37 weeks

I am 37 weeks along now, and time is crawling. The last month of pregnancy is the worst!! I'm very uncomfortable, and big, and just ready to meet our little guy! Okay, enough whining...at least for now.

We are in the final stages of waiting. Within 2-weeks, we will meet our newest addition, and we could not be more excited. Jesse is excited. Ryleigh is excited. And I'm super excited. Last night I had my first real baby dream about our boy. I dreamt about the labor and delivery (which did not look at all like my real-life birth plans) and saw his sweet little face. Again, it was clearly not a real scenario, because he was bald as can be in my dream, and we already know he will have a head full of hair. The final kicker was when he immediately starting cooing and "talking" after birth, saying "my daddy." Haha. I do not foresee that happening in the delivery room... Needless to say, I woke up this morning very excited to truly look into the face of my son. I cannot wait to nestle his little cheek against mine and stroke his back. I want to know if he will have the short/stout build of his mommy and daddy, or if he will be tall and skinny like his big sister. I know time will tell, but man, time is crawling.

A couple of my co-workers took me to lunch this week and gave me a mini-baby shower, with cute little blue clothes, bibs, washcloths, pacifiers, and $$ to "get whatever else I need." It was such a sweet gesture. and meant a lot to me. After many weeks of research, I used the money to order a navy Moby wrap.
I'm excited to try it out, as it primarily has great reviews. I'm sure it will take some practice learning how to wrap the thing correctly around me and feel safe with the baby, but I'm hopeful that once we both get comfortable with the logistics, we will love the freedom and flexibility it brings. I still have my Baby B'Jorn we used with Ryleigh, and I'm sure we will use it later, once he is bigger and has more head control.

This week brought with it another doctor visit. Things still look good, and it appears we are progressing! I am now up 12 pounds total, and the belly seems to have "dropped" even further in my pelvis. (I had kind of assumed that, since my weird pelvic pain has increased again.) When the doctor checked me, I was "almost" 2-cm dilated and 80% effaced. She was very pleased about that, saying we will have absolutely no problem inducing the last week of September...if I make it that far. She did not end up stripping my membranes, but we will try that at next week's appointment and see if it can bring on labor naturally.

Lastly, more pictures. I have been very frustrated lately, feeling big as a house. Every night I stand in front of the mirror and complain about my huge belly. The other night, we had some nice weather so I had taken Ryleigh for a walk. Jesse made a comment about how my "outfit" (tank top and shorts) did not make me look pregnant at all from the back. I have heard this from several people, but its hard to believe when I don't see the back...I only see the massive front! So, Jesse went and got my camera and had me pose for 3 views, so I could "see myself" from behind.

In case you ever wanted to check out my saggy butt... haha. But truly, you cant see the belly in this picture! Nice!
Oh yeah- there it is.

And you certainly can't miss it (or the "outie" belly button) from the front!

Oh well. I guess it could be worse. I was definitely wider with Ryleigh, so I shouldn't complain too much. I'm thankful to be healthy and prayerful for a healthy baby.

We're in the home stretch, and I'm excited and ready. Hurry up, baby boy! Your family is anxious to meet you!

A new family "must-have"

If you remember quite a few posts back, I mentioned that I have enjoyed cooking again and have been trying new recipes. At first, most of those recipes were dinner-oriented, though lately a lot of the new recipes I have tried have been more dessert-based...haha.

Anyway, so while living with my parents this summer before the move, my mom got me hooked on my Granddad's homemade BBQ sauce recipe. It is the perfect blend of spicy and sweet, and it really goes well with anything! I have made it twice since we have moved in and Jesse quickly became obsessed. Literally. I would find him in the kitchen with a spoon, just eating the sauce. Weird, I know.

I have not cooked as much these past few weeks, just being busy with work and traveling back and forth to Houston a lot, and Jesse has been asking about the BBQ sauce, pretty much every other day. No matter what I have made for dinner, he says, "no BBQ sauce to go with it?"

