The Weekend Report: Draft Day + BirthdayS

My "Weekend Report" is mostly just SUNDAY because... well... I didn't take any pics on Saturday :) We did get over to BRU to register... and for those not REAL good with abbreviations (not mentioning ANY names Mama H) :) That means... Babie$ R US :) So... decisions have been made on "gear" and I guess... we'll just have to see how CountryMouse, Husband and Minnie Mouse make out with those decisions made :)

Anyway... back to the MOST fun day of the weekend... it was SOMEONE'S birthday... I met up with H.B. above the big city for some outlet shopping and lunch. We had to grab a pic of the b-day dessert of course but really... she's laughing because I told her that CountryDAD would need a pic of her hair :) Here it is CountryDad :) You LOVE it :) When I got home we celebrated someone ELSES birthday :)

and guess who ELSE was there? :)

We all get this way when there is "button" wrapping paper or we realize that something homemade has come from Mama/Mimi :)

I wonder what HIS version looks like? :)

When L&L got there they brought by FAR the BEST toy CJ could have imagined! A WHOLE bucket full of "Tars" :) He was entertained for a GOOD 23 minutes! :) I LOVE children who can play independantly :)

after the 23 minutes was up it was time to see what the "big boys" were up to...clearly only about 50lbs judging by those chicken wings :) Whew... someBODY FEED THAT KID would YOU!? :)

And when the "big boys" were not exciting enough he made it over for some watermelon and a chat with the BIGGEST BOY to see if HE had any ideas on how to get over missing GA so bad? I don't think they came up with anything except counting down the days until her return. :) hee hee hee

I stopped taking pics (I think the food showed up?) and I wish I wouldn't have... you all should have SEEN the food that comes in for Draft Day... Husband's favorite day of the year...

a BLESSED perspective...

Isn't it so easy to hang onto the "bad stuff"? To complain about the day to days of our lives, to REALLY tell people when they ask how BAD it is going? Isn't it so much easier to burden others and dump things on people when they ask how we are doing instead of finding a HAPPY thing to tell them or saying "fine", I am BLESSED*. Isn't it so much easier to "dump" than it is to really LISTEN to someone who is talking, hurting or being quiet?*

Thursday AM I was given some GENTLE (who are we kidding, I don't learn anything "gently" :) He knows that. I need FORCE and BLACK AND WHITE) teaching from the Lord...

I was on my way to the "big city" for my every other week appt (that I've been having since the DAY we found out about Minnie Mouse, the joys of High Risk) and it was the first appt since Husband got out of school that I've had to drive myself. (I'm a self-proclaimed princess. I like to be driven around :) Kinda got in a bit of a funk driving down the road... irritated about how many appts there are, driving ALL the way up there and doing it without my best friend and the one who has my back!

The new SELAH song, Hosanna came on the radio RIGHT at that moment... "Heal my heart and make it clean Open up my eyes to the things unseen Show me how to love like you have loved me " And Minnie Mouse started thumping away in my belly. Uh... HELLO. GET IT TO-GETHER COUNTRY MOUSE!

I started to cry remembering the times when I had to leave my house alone in the dark and cold winter months, to head to the big city and get stabbed with needles, to be all doped up on synthetic hormones, to be told again and again that it just "didn't work this time" and they "were not sure why". To be bleeding like a stuck pig (sorry) and feel like I was incapable of carrying a baby inside me. Oh SWEET LORD thank you for the REMINDER. Your timing was perfect, your WAYS are the BEST ways, I am BLESSED, I am LOVED and you did NOT forget about me. I have NOTHING to complain about. I have a baby girl to bring into this world in the dark and cold winter months THIS YEAR and I am BLESSED.

As if THAT wasn't enough He really must have felt the need to drive the point home...I got out of my appt and shared the elevator with another girl who I'm assuming came out of my Dr's office. My OB's office is for high risk people, for people who might have struggled to concieve and also the normal general population. I couldn't REALLY tell if this girl was PG or not but there was no guessing in the outfit I was wearing yesterday. (CountryMum had recently purchased a really super cute fitted maternity top and it was my first time wearing it... hello basketball belly) For someone who might be struggling to get PG or who may have not been given the desires of HER heart my belly could most DEF. "get in the way".

We followed proper elevator etiquette and did not make eye contact. However out of the corner of my eye, I saw that she was trying to make a call on her cell and when we stepped off the elevator I got off first and held the door for us to walk through into the parking garage.... all of a sudden, again, out of the corner of my eye I saw her hand come up to her mouth and she started to cry... I watched to see where she was going and a friend of hers immediately got out of an SUV that was parked behind me... her friend wrapped her up in her arms and the girl from the elevator just BROKE DOWN CRYING. Now, honestly it is all speculation in my mind what she was upset about... but the point is... she came out of an OB's office and she was UPSET.

