Happy Halloween

Love, 

Our Little Goblin

He's Here!

Surprise!!!! I'm a BOY!

Isaac Edward

Born October 25, 2012 at 6:44pm

9 pounds, 6 ounces

22 inches long

We are absolutely in love with our little prince. We've been resting at home since late Friday night and are doing really well. Many pictures, updates and a birth story to come. 

Not Whining

I try to hold in all my whiny thoughts and feelings when I'm blogging. Aint nobody got time for that.

So I like to think I've only had a handful of whiny pregnancy related posts and that maybe I can cash in another whiny post. Except in my mind, I like to think of this whole post as more of a "check out this mildly humorous connection I've made that just so happens to include a lot of uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms." Lets go with that, ok?

I'm rapidly approaching that 39 week mark. Can you even believe that?! We are so close to finally meeting this little person, which is both exciting and terrifying. But being less than 2 weeks from my due date means that these days are feeling a little slower and heavier and more uncomfortable. Which brings me to my genius deduction:

The Last Two Weeks of Pregnancy are Significantly Worse than the "Dreaded" First Trimester.

Let's compare, shall we?

Symptom #1. Gastrointestinal distress. Sure, in the first trimester you've got that whole morning sickness junk. It's not very fun. And in the last 2 weeks, there's just no room for such a thing as food. And if you put food in said tiny stomach, prepare for heartburn, indigestion, and maybe if you're unlucky, some toilet hugging time. Considering morning sickness can be medicinally controlled, but obviously a pregnant lady's got to eat, I'm going to declare The Last Two Weeks the winner of this battle. And by "winner," I mean not as fun.

Symptom #2. Fatigue. Perhaps you've never experienced fatigue like pregnancy related fatigue. I can remember being so wiped out during my first trimester that I was sure I couldn't put one foot in front of the other. It's not very fun. And then steps in that Last Two Weeks fatigue, which is eerily similar in nature to First trimester fatigue, except for the huge fact that now you're carrying around an extra 30 pounds or so. Winner? The Last Two Weeks.

Symptom #3. Frequent bathroom breaks. So I didn't really have a huge problem with this during my own first trimester. But just remember, in the Last Two Weeks, there's a 7lb baby that's within kicking distance of your bladder which can potentially lead to an awkward situation. Peeing more often vs. peeing on yourself? Winner? The Last Two Weeks.

Symptom #4. Sleeplessness. No contest. The Last Two Weeks.

Factor in jiggly swollen feet, maybe some stretch marks, that whole waddle thing, hip and/or back pain, an inability to reach anything.... oh, and CONTRACTIONS... and the first trimester doesn't sound all that bad anymore. Except it lasts a lot longer than 2 weeks.

Can I get an amen?!

FYI...

Still pregnant.

Waiting

As I sit here in the very early morning hours, unable to sleep due to that strange and ubiquitous pregnancy insomnia, I can't help but feel a flood of emotions. I've moved from the tossing and turning in my wonderfully lovely bed to the rocker in the corner of our baby-to-be's nursery. The house is still and silent with the exception of some little Mauve movements, which are minimal now that she's figured out it's not time to get out of bed. I can hear the leaves rustling in the trees outside the window and I can see my belly moving and twitching with life. So I'll use the next few uninterrupted minutes in the silence to compose a little love note to this little one I've been waiting so patiently to meet.

Dear Baby,

From the very moment I became aware of your existence, my heart has never been the same. Hearing your heart beat and feeling your little arms and legs swim around has rocked me in a way that I would have never known apart from this. My prayers for you have not ceased, imploring our Heavenly Father for health and for life, both physical life and the kind of life that comes from giving over your whole heart to the Lord. My greatest hope and prayer is that you will indeed come to know a joy in Christ that fulfills your very deepest needs and desires and that you will choose to follow Him with all your being. I pray that my heart is prepared for the challenge of teaching, equipping, and caring for you. This task seems so easy these days, as I always know where you are and am assured that you are nourished and protected. But things will certainly change soon. 

