Happy Birthday Libby!!

Hi. This is Bethanie, Stacy's childhood friend/Tim's cousin. I am so excited to report that Libby is born! Apparently, contractions started sometime Monday afternoon, I don't know the specifics, but Stacy, with her mother and Tim, went to the hospital around midnight last night.

Stacy was tough til the end and took nothing for the pain!! Liberty Ann was born this morning at 10:23 Texas time (I hope I'm getting this right) and 11:23 New York time. She weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz, and has very dark hair, like her mamma. They are both doing fine, by all accounts, and I know we are all so happy!

Congratulations Stacy and Tim, and proud grandparents Pam & Steve Shenk and Randy & Carol Merkin! Libby has too many proud Aunts and Uncles to mention. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIBBY!!

~Bethanie in Dallas TX

41 Weeks

Still here! And still pregnant. :)
On Friday I went in for a fetal monitoring test and our little one tested out great! While I had the belt strapped to my belly she moved a ton and it was quite entertaining for us! Mom and Tim were both there with me and that was really nice. The appointment went great although it was the last time I'll see my doctor (hopefully!). She left early the next morning for vacation. Of course I would rather have her deliver Libby but I'm not hung up on having her there. She refers to another doctor who is very like-minded and I'm confident that we'll be well taken care of!
However, if I don't go into labor within the next week she is going to induce on the 5th. So please be praying that this is not necessary.
We still have a few days left until the 31st so that would be ideal! :)
Mom and I are having a great time! It's so fun having her here. We played Scrabble today (and I actually won!!) and went on a brisk walk around the lake. Tomorrow I have another monitoring session and then mom and I have a very busy day planned. Lots of walking. :) Hopefully that will start something.
Well, I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and is looking forward to the New Year! Tim and I had a nice quiet Christmas morning together, it was really nice. Hopefully our last holiday 'alone'!! :)
Happy New Year!!!

40 week appointment

Well, I had my 40 week appointment today and it was pretty anti-climatic. No progress so far, no dilation or effacement. She did say the baby was dropped and low so I could pretty much have her whenever. Some people stay dilated for weeks and some progress really quickly. So who knows!! I'm cool with it and just enjoying my time with Tim and my long, good nights of sleep!! My mom was pretty happy! She hedged her bets on me going late by buying her ticket for 5 days after my due date and it looks like she made the right decision. :) My guess has been the 27th for the last month or so and that would be great! I would really love to have her before the end of the year for tax purposes, we could claim her as a dependent for the whole year! That would be quite helpful! :) But again, I want her to come at the right time! So please pray that my attitude remains good and everything tests out okay.
Oh yah, and I'm going in Friday morning for a fetal monitoring test and again Monday. As long as the baby is fine my doc won't induce until I'm two weeks late.
Anywoo, that's my latest! Merry Christmas!!!

Let it SNOW!!!

Here are the pics from our big snow storm!!
Check out the cat house! Tim made it and it keeps the kitties nice and warm. And I took pictures of the snow piled up on the table outside.
Let me know what you think of the slideshow. Its way easier than uploading all the pics to blogger.

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Guesses

So remember this post? A lot of those dates are passed already! Yikes!! Those still in the running are: my mom, Ellen, Todd, Tim, Mindy, Misty (2nd guess), Catherine, and me! Lets see who's right!! (I HOPE it's not Todd!!!)

CONGRATS!!

A big blog shout-out to my bud KACIE!!! She had her little guy on my due date and he looks adorable! I can't wait to hear the whole story!!

40 weeks!

