37 weeks!

Well, I made it! I'm officially "full term"! I didn't really have many doubts that I would and I'm fully expecting to go over again but it's still nice getting to this point. I have a lot of tiny little clothes washed, a lot of tiny diapers ready to go, and even the baby bed set up in our room. I've been nesting like crazy and it's causing my house to stay very clean so that's been nice. :) I guess I'm scared that the house will be messy when I do go into labor.

Libby is doing really well. I've been encouraged recently by her interest and excitement about babies. Lately she's started knocking on my belly and saying "knock knock knock". Its really precious. And today after running errands we came inside and as soon as she got through the door she started calling, "baby! baby!" as if she thought the baby would be here!! And tonight when I saw Tim pull up I said, "Libby! Someone is here! Do you know who it is?" And usually she says "Daddy!" but today she said, "baby? baby?" Too cute. :-) Unfortunately she's also pretty jealous of me with other kids so we'll just have to be sensitive and work out any potential issues.

When we were with friends last week I was helping our friend's little girl with something and Libby got really, really upset. So we had a little chat with her about sharing mommy and she put three words together for the first time and through her tears said, "I share mommy." It was precious. :-)

Speaking of...we went and stayed over the long weekend with some friends up in New Jersey! It was so much fun and I'm really glad we went. I'm sure some people thought we were crazy traveling so late in the pregnancy but we got the go-ahead from my mid-wife and we felt comfortable so we went! And everything was fine. I'm sure I was more tired than normal and walking around a bunch got to be difficult, but other than that it was great! We went for a wedding so there wasn't any way around the dates. The wedding was beautiful and it was so fun being in our old stomping grounds and visiting friends. We're planning on getting our NJ friends down to TX in the spring so that will be a lot of fun, I'm sure!

Well, here's my little preggo update thingie before I sign off:
Pregnancy: 37 weeks

Weight Gain: 10 lbs. total

Sleep: HA HA. Apparently my body is preparing for a newborn and suddenly despises sleep.

Gender: No clue.

Name: Depends on the above

Feeling: Very chill and zen about the whole labor process but excited and a bit nervous about having two kiddos!

Health: Much better these days. Feeling very good and energetic.

Movement: Very, VERY squirmy

Belly: Very high, not that big but for some reason I think this baby will be bigger than Libby was.

Next Appointment: Thursday morning, most likely will do GBS test and REALLY wanting to avoid testing + again. Being hooked up to an IV and stuck on a bed for 45 minutes during hard labor was NO FUN. Would love to avoid that this time.

Well, that's about it!! Oh here are some pics for ya. :)

PS. Blogger is stupid so for some reason all of the above text is underlined. I've been fighting with it all night and am ready to go to sleep! Good night!

At a great petting zoo, Libby had a blast.

Libby and Mathilda, the little girl of our friends in NJ, who we stayed with.
In the city outside a very dangerous store. ;)
Scary dude.

Libby LOVED the stuffed animals, especially the piggies. Daddy told her to give them a hug and then put them back, it worked really well!

She did make it out of the store with a small piggy. :)
Throwing pennies in the fountain.



All dressed up for the wedding. Libby didn't come. :) Made for a fun date night.
On a nature trail in Tarrytown. See the Hudson behind us? It was a terrific view.

The result of a large sippy cup of Jamba Juice at the airport. Apparently the sugar went straight to Libby's bloodstream. She went NUTS!! It was a bit scary but after a little bit of screaming on the plane she sacked out. :)

33 weeks!

About time I posted something on this poor, sad blog. I have been gone a whole lot and just haven't really felt like writing much down. This pregnancy has been a lot more difficult than Libby's was. I'm sure it has to do with the fact that I have a busy little toddler and I can't just nap whenever I want. Thankfully, sweet girl takes a looong afternoon nap which gives me some peace and quiet for a while every afternoon.

