Underwood's Adventures

So Out of it

2011-11-16T19:12:00.000-08:00

One of our cute Christmas Outfits!!

A 9 Month Picture Ami took!

So I am sure by now I have probably lost any followers who may have read my blog at one point. But I will try and biew this a maybe more of a journal for now. It has literally been one of the most crazy beginnings to a new school year in the 7 years I have been teaching. On top of how crazy school has been, I started a sewing business in May and started tutoring for a little extra $ in early Oct. So needless to say when do I ever have time to get on the computer.

Emersyn is growing so very fast. I look back to where we were a year ago and at this time I would have survived my first week back at school after having had our sweet girl. And now look where we are! She went from crying 24/7, although her Nana Susan swears she never cried... to running around laughing, playing, and talking! Her vocabulary is precious and the list is long and we are so proud of her. She is doing new things everyday! She is constantly giving us something to laugh about. I am learning about how hard it is to discipline and how easy it is to laugh at them. The other night she realized she could use her comfy chair to climb up on the couch, run across the couch to the other end and slide off the couch and then do it all over again. We don't really allow her to stand on the couch, but sometimes her defiance makes me laugh and Im seriously working at getting this under control, but seriously she is a good little girl. So while Im learning not to laugh at everything she does she is learning to behave appropriately.

Since I decided to start sewing to sell, I have learned I truly enjoy sewing for Emersyn and gift giving...NOT to sell. There is so much pressure in doing that, so I have wrapped up my last few orders and I am looking forward to making some cute things for my little one :) I will say, I am taking few orders from close friends and family, but other than that I'm just going to focus on spending time with my family...

Speaking of my biggest struggle has been to take care of my house! Jonathan has been an amazing help, but that does not take my desire away to take care of our home. I am so excited about having this next week so spend with my family and taking care of our home and going to the gym!!!

Well I think that sums most of the past couple months up and hopefully it wont be another 3 months before I can update :)

Hello my blogger friends...

2011-08-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

I think my blogging in the past few months has been about as non existent as my blogging the first few months of my daughters life. But I was recently told straight up by my most favorite and bestest cousin in the world that it was about time to update this thing. So much has been going on with us over the past several months and I have had very little time to do much of anything. I think there were about 5 months that I had no extracurricular activities...that didn't last long lol. Anyway our summer was great and relaxing and I absolutely LOVED spending my days with Emersyn and watching her grow and do new things. Summer break has ended and now we are in a new school year. EVERYTHING at school has changed. New students, new gradebook, new schedule, teaching a new class etc. That being said this year has started off with a bang!! We had a new high school in the co open and and therefore our school was affected. Our students are great our numbers are a lot lower than they were in years past. I have a dream sschedule. 3 honors biology classes and 3 Anatomy classes. My students are amazing!! So school is going so wonderfully. I am no longer coaching soccer so I have decided to sew. I started up my little business on facebook and etsy and it is BOOMING (praise the Lord for his goodness). It is keeping me busy with several hours of sewing a night. Ok so that pretty much catches you up to speed other than Emersyn.

Emersyn is going to be 1 next Friday the 26th! I truly cannot believe that a year has flown by this fast. And to think they will only go faster. She is such a big girl with SO much personality.

She has a descent little vocabulary: duck, kitty, mom or mama, papa (nana Susan's husband), ta da, there it is (this is very much so all smushed into one word, but seriously she is like a sponge), down, daddy, ball, dog.

She can tell you what a cow says, a duck says, and what a dog says.

She can point to your nose, eyes, mouth, and feet.

She loves to dance!!! She gets her whole body into it!!

She loves eating and she is such a good eater. What a blessing.

Still nursing at least once a day, sometimes twice. (It absolutely warms my heart while nursing when she stops and looks up at me and says "mamma")

Sleeps so good at night, naps are usually once a day 1.5 to 2hrs.

She adores her daddy, and Mrs. Susan! The only way I can coherse her to leave is by telling her we are going to see daddy.

Loves to climb. She is constantly climbing in and out of her little rocking chair.

She has such a sweet little heart and loves people.

Has just recently starting crying when I leave her in the church nursery, but she has some AWESOME teachers and of course her best cousin Reagan in her class.

Anyway I will definitely be updating birthday party pictures :)

Beach Fun!

2011-06-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

Emersyn had her first trip to the Beach this week and we LOVED it!!!!

And this is what she learned to do while we were there!

9 Months

2011-06-02T15:44:00.001-07:00

Emersyn is officially 9 months and we had her 9 month well visit the other day. Emersyn is such a delight and so much fun! We are constantly laughing when she is around!
Here are her 9 month stats:

19 lbs (50-75%)

27.75 in. (50-75%

Here are some of the fun things she is doing:

Crawling everywhere.

Pulling up and standing alone.

Taking a step every once in a blue moon.

Babbling all the time.

Can point to daddy and mommy if asked.

Will roll the ball back and forth to you.

Finally started sleeping through the night with occasional nights that she still wakes once.

Makes a silly face,we have no clue where it came from but it's hilarious!

Will point to your nose when you ask her to.

Smiles and laughs all the time.

Still LOVES books.

Loves taking a bath.

Doesn't know a stranger.

Wakes up in the am in the best mood!

Takes 2 naps, one for about 2 hours and the other for about an hour.

Loves her daddy!

Has 4 teeth, two top front and bottom front.

Eats mostly table food veggies and fruit.

This is what I come into her room to in the mornings! Such a happy girl!

On our way to visit her aunt Christine!

Getting ready to go to bed. Love her ducky jammies!

Check it out!!!

2011-05-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Adorned with gorgeous hand crocheted flowers my dearest friend made!
I LOVE this one and can't wait to make one for Emersyn Kate!

Recently sold this one on eBay!

So I have decided to turn a much loved hobby into a small business! I have been sewing for about 2 years now. My mother in law showed me the basics when I decided I needed an inexpensive yet meaningful way to give gifts. Since then it has taken off. My grandmother is also an amazing seamstress and I have to give her credit too for passing on her talent! That being said, I have had so much fun sewing making things from dresses for little girls, bibs, burp cloths, onsies, pillow covers, curtains, and I hope to begin making baby bedding!

So If you or any one you know would like some beautiful hand made gifts at a good price check out my FB page "Bella Mia"

Above are some things I have made recently!

Standing Alone!

2011-05-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Our sweet girl has yet hit another milestone! Its so much fun watching her do all the new things she learns to do. She is all over the place and within the last week has started standing alone for a lengthy period of time. You can see it in her eyes that she knows she would like to go somewhere, but that she is still working out the details on how to do just that. She is such a blast and motherhood has truly turned out to be pure joy!

Fun in the Sun, Already!

2011-05-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

Emersyn love taking a bath, so I knew she would love being in the pool so she got a super cute new baby pool, compliments of her Nana (Jonathan's mom). I LOVE that its pink! I also LOVE that her bathing suit is pink, and her bow is pink and even her sippy cup (which she just chews on for now). The past two days we have been swimming! I am so looking forward to TONS more days of fun in the sun! I love summers off and Emersyn will really be at such and enjoyable age this summer!

Life is a Rollercoaster

2011-04-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

Life has been so busy lately. I thought that it would feel so much more manageable since I don't have soccer on my plate anymore, but I guess Emersyn kinda took its place. I don't say that in a bad way at all. She is such an amazing blessing!!! Anyway I say that to say that we have been so busy lately. Emersyn continues to grow like crazy and do new things all the time. She turned 8 months old on April 26th! I look back on the last 8 months and it has been amazing how so much has changed.

Emersyn at 8 months is:

Eating some table food and can pick puffs up and feed herself.
Still eating one to two times at night (any advice on how to get her to sleep ALL through the night would be great. We have tried all the tricks, putting her to bed later, making sure she is taking 6-8 ounces of milk before bed, etc.)
Saying 2 audible words, clap (she will clap her hands and say clap) and duck.
Crawls fast.
Pulls up on everything and cruises.
Stands without holding on to things.
"Talks" all the time.
Still does not care for the carseat, but puts up with it sometimes.
Usually takes a 2 hour morning nap and a short one in the late afternoon.
Loves books and will sit and listen to you read them.
Loves to play and explore.
Loves to be put down to explore, but still loves to be held.
Doesn't really meet a stranger. She pretty much will go to whoever.
Understands the word "no". Most times if you say no, she will look at you and stop what she is doing.

We are really enjoying her at this stage and are so excited at every new thing she learns to do!

More like mommy

2011-04-15T07:34:00.000-07:00

So it has been so fun to watch Emersyn change and grow. It's amazing how fast it happens. I know it happens the way it does for a reason. One of which God knew if Emersyn didn't grow out of her 24 hour crying stage, I might fall to pieces. She has grown up so much and loves to explore EVERYTHING. She is not really afraid of anything and let me tell you she adores her daddy! While Jonathan was away during spring break we were able to talk via skype and some time passed before we could skype and when we finally did and Emersyn heard Jonathan's voice and saw him she just grinned ear to ear! She loves to spend time playing with him too! They both delight in one another and it is such a gift to experience that as a mother.

Speaking of changes, I have started to notice Emersyn beginning to resemble me a bit more than she did when she was first born. Ultimately I think she is a perfect blend of Jonathan and I, but here are some pictures of me when I was a baby and I can really see a resemblance in the eyes and eyebrows!

Emersyn's First Word

2011-04-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have to say there was a time when I would hear people saying their child had starting hitting milestones like walking, crawling and talking super early. For example saying their child had starting walking at 8 months. Most times the thought that they were crazy and didnt know what they were talking about ran through my mind and then I had Emersyn Kate who has done everything on the fast track a bit like her mom and her dad! Anyway this week she had started saying clack clack and I was not sure if she was trying to say clap or quack, but I am pretty sure she is saying clap when she puts her hands together and claps and says clack clack!!!

Plum Organics

2011-04-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Things have been so crazy for the month of March. I don't think we could have had another thing thrown on top of us at school, but as I always try and look at the positive at least all is said and done with and none of it is drug out! Now that we are on spring break we have a little down time and I will try to catch up a little on blogging. Now that Emersyn has really started eating well we have tried a couple different types of organic baby foods. We originally started with Gerber organic fruits and veggies. However, Gerber seems to be VERY limited in their selection. So the other day I had picked up some Plum Organics Super Puffs. Emersyn really enjoys them and so we will stick with those as our Puffs of choice. Then we stopped back by Babies R Us and looked at what they offer for baby foods and I was amazed at the variety they offer. Plum Organics baby food is packaged in a pouch and has a top that screws off. You can attach a spoon made to use with the pouch that squeezes the food right onto the spoon, or you can squeeze the desired amount into a bowl and store the pouch for later. I love the pouch because they travel extremely well and there is no worry of spillage. The attachable spoon is super convenient and easy too! What else I LOVE about Plum Organics is the combinations of foods and variety offered: Broccoli and apple, prunes (could never find organic prunes in Gerber), Apple and carrots, Pumpkin and banana, Blueberry and pear and purple carrot, sweet potato corn and apple, spinach peas and pears, Pear and mango, Peach apricot and banana. These combos are all in their second foods. The foods I have highlighted are things I have looked for in Gerber and have not found. I get a little particular about what I feed Emersyn because I am such an aweful eater myself. I'm really trying hard to instill a love for nutritious, non processed foods in her. Of course she will get to enjoy the tastey things, but I want her to really like the healthy things so that she has the option of choosing healthy. I also have the option, but at 29, being a picky eater is a very hard habit to break. So incase you were wondering Plum Organics did not pay for this post ;) I have just fallen in love and will probably not feed Emersyn anything but (I am turning into a food snob for a good reason). Of course she is trying some table food like Mrs. Susan's famous green beans! She LOVES them!!!

So many firsts!

2011-03-16T18:49:00.001-07:00

Emersyn has been growing and changing so much lately! We fall more and more in love with the precious blessing she is to our lives everyday! I will post new pictures soon! But for a quick update here are some of the new things she is doing:

Eating organic baby foods (just about everything). Loves fruit (just like her mommy)! Loves her veggies to, we are still working on peas though!
Stood up all on her own last week, not holding on to a thing.
Is really crawling well. Crawled to me tonight and reached up (so precious)!
Is pulling up on everything she can.
Cut her first tooth today.

She is changing and growing so much. She is looking more and more like a blend of me and Jonathan. I am having more and more people say she is looking more like her mamma. My mom says she reminds her a lot of me when I was little. She is recognizing when I walk out of the room and when I walk back in. She adores her daddy and loves spending time with him too. She is so much fun and we love her so much!

Ami Martin Photography

2011-02-23T07:28:00.000-08:00

All pictures and their rights are exclusive to Ami Martin Photography, any unauthorized copying, printing, or posting is strictly prohibited.

All pictures and their rights are exclusive to Ami Martin Photography, any unauthorized copying, printing or posting is strictly prohibited.

Mud Pie Baby Photo Parade

2011-02-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

http://apps.facebook.com/contestshq/contests/97844/voteable_entries/16202248?ogn=facebook

Ok I think the link above will take you to where you can vote for Emersyn in the photo contest! Voting ends on Feb 24th. If the link above does not take you there, and you are not already friends with us on FB just send me a friend request and you can get to the link from our page.

Here is the picture you will be voting on!

Girls are so much fun!

2011-02-17T20:03:00.000-08:00

We have been having a blast with our sweet little girl.

Mommy, do we always have to play dress up?

We have since lowered the crib!

See if you can get my picture now!!!

