleaning and cleaning. I scrubbed and straightened and cleaned everything I could. When I finished I went and made a cup of cappuccino and just looked around my little nest with such pride. I literally had nothing else to do... the laundry was done, the kitchen was clean, the floors were scrubbed, everything was dusted... literally everything. In that moment standing there I told myself that there would be a time in my life when I would remember this moment. This moment where I lived alone and everything was perfect. Because someday I would live with my husband and children and everywhere I looked I would see something that needed to be done. And I smiled... because in that moment I wished that I could be the future me. The one with a husband and a family and a mess to clean up. :-)
And now... here I am. And I wouldn't want it any other way.
Dreams do come true! :-)
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Our Sweet Sassy Girl!
Today I want to write some fun things about our girl that I don't want to forget:
-When you lay her flat or put her in her swing or boppy she automatically goes into a "crunch" position. She is so ready to get up and go!
-Lately when we give her her paci (or her baby as we call it) or her bottle she automatically uses both hands to hold it. It is just the sweetest thing when she holds her baby! We love it!Won't be long before she is holding her bottle all by herself.
-She LOVES to be outside. If she is upset sometimes the only thing that will calm her is going outside. She loves going for walks in her stroller too! :-)
-KK got her a swing for her backyard and almost every time we put her in it she falls asleep. Swinging + outside = best sleep ever for Sarah Jo
-She absolutely HATES HATES HATES tummy time. LOL.
-She loves to watch anything that has movement. TV, Ceiling Fan, Mobile, etc. The girl is serious about her TV and if you block her view she lets you know about it. LOL.
-When she wakes up in the mornings she is soooo happy. She will just smile and talk until I get her up to feed her. But once you get her up you better feed her quick. Ha Ha!
-One of my favorite Sarah moments since she was born is when she stretches! She raises her arms, stiffens her legs, closes her eyes and puckers her lips. It. Is. Adorable.
-Sometimes after she sneezes she makes a noise like "what was that". It is so sweet.
-When we put her on her changing table she talks and smiles. I love it. Sometimes I think I change her diaper too much just because they are such sweet moments. When Micheal and I put her in her jammies at night is probably my favorite part of the day. All three of us together and Sarah just chats and chats!
-When we lay her in her crib and turn on her mobile she just grins and grins! The second we start winding it she knows what is coming!
-She knows what she wants and lets you know when she is not happy. LOL!!
I just love seeing her little personality shine through more and more everyday! She is the best!!
-When you lay her flat or put her in her swing or boppy she automatically goes into a "crunch" position. She is so ready to get up and go!
-Lately when we give her her paci (or her baby as we call it) or her bottle she automatically uses both hands to hold it. It is just the sweetest thing when she holds her baby! We love it!Won't be long before she is holding her bottle all by herself.
-She LOVES to be outside. If she is upset sometimes the only thing that will calm her is going outside. She loves going for walks in her stroller too! :-)
-KK got her a swing for her backyard and almost every time we put her in it she falls asleep. Swinging + outside = best sleep ever for Sarah Jo
-She absolutely HATES HATES HATES tummy time. LOL.
-She loves to watch anything that has movement. TV, Ceiling Fan, Mobile, etc. The girl is serious about her TV and if you block her view she lets you know about it. LOL.
-When she wakes up in the mornings she is soooo happy. She will just smile and talk until I get her up to feed her. But once you get her up you better feed her quick. Ha Ha!
-One of my favorite Sarah moments since she was born is when she stretches! She raises her arms, stiffens her legs, closes her eyes and puckers her lips. It. Is. Adorable.
-Sometimes after she sneezes she makes a noise like "what was that". It is so sweet.
-When we put her on her changing table she talks and smiles. I love it. Sometimes I think I change her diaper too much just because they are such sweet moments. When Micheal and I put her in her jammies at night is probably my favorite part of the day. All three of us together and Sarah just chats and chats!
-When we lay her in her crib and turn on her mobile she just grins and grins! The second we start winding it she knows what is coming!
-She knows what she wants and lets you know when she is not happy. LOL!!
I just love seeing her little personality shine through more and more everyday! She is the best!!
Saturday, July 23, 2016
First Fever
Yesterday morning we experienced another first with our sweet girl...but this was a first that I was not looking forward to...her first fever.
It all started around 9:30 when I decided to take Sarah for a walk over to my parent's house. She is so happy and smiley in the mornings and I wanted them to see that since they were both off. Plus I wanted to see if Mom wanted to go walking with us.