I'll be honest, I'm apprehensive about this new chapter. The pair that has been part of my identity for so many years now --almost a dozen!-- will soon be a trio instead. Part of me will mourn the loss of this old way of life, but my grief over a closing door will surely be more than overshadowed by the overwhelming joy you will bring to both of our lives. 

Oh sweet one, we are anxiously waiting for your arrival. The greatest mystery still awaits us. Are you a sweet girl or a handsome boy? Who will you resemble? Will you have lots of hair? What will your little voice sound like? I am riveted with excitement at the thought of meeting you soon, which is a curious paradox considering you've been a part of me from the very beginning. 

You are so loved. 

Showing Love

Sometimes a kind gesture or loving comment can completely restore your faith in humanity.

I love LOVE hearing stories of people who are the recipients of random acts of kindness. Equally heartwarming is hearing stories of people who go out of their way to be kind to others with no expectations of payback. In a world full of selfishness and impatience, it's always easier to just keep our heads down or repay ugly with more ugly. But what if we modeled the idea that Paul shares in Philippians 2 and we look to the interests of others instead of our own interests? Could we all just make it a point to show genuine love to people? I have a few neat little stories that I'd like to share and would love to hear some of your own stories of kindness!

Friday after my OB appointment, I hit up my salon of choice to get my hair cut and color freshened up. It was both long overdue and something I wanted to get out of the way pre baby. Who knows when I'll get another afternoon to drive all the way to Corpus Christi and sit in a chair for 2 hours? So I had a great afternoon relaxing and reading brainless magazines and chatting with the staff and other guests. We spent a lot of the time chatting about babies of course, as this blatantly obvious belly sparks all sorts of questions from other people. And everyone has an opinion on our surprise baby. And everyone wants to know name choices and nursery color choices and honestly, I enjoy entertaining conversation with other moms about this little Baby M. So fast forward to freshly colored, cut, and styled hair. I changed from the salon's smock back into my own shirt and head out to the front desk to pay for my services and the salon manager meets me and gives me some of the most incredible news.

One of the other clients has already paid for my hair cut AND color. 

Blown away doesn't even begin to describe what I was feeling at that moment! It was completely unexpected and absolutely wonderful. I didn't even get the lady's name. There was no ulterior motive behind her kindness and she expected nothing in return. She blessed my socks off and I hope that her heart was full in return.

Another fun story: Earlier this evening I heard a story of a young couple who despite being uneducated (formally, that is) and unmarried, have had a child together. Instead of allowing this unexpected child to be a burden, they're trying to work hard to make the best out of the situation. Knowing their needs and wanting to show this couple some love & encouragement, a college student went out and bought them a sweet set of crib bedding. Just because.

Let all that meld together for a minute. College student. Next to nothing income. Blessing a family by meeting a basic need with no expectations in return. John Piper defines love as "the overflow of joy in Christ that gladly meets the needs of others." How much easier would it be to truly have a positive influence on the people around us by lovingly meeting their needs?

So here's a challenge for you! Make it a point TODAY to do something kind or say something encouraging to a stranger or someone you know is in need.

Baby Shower Numero Tres

If there wasn't enough evidence already that this baby is so very loved, then here's yet another outpouring of love and support. Our church family threw us a beautiful shower and I am once again just absolutely speechless. Jordan and I are so incredibly blessed to be surrounded on all corners and from one side of the country to... well.. Texas with friends and family who truly love and encourage us.  I honestly don't even feel worthy of such overwhelming generosity. 

The Lord has certainly blessed us abundantly.  

The post is going to be pretty picture heavy, as I received almost 300 shots from this shower and have pared them down to just a handful. Many thanks to Laura who was our "official" shower photographer and was nice enough to put up with me as I pulled her all through the house and outside and then back inside to take special pictures with some very special people. I could fill 7 more blog posts with sweet photos and stories of the guests and gifts (but I'll spare you!). 