Yum, tutu! Just what I wanted for dinner.

Our Valentine

2011-02-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

To think that a year ago I was only a couple months pregnant and now we have a 5 1/2 month old. Each day with our sweet girl is such an adventure!

Happy 5 Months Emersyn Kate

2011-02-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

Our sweet girl is growing so much and doing so many new things! Here are her 5 month stats:

16 pounds

25 3/4 in long

Hair is some what coming in and looks dark.

She is such a happy girl most of the time.

Knows what she wants and uses her voice to let us know.

Loves to smile

Loves playing with anything that makes noise and lights up.

Sits up well on her own.

Sleeps ok at night waking once or twice. We know she is capable of sleeping most of hte night though.

Takes a 3 hour nap most days.

Eats organic brown rice cereal.

Christmas Cutie

2011-01-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

Here are a few cute pics I forgot to post that we took at Christmas!

Sleeping Sweet

2011-01-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

Emersyn has set herself a pretty early bedtime schedule going down around 7 to 7:30 each night. Here are a few pics I took of her sleeping!

Snow Baby

2011-01-10T09:07:00.001-08:00

We got up this morning and decided that Emersyn needed to see the snow/ice. We bundled her up in as many layers as we could and headed out! She seemed to love it!

I cleaned her closet out last night and the child has enough clothes to wear everything once, but insist she wear it all more than once! I have changed her twice today! Besides its fun playing dress up!

4 Month Well Visit

2011-01-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

Emersyn in her precious pettiskirt! She loved it and could not keep it out of her mouth!

I took Emersyn today for her 4 month appointment. She checked out in perfect health praise the Lord. The winter months make me a little nervous since little ones are more prone to getting sick. For my mommy friends, about a month ago my pediatrition made me aware that Georgia has been in the red for the flu virus. Ive been trying to be careful to watch she is not putting peoples hands in her mouth or her hands in other peoples mouths since she apparently has become intrigued with doing so. She is reaching for everything and teething so she is wanting to put everything in her mouth. We still have 2 months before she can have the flu vaccine.

Anyway she is in the 75th to 90th % for her growh at a whopping 15 lbs and 25 in. she is a growing girl!

Sunday she was dedicated and looked just precious! But I didn't get a picture:( But we stopped by to see our god daughters and they gave her the super cute petti skirt above!

My Tutu Girly!

2010-12-30T11:35:00.000-08:00

We played dress up today with our wonderful Aunt Christine!!!

Happy 4 Months Emersyn Kate!

2010-12-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

Emersyn is 4 months old today!

She is so grown up already! I can't believe how fast time has flown... I know the next 18 years will blow by. She is doing so many new things all the time! Here are her 4 month stats:

Laughing out loud at things she finds funny. Mostly people talking to her in this silly low voice.
Rolling over since about a month ago.
Sitting up unassisted for a couple of seconds. Up to about 30 seconds at most.
Grabbing everything within her reach.
Nursing about every 3 hours still except at night. Only gets up once a night to eat, twice on a "bad" night.
Still taking prevacid for reflux.
Still spitting up like crazy when I eat dairy products. YOu would think this would aid in weight loss for me, um not really.
Loves her daddy and smiles a lot at him.
Screams when we put her in her carseat, but will usually fall asleep not long after the car gets moving!
Fights sleep in the car and sometimes when she goes down for a nap.
Started taking 3 hour naps thanks to our favorite Mrs. Susan.
Her signals are so much clearer: rubbing her eyes when she is sleepy, getting a little fussy when she is hungary. Before it just seemed like she was upset all the time and we had no clue what she wanted.
Eating organic rice cereal and LOVING it! Although it has not helped her sleep any longer than she normally does.
Found her feet and loves grabbing them!

Christmas Sweetie

2010-12-15T07:09:00.000-08:00

We had a little extra time before we left the house this morning to get all dressed up. We even posed for a picture.

I am having so much fun dressing Emersyn up for Christmas. She has some super cute outfits. I'll have to take her picture in all her outfits and post them here. We are excited for her first Christmas! She is such a blessing to our lives and we are having so much fun with her. Every day is a new adventure and she is learning or doing something new every day. Quite frankly Im shocked she has not gotten right up and walked across the room yet. She seems so advanced and so ready to take on the world and seems to get frustrated when we remind her she is still a little baby.

The Church Nursery

2010-12-13T07:38:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was Emersyn's first and possibly last experience in the church nursery for a while. For the past 16 weeks she has been a "desk" baby. I was asked to take a shift in the Ladybug room which would be Emersyn's room. So I dropped her off in the nursery during first hour and then came and did my shift during the second hour. I was very surprised at my reaction. There were 6 babies, one being Emersyn. A 4 wk old little boy was coughing up a storm and sounded so congested. You could not help but feel sorry for him. Then there was another little boy who was chewing and drooling ALL over all the toys and the walker toy he was sitting in. Walking in the room I just felt like germs were jumping all over me. One of the front desk people came by to check on us and I talked her into taking Emersyn back up front. Part of me was worried about picking up the other babies and passing something on to Emersyn. I know that God wants us to love on all His children and I never really viewed the baby room as a live culture petri dish until I had Emersyn. So I think she will start attending Sunday school with me and the service as well. I was spoiled for the first 16 weeks, but now I don't want people thinking Emersyn is privlidged just because her daddy is on staff. I also worry that at 3 1/2 months old she is still a little to you to be "exposed." I know this is probably first time mom over reaction, but I am interested in other mom's opinions. I just have this stigma that if she gets something and I don't know where it came from if she gets sick that is better than if I know she got it from the nursery and I put her there. Anyway, I think I may call the doctor and get their opinion as well. I just hope our sweet little girl is not a sickly baby. I don't get sick often and never really did as a child either. Jonathan on the other hand tends to get sick more often than I do. I would not call him sickly, but for me getting sick more than once a year is too much. I have not been sick since last November when I got pregnant with Emersyn.

Im so angry at blogger I could scream

2010-12-12T19:19:00.000-08:00

I accidentally changed my template. any one know how to change it back?

Merry Christmas

2010-12-12T19:04:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Jonathan, Anne Marie, and Emersyn

Picture post

2010-12-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

These are from most recent back to Halloween! Enjoy! Lots to post about, so little time :(

Mommy's Angel

I love rolling over in my play yard
More tummy time :)

Hanging out with granddaddy

We love to make eachother laugh!

Fake smile for the camera. She was really fussing! She was over the pictures.

Crafting with mommy!

My new pj's. Mommy thought I looked all grown up.

All dressed up for church a couple weeks ago.

Smiling for the camera.

Sleeping Beauty

Love my jungle gym.

Halloween Weekend. Mommy made my dress.

My frog costume for Halloween!

Me and my daddy!

2010-12-12T14:03:00.001-08:00

Emersyn just loves her daddy! At the sound of his voice she gets the biggest smile across her face! Her daddy also loves her very much and just melts when he is around her!

First Day Back...

2010-11-10T14:58:00.001-08:00

Monday was my first day back to school and it went extremely well. I had a peace about Emersyn, but I was so worried about the students behavior... They were so excited to see me. I got a ton of hugs and they were extremely well behaved. My brother and his sweet wife Shannon and came and kept her on Monday. That was such a blessing because all I had to do was walk out the door. She was a bit fussy, but not to bad. Tuesday my mom kept her and she was such an angel and really didn't cry at all. My mom said she smiled and laughed and looked around a lot while my mom was carrying her around the house doing chores. Today my sister kept her and she slept most of the day for my sister and only fussed when the bottle was to cold for her taste...picky you think? I have been so blessed to have family keep her so far and soon Mrs. Russell from church will be keeping her one day a week and we are SO excited about that! She will love our Emersyn like her own and that could not give me more peace than to know she will be taken such good care of! Part of the reason returning to work has been pretty easy is because I have a couple lights at the end of the tunnel as well as a lot of the "old" stress I had on my plate is gone. I have been telling myself all I have to do is make it 2 weeks and then it is thanksgiving (we have a week off for), and then 3 weeks and we are out for 2 wks for Christmas break. Then the semester starts fresh and typically I would be diving head first into soccer, but I stepped down this season to focus on family! I am so thankful to all my sweet friends and family who prayed my return to work would be an easy transition and it has. I miss my sweet girl and appreciate my time with her even more when I get home each day!

Happy 2 Months Sweet Emersyn Kate

2010-10-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

The past two months have been such a rollercoaster. Nothing can prepare you for becoming a first time mom other than becoming a first time mom! We could not feel more blessed to have our sweet girl in our arms and continue our journey through life with her by our side. We are going to see the doctor tomorrow for a well visit so I'll be able to add some high lights, but here are a few for now!

She weighs right at 12 pounds

We will find out how long she is tomorrow

Has slept through the night a couple times

Holds her head up unassisted

Loves to stand in your lap
Found her hands and LOVES to suck on them and her thumb when she can manage to get it in her mouth.

Smiles voluntarily

Coohs and tries to talk back to you, its the funniest thing!

Loves to be held straight up facing out. So nosey!

Eats about every 3 hours during the day.

Sleeps in her own crib.

Still on prevacid for her reflux.

Required me to quit dairy! Much less spitting up since I have eliminated it from my diet.

This is what I think about my bouncy seat...

2010-10-28T18:20:00.001-07:00

Our sweet girl makes sure you know what she wants!

Mom, you know I would much rather you be holding me!

I thought I made it clear that I wanted you to pick me up! I guess Im gonna have to make it a little more clear.

Fine... does this pitiful face not say it all! Pick me up mommy, please!

Facebook Stinks!

2010-10-25T19:30:00.000-07:00

This is will be a treat for my blogging friends at the expense of facebook. It literally took me 5 min to upload all the photos here and an hour to only upload 1 to facebook! Enjoy!

I just love this little face! This was also her first time taking this kind of passy!
I love her face from every angle! Rockin the huge flower!

I could kiss that little face ALL over!

Happy Birthday Aunt Christine!

Grandma has a special touch!

Love my Grandma and Grandaddy!

Not to excited about being sang happy b day to.

But she sucked it up and played along :)

Our sweet Shannon! Missed you bubbs!

Me and the hubby! LOVE HIM!

Love birds!

Still snoozin so mommy could eat!

Are those eyes I see?

Enjoying the rainy day with mommy!

That flash is funny! I think I might smile for it :)

Now for a little nap with my favorite lovie!

Me and Mommy played in my room tonight...

I had so much fun wtih her...

So I thought I would let her know by smiling and laughing!

She and daddy love me so much!

Sneak Peek

2010-10-06T17:11:00.000-07:00

We had some beautiful pictures of our sweet girl done this past weekend! We also took her for her 1 month appointment. Here are here stats:

11 lbs
22 1/2 in long
In the 90% for her age

We changed her reflux meds from zantac to prevacid and still have seen no difference. We are now going to eliminate ALL dairy from my diet. Wow, I might actually start having to eat some vegetables to stay alive.

Sweet Emersyn keeps me super busy and I don't have much time to get to the computer so I have been able to update facebook a little quicker.

Life as I know it...

2010-09-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

OK, so this will probably be a bunch of rambling...but I have not updated recently. I have lots of pics to update with as well.

So life as I know it has been one big adjustment lately. Our little lady seems to be pretty cranky in her awake hours. However, everyday and week has gotten better and better. I took her to the doctor on Tuesday because about 90% of her awake time she spent screaming inconsolably. She either has a ton of gas all the time, reflux, or colic, or she has all 3! Not sure but we will be asking the doc to give us a verdict at her next appt. I don't want to keep giving her zantac if it's not reflux. I definitely think she has issues with gas, not a surprise. The colic, would not surprise me either. The reflux is up in the air, however, they upped her perscription Tuesday and she seemed to better handle her awake times. I have been speaking to lots of my mom friends who have had lots of great advice!

The past 3 weeks have been insane, but insanely wonderful! We could not be more proud of our sweet little girl although she has added to our sleep deprivation.

Emersyn Kate Underwood

2010-09-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here is just a small update, this will be revised soon when I return to the world of the living! Our sweet girl arrived via c-section 9 lbs 7 oz, 21 inches long on 8/26/2010! Here are a couple pictures of our sweet girl! I'll update with more details later.

God has a Plan!