We got over there and Poppy loved on her and mom and I hung out with her for a bit. When she started to get a little fussy and show signs of being tired we loaded her up for our walk.
We got back about 30 minutes later and I noticed she felt a little warm when I took her out of her stroller. I chalked it up to being out in the sun for a bit and decided I would check again when we cooled off.
About 20 minutes later Mom was holding her and told me she thought she felt warm. Ugh Oh! I went home and got the thermometer and sure enough she had a low grade fever. She also slept the whole time we were taking our walk (which is not unusual) but fell right back to sleep on Mom after waking up when we got home (that is unusual for her to take two naps back to back like that. I called nurse line to find out what to watch for. She told me to give her Tylenol every 6 hours and watch her temp to make sure it didn't get up to 100.4, if it did we needed to take her to the clinic in Lubbock that is open on the weekends. Sarah was also congested so she told us to take her in the bathroom with the shower running to help with her breathing.
She pretty much slept off and on all morning and into the afternoon. I kept taking her temperature and it was always drastically different (even when we did it back to back) so I no longer trusted my thermometer. Because of that and the fact that it was Friday I decided to go ahead and take her to see the Nurse Practitioner that is on call on Friday afternoons for Sarah's doctor.
When we got to the doctor's office you could tell the Tylenol had kicked in because she was so happy and smiley and did not fuss and even smiled and cooed while the doctor was checking her. However, when she checked her ears everything changed...she freaked. Sure enough she had an ear infection in her right ear. Poor Baby. We left with a prescription for antibiotics in hand.
We went and got a new thermometer (the old fashioned kind that goes under her arm) and headed home. She was pretty content and happy throughout the evening and slept on and off.
I was up with her for part of the night due to congestion and her becoming an expert at breaking out of her swaddle but we managed. :-) At 4am I took her temp and it was normal so that was a relief. And as far as we know she has not had any fever all day! Praise God!
So that was our first fever experience. I am glad we got that out of the way and it was very mild!
Believing for complete healing for our girl and that these ear infections do not become a regular thing for her in Jesus' Name!
It all started around 9:30 when I decided to take Sarah for a walk over to my parent's house. She is so happy and smiley in the mornings and I wanted them to see that since they were both off. Plus I wanted to see if Mom wanted to go walking with us.
We got over there and Poppy loved on her and mom and I hung out with her for a bit. When she started to get a little fussy and show signs of being tired we loaded her up for our walk.
We got back about 30 minutes later and I noticed she felt a little warm when I took her out of her stroller. I chalked it up to being out in the sun for a bit and decided I would check again when we cooled off.
About 20 minutes later Mom was holding her and told me she thought she felt warm. Ugh Oh! I went home and got the thermometer and sure enough she had a low grade fever. She also slept the whole time we were taking our walk (which is not unusual) but fell right back to sleep on Mom after waking up when we got home (that is unusual for her to take two naps back to back like that. I called nurse line to find out what to watch for. She told me to give her Tylenol every 6 hours and watch her temp to make sure it didn't get up to 100.4, if it did we needed to take her to the clinic in Lubbock that is open on the weekends. Sarah was also congested so she told us to take her in the bathroom with the shower running to help with her breathing.
She pretty much slept off and on all morning and into the afternoon. I kept taking her temperature and it was always drastically different (even when we did it back to back) so I no longer trusted my thermometer. Because of that and the fact that it was Friday I decided to go ahead and take her to see the Nurse Practitioner that is on call on Friday afternoons for Sarah's doctor.
When we got to the doctor's office you could tell the Tylenol had kicked in because she was so happy and smiley and did not fuss and even smiled and cooed while the doctor was checking her. However, when she checked her ears everything changed...she freaked. Sure enough she had an ear infection in her right ear. Poor Baby. We left with a prescription for antibiotics in hand.
We went and got a new thermometer (the old fashioned kind that goes under her arm) and headed home. She was pretty content and happy throughout the evening and slept on and off.
I was up with her for part of the night due to congestion and her becoming an expert at breaking out of her swaddle but we managed. :-) At 4am I took her temp and it was normal so that was a relief. And as far as we know she has not had any fever all day! Praise God!
So that was our first fever experience. I am glad we got that out of the way and it was very mild!
Believing for complete healing for our girl and that these ear infections do not become a regular thing for her in Jesus' Name!