Today I'm technically 40 weeks and 2 days. Woo-hoo. I guess. I don't feel any different! I guess my body is getting used to having a huge belly and stretching bones. Yeah, I've so got the 'waddle' going on!! Not much to report but I have my doc appointment tomorrow so that should be interesting! I'm curious to see if I have any progress to show.
I don't have any pics to share but we did go over to Vincent and Christina's place where I made a snow angel. It was quite comical so I might share it with you. Vincent was determined to get a pic of my belly in the snow, and I wanted to make a snow angel so we captured it on film.
Speaking of snow...we got a ton!! It started Friday morning around 10 and didn't stop until 6 that evening!! Tim got sent home from work after 12 and it still took him 2 hours to get here! He almost didn't make it over the mountain in his little car but just like the engine who could, he did! I'll devote a whole post to snow pics but I left the camera out in the car so I'll have to get that later. This morning when we woke up it was 9 degrees! Unfortunately its supposed to "warm up" on Wednesday so the snow might melt. :( That would be sad because obviously it would be our first White Christmas ever!! (Do you think I could trick Tim into watching that movie with me?)
Today I'm going to clean up a bit and try to get things organized. Amazing how messed up the house gets after the weekend. :( I really do not want to go into labor with a messy house!
Mom is coming up on Thursday evening and I am so excited about that! Please pray that she has a safe and drama-free trip! Thankfully the big snows are over and hopefully things are straightened out before Thursday. She almost came on my due date and I'm afraid that would have been a problem.
Well, I'd better get cracking! The sun is shining on the snow and it looks so pretty!! We brought the kitties inside because it was so cold out and I like having them in, I just don't enjoy their litter box. Blah!
Merry Christmas!!!

39 1/2 weeks!

Well, peeps, we're still here! I'm still huge and Libby is happily squished inside of me. I'm thinking she's going to be a nice sized little baby and that's fine with me! I do wish she would stop kicking my ribs though, I feel like I've been in a UFC fight! (Tim has me hooked, what can I say, they're cute!) ;) Oh and can I just say how excited I am to see Frank Mir and Antonio Nogueira fight on the 27th?! (Mir is going down!!) Did anyone else watch the Ultimate Fighter reality show this season?? Okay, maybe I'm the only one but it's actually quite good! These guys are super talented. Although I don't like the punching fights, I am more of a fan of the jujitsu take downs.

Anyway, back to more important topics... yesterday was my 39 week check-up and everything was good: weight, BP, HR, pee, size, etc... She still hasn't checked my progress yet (for which I am very grateful!) but from feeling around on the outside she said that the babe's head is low and engaged! And I told her about the other night when I had some really strong BH contractions and she said "good!! you might go this weekend!" So whoo-hoo! Of course, since I'm so far along I could, in theory, have her at any time. It was just encouraging to hear that from a professional. :)

Today is Emily's guess for Lib's bday because her second-born, Wick, was born today. And a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my man Wick!! MISS YOU!!!! Don't think it's gonna happen though, bummer!! But maybe this weekend! My doc is going to take off Christmas Eve and Christmas morning so I pray that she doesn't come then! I would so much rather her NOT be born on Christmas. So I need all my prayer warriors praying for that, k? :)

This weekend my sweet Tim helped me get the house entirely clean! Yep, it was so encouraging! He cleaned off his desk area and then followed behind me and mopped the entire house after I swept! (Wood floors and ancient linoleum are not for the faint of heart!) It was so wonderful for him to spend some time helping me out, I was most grateful. So now with my house all sparkling clean I feel a lot more ready to bring a baby home to it. And I started freaking out because I realized people might actually come over and have to trip over the dust bunnies in order to see the baby!! And I think we can keep it clean for EIGHT MORE DAYS which is when MY MOM is coming. Nope, I'm not excited, not in the least. ;) And Vincent, our wonderful landlord, has promised for weeks he's going to fix the fireplace and he's going to do it on Saturday!! Which will be totally fantastic, I'm so excited to have a real fire in the fireplace.

Last Friday my neighbor, Christine, had her baby! Little Natalie was born around 2:45 am after only 3 hours of labor! Christine hardly made it to the hospital on time, I'm sure her husband, Rob, was most grateful. :) Baby Natalie is so sweet and precious and it's been a lot of fun to hold her and feel her little newborn squirms all the while feeling my own babe inside me!! She weighed a little over 8 lbs at birth and was 2 weeks early!

Well, I'd better scoot, I have some thing I need to accomplish today and I have to run an errand this afternoon. Please be praying for us about all the changes in our lives and for the changes that might be occurring. Just pray that the Lord gives us wisdom as we try to decipher his will. Thank you, my friends!!

And I promise to post at least one more belly shot before I pop! On and the time is way off on my blog somehow, I did not post this at 5:30 or whatever, I was happily snoozing away at that time!

The famous photo

Remember this post from a while back? Well, I was going through some old photos and found the one that started it all!!