2010-08-25T03:57:00.000-07:00

And His plan is best for us! So Jonathan and I went and saw Dr. Galloway Monday at 4, bags packed and ready to head over to the hospital. Well things were slammed and he did tell us to wait one more day. So he called the hospital and told them to schedule my induction for Tuesday morning so that we could get this little one here! Main reason being my blood pressure had gone up a little bit. Other than that no need for concern and all else looked great. So a little disappointed we returned home but I had a bit of a feeling we would be anyway. So Tuesday came and again we prepared to go to the hospital without question. So about we went him to town and walked the mall for a bit and then headed to borders to kill the rest of the time before we met some friends for dinner. At about 5:00 Jonathan gets a missed call that he did not recognize (my phone had died) and we decided to call it back. Sure enough it was the birthing center. I first spoke to a nurse on the floor who explained that 3 people had walked in in labor and they had absolutely no room for me and wanted me to experience the best care possible and asked me to come in the next evening. Then the supervisor of the hospital (who knows my mom) also wanted to speak to me and explain the situation and reassure me that they only wanted me to have the best care and they could not do that in a teeny tiny triage room. My main concern was had they spoken with Dr. Galloway because he had a bit of concern about my blood pressure. They said they had and then we hung up. Well of course right in the middle of borders the river starts flowing (not my bag of water;), I started bawling. Of course Jonathan immediately got very upset with the whole situation (our main concern being our daughters health). Which she is just fine, but it did not help that I quoted off a statistic I heard on a Baby Story the morning before about a high number of unexplained fetal deaths in overdue babies. So of course he immediately is on the defense. So he wanted me to personally call Dr. Galloway (I was in NO shape to do so, nor was I about to call my doctor crying about not getting to go to the hospital that night) and communicate to him I had heard from the hospital. I was uneasy doing that so I came up with a plan to check my blood pressure since that was the main concern. The last thing I wanted us to do was turn around and go home and worry that here goes another day that my BP could be going up and her health might decline. So we head over to Target not sure if they still had their machine or not. However, a sweet friend is one of the pharmacist over there and we asked her if she could take my blood pressure. In the office the other day it was around 130/80 and when she checked it was 147/99. So I called my mom (who actually got the call about the hospital situation before we had because my phone had died) and told her. She immediately called Dr. Galloway who said he wanted me to go in right away for some testing. So we headed to the hospital and visited the one and only triage room available and began the hour long process of blood drawing, blood pressure taking and heart and contraction monitoring. Praise the Lord all turned out just fine. My BP had gone down (now I know how to make it sky rocket, just hysterically cry) and my labs turned out fine. The nurse was so sweet and we talked with her about checking the schedule for tomorrow so that we don't end up in the same situation. However I have to say it was very interesting watching the hosptial/doctor dynamics. They are definitely two separately functioning entities. So the nurse calls Dr. galloway back letting him know all was fine, but he tells her he wants me in first thing in the morning (of course all beds would still be full). She proceeds to tell him how that would not be a good idea as they only have the triage bed that I would be in all day until another bed opened etc. They go back and forth and finally Dr. Galloway says, please ask the patient what she would like to do and go from there. So nurse comes back and tells me all this and adds in she has birthed 3 children and having to labor in that bed would be miserable but it was up to me. So we asked what the chances of us being bumped again were and she ensured we with no doubt would be coming in tonight at 8:00 to stay. I asked her how long they keep bumping until they have to start and induction and she said 41 weeks and we are there baby! So as a formality we are calling this afternoon to make sure all is still good and God willing, because he has surly shown us His will this week (which we have peace about and know is best) we will head in tonight. Main reason we did not opt to go this morning is because the idea is to sleep through the cervidil and labor during the day. I would hate laboring through the night (which may still happen, but at least not by our own doing). So that is where we are, just waiting on God to bring this sweet little girl into our lives. We just can't wait to meet her.

The Plan

2010-08-22T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well by the time you are reading this it will be Monday. I will have started my first day of maternity leave today and will be visiting Dr. Galloway around 4:00 for my scheduled weekly appointment with him. He should be sending me on my way to the hospital from the appointment seeing that they are not over booked. I was originally supposed to go Sunday evening, but he had 2 inductions already booked and called me back to push it back to Monday evening. That being said if all is well we will check in tonight to start cervidil and get hopefully a descent nights rest and then begin an induction Tuesday morning. I will keep you updated via the blog so keep checking back!

Still no sign of labor anywhere around...

Happy Birthday Husband

2010-08-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

Today has been a very special day. 29 Years ago at 8:05 am my precious husband entered this world at 7 lbs 12oz and 21 in long. To think even then God knew we would be joined in marriage and on this day be expecting the arrival of our first child. We got up this morning as we usually do on Saturday's and Jonathan had a gift from Emersyn waiting on him (he got the new iphone a couple weeks ago from "me"). We had a yummy IHOP breakfast and then off to relax until the family came over to celebrate his B-day with a cookout, Ginny's yummy cake and ice cream. We will be ending our day meeting some very dear friends for coffee this evening. I wanted today to be very special for Jonathan since Emersyn will be here soon. Today was her offical due date, but she must of wanted her daddy to have all the glory today because she is showing no signs of leaving my womb with a vacancy! Although it would have been such a neat birthday present and Jonathan would have loved it, I'm not sure how much fun it would have been for him to be a nervous wreck in a delivery room his entire birthday. Not to mention that we know God will put her in our arms when he is ready. But back to Jonathan, we could not be more blessed to have such a wondeful man in our lives. Every day he wakes up he works so hard for our family and seeks God's direction when it comes to his leadership over our family. He is so much fun to be around and keeps me laughing especially when I don't feel like it. I love his gentle spirit and pray that our daughter inherits that from her daddy. Every day my love grows deeper for the man that God has put in my life and look forward to sharing many more of his birthdays with him!

We love you Jonathan! Love, Anne Marie and Emersyn

Troll Feet

2010-08-21T14:59:00.001-07:00

So these are my troll feet! After a long day of work I come home to feet/legs like this. They are so swollen my skin is stretched to its limits. From my toes to my knees my legs are rock hard full of water. About a month ago I could get them to go down some with my anti embolism socks and water aerobics. But when school started back 3 weeks ago water aerobics went out the window and I was up on my feet a lot and not even the socks worked any more. I have been drinking water like it is going out of style since I started work b aAlso before you worry about how swollen they are my doctor has kept a very close eye on me and my blood pressure checks out PERFECTLY every time I go to see him. I just retain water like a well! Even before I was pregnant I easily bloated so I am sure this is just my usual bloating times 10 due to the current tenant I am carrying around.

And yes, it is pretty uncomfortable and imboilizing...I had to have Jonathan help me put my pants on this morning because I can hardly bend my legs :(

Letting Go, But gaining so much!

2010-08-14T04:18:00.000-07:00

So for most of you that know me you know I stay insanely busy. I mean so busy that from January to May of the past 5 years my husband and I don't even eat dinner at home. I have been the head coach of the girls soccer program technically for the past 3 years. It has been wonderful and rewarding with as much success as we have had with the program as well as a lot of fun. But every year it takes a huge toll on our family as far as time is concerned. So this summer Jonathan and I started talking about what was going to be best for our family concerning soccer and our sweet new addition. In the past year I have been coaching both high school soccer as well as academy soccer. High school goes day and night from January through May. Academy is only 2 nights a week plus a game on the weekend. Put those two together and a pregnancy on top of it, it will make anyone consider their priorites. So we sat down and weighed out the pros and cons of all this soccer business and we decided that it would be best that I let go of high school soccer for now. I have never felt so relieved to just focus on our family. Yes, it will require me to become more diciplined in my spending as well as with my time (since I love filling it). One of the biggest things that really helped us make the decision is that while I would be coaching soccer Emersyn would be sitting up, crawling, and possibly walking if she walks when her daddy did at 9 months. Most of the high school season is in freezing weather, so it would not be ideal to have her out at the games for the majority of the season. I feel like the moral of the story is when you follow God's call to devote yourself to your family the way he designed a mother and wife to, making decisions like this one was pretty simple. I will miss it I am sure, but not being the head coach does not mean that I can't support the team and get to view the game from the bleachers and enjoy it for once from a much less stressful perspective. Every one has been incredibly supportive from our athletic director to other administrators. All were so encouraging about our decision which helped make things a lot easier. I have really enjoyed being the head coach and I know that regardless of who gets the privlidge of that position that if God wants me to return to it one day he will work it all out! But there is a small part of me that also wants to sit back and enjoy Emersyn getting to play sports/dance or whatever God has in store for her.

38 1/2 Weeks

2010-08-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Today I had a visit with Dr. Galloway and here are our stats:

Still 1 cm
Emersyn's head is at a -2 station (he said was great) and of course head down
Heartbeat was strong
Other measurements were great!

That being said again he did tell me it could still be a week or two or she could deliver tonight :) So she is keeping mommy and daddy in suspense which for now is ok with us. I was so thankful I was not discouraged by the news, I know it can get discouraging for people this late in the game. Or maybe I was ok with it all since I had a little break down yesterday about how I can't bend over any more, can't reach my feet, can barely get up from a sitting position etc. But I know there is light at the end of the tunnel and boy are we going to be so excited when she gets here!

I am still working and planning on working right up until she gets here so that I get to cherish every moment off of work with her. Work could not be going better. I am co-teaching all 3 periods and absolutely LOVE my co-teacher and we REALLY like our students!

So we will keep you posted!

Coming Home Outfit, Build A Bear, and a Nursing Cover

2010-08-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

Coming Home Outfit

I wanted to bring Emersyn home in something sweet and feminin, but something that fit her too. It's vain, but I can't stand when a babies clothes hang off them. So I found this little number at Dillards on clearance for $12. I also found the booties there, but not on clearance :( but they were not very expensive. The beautiful monogramed bracelet came from Katie and she will wear it home too!

Build A Bear

Introducing Kitty Bear! Jonathan and I were given a gift card to make Emersyn a "Build A Bear" from my sweet U9 Academy Soccer girls. They gave us a recording device, hearts with all the girls names and soccer #'s, her outfit and the gift card to pick the actual bear. So we went last weekend and made Kitty Bear for Emersyn. We recorded a cute saying from both me and Jonathan, "Mommy and Daddy Love You"! It was kinda cheesy but at least it was done with love :) Then comes the part where you have to pick a name. You should have heard our conversation...it went something like this:

Jonathan: Lets name her fluffy.
Me: No that's like a dogs name. How about naming her Lola.

Jonathan: Are you out of your mind, that won't work.

Me and Jonathan: uuummmmmm.

Then we decided we would call her Kitty like Boo from Monsters Inc. called Sully. We added Bear so that she does not completely get her animals mixed up :) LOL!

Nursing Cover

I decided to get crafty rather than spend a ton of $$$ purchasing a nursing cover. I thought just how bad could it be. I did however consider buying a pattern from Etsy for $6 but again decided that sewing a square was not worth $6 to have someone else say here is how you sew a square. So I bought this fabric a while back ago and new I wanted to use it for something...a nursing cover. It was quite simple to sew and I kinda like it a little more than what I have seen in stores. So whala, a cute cover that I plan to make a burp cloth to go along with )

1st Day Back

2010-08-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

So Yesterday my last day of real summer break was pretty well spent. It started with a visit to Dr. Galloway who informed me after a very uncomfortable exam that I was 1cm dilated with a softened cervix, but that I could easily go another 2 weeks. At this point I would love to meet our sweet baby soon, but I know in my heart that God's timing for her is best... so Im choosing to find joy in my suffering. Ok its not really suffering it's just His way of getting me ready to birth this baby:) My flesh calls it suffering. I will see Dr. Galloway again next Monday and hope to see some progress because school is officially in (more on that in a minute). After my appointment I met one of my truest and best friends Katie for lunch at our long time favorite...Hudsons! It was yum. Then we drove out to my house so she could see the nursery. It was a great last day of summer!

So today marks our first day back and to say the least it was not bad at all. The number one thing I dreaded were all the gualking (sp?) faces and comments to follow like... "you haven't had that baby yet", "you look like your gonna drop that baby", and "are you sure there is only one in there". Yes all these comments and more were made today. Mostly I gave very direct answers and kept convo to a minimum. I didn't want to go all pregnant on someone who for the most part (in their minds) is making an innocent comment. So I stayed in my room for the most part of the day which was nice. I'll be doing that until I go into labor.

Speaking of funny comments here is a silly story to end with, people just cant resist speaking their minds to pregnant women. It really cracks me sometime when Im in the mood. So Jonathan and I ran to the mall tonight to get some shirts for him to wear to work and we were in belk and this woman from behind us (who we never made eye contact with in the first place to even engage in a conversation) says "you don't have much longer do you?" I responded no. She asked what we were having and I told her a girl. She said "oh you guys are in big trouble, I still can't get my 24 year old son out of the house" she goes on to tell us how his friends even asked him to move in to an apt. with them and he said no because why would he leave home where there is not rent, bills and the food is free. Now at this point you can imagine what is running through our minds. She followed us all the way in belk and down the escalator and her parting words were "yall take care of that baby now." I wish you could of seen Jonathan's face. It was priceless.

Well that is it for now. Prayers for a smooth transition back into the "real" world would be so appreciated, especially as time for our Emersyn draws near :)

Some more sleepless nights and my last appointment

2010-07-30T04:05:00.001-07:00

So a good nights rest at 37 weeks is definitely hit or miss. Here it is at 7 am and I can't sleep due to all the discomfort (sore and achy hips, REALLY swollen fingers that I can't even ball into a fist and get numb depending on what side I am sleeping on, and of course having to be conscious just to roll from one side to the other). I am usually up every 2 hours (sometimes every hour and a half) either rolling over or mostly going to the bathroom due to the contraction that rolling over induces. Nothing less fun that having a contraction with a full bladder. So when there is nothing comfortable or appealing about laying in the bed any longer I just have to get up and so here I am :)

I had an appointment with Dr. Galloway this week on Tuesday at 36 1/2 weeks and it was extremely uneventful. I thought I may at least have come out with some knowledge about whether I might be dilated (even just a tiny bit). But all we did was the routine bacterial swab to make sure I don't have an abundance of the bacteria that could pose harm in the baby that occurs in 1 in 5 pregnant women. No one has called me so I assume all was well. He measured my belly, took my blood pressure and we listened to her heartbeat. Being as swollen as I am his nurse said she thought he may not let me go back to work...but of course I was not that lucky. But he did say if I did not feel like I was up to it then he could write me out for 4 weeks and I reluctantly declined. Main reason being I want all the time I can spend with her and don't want to waist time off sitting around the house twiddling my thumbs. Besides if I really needed to I could sit in a chair most of the day at school since I do have a collaborative teacher. So there are ways I could cope while still working although I think it is going to be pretty difficult as far as me being tired etc. I did tell Jonathan if it was to much I would call Dr. Galloway to get that "pass out of class". I don't want to be so stinking exhausted the week(s) leading up to her arrival that my head does nothing but spin, because I know I'll be tired when she arrives.

