Monthly growth pics

Here's my little darlin at two months!!!
She's getting so big already! I love the bright green onsie from Sue-Sue. And the tan "irrisitable" t that was a hand-me-down. Can I make a confession? I'm getting a little sick of the pastel pinks and greens. Sure they're cute but I'm wanting a splash of color! Some BRIGHT colors like lime green, fuchsia, and hot pink, ya know, non-baby colors! Those kind of clothes are usually more expensive so I'm going to stalk some sales racks and consignment stores. Anyway, I love the clothes she has but let me say I'm glad they grow out of them so quickly. :)

2 Months!

Libby is now 2 months old! She was robbed of a two month birthday however, as February doesn't have a "30th". :) I haven't taken her "growth picture" yet but I'll probably do that sometime today. I'm moving a little slow because I came down with a cold yesterday. It's not too bad (so far!) but I'm sniffy and sneezey and I have a scratchy throat. Ah well! So far Libby seems unfazed and I'm doing my best to keep her from catching it. That would be so not fun!!
Also, right now it looks like a blizzard outside! It's snowed about 8 inches so far and doesn't really look like it's stopping any time soon. Although that could be the wind swirling the snow around. I'm very disappointed with this awful NE weather!! No fun at all!! Especially since we had been teased in the last few weeks with spring-like weather and Libby and I had ventured out in my totally awesome jogging stroller. Hopefully when it warms up we can make good use of that fabulous present!
So I'm going to make note now of all that Libby is doing these days. I haven't written anything down so I need to so I don't forget.
- The day before she turned one month she rolled from her tummy to her back. And now she's quite a pro at doing that. She's also gone from her back to both sides but hasn't quite made it to her tummy again.
- She smiles a lot at us and has for a really long time now. And she literally has to smile back at someone if they smile at her, except when she's in a bit of a "mood" which is very rare!
- She's almost laughing! I can't wait to hear her really laugh! Right now if something really tickles her she throws her head back and opens her mouth reeally wide but she does this completely silently! It's really cute. She does this especially if you sing to her or if you play with her favorite toy, Jacques the Peacock. She really likes it if he "talks" to her in a very poor French accent (that sometimes sounds a little more "South of the Border"), but Libby is forgiving!
- She can completely support her head and is already trying hard to sit up on her own! She much prefers to sit in your lap or in her Bumpo chair rather than be reclined. If you do lay her down on her back she strains her neck trying desperately to sit up.
- She has always been a really good sleeper and now she's on a really good schedule. She goes down around 8:30 and sleeps until either 12:30 or 2:30, then she wakes up around 4:30 and sleeps until 7:30. Except for the other night when she only woke up once! I was shocked! Hopefully that will repeat itself!
- She is really easy to put down to sleep too. She takes 3-4 naps throughout the day and she'll be happily playing and then all of a sudden get real fussy so I'll scoop her up and snuggle her for a little while with a pacifier and she goes right to sleep. Sometimes I sneak in a little nap with her. :) (oh and yes, she loooves her paci/nuk and loves to suck on it when she's going to sleep - I try not to give it to her much when she's happy and awake though).
- She makes really good eye contact with us and even follows us with her eyes around the room.
- She usually likes everyone and will let anybody hold her without fussing at all. Unless, like I said before, it's sleepytime and then she just wants mom or dad. :)
- Speaking of dad...Tim is fantastic with her! He plays with her a lot whenever he's home and has even changed a few diapers (quite literally, I think!). She is a little daddy's girl and she loves it when he plays and snuggles with her.
- Car rides are usually a breeze except when she's hungry or needs a diaper change. Then she lets everyone know how unhappy she is with the situation! Most of the time listening to her favorite music will calm her down. For those about to "pop" I would highly recommend getting some music by Selah and Fernando Ortego. She loves both of them and they always calm her *very rare* fussiness.
- She loves to play games with us! She thinks its absolutely hilarious when we stick our tongues out at her and she copies us! Too funny! She's been doing this for several weeks now and it's quite entertaining.
- Sizewise: she's still in 0-3 mo. clothes and I put her in 3-6 mo. ones sometimes but they're pretty baggy on her. She had been wearing sz. 1 diapers until today she finished those off and I started some 1-2 ones that fit a lot better. I am using cloth diapers still on a part time basis (pretty much at home and when I'm caught up on laundry! :) ).