Front row: Kristin H., Stephen H., Me
Second row: Nathan S., Michael H, Tim S.
Back row: Amy S., Kathleen H., Susanna H.
All the S's are my family (see the dark hair) and the H's are Tim's cousins!
Good times!! Crazy to see how all of these wonderful people have grown up!! I'll have to post a more current pic. Seven years does a lot to change people. :)
This was taken in the H's blue van and according to the date stamped on the back it was snapped on Dec. 30, 2001. It wasn't until the following summer/fall that Tim saw a copy of it on Mimi's fridge. And the rest is history! Our wonderful, wonderful history!! :) I LOVE YOU, TIM!!!!!

Libby's room!

Her crib with cute little pillows and stuffed animals. See the monogrammed pillow Tim's cousin made? So cute!!

Hanging clothes, what a spoiled little girl already!! :)

More clothes!

PJ's and the ring sling (on the L) I bought on etsy.

Bum Genius cloth diapers

New born disposable diapers

Top drawer of changing table with more diapering supplies.

Crib and changing table. Both from the same thrift store but I bought them a couple of months apart. Funny how they match, huh?

Name letters made by Auntie Mindy

Curtains, carseat, and bouncy seat.


Let me know what you think! I looove it!! And I'm so happy I was able to get that rug, I think it really adds a lot to the room. Last thing I want to do at some point is buy a frame for that print and hang it up. Tim's cousins (Kristin and Bethanie) gave that to me at one of our wedding showers! :)

38 1/2 weeks!!

Just a quick update while I take a little break. I just cleaned the kitchen and am now going to make dinner, yah me!

I had my 38 week check-up yesterday and things are looking good! My doc said she's moving down and that she turned anterior! So that is good, we want her to stay that way. :) No major "signs" just general pressure and soreness. Nothing too bad and it's nice to feel a little pain for a purpose. :)

I've started to have trouble sleeping at night. One night I woke up at midnight bright eyed and bushy tailed and didn't fall back asleep until 4! That was not good! But last night I only woke up once and slept like a log until 7:30, it was wonderful. Hopefully I'll have more nights like that one! I think the next time I can't sleep I'll just get up and clean or something to make myself tired. Insomnia is pretty common from what I've heard, just my body preparing for no sleep with an infant. :) I wish it would do the opposite and get all rested up though, that would be way better! (in my humble opinion)

I haven't cleaned the house like I've wanted but I have cooked a lot of meals for the freezer. So far I have some beans, and two types of soup frozen. I also have some chicken breasts and two whole chickens waiting to be cooked. I'll probably cook one of those and freeze the meat and broth for something like chicken and dumplings (one of Tim's fav meals). And I'm planning on making some spaghetti sauce as well. Tim's a big pasta fan. :) As well as one more type of beans. One good thing about preparing to have a baby in winter, soups and other hot foods freeze and are re-heated quite easily!

Libby's room is completely ready! But I have misplaced our camera so I can't take new pics. I found the cutest rug on Target's website and after stalking it for a couple of weeks it went on the "free shipping" list!! I also had an e-credit from them because of a mix-up with a carseat I tried to buy a couple of weeks ago so I combined that with giftcards to buy the rug! I also did an online search and found a code for $7 off my order. :-D I'm turning into quite the deal hunter so I was very proud of myself. Woo-hoo.

We met with a pediatrician today and were quite happy with them. I think we're going to go with this group. They've been there forever and have a great group of doctors, both young and old. Tim and I both left feeling very confident about them.

Anyway, better get back to cooking, I'm making a quiche for supper so I'd better get going on that!

37 weeks!

I don't have any pics for you, just imagine that I look the same only bigger and rounder. Yeah, I feel like a whale and there's no end in sight. Well, I guess there is but I just don't know when it is!

Technically I'm 37 1/2 weeks today but who's counting? Ha. So I had another doc appointment yesterday (every week now!) and everything looks good except one thing. I tested positive for Strep B. Which pretty much means I need to have an IV of antibiotics as soon as I arrive at the hospital. My doctor was really nice about it though and said it shouldn't effect things too much. I won't have to stay attached to the IV and I'll still be able to move around and get in the shower if I want. That made me feel a lot better! As Tim said, we want everything to go perfectly but we need to be prepared and be flexible if things change. She also said that the baby feels a 'little' posterior so I'm hoping she moves into a better position. I'm supposed to just keep sitting on my exercise ball and pray she moves! :) My SIL, Mindy had a posterior baby and it was a rough time for her! And my doc said that of her three kids it was the worst and she wouldn't have been able to survive without an epidural. My plan is to not have one and to rely on other natural relaxation methods. So please pray that she moves into a better position!