I'm stealing this from Katy because I'm lazy. :)

Weight Gain: Uhh, around 5 lbs. Yeah, I know. I had gotten up to 15 a few weeks ago when I actually lost 10 lbs. in two weeks. The midwives were not too pleased.
This is a main area where this pregnancy is sooo much different from Lib's. I had gained at least 30 lbs. by now and was super hungry all the time. This time I have NO appetite and literally have to force myself to eat. Yeah, very, very weird.

Sleep: HAHAHAHAH!!!! Yeah, umm, I have a "good" nights sleep probably 3x's a week. Still working on that, trying to get a routine down that works.

Gender: Dunno!

Name(s): Not telling :)

Health: Pretty good besides the lack of weight gain and sleep.

Movement: A good amount of strong nudges and pushes but this babe isn't quite as active as Libby was. It feels different too, which is pretty awesome.

Next Appointment: This Friday! I went last week and hadn't gained any weight so they want me to come in and do another check. Baby's heart rate is strong and was around 140 bpm last time. I was also measuring right on target at 31 cm so my belly is growing nicely!

Can't see my toes, this makes Tim laugh, not sure why.
Gotta pee a lot but not too bad.
Braxton-hicks contractions All.the.time. OUCH these are no fun and pretty painful. My stomach gets super tight and its not comfortable. Helps if I take lots of sitting breaks.
Caffeine is really affecting me this go-around. I have a cup of tea or coffee first thing but I can't have anything after around 11am or so or else I can't sleep.
Cravings? Hmmm...not really into food this time but I do want sour gummies a lot, probably not the best thing I could crave!
Acid reflux is bad again so I try to eat small meals throughout the day, drink dairy before bed, take tums and papaya enzyme, and prop myself up to sleep.

Anyway, I keep reminding myself how grateful I am to get to be pregnant and how wonderful it will be to have this new baby, but things are a lot more difficult the second time around. My mom had seven kids and she said each time was worse. Yippie. Not sure how people like Mrs. Duggar make it being pregnant or nursing all.the.time. I am not one of those women who really enjoy pregnancy but I am getting really excited about meeting our new little bundle in August!!

Since I'm 33 weeks he/she could technically arrive anytime after four weeks from now!! WOW! That's soon! I have a lot to do before then. The 'official' due date is August 3rd. and Lib was 10 days late so I'm guessing 8/11 because that's my mom's bday. :) Of course a July birthday would be awesome too. ;)

Belly shot -- Finally :)

@21 weeks!!! Over half way there!
For anyone keeping track I'll be 23 weeks tomorrow.
I think this photo makes me look huge but oh well. :)




Some random things...

I keep telling Libby there is a baby in my tummy and he/she will be here at the end of the summer but she has no idea. She thinks my belly is funny and actually set a cheerio on it in church the other day and then laughed her head off. At least she has a sense of humor. :)

I'm feeling really great so far! If I have a very busy day then I'm sore at the end of it but no other troubles. I was pretty blah during the whole first trimester but now I feel a lot better.

I feel baby Merkin moving somewhat and my mom was able to feel him/her a couple of weeks ago so that was fun for her.

We have a boy name picked out but cannot for the life of us think of a girl name. :(

I'm not looking forward to the summer heat but I am looking forward to having a precious little one at the end of it!! It's so fun to imagine holding a new squirmy little baby and call me crazy but I'm actually looking forward to the whole labor process. It's such an amazing feeling and I've never felt closer to Tim than when we were going through that together. I'm praying for an even better birth than last time. I have an amazing group of midwives here in Fort Worth and I am really looking forward to having that support this time.

Well, gotta run, have a great day!!

Fun pictures and a bit of an update

We went to one of the Ranger's last games of the season!

We got there late, on purpose because I knew Libby probably wouldn't make the whole game. And I think we timed it perfectly! She really enjoyed it and was getting restless just near the end. They had a fireworks show and it was a really good one! Libby just sort of stoically watched it but she was interested. I'm sure she'll get more into it by next July 4th. We had fun with her and I'm glad we went.

Our girl still loves to eat!