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Our Daily Adventures
Staying home with our baby has always been my dream and I am so excited that I get to do that everyday!
I have to admit though...the adjustment to becoming a stay at home mommy took me by surprise! Or maybe it was mostly the becoming a mommy part haha! But sometimes I get kind of lonely! I really did not expect that but maybe I should have. This has definitely gotten better the older Sarah has gotten because we can get out and do more. Please don't get me wrong... I would not trade this for the world. But just because it is something you have always wanted and dreamed of doesn't mean its going to be easy! And I guess I did not realize that lol. It seems foolish now but I'm just being honest. But now that I am somewhat finding a groove with a daily schedule for Sarah I feel like I have more time throughout the day to have some time to myself and get some things done (like blogging!). For a while I was having a hard time getting her to nap during the day but I swear the day she turned 2 months something clicked and we have this awesome schedule where she eats, plays and sleeps every three hours. So I do my best to stick with that and if we go out I try to do it during her play/sleep time so she can sleep in her car seat while I am at the store or running errands. Or just driving around to get out of the house. We also like to go visit KK and Daddy while they are at work!
So I want to document our daily schedule right now at 12 weeks. Now this changes if we have to be in Lubbock for something or if we have other plans. But on a typical weekday this is what we do:
7:30-8:00 - Wake up and playtime in her bed while I get ready to feed her
8:00 - Diaper Change and Feeding
8:30 - Playtime/"Talking with Mommy"/Swinging/Watching her mobile/Playing on Activity Mat
9:15-9:30ish - Nap Time (this is typically her longest Nap) This is when I shower/blog/Bible Study/Finances/chores
11:30 - Diaper Change/Get dressed for the day and Feeding
12:00 - Daddy comes home for lunch! We play with Daddy and Sarah usually naps/hangs out in her swing while we eat
1:00 - Play some more with Mommy
2:30 - Diaper Change and Feeding
3:00 - This is usually when we get out of the house to do something - go visit Daddy/KK - go to Sonic - Drive Around etc.
4:00 - Nap time/play time depending on if she slept in the car
5:30 - Diaper Change and Feeding
6:00 - Play time
6:30 - Nap Time
7:30 - Sometimes at this time we go for a walk or just hang out with Daddy
8:30 - Diaper Change and Feeding
9:00 - Start trying to wind down for bed/get jammies on/do our leg exercises (this helps prevent a gassy tummy during the night)/hangout with Daddy and watch tv.
10:00 - Mommy rocks Sarah to sleep. Sometimes she drinks a bottle just to top off for the night. Then nighty night she goes.
Wednesdays and Saturdays are our bath days right now. We don't do a bath every day right now because she doesn't really need it and sometimes the after bath process makes her mad. I would love to do a bath every night as a part of our bedtime routine but until she gets a little bigger and not so stressed during lotion/jammie time we will just keep it to twice a week. Also at each feeding w give her gas drops. She gets Gripe water 3-4 times a day in her bottle. She is currently being breast fed and drinking a 2 ounce bottle at each feeding. She pretty much eats every 3 hours but sometimes gets hungry around 2.5 hours. Except in the morning, sometimes her long morning nap puts her at around 4 hours before she eats again.
I know this scheduled could completely change at any minute but right now this is what works for us!
Life is pretty sweet right now! I can't believe on Friday we will have a 3 month old!
I have to admit though...the adjustment to becoming a stay at home mommy took me by surprise! Or maybe it was mostly the becoming a mommy part haha! But sometimes I get kind of lonely! I really did not expect that but maybe I should have. This has definitely gotten better the older Sarah has gotten because we can get out and do more. Please don't get me wrong... I would not trade this for the world. But just because it is something you have always wanted and dreamed of doesn't mean its going to be easy! And I guess I did not realize that lol. It seems foolish now but I'm just being honest. But now that I am somewhat finding a groove with a daily schedule for Sarah I feel like I have more time throughout the day to have some time to myself and get some things done (like blogging!). For a while I was having a hard time getting her to nap during the day but I swear the day she turned 2 months something clicked and we have this awesome schedule where she eats, plays and sleeps every three hours. So I do my best to stick with that and if we go out I try to do it during her play/sleep time so she can sleep in her car seat while I am at the store or running errands. Or just driving around to get out of the house. We also like to go visit KK and Daddy while they are at work!
