SOLD!

I've been waiting to write this post a very, very long time. About 18 months actually. For the last year and a half we've been paying 2 mortgage payments. And as you can imagine, it's been very difficult. You might be wondering how in the world we, as semi-intelligent people, ended up with two mortgages, so here's the short version:

Last September the Lord led Scott to serve as music man (not the official title) at a new church, 1 1/2 hours away from where we spent the first 2 years of marriage. We put our house on the market. It showed, literally, dozens of times but no offers were made over the next several months. In the meantime we found a house that we loved for a great price. Neither we nor our families wanted us to rent, so with the generosity and some help from Scott's family we were able to go ahead and make an offer on a house. We assumed the old house would sell quickly because it was a great house for a great price and it had shown so many times...but it didn't. Months went by. I got pregnant after the house had been on the market for almost a year. We had been praying the whole time but being on a 9 month deadline, we started praying quite fervently. A lot. We finally get an offer on the house. Closing date was set but was delayed several times due to issues on the seller's end. My due date and the closing date got closer and closer with every delay. And then, we get the phone call from our realtor: the closing was set and wouldn't be delayed any longer...we were actually going to sell the house after 18 months of praying and hoping.

So, 2 weeks after our little girl was born, we sold our house. Shew. Looking back, I'm not sure if we would or could do anything differently. Paying two mortgage payments isn't pleasant but God provided exactly what we needed on a month to month basis. We learned to trust that the Lord's timing is perfect. We learned to live simply. We learned that material stuff isn't important. We learned how to coupon, how to do without things that we didn't really need, and we learned that we could still be happy and content in the meantime. So even though the Lord's answer to our prayers for a long time was "Wait,"  it made it that much sweeter when He finally said "Yes." 

Despite the fact that we desperately wanted to be rid of that house, it was still a little bittersweet selling the first home that we lived in as a married couple. When we first looked at the house while we were still engaged, I emphatically told Scott that I would NOT live in that house. It had powder blue counter tops and apple wall paper in the kitchen. It had horrible wall paper in every bedroom, shag carpet, and the outside of the house was painted an odd camo-ish green. The linoleum in the kitchen and bathrooms was dingy. 

But I was sadly outnumbered by the men: Scott, my dad, Scott's grandfathers, and even my brother volunteered to improve the house (Men LOVE a fixer-upper). So we bought the house. But the men were good to their word: they tore down a wall, put a cut-out window in the kitchen, tore up all of the carpet and installed hardwood floors. My mom and I  ruined our fingernails tearing down all of the wallpaper. My dad tore out a window, installed a back door,  (there was no way access to the backyard through the house) and built a deck. In the end, it turned out so well. Scott and I loved that little house, even though we had over an acre of yard to maintain and that there was an eye on the stove that insisted on standing straight up. 

We loved our first home and we'll always treasure our memories of being young and newlywed in our first home....but even more than that we LOVE being rid of that mortgage payment. 

And on a completely different note, Baby Girl is 3 weeks old!

January 18, 2011

On January 18, 2011, I met my baby girl for the first time. We went to the hospital at 6:00 am, were in a room by 7:00 am, had my water broken at 8:00 am. Then began the several hours of waiting and watching the monitors.

We waited and waited. My family came in the room and visited for awhile. Scott's family came in and visited. Church friends came and visited. Hours passed...and nothing was happening. Mid afternoon the doctor came in and mentioned the possibility of a C-Secton due to my lack of progress, but he allowed me to labor awhile longer to see if any more progress could be made.

At 4:30 the doctor came back in and explained that my cervix was swelling due to pressure from the baby yet I wasn't making any progress. At this point a natural delivery was out of the question. So we prepared for the C-section. Within the 20 minutes I was being rolled into the operating and and at 5:29, Scott and I became parents. 

It didn't matter what image I had in my head of what my daughter's birth would be like, or that it was nothing like what I had imagined. When I heard her cry, my heart had never been so full. It didn't matter how she got here, God had answered our prayers and she was finally here in our arms. 

While I was being stitched up, the doctor explained that my bone structure wouldn't allow a baby, no matter how small, to pass through the birth canal. God had different plans for my labor and delivery long before I ever considered having children, just like He had different plans for my pregnancy. There is such beauty in knowing that God had this day, this pregnancy, this birth planned from the beginning. 

And y'all, she's beautiful. It's an amazing feeling having your baby placed in your arms for the first time. The recovery was (and still is) painful and long but every time I hold that little girl I realize that precious gift is worth every bit of pain, every hour of lost sleep, and every feeding and nursing frustration. Scott and I are totally in love with our sweet baby and it's amazing that in a short week and a half she's already changed our lives completely. 