Especially bananas! I know, I should've put a bib on her but she was probably already messy so I didn't want to have to wash a bib too! She loves to feed herself so I try to let her with some things.
We still don't have a highchair and I really want to get one but I just haven't gone to enough garage sales and/or resale shops to find one I like and want. We also don't have a dining set right now and I'd like to get that too. We might just get a chair that straps onto a normal chair but I'm not sure. I might be afraid that she would squirm out of it or something. Right now the bumpo seat works pretty well but I can't leave her in it unless it's on the floor. I really want to get a highchair though so I think we will pretty soon. I just don't want to spend $60 on a new one that I don't particularly like!

Libby loves her bathtub!



Almost every bath she props her food up on the side of the tub and just chills out chewing on her toys. She loves her ducky tub and her toys, especially the little sheep. Every time she has a bath she finds the sheep and chews on it and plays with it almost the whole time! Too funny!

I thought this outfit was cute so I tried to do a little photoshoot on the couch.





These were all taken right after another so you can tell how squirmy she is and how hard it is to get pictures these days! So cute though. :)

Pretty girl all ready for church this morning!




Photoshoot with mama and daddie before church. Too bad Maddie couldn't take one of all of us. :(



Riding her wooden horsie!


We were going to save the horse for her birthday but oh well! :) She really loves it and can ride it pretty well now. She even hangs on with her legs and rocks back and forth on it!

I'm amazed every day how much she's changing and growing! She looks so old to me in some of these pictures! Her face is so slender she doesn't even look like a chubby cheeked baby. :( But the new stages are a lot of fun! Last week she really started to up her babbling and I'm ready to say that she can say a few words! At the grocery store on Monday I got her a bouncy ball and I told her a few times it was a ball and ever since then she's been saying 'ball, ball, ball'! Over and over! And I asked her, "where is dad?" and she pointed to Tim and said "dad" very clearly. So of course, so typical, her first word is not mom. :( Oh well! She still wants me when she's hurting or hungry. :)

Libby now has started doing something I have only dreamed about. She will throw Maddie's toys for her!! This is huge for me! Anyone who has ever owned a Border Collie will understand. :) Of course it goes about 6 inches and Libby then looks and me anticipated my applause and just grins and grins when I cheer her on. So we're still a little ways off from them entertaining each other, but it's a huge breakthrough!

She is sooo close to walking!! The other day I looked up and she was standing in the middle of the floor! She looked at me like, oh shoot, now what do I do, and fell forward. :) Thankfully she wasn't hurt (it takes a lot to make her cry). She mostly sticks to walking around the furniture or with her push toy but I can tell she's thinking about walking! Surely by 10 months she'll be walking but who really knows! I know of babies who are soo close to walking for a few months before they actually take the plunge.

All in all, she is such a delight and so much fun to be with every day! I am so blessed and grateful that I am able to stay home with her every day! It is such a joy and I love it!

Home sweet home!!

Wow! I have so many things to touch on in this post!! Yes, we are safe in TX. Sorry I've been MIA lately (I know y'alls hearts are just a'breakin' aren't they?). We finally got inet yesterday after a wee bit of trouble with the AT&T peeps. And I'm thinking that it's not quite over yet, I'll letcha know!
The trip down was interesting, that will require it's own post! Although I will tell you that it involved an unintended 3 hr layover in speedbump, VA at the local military surplus store. Oh and tattoos were involved, as well, dolphin tattoos...but alas, that is for another day.
A few observations: Texas is HOT! YAYAY!! A glorious, sun-kissing-your-shoulders warmth as you frisk from your apartment to your car. Your car which is now a sauna and your poor child's seat belt clips are also handy doubles for a branding iron. Thankfully we have an infant seat so we can bring it inside with us so it doesn't melt and become a permanent part of my car. Side note: apparently I'm insane because I'm drinking my afternoon *hot* tea right now. :)
Ok, this might come across weird, or mean, or something, but I just have to say it and it's made me think about a lot more things too...people in the South are larger than people in the North East. Please don't hate me. I'm trying to figure out why this is but I'm thinking it might have something to do with at the intersection by our apartment there is a fried chicken joint, a burger joint, a taco stand, and a fast food pizza place. And that is not uncommon. There were two fast food places within ten miles of me in NY. One was a McDonalds and the other a Burger King. So the Conservative, don't-mess-with-people's-wants in me, is kinda torn because um, do people really not know that crap is bad for them?!?! Please do not think that I think everyone should be a size 4 or they're fat. I know people who's "happy size" is a 4 and I know others who are killin it in a 14. But I am concerned when there are so many people who have trouble walking because of excess weight or the children are raised going to BK or KFC every night and can't run around like they should. Anyway, it's just one of the observations I've made since I've been back.
There are waaaay more Christian and Latino radio stations here. Explanations? We're close to Mexico and we're in the Bible Belt.
People drive a lot more trucks down here. Love, love, love it. :)
Oh and some of the bumper stickers are a hoot: "The Democrats make the French look brave." Heeheehee (aren't I stepping on a lot of toes in this post?) :)
I'll try to think of some more 'differences' between the two areas.