Well, that's all I can think of right now! She really is one of the best babies I've ever seen and of course the cutest and smartest. :) You know how that goes. ;) We are just so very blessed to have her in our lives and I can't imagine a time without her!
And here are a few pics to reward you for reading this long post and to hold you over until the next batch!

Smile and the whole world smiles with you

Better than pictures! Enjoy!

Must read

Please read this blog!! I have introduced her before but you must read her again. She just started posting a lot more recently and we need to encourage such a wonderful blogger!! Plus, she's one of my bestest friends and Libby's second cousin, or something like that.

BETHANIE JO
I forgive her opinions on brown, because she puts it so charmingly. I do agree on wearing all brown is a no-no, kind of makes you look like a big Hershey's bar.



Haha, a picture of her wearing brown!!

More cuteness

Happy Baby!!

I got proof this morning of how happy our "wittle Wibby" is!! (Another one of her nicknames) :)
Enjoy!!!

25 Extremely Interesting Facts about me!

Here's something that's been going around facebook so I thought I would use it as a blog post too!

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

I've loved reading these notes about my friends so I'm going to write one, and you'd better love it!! ;) These are in no particular order of importance, I just wrote them as I thought of them.

1. I'm the second of seven children and I LOVE my siblings (hey y'all!). Oh and the youngest is 8. :)
2. I was homeschooled my whole life and lived to tell about it. I'm not strange at all, right, RIGHT?!
3. I'm an unashamed Christian. And I wish that we Christians weren't always so apologetic about our faith, working on that one.
4. I'm also a staunch political Conservative. Sorry, not apologetic about that one either. :)
5. Goes along with #4 but I am a HUGE dittohead. I loooove listening to Rush Limbaugh. Give him a shot, you'll learn a lot and have a lot of laughs too.
6. I am soo loving my current job and I have the best reward! Taking care of my precious baby and my sweet husband is the best ever!
7. I like cooking and making fun meals but I do NOT like cleaning the kitchen. I'm still working on the whole "clean as you go" theory.
8. I drink hot tea every day, probably owe that one to my mom!
9. My mom is from New Zealand and I've been there three times (twice that I can remember) and all of her family still lives there.
10. I've known Tim's family my whole life, but I only met him 6 years ago, and we got married 18 months later.
11. My family is big, loud, and loving and family vacations and holidays are the best!
12. Tim is my best friend and I miss our college days only because we got to hang out together all the time.
13. I'm a true Texas girl and I can't wait to move back there one day. Not a fan of these NE winters!
14. I used to paint and draw a lot and I should probably do that again.
15. I'm really bad about starting projects and not finishing them (hopefully I'll finish this note!).
16. I love reading people's blogs, especially quirky stay-at-home moms. Ask me and I'll give you a great list, you'll be hooked too!
17. I love running and have finished two half-marathons and my goal is to finish another one before I get pregnant again.
18. I majored in US History in college and I loved it, especially the time from the Revolution to the Constitution. (hence my daughter's name)
19. My family grew up super close to the Henderson family. We're all very tight (all 14 of us) and our "theme movie" is That Darn Cat and we can probably quote the entire thing. Right, Buff?
20. This is getting boring.
21. I love baseball and was a huge Atlanta Braves fan growing up. I had a life-size Chipper Jones poster in my closet that was my pride and joy and my sister Rebecca's horror.
22. Bethanie Henderson and I flirted with a chubby bat boy at a couple of Astros games in order to get free stuff.
23. I once got run over by a llama.
24. I'm blessed to have some very wonderful friends who I hardly ever get to see and who I miss VERY much!! (you know who you are!)
25. I LOVE TIM.

Ok, your turn now, I want to learn more about y'all!!
I tag: Jessica, Erin, Bethanie, Steph, Liz, and whoever else wants to join in on the fun! Let me know if you do it and I'll check yours out!

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 pics!

Here are some pictures of our sweet babe!
And a major update! Libby rolled over! I could not believe it! She did it the day before her 1 month birthday and I was so impressed. And she did it again on Sunday. So we're going to be working on that a lot this week! She also had some company! Kristin came to see us! And we had such a wonderful time! It's always fun to see family.
And now the little scrunchy is waking up so I'd better get going!