So I want to document our daily schedule right now at 12 weeks. Now this changes if we have to be in Lubbock for something or if we have other plans. But on a typical weekday this is what we do:
7:30-8:00 - Wake up and playtime in her bed while I get ready to feed her
8:00 - Diaper Change and Feeding
8:30 - Playtime/"Talking with Mommy"/Swinging/Watching her mobile/Playing on Activity Mat
9:15-9:30ish - Nap Time (this is typically her longest Nap) This is when I shower/blog/Bible Study/Finances/chores
11:30 - Diaper Change/Get dressed for the day and Feeding
12:00 - Daddy comes home for lunch! We play with Daddy and Sarah usually naps/hangs out in her swing while we eat
1:00 - Play some more with Mommy
2:30 - Diaper Change and Feeding
3:00 - This is usually when we get out of the house to do something - go visit Daddy/KK - go to Sonic - Drive Around etc.
4:00 - Nap time/play time depending on if she slept in the car
5:30 - Diaper Change and Feeding
6:00 - Play time
6:30 - Nap Time
7:30 - Sometimes at this time we go for a walk or just hang out with Daddy
8:30 - Diaper Change and Feeding
9:00 - Start trying to wind down for bed/get jammies on/do our leg exercises (this helps prevent a gassy tummy during the night)/hangout with Daddy and watch tv.
10:00 - Mommy rocks Sarah to sleep. Sometimes she drinks a bottle just to top off for the night. Then nighty night she goes.
Wednesdays and Saturdays are our bath days right now. We don't do a bath every day right now because she doesn't really need it and sometimes the after bath process makes her mad. I would love to do a bath every night as a part of our bedtime routine but until she gets a little bigger and not so stressed during lotion/jammie time we will just keep it to twice a week. Also at each feeding w give her gas drops. She gets Gripe water 3-4 times a day in her bottle. She is currently being breast fed and drinking a 2 ounce bottle at each feeding. She pretty much eats every 3 hours but sometimes gets hungry around 2.5 hours. Except in the morning, sometimes her long morning nap puts her at around 4 hours before she eats again.
I know this scheduled could completely change at any minute but right now this is what works for us!
Life is pretty sweet right now! I can't believe on Friday we will have a 3 month old!
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
My Breastfeeding Journey
When we brought sweet Sarah home from the hospital it was tough. I was trying so hard to breastfeed and waiting on my milk to come in and it took forever! While we were in the hospital and for the first couple of days we were home she latched good and seemed to be eating. But then she started putting up a fight and it was soooo hard and stressful to get her to latch. I can barely remember the first couple of weeks with her because I was so stressed out and anxious (not to mention exhausted). It was without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done.
On the Tuesday after she was born (she was about 5 days old) we went for her newborn checkup at the pediatrician. Everything looked great with her but she had lost about a pound which is more than the 10% weight loss that is normal. My Dr. wasn't concerned because my milk had not come in yet. She had me feed before we left and Sarah gained an ounce and she was very pleased with that so she told us to come back for her 2 week appointment unless we had other concerns in the mean time.
We went back home but things kept getting worse. I would just pray and pray and speak and declare that Sarah was a good latcher and a good nurser! It seems kind of funny now but I was so scared and desperate. I even prayed that if she wasn't getting enough to eat that God would still help her grow and stay healthy while we figured this out. I was concerned that she was dehydrated and she was just not happy at all. So we took her back for a weight check on Thursday. She had lost half an ounce. I was so sad. We didn't get to see our Dr. because she was not there. The nurse consulted with another Dr. and I heard him say put her on a formula supplement. A part of me was so crushed but another part was so relieved because I just wanted to feed my baby. We then went to the hospital and met with the lactation consultant. She was very helpful and confirmed what the dr said about supplementing for a while. She told me to feed Sarah on each breast for 15 minutes and then pump for 10 minutes. Then give Sarah what I pumped with enough formula to make it an ounce. I was so glad we had a plan and I just kept reminding myself that I had a healthy baby and everything would be ok. But it literally broke my heart to think of her being so hungry. Even now writing this it brings me to tears. She was depending on me and I felt like I let her down.
After we left the hospital we went to Walmart to get some bottles and some vitamins and other things to help my milk come in and boost my supply. (At this point it had come in but I had very little). While I waited in the car with Sarah I looked through my text messages and saw a text from my sister in law Miranda from a few days earlier. She had sent me a link to a youtube video and asked me to play the song for Sarah. I had not looked at the video yet so I pulled it up. And it was such a God moment. The song was called "Do Not Worry". And the first line referred to the sparrows not being worried about having enough to eat because God takes care of them. That pierced my spirit and I started to cry thankful tears. I knew God was telling me not to worry because Sarah would be fine.