No contractions or anything so far. My doc doesn't do 'checks' so I don't know if I'm dilated at all. I'm so glad to not know because its so deceptive. Most everyone I know walked around for the last month at least 1 cm dilated and it didn't cause them to deliver any sooner. She might check me at my 40 week appointment if I haven't gone into labor by then but might not. I really love my doctor and I really appreciate how hands-off she is. She really considers child birth a natural, common practice that has been occurring without doctors and hospitals for thousands of years. I really feel like in ways she's a mid-wife with an MD. Which is great for me! I feel very confident in her opinions and expertise.

I made an appointment for a consultation with a group of pediatricians near us. A nursing mom's group I joined recommended them so I'm very positive about going to them. We have a few things to clear up first so hopefully we'll see eye-to-eye with them. :)

Libby's room is practically all ready and I will post pictures soon! I have one last thing I'm waiting on that I got shipped from Target. My Target giftcards have been a huge life-saver!! Those are really fabulous gifts!! Between Target, the thrift store, and craigslist we've been able to get everything we need (and a few wants too). :)

These last few weeks I'm trying to clean the house (slowly but surely!) and have some meals in the freezer. We have some standard favorites that freeze really well so I know that will come in handy. Tim is a fabulous husband but not gifted in the kitchen! So simplicity is key!

All in all I'm starting to feel ready but not rushed at all. I'm really enjoying resting and hanging out with Tim. It's hard to imagine how much my life is going to change in just a few short weeks so for now I'm just content to enjoy each day. Life will never be the same again!!

Guess her birthday!!!

Hey everyone!! Kacie gave me a great idea, I want all of y'all to guess when Liberty is going to arrive!! Closest to being right wins...the satisfaction of being right. ;)

Date:
Time:
Weight:
Length:

Good luck!!!


**Update**
So wow! Thanks for putting in your guesses everyone!! I think its very interesting that most of the dates are right around my actual due date. I guess no one wants to go over. :) Well, I'm going to put in my guess! I really want her to be born before Christmas so I doubt that'll happen, so I think she's going to go after. Which would be great because my mom isn't coming into town until Christmas evening. So here is my guess!!
Date: 12/27
Time: 12 noon
Weight: 8 even
Length: 19"
I was a pretty chubby baby but Tim was small so we'll see!! :D

36 weeks!!

Woo-hoo!! 36 weeks!! Seems like a lot! And it is, a whopping 32 weeks since we found out I was preggers! Libby now weighs close to 6 lbs. and if she were born now there would most likely be no complications! I think 37 weeks is "full term" and if a baby is born before then they're still considered a preemie but don't usually have problems. Anyway, so Libby should be here anytime within 2 to 6 weeks! That's a pretty big gap! Most first-time moms are usually about 10 days late so that would mean her birthday will be on December 30th. Although my mom's first (Rebecca) was born 10 days early so that would be December 10th! Pretty big range!

I'm feeling ok, just huge and sluggish. Its getting more difficult to move around and to sleep. I'm still struggling with acid reflux and I'm hoping she drops soon! That will squish my stomach less but put more pressure on my bladder, oh joy! Also, if I walk around for more than 30 minutes then the Braxton Hicks contractions really hit me hard. My stomach gets as tight as a drum! It's quite uncomfortable but nothing more than that. Just makes me take frequent breaks! And I love my exercise ball!! Every pregnant woman needs one! They're really fabulous and so comfortable. Plus, I'm going to take it to the hospital with me and use it during my labor.