And she has red hair like her daddy! :)

Ready

There hasn't been much blogging lately because, frankly, there hasn't been much going on around here. And it's been lovely. I stopped working in the mornings at Christmas break and have only been working 3 hours at the after-school program--which I love--and it's left me with most of my day to rest and get ready for baby. 

So I have a confession...I've been terribly lazy. I mean, I'm 40 weeks pregnant so it's not like I can do a whole lot and it seems like the one piece of advice that I've been getting over and over is, "Get rest while you can." So I have.  I've watched lots of Golden Girls re-runs, taken naps, made lists of things I want to get done before the baby arrives, and enjoyed our Netflix account. The only two things that I have been doing consistently is washing clothes and keeping the house clean(ish) in case baby girl decides to make her debut. 

Scott and I were snowed in last week like much of the South but I had a doctor's appointment scheduled Monday morning. I called the doctors office 4 times. No answer. I was truly convinced that they were still open because I had the first appointment of the day. I knew that they won't answer the phones until office hours began (8:30, my appointment time) and the news wasn't scrolling the name with the other closed doctors offices, so I just knew they were open. I dragged my sweet husband out of bed (who insisted there was no way they were open) and he drove me the through the snow and ice to the office. The 10 minute drive turned into a 20 minute drive but when we finally pulled into the office we realized....we were the only ones there. No lights were on. No note on the door. Nothing. Scott didn't even say "I told you so" as we pulled out of the driveway (but he did mumble something about "there aren't even any other tire tracks..." hmmm...).

I went in the next morning and saw a different doctor from my regular doctor. It was a fantastic visit because he very kindly offered to schedule an induction but left it up to us. I almost jumped off the table and hugged him. Scott and I accepted for a few reasons:

1. My blood pressure has been increasingly higher and higher at my few appointments.

2. I've gotten my morning sickness back and have either gotten sick everyday or have been unable to eat much the last few weeks.

3. I'M READY TO HAVE THIS BABY. (Is that reason enough?)

So we're scheduled to be induced Tuesday morning. I'm so excited to meet this little one that I've been carrying the last 9 months and I'm ready for the next step in our lives. Now I just need to wash one more load of laundry and mop the floors and I will be ready to go! 

 

Christmas

I hope you had a wonderful, Merry Christmas! We had a nice relaxing one and much of that was due to our decision to drastically simplify the holiday season this year.

When we found out we were expecting, we did the math and realized that I would be 37 weeks at Christmas. The fact that I would be full term at Christmas, in combination with Scott being a music minister, Christmas falling on a Saturday, and my family being over 3 hours away meant that we wouldn't be traveling in December this year. This was our 4th Christmas together and every Christmas morning we would get up early, exchange gifts, go to Scott's parents house and open gifts, then head to Birmingham to be with my family by Christmas night. Whew. Don't get me wrong, we love spending time with our families, but when you can't travel it makes things easier. Our schedule was lighter this season. We had nights at home in the weeks leading up to Christmas where we would keep asking each other, "Are you sure that we don't have anything on the schedule tonight?" We had the usual church  obligations that come with being in the ministry but other than that, Scott and I had lots of time to rest and relax...something I'm so thankful for since this was our last Christmas "alone." 

We (I) simplified even further by making the decision not to decorate the house this year. I know. It sounds so horribly Scrooge-ish, doesn't it? The truth is, I was way too tired to decorate floor-to-ceiling like I usually do. I was still working both jobs as of 2 weeks ago and between that and getting ready for baby, I decided that it wasn't necessary. 

So 90% of our decorations stayed in storage. I asked to skip the tree this year but Scott wanted one, so our compromise was a 3 foot pre-lit tree from Wal-Mart. It cost $18, much cheaper than the fresh tree we usually get. We dug out one box of small ornaments from the shed, found the nativity, and got out the box of wrapping paper and gift bags. That's it. And y'all, it was really, really nice. No pressure to keep the tree watered. No china to unwrap and wash and put away. Nothing but a nativity set and a little tree. The only part of it that I missed was my Christmas china, given to me by my sweet grandmother. (She adds to my set every year and each birthday and Christmas I unwrap a new piece or two of Spode Christmas Tree--so fun)

The third way we simplified was in our spending. We, like most people, are on a tight budget, so we did things a little differently this year. Scott and I decided to only do stockings for each other...which neither one of us exactly followed--we both had two small things to open for each other. We also cut down on our spending for others. We reduced the "amount per person" on the list and it was so rewarding. I do the Christmas shopping and having such a tight budget caused me to be very intentional in my buying--which put such a refreshing spin on my holiday spending. Each gift was thought out and carefully planned...I hope I always buy gifts with that perspective every year. 