Consignment Heaven

2010-07-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

So my dearest friend Katie got me hooked on consignment shopping a while back ago when she had MK and I saw all the super cute things she would find for such great deals. So for a while now I have been shopping Kid to Kid here in D'ville and have found some amazing deals on clothing like Janie and Jack to Carters to Rare Editions. Here are two of the cutest things I found today:

This outfit is made by First Impressions. I paid $5.99. It is 18 mo. so Emersyn can wear it not this Christmas, but the next. The top and bottom are a deep plum velvet. They also had a gorgeous hairbow the exact same color that cost more than the outfit, so I decided to wait on that one.
This dress is made by Carter's and was brand new. I bought it for $3.50. I think it is one from their new line and cost about $32.00 in the store (or at least I saw one that was the exact style but was a different pattern that was $32.00 at Sears...a little steep)

No lie about sleepless nights

2010-07-21T08:54:00.001-07:00

That was sums my night up in a nut shell. I literally did not sleep a wink at all. I was up all night. Mostly sitting straight up due to this strange pain in my back. About 8pm last night I got a sharp pain in my back on my right side just about where my kidney would be. I explained to Jonathan it felt like I had been punched in the kidney and the pain was wrapping from my back around to the front of my abdomen and more intense when I would contract. I would also equate the pain to what I would assume back labor would feel like. Especially since when I would get my periods I would have most pain in my back. I got up walked around a little, but the pain did not ease much. So we headed home from the church and I got in bed pretty quickly and spent all of about 20 min. there before it could not tolerate lying down any longer and wanted to google what this pain was. It does not feel like muscle pain, but could pass for a nerve issue. That being said the symptoms most resemble a kidney stone...yay...one thing they can do much about. So with the discomfort being so miserable with me lying down I laid propped on the couch which I could only with stand in 20 min increments as well until I had to get up and walk around again. I put a call in to the doctor on call (not one of my favorites and she certainly did not seem to have much concern or tenderness for my pain) and she said the only way to find out if it is a kidney stone is to go to the emergency room. The pain did not have me in tears but I literally could not sleep. I can't go the next 4 weeks without sleeping so I decided to try some tylenol. The tylenol is definitely working (it is the first pain reliever I have taken during this pregnancy and honestly felt a bit guilty) but if I was in horrible pain the next four weeks that would stink too. I guess this is one more thing to add to my list of things I thought I was exempt from...pain that is not serious enough to go to the hospital for but miserable enough to drive you insane.

PS if any one has any ideas (since the doc on call really was not all that concerned) or has felt this sort of pain before, let me know. My book did not describe anything like this.

I Thought I was Exempt...

2010-07-20T20:17:00.000-07:00

There have been several things about pregnancy I thought I was exempt from (mistake numero uno). Before I became pregnant I envisioned pregnancy would feel like how I felt when I was not pregnant but that I would just have a baby bump. And amazingly other than a few tolerable symptoms it has felt that way...up until recently.

Here are 3 of the myths my very own mind created illusions to:

I'll always be able to reach my legs to shave. Yeah right. It has become nearly impossible to do. I still sadly make the attempt to shave my lower legs while standing in the shower (VERY dangerous with only 4 weeks left to go). Otherwise the only safe way to reach them, which is still extremely uncomfortable, is the tub.
I wont have the discomfort of her kicking my ribs, I've carried her low all along. Um yeah, a week ago I awoke with the strangest discomfort of something pushing on my ribs. Yep, she proved me wrong. She finally figured out how to get those little feet up there and make for some really uncomfortable positions.
I'll never lose my balance. I don't know what they are talking about when they say pregnant women are clumsy. In all I have not experienced to much in this area, but I did notice not to long ago I started dropping things ALL the time. Mostly laundry, but other things too. This actually would anger me at times, but it is OH SO DIFFICULT to bend over! I feel so lazy but had to actually start asking Jonathan to help me pick up the things I would drop. I would even find myself walking off and leaving things (mostly out of frustration for dropping the same thing 3 time in a row) on the ground until he was able to help me pick them up. Also Sunday I was in the shower and was washing my hair and when I looked up I evidently got dizzy and started turning to the side losing my balance. The only thing I had to hold onto was the shower curtain which of course came tumbling down rod and all. Luckily I did not slip and put the curtain and rod right back up, so a serious fall was luckily diverted.

My Secret Obsession...

2010-07-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

Ok so its about to not be a secret much longer. I resisted and then had curiosity and then resisted and then had some more curiosity and this battle went on for some time. People were telling me how amazing it was, which would trigger my curiosity, then my husband would show his disinterest (as he does with anything of it's nature). Finally I broke down and decided for myself I would check it out. A couple of weeks ago I sat down to watch the first of the twilight series saga movies. Well, lets just say I loved it so much I watched the second, New Moon in the same night. I was done for. My obsession over came me. I immediately phoned my good friend Brook (who had been telling me the books were amazing reads, she had not seen the movies yet) and told her we had to do a marathon and then go see Eclipse. She was immediately on board so we sat down Saturday and watched both movies and then off to the theatre to see Eclipse. Which by the way was AWESOME. I decided I could not wait to find out the ending so I broke down and bought the final book in the saga, Breaking Dawn. In two days I have made it 3/4 the way through and almost 800 page book. All I have to say is it is such a love story and unexpectidly with great values (although it is about vampires and wherewolves). You just don't expect to see values in movies these days about abstenence and desiring marriage before sex etc. And much less those values held by the male character. I was very pleased at how clean the movies were, no sexual content or cursing (maybe a word or two). Just a great love story. Anyway, if you have not checked out any of the twilight stuff, it really is great! It's kept me entertained the past week or so :) Can't wait for Breaking Dawn to hit theatres (which will be in two parts)!

Two babies....

2010-07-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

And not much I can do to help them.

Baby No. 1 is my hubby. Poor thing is sicker than I've ever seen him. IF you know him well you know not much keeps him down. He has been on the couch for the past 3 days (101.5 temp, achy all over and horrible headache) and in 7 years I have never seen him lay around. So we did go to the doctor this morning and she said he probably has a nasty virus that she has seen going around lately. The last lady she saw ended up in the emergency room and seeing the infectious disease people...ok so I would never want to see my hubby go through that much less worry that I could possibly get it... Most likely as long as wee keep him hydrated he should be ok so I am not stressing to terribly much other than the fact there is not much I can do to make him feel better or make this ugly virus go away.

Baby No. 2 is obviously our sweet Emersyn Kate. She has been getting the hiccups lately a lot and I feel so bad that I don't have her here to pat her on the back and soothe her. It didn't help much that I read yesterday in my book that babies already cry in the womb and that is partly why they come out knowing how to do it so well. That being said again, another helpless feeling.

But this does remind me that sometimes I just can't control everything and only one person can (my Jesus). And sometimes a little tender love and care goes a long way.

OB Appt. Tuesday

2010-07-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ok so nothing crazy...just another 10 min. appt. Measured my belly, listened to her heartbeat (Dr. Morris said she was a busy little girl moving all over the place), and took my blood pressure. I got some answers to some questions about when to go to the hospital when I'm in labor and where to go (front desk or emergency room). I did not get to see Dr. Galloway (he was doing a c-section) at this appointment so I will have some more detailed questions to ask him when I see him in 2 weeks. At my next appt I will be 36 1/2 weeks and will probably be checked! Yay finally a break in the routine of these appointments.

So we are just waiting for her to get here. Guess this is when it really slows down for some people, but I will try and keep a positive attitude and enjoy my time with Jonathan before we become 3.

Speaking of Jonathan (who never stops and works harder than anyone I know even when very sick), he is extremely sick. He has been on the couch now for 2 days straight with a temperature that keeps going up. This is extremely unusual for him so we are certainly going to be visiting the doctor tomorrow. Keep him in your prayers that he gets well soon.

Our air conditioning was fixed yesterday so that was a wonderful blessing.

Other than that we are doing good.

A real summer break

2010-07-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting a real summer break for the next 3 weeks. The first two weeks of summer I was in a class, then I had one week off, then the last two weeks I have been teaching a class. Now I have 3 weeks off until school starts. Unbelievable how fast time flies. But I anticipated this summer to go by fast. My plans for th next couple of weeks is to relax, but I am also going to keep as active as I can with some exciting water aerobics. It absolutely feels amazing to be in the water. Im hoping for some decent weather the next couple of weeks so I can get some good exercise in.

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow and I'll update you about how it goes tomorrow but for now here is how things are going bullet style:

Swollen feet (the only thing that takes the swelling away...the pool and water aerobics, who would have ever thought?)
Just plain uncomforatable: no position aleviates the discomfort, sleeping at night is the worst because of my hips. But I did find a more comfortable way to sleep and it has been a bit better the past couple of nights.
Braxton Hicks continue relentlessly. I am now feeling more lower abdominal pressure when I feel them.
Other fun facts: We have her diaper bag packed for the hospital, Ive made lists for me and Jonathan's bag that I'll probably start working on packing this week. We are touring the hospital on Friday so that "we" ie Jonathan feels comforatable with where we will be going when its time. Her room is officially ready and could not be cuter!!! I know I've been promising pics so I'll get some up soon.

Today's Doctor Visit

2010-06-29T17:45:00.001-07:00

Today I had another 2 week appointment and got to see Dr. Brummit, one of the other doctors in Dr. Galloway's practice. I really liked her and she seemed super duper sweet. Dr. Galloway was out of town and I did not want to throw my appt. off track so I agreed to see one of the other doctors. Anyway her first question was have I been going to the bathroom more frequently and had I noticed anything different. Of course I have to pee alot, I'm 33 weeks pregnant on Thursday. Now is it different from any other time or painful, no. But she proceeded to tell me that they had noticed some suspicious "stuff" in my urine sample and would be sending it off to get a culture. I did tell her I had noticed some mild cramping down low especially when I was having a braxton hicks contraction... then came the slew of questions that sent me in to panic mode considering some other things that are going on in our life currently. Nothing like a good excuse for satan to send worries into your mind when God has everything in perfect control. So she asked "are you bleeding", my response "no". "Are you having pain that does not go away", my response "no", and "is the baby moving", and my response "yes". Then she said, "well you know to call us if you don't feel the baby moving." I am going to chalk all these questions up to routine. But you know I often wonder why when you tell them about certain symptoms, they don't elaborate on what could be causing them. Not once did she explain, well the mild cramping is due to the braxton hicks and all completely normal, or that they could be round ligament pain or the uterus growing. I mean come on, I'm a first time mom and walked out of there today more nervous than I ever have. I did make sure before I left that the urine culture was being done only to indicate a UTI, and nothing more serious than that. I'm not angry at her at all, I really did like her. And I know I have to just make my mind up that all is just fine, it's just a little nerve wracking when you get a slew of questions like that and no explanation to follow as to why they are being asked or why you are experiencing a certain symptom. Of course my instinct is to call back to have my fears calmed, but then I fear that they will just think Im a nutty first time mom. But aside from all that she did check the baby's heartbeat and comment it was strong and that Emersyn was LOW, meaning lower than she would expect at this point meaning she has dropped down a little. This did not surprise me at all since my profile confirms this. I noticed on Saturday that my belly looked quite a bit lower and she confirmed it and that she is still head down. Im sure things can stay this way for weeks past full term, but I still have an inkling she will come a little early...

She'll be here soon

2010-06-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

Boy is the anticipation growing. With less than 8 weeks until I hit 40 weeks (and yes Im hoping she comes a little early, and no I won't listen to you tell me how first babies usually come late) we pretty much have everything ready. Now it is ready get set and wait time...but I am determined to enjoy the next 7 1/2 weeks, because I know when she gets here it will be a different world. So Im choosing to relax and get some things done that I want to do. This past week I had an amazing prenatal massage. It was the best and I am totally hooked. The girl that did my massage was so super sweet. Mind you I had never in my life had a massage so this was a completely new experience. She even showed me a new comfortable way to sleep since my hips feel like they are going to fall off and can't support "Emersyn's" weight. Other than that we are just relaxing and staying off the feet. My swelling has gone down tremendously since I have been taking it easy.

A couple of note worthy things at 32 1/2 weeks:

She is moving All the time. I get so stinking tickled at her and the way she moves. She almost always moves in response to me or her daddy poking at her.
Swelling and braxton hicks come and go with my activity and hydration level. However, I am still having LOTS of braxton hicks and they have started to creat a little more pressure than they have in the past (maybe a sign she may make her debut a tad early).
I have sever discomfort most nights from my hips. Also the top portion of my abdomen feels so irritated, like I have a horrible sunburn...I think I'll look most forward to that disappearing.
I am doing water aerobics and swimming and I never thought that would feel so great in all my life...

So much to catch up on

2010-06-22T15:26:00.000-07:00

This post is a little backward and has no particular order. These pictures are also in no particular order other than the pictures from this weekends shower and the weekend before.

June 19th Shower thrown by my sweet family!

Super cute burp cloth and matching bib from my cousin.

Super cute pottery barn diaper bag that I have carried twice....

Another super gorgeous pottery barn diaper bag for the fall months from our god daughters.

Lauren (who made it after taking the GACE!! I know she passed) and Shannon my brothers wife.