I'm loving our apartment. Except the management seems very incompetent. With one exception, a young girl I became friends with, that seems to be the norm. Case in point: when I received my statement for this month is said I had an unpaid balance of $45. That made me concerned because our "special" was one month free so we shouldn't have had to pay rent at all. So I went up there as soon as I could and talked to the over-sweet, annoyingly nice lady at the office. Apparently they don't know how to work their software and were supposed to credit me a couple of *free* days because the apartment we had wanted flooded before we got here. She wrote a few things down on a piece of paper, told me they would credit our account, and all was right with the world. Err, wrong! Two days later I receive a notice saying "you owe $45 and you'd better pay it or we're gonna be mad!" I tried not to let my blood pressure go up too much and marched right over there (with my piece of paper in one hand that said they owed US $15 and a slobbery Libby in my other). After 15 minutes they finally got the issue straightened out and I asked, ok so I won't receive any more of these, right? Holding up notice. And that sickly sweet lady said, "oh well, we all make mistakes so you'll probably get another one, if so just come up here and we can take care of it." I was speechless. It was probably good that I didn't say anything but she'd better hope I don't receive another one of those letters! Incompetence annoys the tar out of me. And I've done data entry and worked on several different software systems, it ain't that difficult.

Wow, this is getting a lot longer than I anticipated!

I joined a gym! Soooo much fun!!! I love working out so it has been great to get back into it. Plus, they have child care!! So I like to take my time and have a good, long, Libby-free hour and a half. (I love my child, but as everyone I know will agree, it's awesome to have time to yourself). I'm so grateful that Tim knows this is important for me and he has been very supportive. Plus, I know this will help me lose those last pesky 10 lbs. and we will both be happy about that. :)

I'm going to write a whole Libby post but she is changing so incredibly fast!! She is very mobile and I predict that she will be walking, yes, I said, walking, by the end of August. Which is one of the reasons I enjoy my "me time". Just today I walking into the kitchen, where it was suspiciously quiet and I caught her sharing Maddie's food. Oh yum!! We're working on a bit of "baby-proofing" but we're also "house-proofing" Libby, which will make visiting others easier. More on that later...

It is so awesome being back with family and I've been on the go a whole lot, but after dear Susan's wedding on the 15th things might calm down a bit. :)

Rollin' rollin' rollin'

I'm still getting ready to go to TX but I just wanted to get it down here that Libby rolled from her back to her front today! She's been on the verge for a week or so but I was watching her and she finally got all the way over! And then I put her back on her tummy in the middle of her blanket and when I came back she was way on the other side of it on her tummy again! So she's done it several times already.
Well, I just wanted to get that down on my e-baby book. :)
She rolled from her tummy to her back the day before her 1 month birthday and today Lib is 3 months, 8 days! Go Libby!!

Gettin' ready!