We finished our birthing classes last week and we both feel like they were completely worth it. We learned a great deal not only about child birth but also about nutrition, healthy living, and child care. I would really recommend the Bradley Method for expectant couples! I'll let you know how well it works after Libby is here. :)

Interesting survey

This survey and its implications have been all over the internet and selected news media recently. I never watch the "big three" (ABC, NBC, CBS) so I don't know if its been covered on those channels. Anyway, I wanted to post this video along with the survey information along with my thoughts. And yes, I completely realize that Barack Obama is our new President and will be so for the next four years. I understand that. However, I do think that this should make us pause and consider where we as a nation are getting our news. Do you seek to honestly become informed over the issues? Or do you merely vote for the candidate who has the (R) or (D) next to their name?

One of the first classes I ever took in college was a state and local government class and the professor really emphasized this with us. We read various news stories and then asked a series of questions: why are they telling me this? who is this story directed at? why is this (certain detail) included? When reading articles or watching news stories we should always ask ourselves these and other questions. However unbiased a reporter, publication, or channel represents themselves there is always a slant.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy watching Foxnews as opposed to the other stations. Fox realizes that people have biases and therefore does a great job of presenting both sides of the story. There have been countless times when I have seen this played out. My favorite show on Fox is Brit Hume's news reports at 6pm EST. He has an excellent sense of humor and fairly presents both sides of a particular issue. He also has a round table discussion called the 'All Stars' on every show to discuss the relevant stories of the day.

Anyway, I digress...What I really wanted to post is this survey that was taken after the election to poll the knowledge of people who voted for Obama. It is really quite revealing and disturbing. John Ziegler, through Zogby, conducted this poll and asked twelve questions to 512 Obama voters nationwide. The results are astounding. The video is quite long but shows 12 people who had already voted for Obama and their answers to the 12 questions.

As Tim pointed out, I'm sure that a number of ignorant McCain voters could be found. Unfortunately, Zogby has declined the request to do the same poll of McCain voters (and I don't think the results would be the same). However, I really don't see that as the point. What I believe the poll does is point out the incredible influence mainstream media has on a majority of Americans. We are a part of a give-it-to-me-fast, microwaved world and we are too lazy to discover the truth for ourselves. So take this poll and video as a lesson, the next time you read a news article or watch a story ask yourself some questions. Why are they telling me this? Why are they including these details? What is being left out? And take it upon yourself to become more informed.

This quote is posted on the top of Ziegler's website and I think its a very relevant one.
"Promote then as an object of primary importance, Institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinion should be enlightened."

George Washington, Farewell Address, September 19, 1796

How Obama Got Elected



Poll Results

So true!!

First snow!

Okay, I have a lot of things to post about today so prepare yourselves!! :)
This morning we woke up to a little surprise!

35 weeks!!

Ok, finally I'm going to post some new pics. Although I wasn't happy at all with how they turned out. I need a girl around here!! Maybe that's why the Lord is blessing us with a little girl. :) I need someone to tell me to turn my head this way or that. I'm hoping to get some professional pics done when Libby is a few months old so that will be nice. Plus, hopefully I'll be done with this lovely puffiness in my face that I'm currently experiencing. Nothing like having people who haven't known me very long telling me I look nothing like the pictures that were taken just last year! :( But since I'm 35 weeks hopefully I'll be back to 'normal' before too long! :)
Something like this...

Taken spring '07 at my parent's house

Taken this past April - 5 weeks! 30 weeks ago?!


And now for the current ones...


My neighbor Christine and I - she's due about the same time I am!


Alright, so I guess I'm proving myself to be incredibly vain but hopefully that will spur me on to get back to 'normal' after Libby is here! No excuses!! Well, it would be nice not to have to deal with 11 degree weather in January but I'm not sure how much I'll be able to get out in that! Especially with a tiny newborn! But I know I can do it and y'all are gonna help me!! I know my peeps will be there for me. :)

Texas Trip Re-cap #2

Okay! So anyway back to Texas...

Sunday afternoon Rebecca, Mom, Lizzles and I drove from the ranch in Wimberley to my parent's house in Magnolia. Mostly an uneventful trip except for one minor detail, we were starving! We decided to eat on the way as we had left about 2pm and hadn't eaten anything since breakfast several hours before. So we started looking for a Whataburger. Not sure why except that since I was in Texas I wanted things only found in Texas! And as all my Texas readers know, Whataburger is VERY Texas! So we drove, and drove, and kept driving. All the while passing up about four Sonics. Unfortunately we had four very undecisive women in the car and no one wanted to say "yes! lets just go there!" so we didn't. And everyone at one point was certain there was a Whataburger in the next small town, just 10 miles down the road. Until finally the preggers lady was about to barf. And then we were saved! Finally! We saw the Orange W up ahead, in Giddings, I believe. And we were saved. And Rebecca was saved from me barfing in her little red car. :)

That evening we made it in around 6 and were greeted by my dad and two youngest brothers. It was so cute seeing the reaction of Robert (the 8 year old) to my protruding belly. He really handled it well and just seemed excited. And later when we sat down to watch a movie he brought me his favorite blanket and pillow to use. :) So sweet!