I talked to Miranda and thanked her for sending me that link. I then told her what was going on and she encouraged me because Addison went through the same thing when she was born and they had to supplement and now she is a healthy 4 year old.
If it had not been for Micheal and my Mom's support over those first few weeks I seriously do not know what would have happened. I probably would have given up breastfeeding all together. But thanks to their support and laction consultants and messages from my mom friends all telling me they understood and that breastfeeding is in fact hard I am proud to say we are still breastfeeding at almost 3 months. I am still supplementing as well but I am not ashamed of that anymore. It may not be ideal but it is what works for us. When we went for Sarah's 2 month well check (at about 10 weeks) the Dr was very pleased with her weight and even asked if we thought she was overeating since we told her she spits up a lot. I told myself after that good report that I would no longer worry about Sarah's feedings. I would just feed her when she lets me know she is hungry and trust that she is growing and healthy. That was such a weight off my shoulders.
I don't know who might end up reading this post but just know that breastfeeding is wonderful and amazing and frustrating and hard all at the same time. I had prayed about my breastfeeding relationship with my babies for years before I had them (thanks Meg!) and never expected my journey to be so difficult. It still saddens me from time to time that I couldn't exclusively breastfeed Sarah and if I dwell on it I still feel inadequate in some ways...like my body didn't do what it was supposed to. But I am so grateful that I live in a place and time where we have formula for babies and my girl does not go hungry. And we still have lots of breastfeeding bonding and snuggles every day. Supplementing helps this momma feel less stressed because I know she is getting plenty and a stress free momma makes for a happy baby girl! :-)
One we got over that hurdle in the beginning everything has clicked into place. I am staying home with Sarah (my lifelong dream) and we get to spend everyday watching her grown into this little person. She has been smiling since about a month old and has been cooing for about a month as well. It is just the most precious sound I have ever heard. She settled into a routine of waking up at 4am for a feeding at about 5 weeks and then would go back to sleep until around 7 or 8. And then at 2 months she started sleeping through the night. :-) She is a gassy little girl so we have to deal with that which sometimes makes her pretty fussy (poor thing). But with gas drops and gripe water she seems to be much more comfortable throughout the day. All in all she is a precious girl and we cannot get over how adorable and amazing she is!
On the Tuesday after she was born (she was about 5 days old) we went for her newborn checkup at the pediatrician. Everything looked great with her but she had lost about a pound which is more than the 10% weight loss that is normal. My Dr. wasn't concerned because my milk had not come in yet. She had me feed before we left and Sarah gained an ounce and she was very pleased with that so she told us to come back for her 2 week appointment unless we had other concerns in the mean time.
We went back home but things kept getting worse. I would just pray and pray and speak and declare that Sarah was a good latcher and a good nurser! It seems kind of funny now but I was so scared and desperate. I even prayed that if she wasn't getting enough to eat that God would still help her grow and stay healthy while we figured this out. I was concerned that she was dehydrated and she was just not happy at all. So we took her back for a weight check on Thursday. She had lost half an ounce. I was so sad. We didn't get to see our Dr. because she was not there. The nurse consulted with another Dr. and I heard him say put her on a formula supplement. A part of me was so crushed but another part was so relieved because I just wanted to feed my baby. We then went to the hospital and met with the lactation consultant. She was very helpful and confirmed what the dr said about supplementing for a while. She told me to feed Sarah on each breast for 15 minutes and then pump for 10 minutes. Then give Sarah what I pumped with enough formula to make it an ounce. I was so glad we had a plan and I just kept reminding myself that I had a healthy baby and everything would be ok. But it literally broke my heart to think of her being so hungry. Even now writing this it brings me to tears. She was depending on me and I felt like I let her down.
After we left the hospital we went to Walmart to get some bottles and some vitamins and other things to help my milk come in and boost my supply. (At this point it had come in but I had very little). While I waited in the car with Sarah I looked through my text messages and saw a text from my sister in law Miranda from a few days earlier. She had sent me a link to a youtube video and asked me to play the song for Sarah. I had not looked at the video yet so I pulled it up. And it was such a God moment. The song was called "Do Not Worry". And the first line referred to the sparrows not being worried about having enough to eat because God takes care of them. That pierced my spirit and I started to cry thankful tears. I knew God was telling me not to worry because Sarah would be fine.