In 48 hours we will be on a plane to TEXAS!!! Yippie!! I am so very, very excited!! (I'm sure you can't tell!) :) However, before that happens I have a scary amount of things that need doing. First of all, yesterday was Tim's b-day (Happy birthday, sweetie!!) and at the last minute we invited some friends over. So I made fettuccine alfredo, salad, and a carrot cake. Yikes! Needless to say, the kitchen is a disaster! I'm not the best at "cleaning as you go" (you'll have to learn that from Katey) so since I was in a huge hurry I made an even bigger mess. Oh well! It turned out really good and Tim was happy. We had a nice yummy dinner and watched DWTS. It was loads of fun. I gave Tim two polo shirts and some flip-flops, but his real present was his iphone that he bought back in January. So don't think I'm stingy or anything! ;)
I also went to about five stores yesterday looking for something red for Libby. We're doing family pictures back home and it was decided that all the little girls should wear red. Well, I'm a huge fan of red, but apparently those who design cheap baby clothes are not! Why oh why are all little girl baby clothes some shade of pink, purple, or green? Seriously, people! Do I have to spend $30 on my child to find something cute? Anyway, I finally hit paydirt at Wal-Mart!! However, I also had found a cute little overall dress at Carters on the clearance rack. I might set up a little modeling shoot with the Libster so y'all can help me decide. Two of the little girls are just going to wear red t-shirts and jeans, but I wanted to dress Libby up a little more. So if I have time I'll show you my options. I'm also going to attempt to make some cute bows for her. I found this great website that I'm going to use. I would rather not have to spend $10/bow on Etsy or something so I know it will be way cheaper for me to make my own. Wish me luck!
I also bought Libby a super cute Easter dress at WM but I'm afraid it's too big. Libby is still mostly in 0-3 month clothes, so the 3-6 mo. dress was a little too big. I'll see if it will work or if I should just exchange it. Again, hopefully I'll have time! Which means I should probably get off of here because I'm just delaying the inevitable.
Oh, one more super quick thing! I just got this book in the mail and I'm hoping to read it soon. It's gotten rave reviews and has been #1 on Amazon for a couple of weeks now. It's sold out but more shipments are coming soon! I'll give a little review for you when I'm finished.
And finally, here are some funny pictures of Libby. Have a wonderful day!!

The good, the bad, and the adorable!

What should I say first? The good news or the bad? Well, I guess I'll start with the bad...
I read-ended someone yesterday. It was awful. I've never been in a wreck before. Well, I have been in the car but never as the driver. It was on one of those entrance ramps where you merge with the other cars. I was looking over my shoulder and thought it was clear then turned forward and there was a car right in front of me. I slammed on my breaks but *SMACK* we went. Made me feel really stooopid. Thankfully it wasn't too bad, Libby wasn't fazed at all, she just chilled out in her seat and then went to sleep while we waited for the policemen. The guys I hit were really nice. The driver was mad at first but then he softened up. I was really proud of myself, no crying or hysterics. I just stayed calm and didn't get upset. I didn't get a ticket but we're going to have to get my car fixed and I'm sure our insurance will go up. Makes me so frustrated after all the work I've been doing lately to save money and pay off debts. (we just paid off my car!!) But oh well, as my mom said, thats why we have insurance!! And thank the Lord it wasn't too bad and that no one was hurt. Moving on...
The good: I have to stay at home! That means I can get the house organized and I can cook and bake a lot. Today I'm going to make some bread and some oatmeal cookies. Plus, some chicken and other stuff.
Also, another good thing (hopefully) remember all my complaining about my eye troubles when I was pregnant? I just thought all my contact issues were due to changing hormones so I just gave up and wore glasses. Saturday morning we went to the eye doctor and he gave me the news that I have an infection! Yah! It's just sitting there on my eyeball and whenever I put in contacts it would flair up and make my eye turn red!! So I have to put two different types of drops in my eyes for a week and then in about another week I'm going in again. And hopefully it will have cleared up so I can wear contacts again. Crazy, huh? I can't believe I never went in before! I guess I thought an exam would be really expensive but I went to a doc who takes our insurance and our co-pay was $5!!! Another forehead slapper moment. Lets home the evil infection will be gone by the 23rd!
Four weeks from today we'll be in TX!!! That is fabulous news!! Libby and I will be in that awesome state for 10 days!! I can't wait to introduce her to her "home state". Like I told Vincent (our landlord buddy) "Being born in a barn does not make one a cow!" We'll get our little girl to TX just as soon as possible, she is NOT a Yankee!!
Lib is asleep so I'm going to get going on those cookies but first here are some pics for you. (the adorable part of the post!)