That week with my family was just wonderful! It was relaxing and busy, in the perfect amounts. I hung out with my parents and family a lot, drove to College Station to see my sis and her husband, went to lunch with Lizzles, and to the Galleria with Jess! And mom and I dragged poor Robert around town looking for a baby book and shower supplies. He was really sweet though and totally enjoyed his Wendy's frosty. I also helped (a term I use very loosely) my dad burn some cleared brush in the back of their property. That was fun and nice to hang out with my dad.





Meeting up with Jess and eating with Elizabeth were two high points as well. It was so nice to spend time with good friends! I've known Elizabeth since highschool so we're old buds and have had many adventures together! And Jess and I worked together at Drs. Alexander's Orthodontics which was also quite interesting at times! And dinner with my sis Stephanie for her 23rd bday was fun as well! I finally got to see her apartment too. :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEPH!

SiStErS!


And then on Saturday morning my mom and sisters threw me a beautiful shower with lots of our friends. And my two SIL and MIL came to that as well!! It was a lot of fun and so wonderful to get to see so many old friends! And blogger isn't letting me attach any more pics to this post so I'll have to devote one to that shower. There are a ton of good ones, believe me. :)

Texas Trip Re-cap #1

Ok, the house is messy and I have a million things to do but I really want to write a little about my Texas trip. Oh and seriously, Libby is one spoiled lil girl already!! She has so many beautiful clothes, stuffed animals, and gear. I'll post some pics when I get things straightened up and in order.

So I flew out Thursday afternoon from Newark airport and our plane was delayed, wa-ho. We had one lay-over and then I finally made it into DFW at 9:30. And my sweet Chris and Katey were there waiting for me! It was so good to see them! They took me to their beautiful, new house and we stayed up munching on goodies and catching up.
Friday we were able to meet Jess and the Alexander kids at Chick-Fil-A and it was so wonderful to see them! We laughed and ate and had a wonderful time!


Friday evening was our first shower hosted by Katey. It was so beautiful and so much fun! She and Chris did a great job decorating and preparing. There were yummy sandwiches and snacks and an adorable cake! I have a few pics from that but I'm still waiting on some from Katey...




Hopefully Katey has more pics of the people who came! Thanks so much, girls!!!

Saturday morning Bethanie and I woke up early (she spent the night with me and Chris and Katey's) and were on our way to New Braunfels by 7:57. Yep, thats right, people, a HENDERSON left on time!! She claims that Steve has reformed her but I told her it was because she was with a Shenk. ;)

We made it to Heather's beautiful house by 11:30 where we found a flurry of ladies preparing for our second shower. This one was given by my SILs Heather and Mindy and my MIL Carol Sue. And many other people helped too by preparing and making cakes. And were there cakes!!! Sweet cousin Abby took pictures and she did a great job. Although, again I didn't get many of the people actually attending the shower. :( There was a great turn-out and it was so fun to see everyone!! Thanks for coming!!






We had so much fun and Libby and I got some wonderful gifts. Plus, I got to spend a lot of time with some great ladies! Thank y'all so much!!
I spent the night with family and friends at the Ranch and then Rebecca, mom, Elizabeth and I left to go back Magnolia. I spent the whole week with my family there and that is where I will leave off and resume next time!

An unwanted visitor

Ok, so this weekend we had this guy show up and he has left a few times but has again returned. In my horrid state I never posted any pics but I can't leave it for any longer!




So what do y'all think?! Crazy, huh?

Kid Rock

I guess Tim and I will have to get used to kiddie music before too long. :) Maybe Libby will like this music. ;)



*Thanks to Bethanie for this one!!

Ohhh the pressure!