Only the YUMMIEST cake in the whole world. A specialy publix cake with a raspberry filling and a cream cheese icing...it will probably be Emersyn's first birthday cake, but of course decorated for a first birthday!

It also happened to be my birthday on Saturday and so they surprised me with a birthday cake too.

Me and my mom!

She won one the game and I got some super cute sippy cups.

Me listening to the questions Jonathan answered for the game we played. I answered how I thought he answered and I got most of them wrong and SURPRISINGLY he got a lot of the things he answered pretty close to right...he's pretty good! Other than the fact that when asked how many diapers he would change...he said zero...

My cousin who came up with the cutest game we played...

Mrs. Garbade and Mrs. Parmer getting a kick out of some of Jonathan's answers!

One of my best friends from high school and her sweet girl Elise. Elise was not to sure about all the people when she woke up from the nap.

All the pretty presents.

Me, Shannon, Chloe and Gray Miller, Christine and my sister in law Shannon.

The beautiful hosteses!

My sweet cousin Reagan. This is my cousin Elizabeth's 7 month old daughter. She is so stinkin cute and we hope she and Emersyn will love each other like Elizabeth and I do.

These pictures are from my family shower thrown on June 12th!

Family at the family shower that my Ginny and Lauren threw.

Lis had the idea to put a bonnet on me...it fell off...phew!

More family...my cousin Julie who is in the brown holding my cousin Reagan is pregnant with TRIPLETS...prais the Lord! We could not be happier for her!

Reagan helping me open my humidifier.

More family.

The table set up for the shower and it was so pretty...the picture does not do it justice.

So I have been showered so much I am drenched and could not feel more blessed. At this point I think we are pretty much set for our little girls arrival. I have not done a ton of blogging, one because I have been insanely busy and two because our computer resides in our bonus room above our garage and it is INSANELY hot in that room! So while at my mother in laws I am steeling some pictures she took from my past two showers!

31 Weeks

2010-06-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

I'll be 31 weeks on Thursday. We had a doctors appt today. Everything looked great and I asked Dr. Galloway to give me an estimate of how much he thought she weighed and where she was positioned. He said she was probably some where around 3 pounds, but to of course expect her to gain the majority of her weight towards the end. And drum roll please...she is HEAD DOWN! So I have vowed to stop poking at her in hopes that she will stay that way until she gets here :) Well running out the door..Ill finish when we get home...

28 1/2 Weeks

2010-06-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

Today kinda started my 2 week OB appts. I say kinda because I really went two weeks ago so they could make sure I was not having pre term labor with all the braxton hicks contractions. All was good, they just wanted to make sure. So I went today for the infamous glucose test. Let me just say the drink was cold and somewhat tasty! I would not hunt a glucose drink down to curb my thirst, but from all the stink everyone makes about it I thought it might be the worst thing I'd ever have to drink. Anyway I downed my drink in 5 min and then they called me back. After waiting an hour the nurse said she would prick my finger to see what my level was. She said if it was over 150 then she would have to draw blood. I was at 113!!! Yay. She said I was the only one she did not have to draw blood on today and I passed. No gestational diabetes for this girl!

Other exciting things:

I measured 28 cm at 28 1/2 wks
Emersyn is kicking like an octopus on steroids
Feet have been swelling for at least a month and a half
I have been feeling Braxton Hicks since around week 20 or earlier
I have been feeling her move since about week 15 (boy has she gotten strong)
She seems to be up quite a bit during the day and less at night, but I'm sure that can change in addition to the fact that I may be sleeping through her wakefulness.
Boy does her daddy love her!!! He can't get enough of feeling her move around in my belly! I feel so blessed and overjoyed to see him get so excited over her.
Her room is just about finished, just waiting on bedding.
I still have awful indigestion!
I feel a little more uncomfortable than I had imagined I would at this point.

Other than that this pregnancy has been such a blessing and so smooth! Just praying for a smooth and healthy delivery!

Showers Galore!

2010-06-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I did not do a post yet about the AWESOME shower my friends recently threw for me. Unfortunately I did not get the bulk of my pictures taken with my camera, but will post some soon. My friends April, Stephanie, and Jessica threw me such a wonderful shower a couple of weeks ago and I got some really awesome stuff! I could not be more thankful for friends who thought enough of us to do such a wonderful thing. We are soooo blessed that Emersyn will be loved by so many!!! And we could not imagine better friends to raise her around! Thank you to all of my sweet friends!

This week it is pouring... I have 3 showers. One tomorrow at school, one on Saturday with my Academy soccer team, and one on Sunday at our church! I will update all the pictures Sunday evening from all the showers thus far :)

Introducing....

2010-05-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

Our sweet girls first photo session in mommy's belly! Yesterday we went over to Clinton farms for our photo shoot and it was fabulous! I don't want to say much more because I think the pictures say it all!

Maternity Pics

2010-05-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Jonathan and I had out maternity pictures tonight with a photographer who happens to be a friend of ours from church! Let me just say it was a fabulous experience. I hope the pictures turn out as fabulous as our experience! One of my reservations was that I hope I don't look like a beached whale. And those who have been pregnant before can probably in some way relate to the feeling of at least feeling a little bigger than you do when your not pregnant. So that being said I was a bit worried about that and did not want to wait to much longer since every one is saying I look full term now :) Anyway, Emily our photographer did an amazing job at making me feel comfortable and almost every time she got a shot she would say "oh my gosh that was SO cute" etc. She was also very complimentary of me, which helped take the edge off of feeling uncomfortable with this HUGE belly! She had AWESOME and creative ideas and brought the cutest letters for her initials that you will see in some of the pictures. She was SO awesome she said she would probably have them edited tonight and have ready on CD for Jonathan in the morning!!!! YAY! Check out our facebook (Jonathan's) for a sneak peak because she said she might have some up tonight!!!!!

To much? Too little?

2010-05-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

I am doing to much and she is to little! So since last Thursday I have been having what I suspect to be braxton Hicks contractions much more frequently than I was. That being said Jonathan insisted I call the doctor because I am having them when I go from sitting to standing, standing to sitting, walking up and down stairs, rolling over in bed etc.so to my surprise Dr Galloway wants to see me in the morning for a non stress test and a fetal fibronectin test and an ultrasound. I'm positive everything is ok, but I have a hunch I am doing way way to much! I think he is also going to do another ultrasound! So I'm hoping ill get another sweet picture of her profile! We do hope you will lift us up in your prayers that all is ok! I have a peace about it, but of course I want everything to be ok! Other than that our sweet girl have been moving up a storm the past couple of days! She is already a mover and a shaker! But even though she kept me up for 2 hours last night I love every minute of it! I'm so ready to see her sweet face and kiss her whenever I want! We have just 3 more months to go and I have a feeling it might fly by because that's just how summers go as a teacher!

Her Letters Came!!!!

2010-05-13T19:20:00.001-07:00

They finally arrived after what seemed an eternity...Emersyn's letters came today and I just can't stand just how precious they are. I had them custom made for a VERY affordable price compared to what is out there from a seller on Etsy (I'm addicted, that's a whole other story). Anyway they came today and as soon as I got home I just had to hang them. I decided they needed some ribbon (which I could have had them come with for free but thought I wanted to do something different, so elected not to have the ribbon). So I tied some make shift ribbon on each one, which will probably change when I buy some I actually like ( I Love the light pink, but the dark pink probably won't match when the bedding gets here) Anyway, I have some pictures below which to me make it look a little bare...but in real life the wall does not look so empty even though there is a crib and wood letters on it. Oh also the little frames on each side I got from hobby lobby and love them too. That being said I need some opinions...

1. Should I just leave it as is (alternating light pink and green and a different type of dark pink ribbon on the letters)

2. Take the two frames from hobby lobby down (give them a new place in the room) and buy some molding and have jonathan make a "frame around the letters and paint a light pink background inside the "frame"? I'm not sure if that makes sense but it would be like the letters are in a large antique white frame and the background in the frame would be a pink color to contrast with the green wall outside the frame and the antique white letters.

Anyway I feel like it is slowly coming together. Just waiting on the bedding!!!!

PS I am looking for a traditional rounded back rocker with spindle back that I can paint antique white and put matching cushions in. If anyone has an old rocker like this they want to give away or sell for cheap just let me know. I want something to sit in her room to nurse her, but not something big and bulky. My parents neighborhood is having a neighborhood yard sale this weekend and Im going to start my hunt there. At first I was not going to get a rocker for her room, but I really love the room and want to enjoy it while I nurse her, not just walk in there to change her clothes!

Interesting Comments

2010-05-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

So I'm curious what it is about pregnant women that make people say just about anything. Do let me preface this with I do have a bit of a thick skin and pretty much all the comments have not really bothered me. But in the past couple of days I have had A LOT of people say things like "now when are you due? Oh, I didn't know you had that much longer." "Are you sure there aren't two in there." "Your probably going to have a big baby." And yes, my mother's infamous line "how much bigger can you get?" Yes sweet Emersyn is growing and I am so happy for that. As long as she is healthy they can tell me I look like a cow, but I measured right on track at my last appointment. 24 cm at 24 weeks, so I'm not to worried. I have put on more weight than I wanted to at this point, plus she just seems to be growing straight out, in addition to the fact that I have an EXTREMELY short torso. So anyway, I was just curious what makes or invokes people to say these things, because you never know when it's someone's bad day, or they are just over it, especially when they are pregnant. I certainly hope I will be cautious with my words around others and sensitive to how they may take a comment even if they are not pregnant... maybe that is the real lesson here.

Kingsland Georgia

2010-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's frankly in the middle of NOWHERE! But I found it somehow... My girls soccer team is playing in the second round of state against Camden High School tonight at 5:00. We traveled down last night after I got the approval from Dr. Gallow to travel 6 hours. We definitely had to make it a 2 day trip becauase there was no way I could ride in a car for 12 hours in one day. So we are relaxing until it is time to go to the fields! Anyway I was suffering from some edema (swelling) and had a regular appointment scheduled with Dr. Galloway yesterday and he said everything looked great except that I got a little hungary and I'll be honest I was never sick in the beginning, but was not all that overly hungrey. Somewhere between 5 and 6 months my appetite just EXPLODED!!!! I'll be walking a lot more, and eating a lot more fruit the rest of this pregnancy as well as cutting out ALL sweets. I know it's a little extreme, but my health is so important and if I had just done that from the beginning I would not have put on the extra pounds. Anyway enough about my weight, back to the swelling. Since I am up on my feet at school a lot I noticed some pretty extreme swelling starting Friday which really concerned me about traveling so far. So I started drinking LOTS of water and keeping my feet up. Then I saw Dr. Galloway and he suggested I get a pair of the old granny socks and I thought "great, just what I need" but I got a pair and let me tell you how great my feet look. They just about COMPLETELY took the swellilng away. I could see my ankles again! I only have about 3 1/2 months left and I just can't wait for her to get here!

Lost in the abyss

2010-04-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Or at least that is how I feel with my insanely busy schedule...so busy I really need to go now and clean some of the house...but I have lots to catch you up on, I have not forgotten to post the sweet ultrasound pictures we got a couple of weeks ago or the beautiful crib that arrived last Monday! Her letters are being shipped this week and Mrs. Shirly is going to start on her bedding by the end of this week too! So maybe in about two weeks we will almost have her nursery done!

PS. I have to go to Valdosta on Wednesday and wanted you guys to keep safe travel for me, the baby and the soccer team in your prayers! I'm a little nervous, since one of my U9 soccer moms told me to be careful that she almost "lost" hers making a trip to Michigan when she was pregnant! It is only 4 hours down, so we might be stopping every hour just to strech!

Special Delivery!

2010-04-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about the delivery of our crib TOMORROW! It is the second to last piece of furniture for Emersyn's room! I dropped off all the material at the seamstress's house last Wednesday. She had some prom dresses to work on and then she will start our bedding. She is going to do an amazing job! So tomorrow the crib arrives and all I have to put in it is her mattress, but hopefully soon we will have some bedding! I also custom ordered her wall letters that will be in antique white with sanded edges and should arrive in a week or so, I ordered them from a lady on etsy and they were less than half the price for the exact same thing from Dimples and Dandelions (one of my favorite places to get ideas, I say ideas because they are outrageously expensive). Then we have to get her book case which matches her dresser. I am looking for antique white baskets that I am making liners for to put her books and toys in to start with. Pottery Barn delivers and sets up the crib for you which is amazing!!! The final touch will be the molding that Jonathan will get to sometime later in May or June...he is in the middle of a stage redesign at the church (which looks amazing) and so I have not bothered to bother him with it just yet. We also have a friend who is going to come in and do some custom molding/artsy work above the other molding we are putting on the wall!

Spring Break

2010-04-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

Spring break was so relaxing it gave me summer fever. But I am not to anxious about starting school back tomorrow, because all we have are 3 weeks till EOCT and then after that 3 weeks until...schools out for summa!!!! I spent the week pretty much relaxing.

Monday we had our utlrasound then we went home and washed our cars.
Tuesday I went up to Cumming to see my sister's new house and it is so adorable!
Wednesday I just relaxed, cleaned the house, and met a friend for lunch.
Thursday had morning soccer practice with my little ones and then went and registered at Target, had lunch with the parents, then worked on some baby presents for a friend.
Friday Jonathan and I just relaxed then met some friends for dinner.

I love having the time off that being a teacher affords me :) Thank goodness for these weeks otherwise America would not have ANY teachers :) Ok maybe there would be some crazies left who would not need the break.