What up

So I've mostly been writing about Libby...a lot! I know, I guess this is turning into a Baby Blog but I can't help it! She pretty much is mostly what I think about these days, and she's a lot more fun than the state of our economy or government! I try not to stick my head in the sand but besides listen to my beloved Rush Limbaugh, I haven't been keeping up with things too much. I've been trying to get through the same book for the last month, but when it's time for bed I'm ready to sleep! However, last night after the Libster went down, Tim and I stayed up and watched 24 and Dancing with the Stars on my computer. It was so much fun!! And you'll never guess but I was the one who wanted to watch 24 and he was the one who voted for DWTS!!!! 'Tis true!! We really enjoyed it too. I guess I should disclose the reason he wanted so badly to watch couples twirl around (and I'm sure it had nothing to do with those beautiful "dresses" the girls wear -- rant -- but excuse me! When did wearing one leg of hose stretched across your body with a few strategically placed sparkles suffice for an outfit?! I thought that was supposed to be a "Family" show!!! -- rant complete)
Anywhoo, guess who is one of the stars this year?! Yes, one of Tim's heroes: Ty Murray!! Ty was a bullrider and was seriously one of, if not the best ever. It was really fun to watch a "goshdarnit" sweet cowboy on tv. And it was hil-ar-ious watching him try to dance!!! Our favorite quote: "I see it like bullriding, you never are ready, it just becomes your turn" LOLOLOL!!! We loved that!! Needless to say, the poor boy was as stiff as a board. I don't think he'll last too long!! It was interesting to watch for sure! Totally worth staying up until midnight!
And then 24, one of our favorite shows that has really seemed to have jumped the shark. I am having a hard time believing a few frogmen wearing camo and dragging several hundred pounds of ammo and gear could swim up the Potamic and simply walk into the White House. I was there over the summer and I'm sorry, there is noooo way that could happen!! Anyway, still, I was so very upset that they killed Bill!! They've killed so many of the best characters that I really don't see how this show is going to be able to come back for another season. Although I must say that the end was slightly more interesting, I don't think we'll be able to give it up quite yet.
One other thing, I've been growing more and more concerned with all of the chemicals in our lives so little by little I'm trying to change how we eat and clean, both ourselves and our house. So yesterday I ordered some Dr. Bronner's soaps and I can't wait to try them out! A big inspiration for all of this is my friend Alison's website. She has devoted a lot of research to living healthfully and she generously shares it with us on her blog. She is a terrific girl and I am soo thrilled that we're going to be bridesmaids together in August for our friend Susan's wedding! Which reminds me, I still need to lose a few more "Libby Lbs"!! Better get cracking on that!
Have a great day! Enjoy your warm Texas weather, my friends, I will be down there in about a month!!! XOXO

Growth!

First of all, two nights ago Libby slept from 10:30 straight to 5:30!! And then she slept until 7:30 after she ate! I was so thrilled! Unfortunately these last couple of nights she's had a harder time sleeping with this snotty nose. :( Poor thing! I propped her up a little last night and that seemed to help some. She is sleeping in her swing now and I think that really helps her out. She is battling her first cold but thankfully it's a mild one that's not bothering her too much, just a little runny nose.