Oh WAKE UP COUNTRY MOUSE.... YOU ARE BLESSED. YOU ARE NOT HURTING (right now) YOU ARE CARRYING A CHILD THAT YOU AND HUSBAND SO BADLY WANTED THAT YOU WENT THROUGH YOUR OWN VERSION OF HELL ON EARTH to get here and you have been BLESSED. I felt such a conviction and a love and a peace in my heart that God was just pouring out to me that I needed to feel BLESSED. AND... I DO. I also drove away praying for this girl, that whatever IT is that she is hurting about that she will seek the ultimate Comforter, Provider and One who LOVES her.

Job 8:21 (NIV) (EMPHASIS MINE) He will yet fill your mouth with LAUGHTER and your lips with shouts of JOY

P.S. someone PLEASE remind me of this when Minnie has me up all night, I haven't showered in 4 days and Husband is withering away to NOTHING because there has been no food in our house for WEEKS? :)

*disclaimer ~ I'm not saying that we should NOT share our struggles and hurts... it's healthy and people need to know how to pray specifically but sometimes I fear we get in ruts where it is ALL negative and we might not even realize that we are ALWAYS complaining about SOMETHING. We live in the best country in the WORLD, with the best medicine, homes, food, clothing and MORE than we ever deserve. Our time here is SO short... I needed to be reminded this week of how blessed I am and to make the MOST of the short time we have here.

26 Weeks ~ Just a "fun" little comparison

How far along: 26 Weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 19lbs at my appt Thursday
Maternity clothes: yes please
Stretch marks: none that I have seen so far (thank.you.very.much.CountryMum.)
Belly button: still an innie but the outside has started to raise up/out
Sleep: comes and goes...up 2-3 times to p at night and my arms keep falling asleep because I can only lay on my sides
Baby movement: YES and it is by FAR my favorite part of being PG
Food cravings: Lately, Ritz Bitz w/ cheese and fresh steamed green beans!
Food aversions: Hamburger BLECK...(still)
What I miss: Long DEEP sleep (still), my AE Jeans, "NORMAL" blood sugars
Looking forward to: My next U/S on 9/10
Best moment this week: Celebrating 8 years of marriage to my soul mate and BEST FRIEND Milestones: Placenta has kicked in full force... sugars are on the rise and we are in the beginning stages of taking obscene amounts of insulin...

4 Weeks 1 Day... 20 Weeks 2 Days6 weeks later...26 Weeks

Back to Tuesday... Anniversary Night

A year ago we spent the evening downtown in the "big city" and I wanted to go to my fav. restaurant... and Husband just wasn't "feelin' it" so we went HERE. Remember? Well, as you all know by now we were in the THICK of fertility treatments and I asked him... when/if we DO get PG can we please go to my FAVORITE place to celebrate and he agreed :) Well... Tuesday was a celebration two fold. One, obviously our anniversary and TWO, OBVIOUSLY Minnie Mouse :) We really WERE so happy :) The place is owned by the Mom of a girl that Husband used to coach and she just HAPPENED to be there and not back at college yet so we had the world's BEST waitress...

This is just for kicks and giggles because this is not the kind of establishment that serves Coke or Pepsi products... it is very natural, organic and serves mostly locally grown and raised food. It was OUT of this world.

Husband had his staple of meatloaf and mashed potatoes (Which had no dairy in them and you would have thought they were the richest things ever... soooo yummy) and I went with the pan-seared scallops. Hey, it's been over a week since I had tuna... but to finish off the evening we both got the key lime pie and it SET US OVER THE EDGE :) WOW it was good. Food and Husband, yeah... PG or not. Pretty much my favorite things :)

Adventures in babysitting...MISH MASH

I am all about the "wearing your baby"...it is my crunchy hippy self coming out... but I am on a mission to find one that will work for us and there are... as we all know with baby gear..... a GAZILLION options :) On Monday as I mentioned it was JJ's b-day... and because our house just HAPPENS to be on the WAY to one of their favorite eateries they just HAPPENED to leave the boys for about an hour so they could eat in peace :)

Works for me. Anyway... back to baby wearing... I gave the sling below as a gift to my cousin when she had her first daughter (4? 5 years ago now Jessie??) and then she in turn passed it down to SIL J and neither of those ladies was really THRILLED with it... so I wanted to try it out for ourselves...

