Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Freakout Moment

So today I had a slight freakout moment......I was reading my pregnancy websites that I read every week to do my weekly-ish posts and saw that I only have........15 weeks left!!!!!
So my moment went like this.....I'm reading the page on 25 weeks...I see that it says some people consider this the start of the 3rd trimester....the voice in my head says wow! 3rd tri already?......then I see the part that says 15 weeks left.....and the voice in my head starts going crazy! It says "Okay Erin 15 weeks left? You are fixing to finalize your shower details, you haven't even registered yet, and the nursery is not done! What are you doing??!?!!?!?!" And then I start almost hyperventilating. (Lol) So I call hubby and tell him I'm going to register this weekend, even though he's working. Then I felt better.

Yes, I'm crazy, I know

:-D

Monday, November 22, 2010

Highlight

This has so far been the highlight of my day. I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. It was a forwarded email from a friend. Enjoy....

My Kind of Guy

 
After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target. Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse. Yesterday  my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target.
 
Dear Mrs. Samuel,
Over the past six months, your husband has
caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior
and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints
against your husband, Mr. Samuel, are listed below and are documented by
our video surveillance cameras.
                                
1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking.
                                
2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in house wares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
 
3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom.
                                
4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and  told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in House wares. Get on it right  away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive  a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money.
                                
5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and  tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway.
                                
6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.
                                
7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping  department and told the children shoppers he'd invite them in if they  would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged.
                                
8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they  could help him he began crying and screamed, ' Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.
                               
9.. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose..
                                
10. September 10: While handling guns in  the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
                                
11. October 3: Darted around the store  suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.
                                
12. October 6: In the auto department, he  practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.
 
13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'
 
14. October 21: When an announcement came  over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'
                                
And last, but not least                                
 
15. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no  toilet paper in here.' One of the clerks passed out.
 
 
I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did....have a great day!

Saturday, November 20, 2010

23 Down, 17 To Go!

Once again, I'm late on my weekly post :-) And once again, I will say that I just can't believe that I'm already at 23 weeks! It never ceases to amaze me how fast the time has passed.


There's not much new development going on with Andrew this week. He has reached the point where most systems and organs have begun development, so he is just continuing to develop those and is putting on weight. He is putting on fat and muscle. By the end of this month, he will actually double his weight! He's about 1 pound or just over right now, and about the length of a papaya. Papaya was his size last week also, but at 5 months, he has stopped growing so much each week in length, and has started expanding outward instead. So, now he gets a new fruit size each month instead of each week. All of that fat he is gaining is making his skin less see-through. Right now, all of his organs and bones and etc are visible through his skin. At my last ultrasound, I got a great picture of his leg where you can see the bone so clearly, and one of his profile that shows his spine with great definition. His skin is also red-tinted from the blood flow, but that's not visible from an ultrasound, and it also hangs loosely from his little body. Once all that fat develops he'll be pleasantly chubby though :-)

He is moving around a LOT! His little kicks are getting so strong too! We were laying in bed last night, and all of a sudden my belly jumped!! It was so cool! He gave several kicks that were visible from the outside. He doesn't like to cooperate when other people try to feel him, but soon he'll be big enough that it won't matter. Other people will be able to feel him whether he likes it or not! :-)

I haven't had any new developments this week either really. I had my monthly doctors appointment on Thursday. She said everything looked wonderful. She measured my belly and said it was right on target.

I have got preggo-brain to the max, lol! I forget anything if I don't write it down, and I am a total dimwit sometimes. For example: I couldn't figure out why my heartburn was so bad, because I was taking Zantac every night. I decided to take a look at the bottle, and lo and behold, I should have been taking it TWICE a day! Hahaha...I have gone crazy. So, now that I'm taking it morning AND night, my heartburn is under control, yay!

That's all I've got for tonight, so I hope y'all are having a great weekend!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Facing the Giants

One of my favorite songs is "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns. I love almost all songs by Casting Crowns, but this one really stands out to me.

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand


But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
You you'll never win


But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth


Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand


But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."


But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth


But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me


But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth


I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth

This song just speaks to me in so many ways.