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 nose

This is for Stephen. So where do you think she gets that cute lil nobbin?
I'll give you a guess...




Haha, silly mom!!

Thank you, Shenk genes!!

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!

Woo-hoo I have an iphone!!

Yep, you heard right! I finally got an iphone! There's a story to it but the short version is this: tmobile stopped working. We switched to AT&T. Tim and I agreed that if I sold enough stuff around the house I could get an iphone. I DID!!! Tim got one too but he did not sell stuff around the house (cheater!). He does bring home the bacon though so I guess I'll let this one slide. :) So we BOTH have iphones!!
Seriously though, this phone is the funnest toy I've had in a long time!! You would not believe some of the stuff it can do!! And now I can check my facebook while I'm in line at Wal-Mart! Great...now I'm going to be even more addicted. Oh well!! It is a blast though! :)
Stay tuned for a Libby update, she's 3 weeks old today!! Before you know it she'll be starting college. :(

The Birth Story of Liberty Ann

Here it is!! I know it's really long but there were a lot of details. And 17 1/2 hours is a long time. :) I didn't want to forget anything because it really was an amazing experience. God has designed our bodies in order for us to be able to go through this process. It wasn't easy by any means, but with a lot of help from others, I was able to accomplish my goal: a completely drug-free delivery! Well, happy reading, let me know if you make it all the way through!! :)

The Birth Story of Liberty Ann Merkin 12/30/08
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