Yesterday was Libby's two month check-up and her first visit with her new pediatrician. The first one was not the best in my view so we switched over. And I am so thrilled with him! I felt the complete opposite of how I felt after I left her last appointment with the old group. Our parenting methods are not exactly main-stream so we butted heads slightly with the old group. To me they just seemed like a big machine that checked everyone's child the same way and performed the same actions on every child, never asking us how we felt about things. For one thing (and I know this is hugely controversial) we are not crazy about the many vaccinations that are given to babies in this day and age. We declined the Hep B at birth and that didn't raise too many eyebrows but after that we were expected to just stick her whenever "they" mandate. Uh, no thanks! I'll pass!! However, we also know how beneficial vaccinations have been and are at largely eradicating diseases from the general population. So much so that these days many of these viruses and illnesses are extremely rare in the US. Anyway, long story short we wanted a doc who would talk to us and help us weigh our concerns and not just give us one of those "oh you're THAT type of parent" looks. This doc is completely opposite! We told him our main resource and he was pleased with that whereas the other doc pretty much mocked it and dismissed it as worthless. New doc helped us figure out what was most important and I left feeling extremely confident and pleased with our decision. Now, I know that most people feel confident about giving all the recommended vaccines and that's great!! Every family is different. I just want to see a flexible doctor who realizes that. Ok, doctor discussion is over, thanks for listening! :)

As for her new "stats"!! She currently weighs 11 lbs. and 6 oz. and is nearly 23" long. Now the old office put her length last time at 23" and I know she hasn't shrunk! So I guess it all depends on how much they stretch her out. :) I'm curious to see what my own measurement of her would be so I'm going to check that today. Not sure how I'm going to do that, but we'll see. :) That puts her in the 75th percentile for both height and weight - just perfect!

He was happy with her weight gain and her progresses so far. The whole time I visited with him she sat in my lap happy as a clam (how do we know how happy clams are??). When he checked her lungs she just stared up and him cooing and making her baby growly noises. So funny! He said that yes, she is "talking" a lot. :) And he was impressed that she was rolling over so much and had been doing it for so long. So the Libster is doing really well! I'm so very grateful and pleased for her progress. Having read so many stories of little ones with cancer and other afflictions, I am so very grateful for Libby's health. I just want to treasure every moment with her because we really do not know what is in the future. But as for today I will love her and squeeze her and hold her with a grateful heart!

5 weeks!

Yesterday Libby and I went to her pediatrician for her monthly check-up. She is doing so fantastic! I had guessed that maybe she would have gained a pound from her last visit. She weighed 7lb 11 oz the last time so I figured she'd be around 8lb 11 oz or so. Nope! She sure surprised me! She weighed in at 9lb 15oz and is now 23" long!! That puts her in the 95th percentile for height and the 74th for weight! I am so proud of her! And of me too. :) She is exclusively breastfeeding and that is obviously going quite well. We have been very blessed in many areas and that is one of them. She eats about every 2 to 4 hours but mostly about every 3. When she naps and at night she goes longer but in the evenings she tends to cluster feed. She's messing a lot of diapers so I know she's getting lots of milk! Plus, she sometimes coughs and chokes and gets sprayed in the face so I know she's getting a lot. :)
Speaking of diapers...I know you are all so very curious so I'll tell you! We've been using cloth diapers more and more. Mostly part time right now. Pretty much during the day when we're at home. But I think we'll start using them at night soon too. I should take some pictures of her in them - they're just so darn cute! If you're considering using cloth I would highly recommend it, it's a little more work but so worth it to me. I have 30 pre-folds and 4 covers and 9 Bum Genius diapers. You can buy the BG at Target so I was blessed with a lot of those as gifts. They're not as absorbent as 'sposies but that's a good thing! One of my main concerns with using the disposables so much is the chemicals which allow them to absorb so much fluid. Plus, they're supposed to make potty training a lot easier so that'll be nice! Anyway, they're not super scary and if anyone is interested I can write a more detailed post about it along with some pictures.
One more thing, she is starting to smile so much more! It's really adorable! I'll have to try to get more photographic evidence of it.
And we had a lot more snow yesterday, probably about 6in. so that's really pretty but makes it a little more difficult to get out, and I really, really need to get to the grocery store! We've ploughed through my freezer food and had grilled cheese for dinner last night. Which is not too bad but I'm trying to get rid of some baby weight so grilled chicken and veggies is a much better option!
Have a wonderful day!

One month

On Friday, January 30th, Libby will be one month old. Wow. Time sure flies, eh? Seriously! It seems like yesterday that I found out I was pregnant. And now one month? That got me thinking, only 215 more months until she turns 18 and hypothetically is deemed an adult! So lets look at some more numbers...