I have always been the kind of person that cares too much about what others think and say. I have to keep in mind all the time that it doesn't matter what they think or say because what matters is keeping my focus where it belongs. Listening to God instead of others. Letting His voice tell me what He thinks of me, and not caring what "their" voices say. Who is "they" anyway, and what gives them any power over me? The truth is that they have no power over me, I give that power to Him.

Then there are the internal giants that I deal with. The lack of patience and tolerance for others is one. I get very impatient and frustrated with other people, when I know I shouldn't. I think to myself, "I can't deal with one more stupid person today." Or I let people get to me when they are just being rude, and I shouldn't let it bother me. Another giant is that I also have fear, of several things. There is the fear, that I mentioned above, of others thoughts. There is also the fear of doing things wrong and screwing up. The giant of condemnation & judgement (of myself & others) is another struggle. I think that much of my struggle with others (their thoughts of me, and my thoughts of them) stems from my internal struggles and thoughts toward myself. I have to establish a better relationship with myself in order to have more welcoming and less judgemental thoughts and feelings. I think I could make that a little easier on myself if I dealt with another giant, not reading Bible as much as I should. Most of these giants would be a bit easier to deal with if I was more consistent and really dived into His Word.

But thankfully, I am blessed to be surrounded by wonderful, caring, exemplary people who enrich my life on a daily basis. My family, by both blood &marriage, and my friends are an endless source of encouragement and strength for me. I thank God every day for them. They help me face down my giants and are with me as I attempt to defeat them. God has really brought a peace into my life lately, and I hope that those around me can tell.

I have been feeling God's movement in my heart for a few weeks now. I think it is borne of a desire to raise my child to be a wonderful and God-fearing man. I don't, of course, plan on shoving things down his throat, but I want to be the example that he desires to be like, just like my parents have been to me. I have been leaning heavily on Proverbs 31 lately, because that is really the woman I want to be. I want to be a blessing to my family, for my home to be an uplifting place, and for me to bring joy and peace to my husband and child.

These are the things that have been on my heart, and I wanted to lay them out for others, so that you might be encouraged, and if you relate, so that you can also join me in the desire to have a closer walk with Him.

Website to Share

Good morning! I just wanted to share a quick article that I just found. It's about sleeping during pregnancy. You can read it here. I thought it helpful and interersting. :-)

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Bananas! & Papayas!

Oops! I forgot to do any kind of update last week...I honestly haven't felt much like blogging, writers block or something maybe. But never fear -- I'm back! :-P Lol! I never posted for weeks 21 or 22, and now it's almost time for week 23! It's going by so fast! He will be here in such a short time!!! So without further ado, here's weeks 21 & 22!

Week 21:
Baby Andrew's growth rate is decreasing, but now he is mainly putting on weight and his organ systems are continuing to mature. Also, buds for permanent teeth are beginning to form. He should weigh somewhere in the range of 10.5 oz, and he should measure just over 7 inches from head to butt, around the size of a large banana. His eyebrows and eyelids are now fully formed, and even though his eyelids are still sealed, his eyes should be very active. His taste buds are formed this week also! So now, whatever I eat, he can taste too! So I better be careful what I eat, cause that might be all he wants when he arrives :-) Supposedly, he still has plenty of room in there, but I sure don't see how. I can't imagine how 7 inches worth of baby (and that's only head to butt, not including legs) fits inside there! I can tell he's getting bigger though, his kicks are getting really strong! Curt has already felt him move, but that was him touching my bare belly. With all my layers of clothes, no one else has been able to feel him yet. I think that should come soon though, it is getting more consistently strong. In the times he is not kicking and punching and dancing, he must be sleeping. He is most likely getting about 12-14 hours of sleep each day for now.

Random facts (from FitPregnancy): 7 in is about the size of a spoon; 10.5 oz is the size bear cubs are when they are born. Haha!! Too cute!