I kinda see things winding down from here which is good and I am so looking forward to the summer!

Baby Thumps

2010-04-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't feel more blessed about the stage of life Jonathan and I are experiencing right now. We are having lots of fun waiting for the sweet arrival of our little one. Just wanted to share what life at 21 wks is like:

Belly is just a growing and people finally recognize me as being pregnant!
Still feeling all her little kicks and punchs
Felt her nudges on the outside a couple times
Daddy has still not gotten to feel her kick
Saw my belly move when she kicked for the first time last night! So crazy.
Could not LOVE pregnancy more! I really mean that. I could write a whole post on how beautiful it is. Now you see I said PREGNANCY, we have yet to get to a delivery...
Feet have started to swell with the heat
Still have lovely indigestion (I know it only get's worse) but gosh that hair is going to be beautiful ;) She has SO many sweet bows to put in her hair already!
Belly itches A LOT!
Sleep...oh you mean I'm supposed to be getting sleep??? lol Sleep is hot, and oh so uncomfortable. Still have not found a comfortable position.
I definitely get tired a lot easier.

I guess that is it for now. Still have to post the pictures from the ultrasound and I want to post some pictures of some recent gifts she has received.

Some things for her room

2010-04-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

We had our 20 wk appt today along with our ultrasound and EVERYTHING was perfectly healthy, praise God! I will update with all those details in another post as soon as Jon scans the pictures.

Since Dr. Galloway reconfirmed we indeed are having a sweet little girl, here are some more pictures of things for her room.

I found the growth chart (pick with cream polka dots) at hobby lobby. The knob was also from hobby lobby. I bought the silk material, sewed it to hang it from the knob!
I will admit, I made the curtains a while back (hoping for a little girl someday soon) and I have had these up for some time. The panels are just gorgeous and her bed skirt will be made out of the same material.
Here are the fabrics for here room. The green plaid material and pink material with polka dots are going to be her bumper. The interior of the bumper will be the green plaid and the pink polka dot material will face out. The dark pink silk material will be the bumper ties and the light pink silk with the knots will be her bumper. The 3 other materials you see I have not made my mind up what I want to do with as of yet.

Ordered her crib today and CANT wait for it to get here!

It's Been a While

2010-04-01T19:31:00.001-07:00

I feel like I have not even opened up blogger from my home computer in weeks. We or should I say I have been sooo busy and Jonathan has as well to an extent. I thought I might just update bullet style to make things easy:

Soccer is crazy. 8 games in 5 days...way too much for a pregnant woman. And yes, I had a breakdown in the middle of it all. My poor husband.
Spring break can't get here fast enough.
Looking forward to Easter
Have my 20wk appt Monday 4/5 and ultrasound (the one where the doc looks at all the parts and tells you the gender if you want to know) We know he will be confirming a girl :)
Emersyn is MOVING like crazy. From tiny little kicks (sometimes aimed at mommy's bladder) to summersaults. Movement is still somewhat infrequent, but I know she is on the move constantly and if I feel it depends on how she is positioned. Most of the time her little kicks are down low. When she twists and turns it feels so strange, like she is pushing on my abdomen and I can feel right where she is.
Plan on ordering the crib next week.
Taking the crib bedding to the seamstress on Monday after my appointment.
Still have some work to do on the nursery (molding on the walls, order crib and bookshelf) but I intend on doing a lot of organizing and cleaning over spring break.
Back hurts like CRAZY. Love the ligaments that stretch out!
Found SUPER cute crochet hats at Hobby Lobby for SUPER cheap only 3.99 and I saw one at Kid to Kid consignment for 18.00 once. So you can't get much better than Hobby Lobby.

A Tour of My Nursery

2010-03-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

From Emersyn Kate Underwood as your tour guide...

First I want you to know that my mommy updated/edited the blog titled "The Nursery a Work in Progress" so check it out...

She quickly pulled out all the girl things she had set aside in her "hope closet" for me when I finally cooperated with her and revealed my femininity.

Here is my dresser and some cute things mom had set aside for me already! I love it! We just have to talk daddy into the antique white crib that mommy LOVES. He doesn't think black and white furniture will look to great...but mommy does.

Here is view of some of the things on top of my dresser. If you look close enough you can see me in the frame behind the booties when I was 9 1/2 weeks old, mommy has a newer picture she has to put in there. I think I look much prettier in the newer picture, or at least mommy thinks so. The beautiful white and green burp cloth is a gift from our dearest family friends and god sisters Chloe and Gray.
Mommy made these frames even before God blessed her with me. The piggy bank is a gift from my Nana (my daddy's mom). The lamp stand behind the frames mommy bought on sale at pottery barn outlet even before I was in her tummy...she must have really had a hunch I'd be a girl. She has a beautiful cream ruffle shade on the way!
These are some of my mommy's favorites, courtesy mostly of Nana. I will probably always have one in my hair or on a headband. The dress form is yet another thing mommy bought before my time that she had in mind to use one day when her little girl came along.
This will probably get covered with some of the material my mom is using for the crib, but for now she just changed the background behind the pictures with some scrap book paper she had that matches my room. The beautiful light switch cover she got at hobby lobby, I think before or right around the time God blessed her with me.

Back to Baby's First

2010-03-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

So Jonathan and I went back to Baby's first this Saturday to see if our little pumpkin would cooperate. Boy has this baby grown. I had noticed to over the week that my belly had a growth spurt and you could even tell on the ultrasound. The baby was in a different position than I expected. Head was up near my belly button and feet are positioned downward. The lady had no where as much trouble getting the baby into a position where we could tell the gender and she stopped the ultrasound a couple times to show us....IT'S A GIRL. I think when we went last time it was still just a bit early and we had such a hard time getting that baby to flip over. I kinda had a gut feeling all along even before we got pregnant that our first would be a little girl, so when she told us she "thought" it might be a boy last time, I was shocked and thought wow God you do have a sense of humor. I had gone the next day to pick out a few "boy" things since Marshall's had some REALLY cute things on sale and I had the strangest feeling like it just felt so odd to pick out boy things. Then yesterday when she told us I had such a peace in my heart. When I sat down for my morning devotion Saturday morning I chose Psalm 20 to focus on and it was all about God answering the requests we submit. With a child come many requests and thus far our God has not failed us and we know he never will. We are over joyed and elated to know we have little Emersyn Kate on the way!!! She will be the light of her daddy's eyes and I think her mom might LOVE playing dress up with her, besides she already has a TON of hair bows (courtesy her Nana, Jonathan's mom) for all that hair that is giving her mommy some terrible indigestion!

A Work In Progress...The Nursery

2010-03-16T19:21:00.001-07:00

Finally chose some of the furniture for the nursery this weekend. We found some beautiful Thomasville antique furniture (a dresser and a book shelf). Jonathan liked it too and gave me the go ahead to get the dresser. I have plans to purchase some light pink knobs with white stripes on them for the drawer pulls from pottery barn kids when he finally consents...he thinks it might look cheesy. I think it will be SOOOO cute on the black and really pop!

Other plans for the nursery include:

1. Found a crib I love...from pottery barn kids that I have had picked out for months, even before we got pregnant, but Jonathan does not think it will go with the black chest and armoire we have in the room. This crib converts into a toddler bed and full size bed.

2. Molding around the wall that I am not sure what it is called, but it's not wainscoting. It will be so beautiful and open up the room.

3. Crib bedding I have also had picked out for some time. It is all in fabric that I bought from Hobby Lobby. I have had the curtains made since last spring. I'll probably be sewing the bed skirt myself as well as the bumper. My MIL is perfecting one at her house right now so we will see how that turns out...looks pretty cute so far, then we will tackle this one once the crib is here.

The drawers are almost put together!

He is such a good daddy!

Yep that's his foot. He had to contort himself to get some screws in place!

So fun to see it somewhat come together. (Keep in mind that pretty blue sign DID turn to pink, and yes I do have a pink w/ white polka dot piggy bank that DID replace that one since it's a girl) My gut instinct was right...I'll know to trust it better in the future.

I plan to do a collage of pictures of the baby around the sign and of course put a lamp and some other cute things on the dresser top.

Any suggestions as to how to organize things in the drawers? I want it super organized so it's easy to give Jonathan directions to get things for me ;)

16 Weeks

2010-03-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

It had been a long day and I was done with my hair in my face, so that is why it's pulled back and I look sloppy. But this one is for you sister. I'll try and keep updating. I once swore before I was pregnant I would update weekly and all the time and often wondered why others didn't. I just thought that it was so neat to watch someone's belly grow, but when it's you and you feel like you look borderline pregnant and borderline fat, you think twice before you go posting pictures! But it is worth it! People are finally starting to say things ("oh your expecting") so I am feeling a little more comfortable with my new look.

This happens to be one of my favorite shirts. I got it from motherhood and they still have it. So for my pregnant friends, it might just be on sale now!

Does the pee test work??

2010-03-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

Since we did not get to find out for 100% if we have a boy or girl in the oven, we thought we would try the IntelleGender test. Yes it is a pee test that turns a certain color based on a chemical reaction that indicates the gender you are carrying. I have heard from most people that took it that it was accurate...but who knows for sure. But here are our results...

Our Sweet Baby E...maybe Elijah?

2010-03-11T17:53:00.000-08:00

Most of you know that we went this past weekend to have an ultrasound at Baby's First Images to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. But we only go a couple glimpses and a verdict that was not 100%...but that it is likely a boy. But if you talk around you will soon learn all sorts of fun stories about people being told the sex of their baby was one, then to find out from a later ultrasound or at birth it was another. That being said I am leaning more towards a boy, even though in the very beginning I was completely sold that it was a girl. Either way we are beyond overjoyed that we have a little one on the way and we are elated with what ever God chose to bless us with. Here are some pics from the weekend.

Me and Jonathan (I think we were both a bit anxious but excited).

Lauren, Mom, Ginny and Gray, Christine and Reagan

Afterwords, a little disappointed we didn't find out for sure. Jonathan, Christine, Me, Mom, Shannon, and Elizabeth and Reagan.

Our sweet baby. You can see in this picture baby is face down. Perfectly shaped head and sweet little back.

Somebody did a summersault during the ultrasound, now baby is face up. You can also see an arm and little toes down in the right hand corner.

Head and body shot.

Just head with its arm up near it's face and if you look at the very top you will see what looks like 4 little dots, those are sweet fingers, wonder if our little angel will be a thumb sucker???

Baby is moving!

2010-03-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

So the week before our ultrasound on Saturday I started feeling these sweet little taps (just like Im feeling as I type this) in my lower abdomen. I was feeling them kind of off to the side just a small bit, and they are somewhat random, but definitely distinguishable. So we went to the appointment on Saturday to find out the gender, the lady was spending most of the time on the side where I was feeling what I thought to be movement where the legs and feet were. So I am pretty sure that I am feeling this little baby moving around. I can't wait till it gets more noticeable and frequent. Until then, I will just enjoy my 16th week and be grateful we have a precious little one on the way!

It's A BOY...

2010-03-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

We think! We had a gender determination ultrasound yesterday at Baby's First Images. I really had not put much thought at all into whether or not this baby was going to cooperate and as we walked into the room expected this baby would be proud enough either way to show its momma and daddy "the parts". Well it turns out our little booger was either shy or stubborn. Im going with stubborn since it does run on both sides of the family;) That sweet little foot sat right in the way the entire time. The lady pushed, poked, prodded, turned me on my sides and still all that baby wanted to show us was a side view of a leg and a foot. Guess right now "he's" more proud of those appendages than the other. However, we got some nanosecond glances of what we suspect and the ultrasound tech suspects are "boy parts." I asked her to let me guess once we got a good glimpse (which we never did) and she asked me what I thought from what we were seeing and I told her I thought it was a boy. She agreed. So we are steering towards boy currently. We will get to go back in 2 weeks for free and hopefully they can confirm it. Even though it was disappointing to walk out not knowing 100% either way it was such a miracle to see that precious angel. We got the DVD of the whole session (for free the lady forgot to ring it up and she said don't worry about it). I did everything "right", I drank my doctors recommended amount of water, I even drank some tea before hand to get baby moving...but God evidently wanted a laugh yesterday! We don't mind giving Him a laugh since He chose to bless us with this unbelievable miracle. The baby looked beautiful and was moving up a storm for us, just not his little foot.

The Votes are In!