Perhaps a bit small for Husband but I should have waited to take the picture because not 5 minutes after this...lil'OWL was FAST asleep... apparently HE'S a fan of baby wearing... or maybe it was just because they were both 110% sweat beasts and the poor thing passed out? Who knows? (JUST KIDDING...on the passing out) When he woke up we had a little fun... I also have recently mentioned I've been given a bunch of hand-me-downs... hrrrmm... this little hat number comes with a matching bib and was given to me by a co-worker... and when I say given to ME... well you all know it was for the day Husband dresses Minnie Mouse :) hee hee hee

Our own little Elmer Fud :) We couldn't love him anymore if we tried... :)

this picture is JUST for Tracy...My Husband the keeper of all things FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER... the original batteries he had to PRY out of the remote to his stereo that he bought for college... IN THE 80'S!!!!!!!! Jeepers I love him. :)

I'm just sayin'

Princess Chloe-Belly

Happy TO you my youngest neice. :) The princess of the crew, the "craaaazzzyyyyy one" and the "baby"...
The day you were born was one of the most SIGNIFICANT of my LIFE. I actually got to WATCH you be born and take you VERY first breath in this world. You popped out the size of a toddler and your Momma turned into a ROCK STAR in my eyes that day!!

Your eyes twinkle like NONE of the other kids...you are ALWAYS up for a good time and making people laugh.
More than 99% of the time when I haul out the camera you are standing next to your favorite cousin and the two of you could not be MORE different or have MORE fun together... I LOVE to watch you play, pretend and be silly together...(even if her eyes do give away the fact that she thinks your a LITTLE crazy too :)

You have sass and spunk and you are sensitive. I'm sorry that you were originally upset about finding out about Minnie Mouse but in your true personality fashion you have come FULL circle and I LOVE watching you get excited about playing with her and hearing your name choices...

There is NONE like you Chloe-Belle and you are the PERFECT "baby" in your family. We wouldn't cater to anyone else quite like you babe! :) I love you and hope that SEVEN treats you well as you graduate into the "big" cousin. :)

2,920 days...plus 275... equals...

how many days Husband and I have been "together". Today at 4:30PM we celebrate eight years of marriage... or 2920 days...doesn't seem like that many when you look at it in "days"... but when I look over the past EIGHT years I think that it flew by and we grew SO much I never remember being without him.

Baby, you ARE my best friend. The only one that could "put up with me" and the only one I would WANT to. This is our last year as a little family of three... and the first year of our family that will now include Minnie Mouse. I am so excited to see you wrapped around a teenie tiny person's little finger and I can't think of a better "teammate" to take on this adventure.

You are the most kind and generous and giving person that I know (and that's saying A LOT considering we know the R "Clan" :) but you go out of your way to be nice to the under dog, to help those in need and to do it all while lookin' GOOOOOD :) I think you are more handsome today than the day I married you and it is true what you tell me... you ARE FUNNY and keep me laughing on an almost daily basis. :) I miss you like crazy when you are not around and my favorite time of the day is any time that I'm next to you.

I have a feeling the adventures are going to get crazier, more fun, and the ride is going to get wild but there is no one that I trust more to keep God as the center of our family and to lead us wherever you see fit. I love you HUSBAND... thanks for picking me.

AMEN

Take the time to read and PRAY (<----Click Here)....For us around these parts it is tomorrow...

Is it bad?

When you take pics of the fam and their immediate response to the camera is "YOU ARE NOT PUTTING THIS ON THE BLOG!!!!" :) Oh yes I am my little friend... oh yes I am :)

She's a little bit sass, a little bit girly, mostly sporty and a whole lotta FUN! :)

SHOUT OUT TO JJ!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JJ!!! HOPE YOU ENJOY IT!!!! :)

Decisions Decisions ~ Baby Gear

I know it is ONLY going to get WORSE when she gets here... but I am REALLY struggling with all the decisions that need to be made lately. Course I also got this way when we built the house... "I don't CARE what the balusters look like just PUT SOMETHING UP so I can MOVE IN..."

We have been BLESSED upon BLESSED to be given a bunch of hand-me-down gear that has been used by Heidi's little man for just a few short months. So really, the only big ticket items we NEED to register for are; a car seat/stroller and a pack'n play. I am a lucky lucky girl. EVERYONE has an opinion... loved something, hated something, used it for a month and it collected dust something.

I am a minimalist. I come from a long line of "chuckers". CountryMum's Mother was a thrower-awayer and it just gets passed down generation to generation. I really don't WANT a stroller that I'll never use, I really don't WANT a car seat that we'll hate... but the trouble is... how do you know?

Sure I'm about safety...I can look at Con$umer Report$ but I also want it to be FUNCTIONAL by REAL LIFE MOMS out there. I want it to fit in the back of my teeenie backseat and I want to be able to travel somewhere as a FAMILY and fit all our "GEAR" into the Scooby. Am I dreaming? Should we just invest now in a U-HAUL?