Monday morning, December 29th, I woke up at 4am with contractions about 8-10 minutes apart. They weren’t lasting very long and eventually petered out. But it was very encouraging and I felt confident that we were going to meet our little girl that day or the next. Tim went to work and mom and I continued on with our plans for the day. I had an early appointment at my doctor’s to check on the baby so we gathered everything together for the hospital and quickly packed the car – just in case! The appointment went great, baby Libby was doing great! I had some more small contractions while hooked up to the monitors but nothing major.
After the appointment mom and I headed to the mall to walk around. I was craving a grilled chicken salad so mom treated me to Cheesecake Factory and we had a lovely lunch. I had more contractions during lunch and while we walked around the mall. We left the mall after a while and were going to go to Wal-Mart but I really did not feel like it. I kept having contractions and some of them seemed stronger than before. Finally got home around 4 and I tried to rest for the next couple of hours.
Tim called at 6 and said he was on his way home and we chatted for the next little while. This is when the contractions started “for real”. Every time I had one I would hand the phone to mom because I could no longer talk through them. They never let up and only strengthened throughout the evening. With each contraction I focused on it, breathed deeply, and just endured it. The timeline of everything gets kind of hazy for me now but I know around 10 we tried to go to bed to get some sleep. That was not going to happen! The contractions only got more and more intense. I tried to take a shower and that helped a little but by the time the water got me all warmed up, the hot water started to diminish! That made me contemplate going to the hospital for the first time because I knew they would have plenty of hot water! I also started shivering uncontrollably so mom and Tim put all of my clothes, robe, and a towel in the dryer to get them nice and hot. That really helped but even after I was dressed and under the covers I still shook and shivered. Later we realized it was probably hormonal and not chills from being cold. At some point in the middle of all this I also started throwing up. When the contractions reached a new level and started getting more intense my body reacted by throwing up. I kept hydrated though with Gatorade and water and I think that really helped.
Finally around midnight Tim made the decision for us to go to the hospital. The contractions were coming every four minutes and were one minute apart. I was relieved but dreaded the ride! They packed a few last minute things (including a barf bag) and we headed out the door. That drive isn’t very long but seemed to last forever! We were getting very close when the contractions got intense again and so I threw up several times in the car. Thank goodness for the bag and the wet rag mom gave me! She drove Tim’s car so that she would have a car at the hospital.
We got to the hospital around 1am and they wheeled me up to L&D. By this point the contractions we coming steadily and I was not communicating in between them anymore. The nurses were very sweet and calm and told me they had read our birth plan and were going to do their very best to follow it. I had tested positive for Strep B so that meant I had to have an IV of antibiotics right away and then every four hours. The nurse also checked my progress at this point and I was 3-4 cm dilated and about 75% effaced. So they hooked me up and then dimmed all the lights and left us alone. After the drip was finished one of the nurses put a HepLock in my IV and wrapped it up so I could get in the shower. Tim then took my exercise ball and lodged it into the shower so I could sit on it. The shower was fantastic! The shower really helped my body relax through the contractions.
For the next several hours I kept moving and either sat in the shower, on the bed, the floor, or in a chair in my room. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving our room as it was very cozy and I felt very relaxed in there. With each contraction I focused on relaxing my entire body and embracing the pain because I knew it was effectively moving Libby out to be with us. I repeated: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” with each contraction and that helped immensely.
At one point the nurses wanted to monitor the baby’s heart rate so I had to stay on the bed on my back or my side for what seemed like an eternity. Laboring on the bed was way more difficult than in any of the other positions I tried. But Tim and mom rubbed my legs during every contraction and that really helped distract me from the pain.
Around 7:30 the nurses switched shifts and I also finished another round of antibiotics. My first nurse checked me again and thought I was around 6cm but was completely effaced so it was hard to tell. I was thrilled that she attempted to discover this through several strong contractions! We also met our new nurse, Gunnell, and we didn’t (or I should say Tim didn’t) hit it off with her right away but we eventually realized what a God send she was! I got back in the shower after 8 and was immediately hit with four of the strongest contractions yet, which I later realized indicated I was going through transition. At this point I started to doubt whether or not I could get through this without pain medication. I then reminded myself what my dear sister in law reminded herself while in labor, “no one ever died from pain!” and that a lot of other women have done this before with no medication. And then right at the perfect time mom stuck her head in the shower and told me the Gunnell had said that the shower has the same effect as Demerol (a pain medication). That strengthened me and I stayed in the shower a little longer. A little before 9 when Tim was helping me out I asked him if I was going to make it. He looked at me, grinned really big, and said, “if you can’t do it then no one can!” So with his and mom’s encouragement I was able to keep going. Needless to say, they were such a huge part of the whole laboring process and I truly could not have made it without them, especially Tim, he was a fantastic coach! They were real troopers and kept massaging and encouraging me through the whole night.
Finally right at 9am the doctor came in to check me again. He was a “back-up” as my regular doctor was on vacation. He was very nice though and let me take my time getting back up on the bed. When he checked me we were all in for a very pleasant surprise, he announced I was ready to go! I was 10 cm and fully effaced! Everyone was shocked because I had been able to relax so effectively and they didn’t realize how far along I was. All this time my water had never broken and the doctor asked for permission to break it as he said it would make pushing easier. I agreed and felt a very strange sensation! Then he left again and we were on our own with Gunnell.
This is when mom and nurse Gunnell were invaluable. They both had pushed babies out before so they were able to really help me. Tim was an encouraging presence but he obviously couldn’t offer any advice or tips.
I tried pushing in several positions on the bed but I didn’t feel as if they were doing anything. So after over an hour of that we moved into the bathroom. I was able to really push more effectively sitting on the toilet (thanks to gravity!) and made a lot of progress. Then we moved back by the bed where I kneeled beside it and pushed again. I put a pillow under my knees but the others tried to help but putting blankets under as well but that only irritated me. My knees kept slipping out from under me! I wasn’t able to communicate this to them so it was quite frustrating!
Finally, around 11am I was almost ready to push her out! They called the doctor and quickly prepped the room and the bed. I was in agony at this time, the delivery part was way worse than labor for me! And the whole time while I was in labor I never let out a peep but I was a whole different person while pushing! In fact, I think I scared a nurse or two who peeked their head in the door and asked Tim if I was okay. I was, I was just pushing a baby out!
The doctor came in just in time although it would have been neat had our wonderful nurse been able to deliver her. She was really amazing through this whole process and we were very blessed to have her!
Baby Libby made her entrance at exactly 11:23am and immediately started screaming and yelling (apparently she is related to me!). They put her right on my chest as I had requested and it was amazing because when she heard Tim’s and my voices she calmed down! She had inhaled some fluid though so they had to suction her in order to get that out. Tim snipped her cord and we just marveled over her. I was bleeding quite extensively, enough that the doctor was concerned, so they hooked me up to some pitocin but I didn’t care at all. I delivered the placenta shortly afterwards but that wasn’t difficult at all. I was on the biggest high of my life and could only look around and smile at everyone. I was exhausted but I had done it! What an incredible feeling! I was so grateful that I had been able to labor without any drugs because I was able to enjoy the natural pain relief that my body provided and Libby was incredibly alert and not dazed at all. They quickly weighed her and finished a few things before handing her back to me. She only weighed 7 lbs. 7oz. and I was surprised, especially since she was 10 days late! She then proceeded to instinctively root around my chest before latching on and nursing like a pro. She continued to do so for another hour while the doctor gave me a quick couple of stitches (for a small 1st degree tear) and while the nurses cleaned up the bed and put things away.
Tim and I just stared at the little baby who had been growing inside me for nine months! She was absolutely perfect in every way and we fell in love with her right away. The whole process was incredibly difficult and very painful but as long as I was able to relax and allow my body to do its job, things progressed. I know that next time I will know better how to push so hopefully it won’t take 2 ½ hours, although, that is a common length of time for first-timers. Labor started at 6pm on the 29th and lasted for 15 hours, which is about average for first time moms as well. I would not have been able to get through it without the support of my mom and Tim. Tim was especially awesome through labor and my mom helped me immensely during the delivery. Taking the Bradley Method Class was incredibly helpful for Tim and I because it effectively prepared us, as much as possible, for the whole process. I am very grateful too for how my labor progressed. I was able to go into labor naturally and was allowed to progress on my own timing. It was an amazing experience and I am ready to do it again…after a break. ☺