2010-03-04T18:08:00.000-08:00

So the science teacher in me just had to incorporate the fact that we are going to be finding out the gender of our sweet baby on Saturday to my biology class. So their ticket out the door today was to tell if they thought that the baby has two X chromosomes (a girl) or an X and a Y (a boy). So they had to know which was for a boy and which was for a girl to cast their vote. I thought at least you would see the votes swayed in one direction or another, but oh no! Smack down the middle. Half said girl, half said boy. Guess we will find out soon ;)

Impact or lack thereof

2010-02-22T17:00:00.001-08:00

Today has been one of the most frustrating days I had in a very long time. Not much has gone right starting at about 3:30 today. I had a frustrating day with my high school soccer crew in addition to a couple other frustrating things. We started out with team pictures NOT a soul on the team remembered that we had. Then could not get anywhere to practice the day before our biggest region game (the gym was not open and the fields were not in any shape to get practice on). I also had players who have committed to my program miss practice today for reasons unacceptable. One of the things that crossed my mind as the frustration in me mounted was, why do I devote my precious time to others just to have it disrespected. It is so frustrating to pour your self into something and see little to no return. I know that sometimes I allow things to frustrate me more than they should (and I assume lately it is compounded by my pregnancy), but it is so easy to sit back and think that I don't have time to put up with some of this junk that comes with all the things I currently have my self committed to. It is not worth my time or energy. But I think deep down there is a better more godly way to look at all of this. And I'll be honest in the heat of it and even currently it is difficult to see. But it even ties into something else that I want to post about ("The impact or lack thereof we have on others"). Even though I may feel frustrated and see no return currently does not mean that God is not doing his work. I have to remember that He has me here and committed to these things for a reason. And when days like this come I certainly need to remember I am working for him, not for other people. And all the time I am devoting is not for nothing. I will go ahead and share here why that is...I also have a u9 academy soccer team that I am working diligently to teach the team concept to. They really like to get comfortable in their "favorite" positions on the field and are often times bribed by parents to score goals. When this occurs a player who might be an all star keeper (the best in the academy) is definitely not going to want to play in the goal when she knows that if she can score goals she will get paid by mommy and daddy. So this weekend at our tournament I had a couple reluctant responses when I assigned positions. One in particular did not want to play in the goal (where her team needed her most) because there was incentive to score goals. Would it not make sense that there was incentive to stop goals??? That being said, I looked at the girls and explained to them very sternly the importance of being a team player and playing where they were needed for the team sake. I even had this conversation twice with them. That being said we wound up winning the YMCA Academy Icebreaker Championship this weekend. I will say I was frustrated with getting the team concept across to them (which most get) because some were just not getting it based on their response and attitudes (yes, they are 8 and 9 years old). But after we won as I was leaving my little goalie ran up to me and hugged me and left me with these words "Coach Anne Marie, Thank you so much for helping me learn today." Now this is the same child who was having some difficulty understanding why I ask them to play certain positions etc along with a few others she was not alone. So even though frustration may come with the job, God is still working and as long as what I am doing is with a pure heart and I am allowing God's work to be done and remembering it is all about Him and not me, maybe the frustration will lessen, maybe it won't, but just maybe others will see Him.

Only 2 Weeks

2010-02-19T19:08:00.000-08:00

So far pregnancy has been mostly what I had expected. Nothing but complete joy. I know not everyone has as "symptom" free of a pregnancy as I have and my heart goes to those who have a harder time enjoying it. I have really started to see my belly change. It's still not huge, but definitely growing. More people are starting to notice, so I think I am coming out of the in between stage. Most things I have experienced I have expected, but there are a couple that have come as a surprise. Mostly how asymptomatic I have felt. No sickness or crazy symptoms that are strange. The other has currently slipped my mind as I type this. Hopefully it will come back. But for the most part things are going well in week 14! We have just 2 short weeks until we find out if we are having a boy or a girl. I am so elated. For the most part of this pregnancy I have thought along with several family members that we are definitely having a girl, however, the other night I had my 3rd dream about the sex of the baby and all 3 dreams I have dreamed the baby is a boy. But today at school I saw Ms. Marilyn our sweetheart of a custodian who is just like a grandma who has been predicting the gender of babies for a long time. I was just dying to know what she thought about me, so I just had to ask her. I didnt say a word to her about what I thought or any dreams I had, for that matter she did not even know I was expecting until today. She has predicted correctly both of the other science teachers babies, so I thought it would be cute to find out what she thought....drum roll...She says it's a GIRL!! I have been searching for a while for one of those poll things you can link to your blog but kind find one and would love to know what you would vote just for fun. So if you like, you can leave a comment with what you think...and leaving a comment with one boy and one girl is not gonna fly!!! There is ONLY ONE baby in there!!!!

A Bunch of Nothing Post

2010-02-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

This post is about a bunch of nothing, but I just felt like posting. This week flew by just like the week before since soccer has started. We have been so very busy and had out first high school game this past Thursday. It was actually a scrimmage against South Paulding High School. The girls did well. We used the scrimmage to get a taste of who we have and where we have them as far as positions are concerned. We scored the first goal and it was definitely one of the most beautiful goals I have seen and I don't think we could have started the season off better. My defensive midfielder took the ball down the left side of the field and crossed it to my right outside mid who scored off a header! We saw the things we needed to fix and I was satisfied with that being that it was just a scrimmage. South Paulding has stepped it up since the last time we saw them 2 years ago. Other than that we had a relaxing Friday off. Monday I am headed for my 13 1/2 week appointment with Dr. Galloway. I need to let him know about my rib ailment. Back when I first got pregnant I helped Jonathan carry our ottomon up to the bonus room in addition to having been coughing up a storm. Well about a week later I noticed a pain in my ribcage area and sure enough I had a rib out. Well I have been sneezing up a storm this past week and I am feeling it again. My fear is that once this baby grows that rib is going to have a tough time staying in place and the last thing I want to do is waste maternity leave on a silly rib! I will say it is a strange feeling and not one I expected to deal with until the end of my pregnancy and at that I thought our baby would just mistake my rib case for a soccer ball :) Other than that there is not to terribly much going on. I do have a post coming shortly remembering a precious student of mine.

Our First Purchase

2010-02-08T18:50:00.000-08:00

We were looking around the other day and came across a gender neutral stroller that we thought was cute at Babies R Us and said "oh we will probably register for that one." But in the back of my mind I remembered I had seen another one I really liked at WalMart. So I just happened to get online at Babies R US and saw they had the same stroller and it was on clearance from 260.00 to 167.00. Jonathan said go ahead and order it since we could use it either way and it was such a good deal. So I went to order it and low and behold it is out of stock because Graco is no longer making this travel system "pattern." So I did some checking around and found it for even less than what Babies R Us had it on clearance for. I know it's early, but I just loved it and so did Jonathan (so that means he won't mind pushing it :) We think it's super cute!

His Love Is So Deep

2010-02-04T19:04:00.000-08:00

The rhythm your heart makes is such a blessing to my ears. Fast and steady, nothing less of a reminder of the awesome and merciful God we serve. Unworthy of furthering His kingdom, yet He promised and blessed us with your precious life. To take care of, for this short time we are here on this home away from home.

Father, I don't have the words to thank you for this life you perfectly form inside of me. What a sweet journey you have us on and we praise you for allowing us to witness such a beautiful miracle. May Jonathan and I honor you as we take this path you have before us and may your kingdom receive ALL the glory!

It seems so fast

2010-02-03T18:26:00.001-08:00

So I have made it to the 12 week mark in my pregnancy. So far this pregnancy could not be more of a blessing and seems to be flying by.

At 12 weeks:

no nausea
tender body parts (really not that noticeable)
indigestion (hopefully a head of hair)
ready for bed by 10 pm (sometimes earlier)
my skin has been really clear
we have heard the heartbeat
we have seen the precious little baby via ultrasound
definitely have the "bump" going on
have the names picked out (1 boy name and 1 girl name)
purchased our travel system (post to follow)
am SO ready to get the nursery cleaned out (only 4 weeks until we find out boy or girl)

My Life As I Know It...

2010-01-31T10:19:00.000-08:00

Is about to go from a little busy to insanely busy. I am typeing this post mainly to reach out to my prayer warrior friends because of the special place in life God currently has me. Usually about this time of year I am diving head first into soccer and in a couple of months you would usually see a post about how I just dont know how I juggle it all. But this year is very different for the special gift I carry inside me. If you know me well, you know I love (ok don't really love) a full plate. Which I manage to fill up all on my own, then stand back and say "oh my goodness, what was I thinking????" I say all that to also say I really enjoy some of the things I currently have going on in my life. Coaching soccer, getting gifted certified, teaching etc. That might not sound like much just looking at the list of three things, but here is what a typical week will look like:
Monday: Big girl soccer 4-5:30, Little girl soccer 6-7:30
Tuesday: Gifted class 4-6:30 (actually a welcomed break from soccer)
Wednesday: Big girl soccer
Thursday: Big girl soccer 4-5:30, Little girl soccer 6-7:30
Friday: Thank goodness a day off unless I have a high school game
Saturday: Little girl soccer games
Sunday: Some little girl soccer games (hopefully not many)

This does not include the many high school games I will have during the week. This will start tomorrow and last through May.

So my hopes are that I will make it through the spring season, not stressed or overwhelmed. First and foremost this baby's health is most important. So my prayer is that if something has to go I will have a peace about it. Both soccer teams bring in an income, so whatever God decides, I know he will provide. Another thought in the back of my mind is that I will be in my second trimester next week, so the majority of the spring season will be during my second trimester and I want to be able to enjoy this part of my pregnancy. I couldnt wait all my life for this and the last thing I want is to have my pregnancy on the back burner while I run around like a chicken with my head cut off.

I guess this is the beginning of those "changes" that everyone talks about. But it is such a good change and very welcomed. I'm sure my desire to be a mom will also help me prioritize.

This Weekend

2010-01-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

Jonathan and I had an awesome weekend. Friday night we had supper club at a friends house and it was so much fun as usual. We always try to have some time of devotional and Friday night we shared praises and prayer requests and will be lifting all of them up as the week goes on. Jonathan and I are SOOOO blessed to have such a good God fearing circle of friends. Our friends Mick and Stephanie are friends after my own heart, they served us only my most favorite food in the whole world and who our son might just happen to have a middle name that sounds a lot like the restaurant the food came from, the one and only Hudson's Bar-B-Q! Yum. Ok we are not naming our son (if we have a boy) after Hudson's, but it is a small similarity that I love their food and that name ;) Saturday we got up and had breakfast as usual. Saturday's for some reason have been hard for me, I think it is because it is off the "routine". Who would have thought you would need a routine before the baby gets here. But because I sleep in and don't eat as early I am waking up not feeling so go and our usual IHOP is NOT sitting well. It has become an AVERSION to say the least so I did get Chic-fil-a which was WAY better and did not keep me feeling like crud the rest of the day the way I had the 3 weeks prior. Later that day we headed to my bubbs house for dinner. They cooked us yummy spaghetti and meatballs, then home, to bed, and up for church the next morning. Sunday was relaxing and here I am Monday starting the week all over again :) Yay, Im so glad I have another week to look forward to! :) :) :)

Nicknames

2010-01-20T19:17:00.001-08:00

I never really ever had a nickname growing up. My parents called us by the names they gave us at birth. I didn't get my first nickname (which I am only called by a small precious few) until high school from a best friend, "Annie". I remember that I felt special in a sense to have been given a nickname. Other than that I am just plain ol Anne Marie. Jonathan on the other hand seems to have a million and one nicknames, over half dubbed by his family, but even friends make up nicknames for him all the time. Im not sure he really cares much about a nickname either way. All this to say with a baby on the way, these things come across your mind. In the name selection process you pick names that you fall in love with for one reason or another. Jonathan and I both adore the names we have picked out for our little angel, but I have found when you tell others the names you have picked they seem to think they can start making up nicknames. It is the strangest thing. I guess it falls right in line with "everyone is going to give you their opinion so you can let it go in one ear and out the other." But I feel like names are important and play a role in the person that you are, after all it is part of your identity. If you have seen the names we have picked you would probably have picked up on what people may try to potentially pull with their names. For our daughter her name will be Emersyn. I just love this name, that is why we chose it. I do NOT like the name Emmy. If I did I would have chosen that name. We love Elijah for our son, I HATE ok don't like that word, STRONGLY dislike the name Eli. Again, if I did I would have chosen that name. So I guess I would love to know your thoughts on nicknames, are they fun or is it annoying when people call your child by something you didn't name them? I don't think we will have as hard of a time with Emersyn, but I have a feeling with Elijah, people may try to shorten it. How do you go about kindly making sure people call your child by the right name? I guess this REALLy hits home for me because all through my childhood I was called by the wrong name. That is mainly because my birth certificate read Anne as my first name, Marie as my middle, and Farmer as my last (my dad says mistake on the hospitals part, we did have it corrected my senior year in high school). However, Anne Marie is my first, no middle name, and Farmer was my last. So all my teachers called out Anne Farmer. Every year I had to correct them. I even had some never correct it and call me Anne the entire year. What does that say about someone who does not even take the time to get your name right. That doesn't include the times I was just called Marie, or Anna Marie, or Anne Maria, the list goes on. I don't want my children to go through that and I am confident we chose names that are not that difficult for even someone who has a brain the size of pea. Ok, we know God doesn't make people with brains the size of peas, but we do know people sure can act like their brain is the size of a pea.

Baby E

2010-01-18T17:24:00.001-08:00

Today Jonathan and I had our first trimester ultrasound of baby E (we call the baby "baby E" because either way his or her name will start with E). Our appt. was at 9:30 and they took us straight back, sat me in the chair, put the gel on and there was baby E. Of course I burst out in giggles at the first sight of our first born. I looked right at Jonathan who had a big grin on his face. The baby was moving tons. Every time I would giggle the baby would stop moving, then I would get it under control and the baby would just start kicking and moving her/his arms. That went back and forth for a few minutes. The baby's size was perfect for the due date they have estimated (Aug 21). We also got to hear the baby's precious heartbeat (music to every mommy's ears). The heartbeat was 176 beats per min (girl maybe?). I told the ultrasound tech that I have not been sick a minute (she said boy maybe?) Anyway, overall we were elated to see our little angel. I told the baby she/he could kick mommy all she wants :) It's so reassuring to get to see the precious gift God is growing inside. Whenever I think about how blessed we are I get so overwhelmed. I am so thankful God chose us to carry one of his children and grow them up in His ways. It amazes me how little this baby started and how big the baby will grow. I spent sometime in prayer today for those still waiting on their blessing. Jonathan and continue praying for a healthy baby who grows to love the Lord and we hope you will pray that along side us as our friends.