I talked to Miranda and thanked her for sending me that link. I then told her what was going on and she encouraged me because Addison went through the same thing when she was born and they had to supplement and now she is a healthy 4 year old.
If it had not been for Micheal and my Mom's support over those first few weeks I seriously do not know what would have happened. I probably would have given up breastfeeding all together. But thanks to their support and laction consultants and messages from my mom friends all telling me they understood and that breastfeeding is in fact hard I am proud to say we are still breastfeeding at almost 3 months. I am still supplementing as well but I am not ashamed of that anymore. It may not be ideal but it is what works for us. When we went for Sarah's 2 month well check (at about 10 weeks) the Dr was very pleased with her weight and even asked if we thought she was overeating since we told her she spits up a lot. I told myself after that good report that I would no longer worry about Sarah's feedings. I would just feed her when she lets me know she is hungry and trust that she is growing and healthy. That was such a weight off my shoulders.
I don't know who might end up reading this post but just know that breastfeeding is wonderful and amazing and frustrating and hard all at the same time. I had prayed about my breastfeeding relationship with my babies for years before I had them (thanks Meg!) and never expected my journey to be so difficult. It still saddens me from time to time that I couldn't exclusively breastfeed Sarah and if I dwell on it I still feel inadequate in some ways...like my body didn't do what it was supposed to. But I am so grateful that I live in a place and time where we have formula for babies and my girl does not go hungry. And we still have lots of breastfeeding bonding and snuggles every day. Supplementing helps this momma feel less stressed because I know she is getting plenty and a stress free momma makes for a happy baby girl! :-)
One we got over that hurdle in the beginning everything has clicked into place. I am staying home with Sarah (my lifelong dream) and we get to spend everyday watching her grown into this little person. She has been smiling since about a month old and has been cooing for about a month as well. It is just the most precious sound I have ever heard. She settled into a routine of waking up at 4am for a feeding at about 5 weeks and then would go back to sleep until around 7 or 8. And then at 2 months she started sleeping through the night. :-) She is a gassy little girl so we have to deal with that which sometimes makes her pretty fussy (poor thing). But with gas drops and gripe water she seems to be much more comfortable throughout the day. All in all she is a precious girl and we cannot get over how adorable and amazing she is!
Monday, July 11, 2016
Kansas
In July of last year our dearest friends Andy and Meg moved to Kansas. It was a total and complete "God thing" but it did not make saying goodbye any easier. Meghan is my closest friend. She has been with me through all of the ups and downs and milestones of growing up! She comforted me through heart breaks, cried when I told her I was engaged, stood up in my wedding and was just a constant companion in between.
So we decided to look on the bright side and instead of focusing on the fact that they weren't going to live in Sudan anymore we decided to get excited about trips to Kansas and overnight visits with them!
In October we took our first trip to see them. We rode with Ben and Shonda and her family followed us in their car. It was a great trip! I was exactly 12 weeks pregnant when we went and still very much in the throws of all day sickness lol. When I look back now I cannot believe I was brave enough to take a 10 hour car ride in Ben's new car! There was one time on the way home that it was a MIRACLE that I did not get sick in the backseat! That would have been horrible.
Besides being sick a few times while we were there it was a wonderful trip! We went to a Kansas City Chief's Football Game. (Tried to tailgate...but the whole thing pretty much backfired on us) Ha Ha. Poor Andy... he was all prepared and ready but traffic put us getting to the game minutes before kick off (even though we left super early) and after the game we fired up the grill, threw the patties on and right then a guy on a golf cart came up and said it was time to start clearing out. :-( It made for a great story even though we didn't get to eat our burgers.
We went to the Cheesecake Factory, downtown Kansas City and the Apple Cider Mill. We also got to watch Jaymes and Adly play soccer and Madilyn march with the band at their football game. But the best part was just being with great friends!
I can't wait to go again. As soon as we feel confident to travel that far with Sarah we are going!!
So we decided to look on the bright side and instead of focusing on the fact that they weren't going to live in Sudan anymore we decided to get excited about trips to Kansas and overnight visits with them!