Eat your heart out, Jess!!!

I write this post as I sit freezing in our house. It's 65 in here (and that's warm!) and it is currently 18 degrees outside. This is for JESSICA, my dear friend who just loooves the cold weather.
Tomorrow the high for the day is 18 and the low is, get this, -4!!! Oh my gosh, seriously?
Ok, weather rant is now finished. :) I guess I'll get over it but for now I'll just sit freezing in my house.
Anyone got any advice for me? Not only is this my first real winter but it's my first winter with a baby!!!
So Texas friends, think of me when you are complaining about 70's in January. At least you can go for a walk without the fear of frostbite!!

Libby fix for your day

Stupid T-mobile!

Just FYI - our cell phones no longer work at home! Soooo frustrating! Sorry I haven't been returning your calls or texts, I'm not ignoring you. :) We're hoping to switch to someone else soon but I'm not sure when. If you need to get a hold of me just email or call our house phone. Email me if you need that number. We're looking at getting cingular/at&t, any input?

101th post! We're home!!

Hello everyone!! We're home! We actually got to come home on Wednesday the 31st and it was so awesome to get back. Libby is doing fantastically! We're really enjoying our little "Babymoon".

Thanks to everyone for your well-wishes and messages! I'll write a full birth story later, I don't want to forget anything! Mom has been fantastic, she's been cooking and cleaning for us and we're really been able to enjoy baby time. Tim is superdad and loves snuggling with Libby. She's sleeping right now and he's been begging me to go wake her up so he can hold her. :) (Anyone else remember that Friends episode where Rachel brings Emma home and wakes her up?) Maddie is doing fine. She is very curious at times and ignores her the rest of the time. I'm suspecting they'll be best buds in the years to come. She hasn't shown any signs of jealousy and we're trying to treat her normally.

Also, congrats to Todd for guessing the date and being so close on the time! He was really close, he just didn't factor in that it would take so long to deliver her after I got to 10 cm. :) He was also very close on her weight and length although Emily guessed her weight spot on and Katey got her length right! Oh and another funny thing, Kacie and I switched due dates!! She had her little boy 10 days early on Libby's due date and I took her little guy's date of the 30th!! Too funny!! Have you checked out his picture? He's a real cutie!

And THANKS Bethanie for updating everyone!! Great job! I love how quickly news spreads. :) I was planning on sending her updates but that was NOT happening once labor began. :) Oh and yes, Bethanie, I do believe she has the Shenk nose. ;) Tim agrees. :)

Speaking of cuties, I'm going to leave you with a few pictures of our little darlin. More posts to come!!

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!!