Well, sorry I've been MIA for a while.
This new thing my friends have on their blog that shows the most recently updated blogs on their link list puts a lot of pressure to write new posts! Plus, I'm feeling another type of nasty pressure. :(
I got back from Texas really early Tuesday morning and went to work doing laundry and unpacking. And then on Thursday I discovered an unwanted souvenir from Texas. A very awful cold. So since then I've been pretty miserable. Right now its taken up residence in my head and isn't moving. This morning I finished up my third box of tissues. Winter colds are awful and in my opinion even worse while pregnant. I wouldn't wish this on anyone! So right now I'm just taking it easy and trying to quell my nesting urges. Yep, people, I'm 33 weeks and getting things set up! My plan is to have all of Libby's things ready by week 36 so I can take it easy and just do cleaning and cooking until her arrival. Plus, you never know what day God will pick for their birthday! A friend of mine went into labor when she was 38 weeks but more often then not its around 41 or so. So we'll see!! No way of knowing at this point!!

One more thing, a big shout out to Hollie for my new blog layout! Thanks so much!! Y'all should all visit her funny site and maybe you'll get a makeover too!

I'll write more about my trip later but for now I'll just say that I had a fabulous time! I love my Texas peeps so much and had a wonderful time with them!!
Pictures to come soon!!

TEXAS!!!

Tomorrow
I'm going to

TEXAS!!!!!!!


The Land of


I can't wait to see everyone!! I love you and I'm so excited!!! :-D

Which Jane Austin heroine are you??

Take the Quiz here!

Take the quiz and then leave your results!!

29 Weeks!!

Here I am at 29 weeks!! Crazy to think that Libby will be here sometime in the next 8-13 wees!! Kind of a big range but we know how babies have their own timing. :) Like I read on another blog, its kind of like preparing for a surprise party for someone but you don't know when they're going to arrive!

We're getting pretty excited but we still have a ways to go. My mom's babies were either a little early or on time but I don't know what that means for me. I'm hoping she comes right around her due date because my mom is planning on coming and I want her here! Unfortunately, she can't come for a whole month so we're just going to have to make a guess.

Oh and you might notice the lovely preggers acne I have going right now. Apparently I don't have the pregnancy 'glow' that so many are blessed to enjoy. Got any suggestions? I've been washing my face 2-3 times a day and doing a mask or scrub every couple of days. I'm willing to try anything!!

Less than a week until Amy and Nathan come and two days after they leave I'm following them back to the great state of TEXAS. I'm going to be gone for 10 days and am going to be in DFW, Austin, and the Houston area. Yippiee!! And my dear friends and family are being so generous as to throw a few showers for me so that will be fun. Kind of a baby party/reunion! Its really a good excuse to get everyone together and eat cake. :) I know I'll have a blast but I'm really going to miss poor Tim. I say poor Tim because I hope he survives. Tim has a the 'unfortunate' problem of forgetting to eat unless food is placed fully-prepared in front of him. So I'm going to be busy the next week prepping and cooking all of his favorites that can be easily frozen so he can just pull them out and heat them up. I'll probably still have to remind him every day though. :) I think its the engineer in him. I'm sure we'll both survive but I am going to miss him a ton!! However, it will be a blast to see all my dear Texas friends and family!! There's just something about Texas, no other place is like it! I think I'll cry when I fly into DFW. Anyway, we'll be back for good before we know it. :)

One more note before I sign off...Tim and I are playing against each other in our Fantasy Football League and I'M KICKING HIS BUTT!!! :D Heeheehee!! I'm the only girl and I got most points last week and it looks like I'll get that again this week. Loads of fun. :) Have a great week!!

Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac - who's to blame??

ONE WEEK!!!

Just one more week before these punks come to see us!!!
My little bro, Nathan, and my baby sis, Amy, are coming in Thursday afternoon and are staying until Tuesday! Yippie! I can't wait to see them!!
Amy and I goofing off at my parent's house at Christmastime.

Nathan holding Tim's niece Annabelle at my graduation last summer.

Amy and I at my graduation.

Goofy Nathan shot at my parent's house at Christmas (notice my HS grad pic in the background? :) )

Amy poppin her colla' and visiting me at Arlington - we share a love of Macs and Starbucks. :)


Can't wait to see you two!!!