My sweet sweet friend Bethany was kind enough to open her house for the shower. She and the other hostesses did a fantastic job both decorating and adding little personal touches. On this little table were little cards that each guest could write a message on. I'll put all the messages together in the baby's scrapbook whenever I get around to starting it. 

And here's another fun little touch. Each guest was encouraged to pick either a mustache or a purse to declare their opinion on whether baby M is a boy or a girl! Too cute!!! 

Sweet prayers over this sweet baby.

And here's the biggest and most special surprise of all! My mom flew all the way from Georgia to be at the shower. I was completely COMPLETELY surprised! If you could see my face in this photo, you would see some pretty substantial weeping going on. It was a really special moment that still makes my chest tighten when I think about it.

My sweet friend Jessica and I. She is nice enough to co teach a sunday school class with me. Truth be told, she's really the leader and excels at challenging a group of high school girls each and every week while I sit there like a bump on a log. She's the best and had better watch out for the prayer warriors in our class (who both prayed for her marriage when she wasn't engaged and prayed for my baby when I wasn't pregnant. My guess is that they're praying baby vibes on her too.)

Some (but not all!!!) of the shower hostesses! I think in total there were 19 incredible women who invested their time and talent to bless the socks off of me and this baby. Who incidentally doesn't wear socks yet.

One of my very dearest friends, Catherine. She neither attends our church nor lives in Rockport or anywhere nearby for that matter. She was awesome enough to drive all the way from DFW to be a hostess. Freakin love her.

Another shot of my mom & I

Jordan's mom and sister (and cutie Ava!) were also kind enough to travel into town to be at the shower! 

Here's a shot of the sweet girls who came along to the shower. It's a mixed group of gals who are just coming into the 7th grade and brand new to our student ministry, many who have been growing with us and a few who are in college now but still come around and visit every once in a while! These girls are so stinkin excited about this little one, I think a few of them just might lose their minds completely when baby M makes its appearance! Love these girls!

Don't worry- this is the last and final baby shower post! I just can't say enough thank yous to everyone who was involved. I should add that to my "to-do's before I'm due" list: finish all baby shower thank you cards! I've actually been adding and updating my 35/35 list! It's been nice having a place to keep track of things that I've done and things that are yet to be done. Who would've thought?! 

Baby Shower Numero Dos

What can I say? I have some pretty fantastic coworkers. 

When you work together for 12+ hours straight, you get to know each other pretty well. Labor & delivery nursing can get pretty physically exhausting. It's emotionally draining. Some days are devastating. Situations can be frustrating. And then there are many days that are so fun and full of love and excitement. It's definitely an occupation with really high highs and really REALLY low lows. I am so blessed to be able to walk through both ends of the spectrum (and everything in-between) with some really wonderful women. We really are like a family: we laugh together, cry together and celebrate together!

I was truly blown away by the generosity shown by my sweet coworkers. They seriously about cleared out my registries. These ladies are so incredibly excited about this baby! It's fun to hear their predictions about baby M's gender (the general consensus is girl!... with a few boy votes too). I really have no major worries about my labor & delivery process because I know that the people I work with will be watching us like hawks - making sure everyone involved is safe and happy.

There is never a shortage of laughter when we all get together. 

I was pretty stoked about receiving this gift... It's Jordan's manly diaper bag!

I got a few great shots of the food and decor on my phone and it's currently stone cold dead. Is anyone else having major issues with battery life after the IOS 6 update? Literally my phone doesn't last any longer than 6-8 hours anymore (depending on what i'm doing with it.)

I digress.

This preggo loves cake! It was so cute I didn't want to cut into it!

This is my lovely friend Carin. She has agreed --without hesitation!-- to be my labor nurse. Boy, she doesn't know what she's gotten herself into! Ha! She was kind enough to open up her home to all of us crazy ladies and has been by my side from the beginning (well, 11 weeks in) of this crazy pregnancy journey. When I was envisioning my ideal delivery day, Carin was who I pictured being by my side. 

A great group shot of the L&D ladies! I am so thankful for every single one of them!