As for me, I feel great still! I do have heartburn, but the medication is still (mostly) taking care of that....if I remember to take it, haha! I am doing good with remembering my vitamins and such, but I forget about the heartburn meds sometimes. I am starting to ache a little when laying in the bed, but it's not too bad. I REALLY need to get one of those preggo pillows. Especially for the weekend, since I (try) to sleep in on those days. Otherwise, the only thing that is an annoyance is the itchiness of my belly! Holy cow, some days it itches so bad I can't stand it! I am using both lotion and Vitamin E oil, but I think that the cold air is making it worse. It's all good though....so worth it :-)

Week 22:
This week, Andrew should be around 8 in long and weigh anywhere between 12-16 oz. A whole pound?!?! Wow :-) He should be (and most certainly is) moving around a lot, and he moves more when I'm sitting or laying down, as opposed to not much when I'm up and moving. This is because when I'm moving, it is "rocking him to sleep". Aww! His sleep should be in cycles by now, which it kind of it, but it also depends on what I'm doing. He is also able to hear and respond to sound, rhythm and melody. It is suggested that I talk and sing to him, and that he'll be soothed by that after he's born. Little do they know, but I've been doing that for a long time! His fingernails are almost fully formed, his lips are distinct, and canines and molars are forming below his gums. His little face should now be fully developed, so no more alien-faced baby here! Although the alien face was adorable too! His brain and nerve endings are developing, so he may be start reaching for his face just to see what he can feel! His grip is getting stronger too, and he may be holding on to the umbilical cord sometimes. Lastly, he's getting hair on top of his head! However, there's no pigmentation to it yet, so it's bright white! :-)

Another fun fact from FitPregnancy: Blood travels through the umbilical cord at 4 mph!

Week 22 for me: The best thing right now is that my food aversions are FINALLY fading! I can now eat almost anything I can think of (although that could be a bad thing, lol) without being grossed out. Of course, that doesn't go for foods that grossed me out pre-preggo anyway. One of the sites I read every week says that the movement and kicking of the baby could start to bother me. Um NO. I think it's the most amazing thing in the whole world, and it doesn't bother me even one bit! Another says that my lungs are becoming squished, which I haven't really noticed too much yet. I do notice occasionally that I seem short of breath, even when I'm sitting down, so I'm wondering if that's when he's sitting higher up. I'm not sure of that though. Also, my belly button may pop out soon. I didn't think this happened until later, like close to the end. I was apparently wrong, lol! I don't want it to do that yet, I guess I'm a little vain...oh well!

The other problem that happened this week is.....I had a KIDNEY STONE! Ugh! That was sooooo awful! I don't know if it was pregnancy related or not, but I thought I was going to die! I've never had one in my life, so it was completely unexpected and I didn't know what was going on. I'm going to ask the doctor at my next visit if there's any particular reason I had one now. I will say though that the triage nurse at my doctors office is the BEST! She was so sweet and caring and helpful. Even though I still had the stone after I talked to her, she made me feel so much better. I have recommended my doctors office to everyone I know that's pregnant! For those who I haven't told: Greater Carolina's Women's Center is the best OB/GYN I know of!

I think that's about it for now, I'm off to the Christmas Show with my mom and sister and friends!! Have a great weekend!!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Things I Think About

I really don't have much to share today, nothing new has happened. I still feel like writing a blog post though so this is what I came up with. These are things that I think about, in no particular order, on any given day really but specifically today.

1. I am constantly thinking (and writing down....and then losing my notes) about what I have to accomplish for the rest of day/week/etc.

2. How in the world am I going to teach my son right and wrong and hoping he turns out okay considering all the mistakes I know I'm going to make.

3. I really hope my car works long enough to get me to my next destination. Hmm...I think about lots of stuff while I'm in the car. I have many deep revelations about myself while driving. I also sing in the car. A lot. Loudly. :-)

4. I need sleep.

5. Oh! Baby kick! :-)

6. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas music. In fact, I spend January through July missing it, July through October anxiously awaiting the day I can play it, and starting November 1, I play it all day every day until the last day of December, and I love every minute of it.

7. I really love my husband. Yeah yeah I know, awwww. But it's true. I am finding myself more and more in love with him every day.

Just a small sampling of what goes through my head on a typical day. I thought I'd share for the amusement of all. :-)