225 - how many months I was when I graduated from highschool.
232 - months I was when I met Tim.
251 - when I married Tim.
287 - when I graduated college.
295 - when we found out I was pregnant.
303 - when Libby was born.

8 - months Tim and I were engaged.
9 - the number of months I was pregnant (plus some change)
11 - months we've lived in NY.
53 - months we've been married.
60 - months to the day (on Friday) from when Tim proposed. :)

Anyway, random numbers for you. When I look at those numbers it just reminds me how precious and short life is. I know its cliqued and somewhat corny but it's true! And it makes me want to go wake up Libby and hold her and snuggle her while she's still tiny. Already she's losing some of that newborn 'look' and starting to get rounder and chubbier. And she's holding her head up really well! Daddy makes sure she practices a lot! Poor thing - he'll have her doing algebra when she's four. :)

I'll write more later about her progress and hopefully post more pics but please, just treasure this month!!

PS. I've never been happier to see a month go by either, January is bitterly cold in the NE!! :) Brrrr!!!

Libby's 3 week update

Happy birthday Libster!! Today marks three weeks since your birth. And as I write this you are happily snoozing away in your swing. So I should probably be cleaning the kitchen or starting some laundry but I'm not, that can wait. Although, its been waiting a long time, but that's another story. :) Apparently it's difficult to clean a house and take care of a baby (at least it is for me). Supermom might not have that same trouble!
I digress...today your umbilical cord finally fell off!! Yippie!! Actually when I changed your diaper this morning it was still hanging on by a thread but I'm sure it'll be gone today! That will be so fun to bath you in the sink! I'm really looking forward to that and I hope you like it!
So far your talents are: eating (a lot and very noisily), pooping (a lot, and again, quite noisily!), cuddling, and sleeping. You aren't sleeping quite so much as you were before which makes for fun awake times but also gives me less time to get stuff done. We both love you very much and it is so fun to see your dad snuggling and cuddling you! And he actually changed a diaper all by himself yesterday!! Quite impressive!
Well, that's about it. I know these little updates will get more exciting later on but for now this is it. :)
I'll take some pictures today and post them. I think we're going to venture out alone today!

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!

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!!

Updates!

I've got a lot to update everyone on so here goes...

1.) We had 7 members of Tim's family here for the past week and we had a fantastic time! We went into the city, two state parks, and out on the lake. It was awesome having them here and showing them around everywhere. Thanks for coming, guys!! I'll post some pictures as soon as I get some from them, I've gotten really lazy with taking pictures.

2.) Today I got a call and found out I do not have a job anymore. The little baby I was watching has taken a turn for the worse and the family thinks it will be best to have someone live with them. An aunt is going to come live there with them and it will help give him some consistency. I'm sure this is all in God's timing but as we all know, that isn't always our timing! Please pray for us and we figure out what our plans are. I was going to quit at the end of October but before then we had lofty plans to pay off my car and save up a little. Things don't always work out the way we want them to but I know God will take care of us and we'll be just fine.

3.) Tim's job is going great! He had an evaluation and they told him how happy and impressed they are with him. They also gave him a very generous "salary adjustment" which makes everyone concerned very happy. Tim is loving the work and the people and feels like he really made the right decision to move up here. Its really a blessing and the Lord has taken very good care of him. It has also allowed us to meet a couple of terrific new friends, Jonathan and Vanessa, who live in the city. They're a blast to hang out with and have come out to the country a few times with us.

4.) We have not found a church yet. :( We haven't been able to visit very many but have not been too impressed by the ones we have visited. The Northeast is certainly not like the Bible Belt!!! Please be praying that we can find one soon!

5.) I'm hoping to have the opportunity to visit Texas this fall at some time. My dear friend Katey has generously offered to throw me a Fort Worth shower and on the same weekend my family is also giving me one in San Antonio. I'm really excited about that and cannot wait to see all of my dear family and friends, I MISS Y'ALL!!!

More to come soon but for now I am going to sign off. I'll write a baby update soon. :)