Baby Names

2010-01-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

Jonathan and I have had a girl name picked out for several years. We have also agreed on a first name for a boy for a couple of years and more recently we finally agreed on a middle name for a boy. Like I have said previously I have daydreamed of being a mom since I was five so naturally its one of those girl things to have names picked out. Amazingly Jonathan didnt think twice and loved our girl name right off. We also pretty easily agreed on a first name for a boy, but I had to do a little convincing for the middle name (which I really would love to be the first name...but life is about compromise ;) so here they are:

For our precious little girl: Emersyn Kate Underwood
For our precious little boy: Elijah Hudson Underwood

I wanted to spell our girl name this way... Emmarsyn (but Jonathan said it would not be pronounced correctly) I liked it because it looks more feminine and if we wanted to call her Emma Kate for a nick name or something we could. What are your thoughts...not sure I could talk Jonathan into my spelling, that is why I have it spelled Emersyn up above (again compromise). I have gone all my life not having my name pronounced correctly because well my mom let my dad name me and what do men know about names??? Just kidding, but he did give me two names for my first name and no middle name. Talk about trying to figure out what to print on your high school diploma;)

How We Found Out...

2010-01-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

So I always love hearing stories about how people got engaged, how they found out they were pregnant, etc. And since this is a time in our lives that I certainly want to document, I thought I would share.

Jonathan and I had been hoping to start our family so as each month rolled around I would anticipate the telltale signs of pregnancy...oh could it be this month? or maybe this month? Month after month rolled around and if you have waited on a baby you understand how it can make you restless. Well several days before I would "really" know my sister talked me into buying a cheap test. I wrestled and wrestled and wrestled with spending the $ only to find out another month was to come and go. But this month I had been praying a lot about God's timing and he had already given me a little glimmer of hope to hold onto. I had not bought a test months previous because I thought well I'll just know when to go buy one eventually anyway. So after resisting, I found a cheap $3.76 test at Walmart and brought it home. Now I this time it is 3 days before I would "really" know and I have no symptoms whatsoever and no real reason to have taken it other than we were hoping we would be starting our family soon. So I got home and spent sometime praying before I took the test and this round my heart truly wanted God's timing for me and Jonathan. I was hopeful it would positive, but at the same time I felt a real peace about knowing God's timing for us would be so much more perfect that I could have planned. So I took the test and kept it flipped over so I could not see the results until they were completely in. After a few minutes I called my sister (who was moral support while Jonathan was working late) and as she sat on the other side of the phone I flipped the test over and was in complete disbelief. I starting saying oh my gosh it's positive, there is a plus sign and my sister is practically jumping through the phone screaming your pregnant, your pregnant. I was still in so much shock and so humbled that God had blessed us this way. So Jonathan came home and I waited for him on the couch. I had a big grin when he came in and he unexpectedly asked what are you mischievously up to? I told him he was going to be a daddy. He got the biggest smile on his face and said it was about time! He has been ecstatic and I couldn't have hoped for more.

You always have these preconceived notions about how things are going to be or how they will feel. Luckily I have not been sick or too hormonal, but just pretty tired. We go for our first sonogram a week from Monday!!! I can't wait!

More like Jesus

2010-01-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,

who walk in his ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor;

blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;

your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.

Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.

May the Lord bless you from Zion

all the days of your life;

may you see the prosperity of Jeruselem,

and may you live to see your children's children.

Psalm of Praise 128

Jonathan and I are about to embark on one of the most amazing phases of life where I believe we are going to truly learn what it means to be more like Jesus. We are going to learn to be less self serving and more selfless. We are going to learn what it is like to have unconditional love for someone in the first second of ever meeting them and even before having met them. Yes we are so blessed and over joyed to share with you that we have one of the most highest honors we believe two can have...after much prayer and petition I can now say, "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him". We are expecting our own little bundle of joy...

I had my first OB visit on December 18th and all was good. They did a head to toe exam. They gave us our due date: August 21st which is Jonathan's birthday. Of course this could change but my gut says they are right on. Our next visit is January 18th and we have our first ultrasound. I am so excited to see that little monkey. It will be good to put a face on the little life making me feel about 3 months bloated, like I have enough indigestion to last me a year, and exhausted enough to sleep for a lifetime....but I wouldnt trade if for the world and I actually feel phenominal to be over 7 weeks into my pregnancy.

The last thing I wanted to make sure that I posted, is how overwhelmed with thankfulness I am for the friends and family who have walked beside us and prayed for us while we have waited for God's perfect timing for us to start our family. We know whole heartedly that God heard all your prayers for us and we feel overwhelming blessed to have you as friends and to be able to raise our children around Godly friends of ours.

More Like Jesus

2010-01-01T19:00:00.000-08:00

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in his ways.
You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.
Thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life;
may you see the prosperity of Jeruselem,
and may you live to see your children's children.
Psalm of Praise 128

I had my first OB visit on December 18th and all was good. They did a head to toe exam. They gave us our due date: August 21st which is Jonathan's birthday. Of course this could change but my gut says they are right on. Our next visit is January 18th and we have our first ultrasound. I am so excited to see that little monkey. It will be good to put a face on the little life making me feel about 3 months bloated, like I have enough indigestion to last me a year, and exhausted enough to sleep for a lifetime....but I wouldnt trade if for the world and I actually feel phenominal to be over 7 weeks into my pregnancy.

The last thing I wanted to make sure that I posted, is how overwhelmed with thankfulness I am for the friends and family who have walked beside us and prayed for us while we have waited for God's perfect timing for us to start our family. We know whole heartedly that God heard all your prayers for us and we feel overwhelming blessed to have you as friends and to be able to raise our children around Godly friends of ours.

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T15:03:00.000-08:00

Wow, is it really here? How fast is time flying? It feels like yesterday school started back. And now it's Christmas eve. This is one of Jonathan's favorite times of year, ok it's his all time favorite and it is mine too besides the warm summer months. We are currently enjoying a fire, wrapping presents, and getting ready to decorate cookies at his parents house. Tomorrow we are off to my families house. It doesn't quite seem like Christmas this year, but I know one thing that is for sure and that is I have not forgotten the beautiful reason we celebrate Christmas (Jesus's birth) and this year even more and so even though it got here really fast and doesn't seem like it should be here yet, I am so thankful and have told him so many times for Jesus coming to us in the flesh so that we may be saved.

I hope that you all have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Our Christmas Tree

2009-12-07T16:25:00.001-08:00

Jonathan and I decorated for Christmas the week of Thanksgiving! I am so excited and everything turned out beautiful. I will have more pictures to come, but here are two to start you off :)

I made the ornaments with the fruits of the spirits on them and they were so easy!

All you need:

1. Set of 12 $3.99 ornaments that are usually 50% from Hobby Lobby

2. Thin paint marker about $2.99 (any colors you like)

3. Ribbon of choice (several different complimentary patterns and colors)

4. Your favorite font from Microsoft Office Word (I looked at the "Curlz" font for these) You can also purchase vinyl letters too if you are not into painting them on!

You can monogram them, put friends names on them or any saying you like.

The Crappy Crud

2009-11-30T14:54:00.000-08:00

Well, I was in denial long enough. I'm finally admitting that I have caught a cold. I hate being under the weather and I don't like to consider my self a sickly person. Im giving this junk 2 more days then Im headed to the doc! My advice...stay away from sick people! That includes me currently.

PS. I got to school today and didn't want to breathe....it was like you could feel yourself breathing in all the germy things the kids bring to school. I think I am going to avoid writing any more passes just so I don't have to touch their agendas for the rest of the semester...hey there are only three weeks left they can hold it!!

Thanksgiving Week

2009-11-27T12:22:00.000-08:00

This week has been absolutely wonderful.

I am thankful for:

My salvation in Jesus Christ
My amazing husband (who puts up with way more than any man should)
My amazing family (both blood and in-law are amazing)
My wonderful friends (especially those who have stuck around for years)
Getting to spend time with friends and family this week
My sweet new little cousin Reagan born last Thursday
Me and my husbands wonderful stable jobs (or atleast they are stable for now)
Having the week off.
Being freed of almost all my responsibilities until February (Gifted Endorsement class and soccer)
And of course a million other things
And the things that God has planned for us that are still to come!

I have gotten to catch up on sleep, cleaning the house, spending quality time with Jonathan, decorating the house for Christmas, and spending time with family this week. Yesterday was pretty busy going from one family to the next so I did not get any pictures, but believe me I'm sure most everyone reading my blog was doing the same as I was....eating lots of yummy food, so I'll leave that one up to everyone's imagination ;)

My love-hate relationship with Black Friday: I love to shop and get AWESOME deals, I REALLY HATE long lines that have rude, pushy, greedy people in them.

Today I got up with my sister and mother-in law and we headed into the mall around 7am, stopped and got doughtnuts on the way in and began our day of shopping. For all you avid black friday shoppers we think we have figured out the best time to go....about 7:30ish you have missed that early morning rush but you still get the great deals. We hit up Khols first saving a total of $350.00 between the three of us. They had fleece blanket for 3.99, great inexpensive gift you can buy and then have monogrammed. We do $10.00 limit gifts with Jonathan's family, so we got awesome deals on the blankets and a metal thermos also $3.99. After Kohls we headed to target for their movie deals. They usually have great movies on black friday for $3.99, $5.99, or $8.99 but unfortunately by the time we had gotten to target there was not a great selection left....but I don't think they had as great of a selection this year as they did last year. After that we headed over to Merle Norman for some Vera Bradley....they had a great deal, where you purchase $100.oo of Vera Bradley and get a free purse. The purse is a $48.00 value and it is gorgeous, which we will be giving to a family members name that we drew for Christmas. One of Jonathan's gifts to me this Christmas is a Vera Bradley duffle bag, so we went ahead and purchased it with 2 other gifts for family and then got the free purse so that was a pretty good deal seeing I had to add a $5.00 gift to reach the $100.00 limit. Then off to the mall where there were a whole lota people. We stopped in New York and Co where they are having EVERYTHING in the store 50% off...but here is the disclaimer if you are an avid NY&Co shopper like myself you would know this is really NOT a great sale for them. They turn over their cloting in sales constantly, so for example a week ago I went in bought a shirt for $10, it was 70% off plus another 15% because I am a teacher. Today because of their 50% off on everything this same shirt originally $36.00 was only 50%. For some reason they have been doing that lately, putting things on and off of sale, but usually their clothing goes on sale pretty quickly and they are pretty reasonably price when they have their sales. I did not buy anything there today, because I know their sales will be better when it is not Black Friday. After that I needed 2 pairs of fuzzy socks from Old Navy originally $5, on sale today for $2.50!!! So I did not break the bank to bad and came home with some pretty good gifts. I'd love to hear some of the great deals you came across today...leave a post if you'd like:)

Wildlife Photography

2009-11-23T13:35:00.000-08:00

This was my attempt at wildlife photography. Jonathan and I were up getting ready for breakfast last weekend and we realized we had a little visitor right outside our bedroom window, well actually we heard him rustling in the leaves before we pulled the curtains back. I actually saw him again this morning running around our back yard. Hopefully he is not causing any damage to our home and just looking cute. He lives right behind our retaining wall. He kept popping his little head up to see what we were doing and I just had to get a picture. It's a little blurry due to operator error, but will do.

Sugar and Spice.....

2009-11-23T13:11:00.000-08:00

And it was REALLY nice...

To all my soccer friends (and all my other friends) who read my blog I am so proud to announce my little U-9 Academy Soccer Team won the 23rd Annual Sugar and Spice Tournament. Finally after playing in this tournament myself since I was 11 years old (take some years off for college, marriage, and a real job) I got to be a part of winning a soccer tournament.

To see the smiles and excitement on 10 little girls faces and send them all home with a trophy was priceless! I hope that they remember some important things from this weekend and a major one being selflessness.

I don't want to harp to much about parents, because I know my parents were there at one point when I played soccer....but parents think they know it all. I even got a phone call from one recently concerned that our team was not playing to their potential after two lost games and how I was planning on fixing that for the tournament. The parent was very kind and the conversation turned out so much better than I had envisioned.

But that being said this is what I tried my hardest to teach the girls this week: That we should always focus on the positives, fix the negatives, work as a team, and ALWAYS give our best. I told them before one of our last games that the team that gives their bests will win this tournament and boy did they play their little hearts out. I am thankful for the impact I have on these girls, and although I might not always "do" what the parents "think" I should, I hope more than anything these girls learn about selflessness, because that is a life lesson that will take them miles down the road. I believe selflessness is the core behind the team concept.

I am so proud of how hard my team worked and hope that if not now, but some day they will reflect on the importance of working together and how that can bring the champion out in all of us.

BEAUTIFUL

2009-11-19T18:48:00.000-08:00

A miracle from conception...isn't she BEAUTIFUL. It's funny how God wakes you in the middle of the night and His spirit guides you to pray. My cousin gave birth last night to this beautiful little angel and I woke up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason and could not stop praying and praising Him for this amazing little gift. She arrived safe and sound and as precious as ever. We are so thankful for his graciousness in blessing our family with this gift and for a safe delivery for my cousin Elizabeth.

Introducing...

Reagan Kate Bishop

7 lbs 8 oz.

19 1/2 inches long.

At 1:20am 11/19/09.