In October we took our first trip to see them. We rode with Ben and Shonda and her family followed us in their car. It was a great trip! I was exactly 12 weeks pregnant when we went and still very much in the throws of all day sickness lol. When I look back now I cannot believe I was brave enough to take a 10 hour car ride in Ben's new car! There was one time on the way home that it was a MIRACLE that I did not get sick in the backseat! That would have been horrible.
Besides being sick a few times while we were there it was a wonderful trip! We went to a Kansas City Chief's Football Game. (Tried to tailgate...but the whole thing pretty much backfired on us) Ha Ha. Poor Andy... he was all prepared and ready but traffic put us getting to the game minutes before kick off (even though we left super early) and after the game we fired up the grill, threw the patties on and right then a guy on a golf cart came up and said it was time to start clearing out. :-( It made for a great story even though we didn't get to eat our burgers.
We went to the Cheesecake Factory, downtown Kansas City and the Apple Cider Mill. We also got to watch Jaymes and Adly play soccer and Madilyn march with the band at their football game. But the best part was just being with great friends!
I can't wait to go again. As soon as we feel confident to travel that far with Sarah we are going!!
Saturday, July 9, 2016
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!
On December 7, 2015 we found out that we were going to have a baby girl!
From the time I found out I was pregnant I had a very strong feeling that I was having a girl. To the point where I couldn't even picture the baby being a boy at all. It kind of freaked me out because I did not want to get to the point where I would be disappointed if we weren't having a girl. I would love to have a son but for some reason I just knew deep down inside that this baby was a girl.
A few years back when I worked at Central Plains Center I remember I was having a really hard day. My cousin had recently had her son and I was so happy/sad/jealous/excited for her. Having a baby and being a stay at home wife and mother has always always always been my dream. From the time a was a little girl. My mom said that when I was in Kindergarten we had a project where we had to cut out pictures of what we want to be when we grow up out of magazines. I cut out pictures of women holding babies because I wanted to be a mom. I sat at my desk at work that day feeling so sad because I just wanted what Kayla had so badly. I remember praying and hearing the Lord tell me that he was keeping my dream of a child safe for me until the time was right. And then I was flooded with images of the color pink. It was that moment I felt like the Lord told me I would have a daughter someday. And He was keeping her safe with Him until she could be released to me at the proper time.
What a Wonderful Father we have. :-)
So Micheal and I decided that we would find out what we were having privately and then have a gender reveal party with close friends and family the following weekend to share the news. At the sonogram I was so excited/nervous. My main priority was that the baby was healthy and had everything it needed to grow into a healthy baby. The sonographer shared that everything looked perfect! I then asked if she was able to tell what we were having. I was afraid the baby would be I a position that would keep her from seeing! She told us that she was able to tell and already knew! Micheal and I had been staring at the same screen as her but we had no clue! LOL! Those sonograms are hard to decode! Ha Ha! We told her we did not want her to tell us what we were having and to instead write it down and put it in an envelope for us so we could open it that night at dinner.
We left the appointment with some adorable pics of our baby's little face and a sealed envelope! We were so excited. After we left we went to Discount Tire to have Micheal's tires worked on. I just remember sitting there staring at the sonogram pictures and texting them to everyone I could think of. It was the sweetest little face. I could not wrap my head around the fact that I had a little person with arms and legs and eyes and a nose growing inside of me. It was so surreal. After we left we ran a few more errands and then decided we couldn't wait any longer and decided to go eat. We ended up at On the Border. Micheal was passing it and I said "I like that place...lets go there!" I was just ready to open that envelope.
We sat down and ordered and just kind of looked at each other like when do we do it. LOL. It felt like such a huge moment. I really wanted to know but I was also sad that the anticipation and wonder would soon be over! It was exciting knowing that we were about to find out if we were going to have a son or a daughter. I had also really began second guessing my "I know it's a girl feeling." LOL. I had told EVERYBODY that I knew we were having a girl and suddenly I was like OMG what if I am wrong! LOL!
We took a couple of pictures and decided to go for it. We opened the envelope and laid the sonogram picture on the table. There was a little post it on the corner that said "It's a Girl". I was over the moon!!! We had a daughter! What an amazing gift! :-) It was a wonderful moment.