Help a girl out. My thoughts are... Minnie Mouse will be born in the winter... I can get a gently used infant car seat for $25 from a very good friend of J.T.'s (so I know where it is coming from) and it could fit into this stroller if we decide to go this route.... I don't foresee us using one of those big gomey stroller systems... I'd like to register for a car seat she'll be in for longer than a year... I'd like a jogging stroller (NOT BECAUSE I JOG, ICK, NO.) but for the front swivel wheel and the rough terrain that is my driveway. I also want her to fit in it and be safe in it when she is about 4-5 months old... I don't want to have to wait until she's over a year.... Plastic wheels just don't make sense to me...

I intend to wear my baby for much of the time provided I can find a sling that I like and she likes to be cuddled (I am being honest here, she could take after her Mama and HATE to be snuggled up close but that's just one of those other traits that I'm praying she DOESN'T get from me and she's more like her Daddy :) and for the times that I'm not wearing her when the weather starts getting nicer I want to be able to put her in a jogging stroller that is safe for her, that is comfortable and that we can take down the driveway or to the school to walk around while Husband is at Track Practice.

The other trouble with this is... SELECTION. Sure there are a TON of convertible car seats out there and a MILLION joggers but I am finding them on-line and NOT at the two places we are going to do our primary registering. Do we just suck it up when we find something that LOOKS like it might work for us and buy it on-line? What if we get it and it is the SIZE of the Scooby and we find that pushing it down the driveway is about as easy as dragging Reebsie out of the water at the lake?

I'm thinking about the Britax Boulevard or Marathon convertible car seat. The pluses are that it COULD fit Minnie Mouse from the day she pops out until the day she goes to KINDERGARTEN but...will it fit in my car? Michelle SWEARS by these seats. They are SUPER easy to clean and really comfy for the kiddies. But... how big IS IT....And when she's ready for a booster will she still want to be getting 5 point HITCHED into her seat? Why can I hear it now? "Moooommmmmmm I'm NOT a baby anymore!?!?!?"

Or do I just do the $25 infant seat until she is one and we can turn her around and pop her in my family's favorite (on both sides...both SIL L, pretty sure SIL Bets and SIL J) The Graco Nautilus? Converts to a booster seat, in fact Sky and Chloe are still in them... and if purchased on Amazon they don't break the bank like a Britax?

The Jeep stroller looks cute, JJ & J love theirs and so does CJ but the reviews on the latest model are that it is big, doesn't fold up well and kinda heavy... This stroller I think would be my DREAM?? (BUT AGAIN who knows when you can't try them out anywhere??) It does come with a car seat adaptor that you can purchase for $50 and the Graco Snugride would snap into it if we needed to until she got a big bigger... The BOB Revolution...of course the Mesa Orange IS the cutest color :) hee hee hee...

I honestly just have NO IDEA... I want to go with LESS is best... whether it be gear, or $$ spent or size and weight... but that might not be the case with baby gear... I have NO idea...

*all pics courtesy of amazon.com or babiesrus.com

Just things I want to keep track of...

*disclaimer* please do not think any of this is COMPLAINING about carrying around a MIRACLE child...I just want to document for my own blog the parts I love and the parts that well... eh... not so much....ALSO please do not tell me how much WORSE it is going to get...I prefer to live in my own little dream world. Thanks! :)

LOVE:

• Feeling her MOVE
• My belly getting bigger
• People telling me that I look great when I know I'm carrying around extra lbs
• Stretchy comfy clothes
• Feeling her MOVE
• Clickers (oh wait. I always love clickers PG or NOT :)
• The upper 1/2 of my body (Sorry CountryDad, shoulda warned you)
• My nails and the fact that I have to CUT them every two weeks
• Did I mention feeling her MOVE?
• The cute-sy little girl things that have started to take over my house
• Not feeling sick to my stomach 24/7
• Hand-me-downs that I can't WAIT to put her in
• All my ultrasounds
• Husband telling me he likes one of my maternity outfits

Eh...Not so much:

• The way my pump digs into my belly because there is just no REAL good place for it
• Feeling like I look sassy
• My belly getting bigger
• Gas PAINS 'nough said.
• Not being able to reach my toes very well to take off my overdue pedicure
• Getting up 3+ times a night to pee
• Changing my site every other day
• Not being able to go more than 20 min. after lunchtime without having to pee
• The drive to go to the Dr's every other week and starting Sept 10th heading up to the Big City ONCE A WEEK and then later in the fall TWICE a week
• Working ~ when all I want to do is projects around the house
• Acne on my arms and back?? (Also one of those things you girls never warned me about!)
• Sitting all day with my ribs digging into my ever growing belly
• High blood sugars knowing they are effecting her too
• Trying to figure out what to register for (more on that later)

Yeah... I def. "think" he had fun...

*ALL pictures courtesy of BIL L @ Dawsky Photography (yep, I just made up a name for his business that he doesn't even know about YET:)