So we had Christmas. Not many decorations, not a lot of spending, and no traveling. But Christmas still comes no matter how much money you spend or how many people you visit in December or how tall your tree is. This Christmas was such a nice reminder of the true meaning of Christmas--a tiny baby, the dawn of redeeming grace. Thank you Jesus for simplifying our Christmas for us. 

My parents came to see us Christmas day. This is what my house looked like about 12 hours before they arrived....

The entry into the kitchen. Notice the crispy leaves drug in through the doggie door. Lovely. 

My kitchen counter and sink. A combination of baby gifts, dirty dishes, and groceries. 

This is the worst--the dining room. I wrapped all the gifts here and when you mix Christmas wrapping with baby gifts and thank you notes, apparently you get this insanity. 

Don't worry--I cleaned before the family arrived. And we had such a fun time with them. It was so, so good to see them and they even stayed an extra night because of snow and ice back home. How fun! They brought goodies from my grandma, they cooked, they cleaned, they washed my dishes and loaded the dishwasher. I almost didn't let them go home. I only let them leave because they'll be back as soon as baby girl decides it's time for her arrival. 

And finally, this little gem captured on Scott's cell phone in front of his parents Christmas tree.

Happy New Year! I hope this year is full of joy and blessings for you and your family.  

Pregnancy Confessions: Practice

Last Friday night I left job number two and headed to the church for the staff and deacon Christmas banquet. I had a horrible attitude about going--I was exhausted, work had been crazy, and I didn't feel well. Scott and I were seated with two couples that we didn't know very well and one couple from our Sunday School table so we were sitting, eating, and talking when all of a sudden I felt the weirdest pain I have ever felt. I sat completely upright in my chair and whispered to Scott, "I think I'm going to slip out in a few minutes and go home. I really don't feel well."  He didn't seem too concerned--I don't blame him--I haven't felt great in about, oh, 9 months. 

I told our friends goodnight and practically ran out the door. I got home and started pacing the house trying to decide what kind of pain I was feeling and what I should do about it. I called the after hours nurse from my Dr.'s office and described my symptoms. She suggested that I run to the hospital and get "checked out" to make sure everything was okay. Immediately my phone rang and my friend from our dinner table told me she was on the way to my house, that she was going to take me to the hospital, and that there was basically no arguing with her about it.

(If you're wondering where Scott was during all this, he's the Music Minister, so he was still at the church leading the music for the banquet. He was trying to leave as quickly as possible, but sometimes in the ministry there's no such thing as a "quick exit.")

Anyway, I went to the hospital. I checked in, they took me to a room, I changed and was hooked up to the monitors. My sweet friend was there the whole time and stayed until Scott got there just as the nurse was walking in (Thanks M!).  The nurse looked at the monitors, looked at the printed strip that the monitor was spitting out, and told me I was having contractions and they were two minutes apart. TWO. MINUTES. APART.  Scott's eyes got big and I almost came out of the bed....I mean, doesn't that mean you are about to have the baby? I could think was, "It's too early...I need to wait 3 more weeks...The carseat isn't even installed." 

I wasn't dialating, thank goodness, so two shots and two hours later the contractions had stopped and I was about to be sent home when the nurse walked in and told me to lay on my left side. I did, but she didn't say much and walked out of the room. That's when I got worried. What if something was wrong? Why didn't she tell me anything? Where did she go? A few minutes later she called me in the room and told me that I had to eat something. She brought peanut butter, graham crackers, and grape juice and I dutifully ate as much as I could. She came back in, stared at the monitors, walked out and came back with an IV and a bag of fluid and told me that I would be staying the night.

Bascially, when you have contractions baby's heart rate naturally drops a little.  My contractions had stopped but baby girl's heart rate hadn't come back up enough to assure my doctor and nurse that I was "back to normal." The nurse told me that it was likely because she was moving too much to get a good reading (she was, I could feel her) or laying on her cord and that the fluid should help get a consistent reading on the monitor.

In short, within 30 minutes of getting the IV everything was fine. I was so thankful. After an extremely long and restless night, I was discharged the next morning. My doctor had been on call the whole night and had monitored my progress, my nurses were wonderful, and I was sent home feeling MUCH better about baby girl's health. We have so much to be thankful for--a healthy pregnancy, a wonderful hospital, and a doctor who cares enough to err on the side of caution. What blessings! 

So, we had our "practice run". We experienced what it would be like to be admitted and spend the night in the hospital...and we learned that we need to get ready for baby maybe a little sooner than expected. 

Tonight I'm putting baby clothes in drawers and packing a bag for baby. This weekend we will vacuum out the car and install the car seat. I'm delaying packing a bag for myself because most of the stuff that I need to pack I will need before we go to the hospital. I mean, I'm 9 months pregnant...I'm down to like, 3 pair of pants that fit! So maybe I'll just write a list of things I need to pack? I don't know. 

Either way, baby girl will be here before we know it! SO exciting! 