We then sent a text to our family that we knew just to rub it in! Ha Ha! They would have to wait until Saturday to find out. They were not too happy with us. ;-)
When Saturday finally rolled around we did our Gender Reveal. It was so fun. Micheal and I had filled black balloons with Red Confetti and every one would pop them at the same time to reveal. Since it was Christmas time we did red for girl and green for boy. Everyone wore the color clothing of their guess. It was a great time. :-) Everyone was very excited to know that Baby Simpson would be a girl. She would be the first great granddaughter on my Mom's side of the family. The first grandbaby for my parents and the only local grandbaby on both mine and Micheal's side of the family. This poor little girl didn't stand a chance! ;-)
April could not come fast enough!
From the time I found out I was pregnant I had a very strong feeling that I was having a girl. To the point where I couldn't even picture the baby being a boy at all. It kind of freaked me out because I did not want to get to the point where I would be disappointed if we weren't having a girl. I would love to have a son but for some reason I just knew deep down inside that this baby was a girl.
A few years back when I worked at Central Plains Center I remember I was having a really hard day. My cousin had recently had her son and I was so happy/sad/jealous/excited for her. Having a baby and being a stay at home wife and mother has always always always been my dream. From the time a was a little girl. My mom said that when I was in Kindergarten we had a project where we had to cut out pictures of what we want to be when we grow up out of magazines. I cut out pictures of women holding babies because I wanted to be a mom. I sat at my desk at work that day feeling so sad because I just wanted what Kayla had so badly. I remember praying and hearing the Lord tell me that he was keeping my dream of a child safe for me until the time was right. And then I was flooded with images of the color pink. It was that moment I felt like the Lord told me I would have a daughter someday. And He was keeping her safe with Him until she could be released to me at the proper time.
What a Wonderful Father we have. :-)
So Micheal and I decided that we would find out what we were having privately and then have a gender reveal party with close friends and family the following weekend to share the news. At the sonogram I was so excited/nervous. My main priority was that the baby was healthy and had everything it needed to grow into a healthy baby. The sonographer shared that everything looked perfect! I then asked if she was able to tell what we were having. I was afraid the baby would be I a position that would keep her from seeing! She told us that she was able to tell and already knew! Micheal and I had been staring at the same screen as her but we had no clue! LOL! Those sonograms are hard to decode! Ha Ha! We told her we did not want her to tell us what we were having and to instead write it down and put it in an envelope for us so we could open it that night at dinner.
We left the appointment with some adorable pics of our baby's little face and a sealed envelope! We were so excited. After we left we went to Discount Tire to have Micheal's tires worked on. I just remember sitting there staring at the sonogram pictures and texting them to everyone I could think of. It was the sweetest little face. I could not wrap my head around the fact that I had a little person with arms and legs and eyes and a nose growing inside of me. It was so surreal. After we left we ran a few more errands and then decided we couldn't wait any longer and decided to go eat. We ended up at On the Border. Micheal was passing it and I said "I like that place...lets go there!" I was just ready to open that envelope.
We sat down and ordered and just kind of looked at each other like when do we do it. LOL. It felt like such a huge moment. I really wanted to know but I was also sad that the anticipation and wonder would soon be over! It was exciting knowing that we were about to find out if we were going to have a son or a daughter. I had also really began second guessing my "I know it's a girl feeling." LOL. I had told EVERYBODY that I knew we were having a girl and suddenly I was like OMG what if I am wrong! LOL!
We took a couple of pictures and decided to go for it. We opened the envelope and laid the sonogram picture on the table. There was a little post it on the corner that said "It's a Girl". I was over the moon!!! We had a daughter! What an amazing gift! :-) It was a wonderful moment.
We then sent a text to our family that we knew just to rub it in! Ha Ha! They would have to wait until Saturday to find out. They were not too happy with us. ;-)
When Saturday finally rolled around we did our Gender Reveal. It was so fun. Micheal and I had filled black balloons with Red Confetti and every one would pop them at the same time to reveal. Since it was Christmas time we did red for girl and green for boy. Everyone wore the color clothing of their guess. It was a great time. :-) Everyone was very excited to know that Baby Simpson would be a girl. She would be the first great granddaughter on my Mom's side of the family. The first grandbaby for my parents and the only local grandbaby on both mine and Micheal's side of the family. This poor little girl didn't stand a chance! ;-)
April could not come fast enough!
Daddy being silly because he wanted his 20 week picture taken too! :-)
20 Weeks Pregnant! Half way there!
Baby Girl Simpson! I loved that her lips were puckered! :-)
The Envelope!! BOY or GIRL!?!?!?
This is the pic Micheal sent to family rubbing it in that we KNEW!! :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)