A Turkey-less Thanksgiving

Early last Monday morning, Scott and I headed south to Florida to spend Thanksgiving with his family....in Disney World! The in-laws graciously took us and Scott's sister, husband, and toddler to the happiest place on earth for the week and we had so much fun.

We visited every park and rode practically everything that you can at 8 months pregnant and Scott, with no word of complaint, pushed me around in a wheelchair so that I wouldn't have to walk too much. He's so good to me.

On Wednesday night our little 2 year old nephew was sick with a stomach bug. Then Scott's sister and her husband got it Thursday night. Then Friday afternoon, Scott's mom left Epcot because she wasn't feeling great. I suggested that since we were staying in the same room as Scott's parents, maybe we should head out earlier than planned if Scott's mom ended up sick. An hour later, we got a text message from his mom--she had it too. We decided to avoid the hotel room at all costs and we headed to Disney's ESPN Club to watch the Iron Bowl. About half-way through the 3rd quarter Scott and I realized that the sick feeling we were both feeling was completely unrelated to Bama's decision to give the game away. So we made the judgement call to drive back that night. We were back at the hotel about 7:15 and were on the road by 7:45. Scott was almost sick several times on the drive back but we made it home about 1:00 am.  Neither one of us was feeling well when we got home so we went to bed with a double-lined trashcan, two glasses of water, and a can of Sprite on stand-by. I even had Lysol and Lysol wipes ready in the bathroom in case we needed a middle of the night clean-up. 

I woke up about 6 am to use the bathroom. Neither one of us had gotten sick so far. Then I woke up again at 9:30, drifted back to sleep and slept til.......11:15. I am 8 months pregnant and I managed to sleep in til 11:15! I was shocked when I looked at my alarm clock this morning. It seems that both of us not only escaped the bug but I got more sleep than I have in a very long time--what a blessing! 

We're still being cautious. I sprayed the suitcase down with Lysol before touching it. All of our clothes from the trip are being washed in hot water. Toothbrushes have been sanitized. And after a quick trip to the grocery store, I'm back in pajamas and lying on the couch. 

So after a wonderful, fun trip with some wonderful family members, we're home and we're well. And I am thankful for that, even if I didn't get any turkey this year. 

31 Weeks

It's been a long time since the last blog update, but I have an excuse...

I'm tired.

My work schedule is exactly the same as it was last school year, but seems exponentially more difficult. I go to a preschool in the mornings, work from 8-12, come home for lunch, then head to my afternoon job where I work from 2:45 to 5:45 running an after-school program.  Pre-pregnancy I was running 4 miles on my lunch break, showering, and eating and was on my way out the door by 2:20. It was no problem to run errands after work or to have the energy to cook dinner when I got home....but pre-pregnancy and 8 months pregnant are two very different things. 

Now, if I want to run errands, grocery shop, or clean the house, it has to happen between jobs. I'm too tired and my feet are so swollen that additional standing is out of the question. Most days I try to get dinner ready mid-day and almost every week requires planning so that I can get everything done. For instance, yesterday after eating lunch I exchanged things at Target and went to Hobby Lobby before the afternoon job. Today, I stayed home and cleaned, put up baby gifts, and caught up on thank you notes because I knew that this evening we were going straight to childbirth class. 

So that's my excuse for the lack of blogging....by the time I reach the end of the day, I am so worn out that I just haven't made it a priority to sit and blog. But since my grandma asked when in the world I was finally going to blog, I thought I would make sure it got done tonight. (Sorry Grandma!)

Lots of pregnancy fun has been had around here...we had a wonderful shower at the church a few weeks ago. The church blew Scott and I away with the love and generosity that they showed us--we are so blessed to serve at our church! The nursery is in a state of limbo...the crib is assembled but the mattress is propped against it still in the wrapping. Clothes have been organized in piles but the dresser still needs to be painted and moved upstairs (hopefully this will happen this week!) We traveled home to Birmingham this past weekend where my sister and mother hosted a lovely little shower with family and friends. It was so nice to see my grandparents and spend the weekend with friends that I rarely get to see. We came home loaded down with goodies and an antique dresser (my grandmothers from when she was little) for the nursery.

 

And here I am at 30 weeks. I haven't taken many photos of myself pregnant because, to be completely honest, I don't really love the way I look. I hope that doesn't sound terrible--I am very aware of the fact that pregnancy is a gift and a blessing--but I'm 5 feet tall. I don't carry as gracefully as some of my taller friends, but that's okay. I know this too shall pass and soon we'll be holding our little girl instead of watching her roll around in my belly every night. 

I still haven't written about our Thanksgiving plans and my ideas for some unconventional Christmas decorating, but that can wait. I'm going to prop up my swollen feet and try to sleep!