So today I made a double-batch. We had BBQ pork chops and baked potatoes for dinner, and then I "bottled" the rest of the sauce to keep on hand.

Something tells me that once the baby arrives and Jesse is responsible for making more dinners, we will be eating a lot of BBQ....

As long as it is with my Granddad's sauce though, I don't think either of us will mind one bit!

Our new kitchen table!

We got our new kitchen table!

It came at a price...mainly, my pride, but it sure looks pretty, and is worth more than the pride I lost to get it. "Pride?" you ask? Um, yeah.

You see, we had been negotiating the price of this table and chairs with Ashley Furniture for over a month. They were having a so-called 'promotion,' and I just thought it was not much of a promotion. I went back into the store at least three separate times, talking to different people, trying to get someone to work a deal with me. It literally came down to a $100 difference in what I was willing to pay and what they would accept. I had the cash in hand, ready to hand over, and no one would take it. They would not "throw in a chair" or "offer free delivery..." nothing. Basically, they were uncompromising, and I got so angry the last time, I mouthed off to the salesman and swore I would never go back.

(I'm not a crazy woman, I promise. But I do live on a budget. And, I'm potentially a great customer for a salesman, because I have a half-empty house I want to furnish! All I wanted was someone who was willing to work with me and be willing to compromise somewhere in the deal. Know what I mean?)

Anyway, so I swore I would never go back. And so Jesse and I were again at ground zero, starting our search again. We even went to Houston, looking for anything we could find. Nada. Needless to say, I was incredibly frustrated.

SO. Back to me having to swallow my pride. You see, Jesse had planned on doing the Labor Day triathlon for many months. He and several of his friends all signed up together, ready to go kick some major booty together! But then, he got a new job, and we moved, and his training went out the window. He debated about going at all and kept saying that he just wasn't there "mentally." Well, I called his bluff. I told him that I thought he was being prideful, because I knew he was worried about getting his butt kicked by his friends! HA! Guys are so competitive. He admitted it would be hard on his pride, and I told him to get over it, go, and have fun with his friends!!

When he got home from the triathlon on Labor Day, he slyly asked me if I was going to take advantage of the Labor Day furniture sales. I kind of looked at him like he was crazy and reminded him that we had no options. He suggested I go back to Ashley and try one more time. I argued with him for a few minutes, saying that I would never go back there, and he asked me if it was because I was too prideful. Umm, YEAH. I made a fool of myself the last time I was in there! He told me he would love that table and chairs we picked out, and really, I should try one more time. I asked him to go with me, and he laughed and said "no way! You got yourself into this prideful mess, I'm not going to get you out!"

So, I went, by myself, with cash in hand. I walked straight in to the table and chair set we liked and sat down. Sure enough, a salesman came over. I had noticed several of them standing together, a couple of which I recognized from my previous visits, and the one I had mouthed-off to was right in the middle. Yikes. I was thankful when he did not approach me!

I spoke with the salesman, very directly, about what my expectations were. I told him what I wanted. I pulled out the cash I had available. I explained that I just wanted someone who was willing to work with me, and assured him I would be a returning customer if I could find the right person to work with. He noticed my belly and asked me when I was due. We crunched some numbers, and sure enough, he could not lower the price anymore than the original amount ($100 over what I suggested). BUT, he did offer to throw in free delivery (~$80) so that I would not have to move the furniture "in my current condition."

I took the compromise.

(On a side note, the salesman told me afterwards that I was recognized the second I walked in the door, and that the other guys did not jump at the chance to come help me. Aww. It kind of made me feel bad and I almost went over to apologize for my previous behavior...but, I was still too prideful for that.)

Lo and behold, we finally bought a table and chairs, and it was delivered and setup for us this week! It is a very solid piece of furniture, with black and brown tones, upholstered/padded chairs, and an interesting pattern on the table. We went ahead and ordered six chairs, though we will probably only keep four around the table normally.

What do you think?

I repainted our bar stools to a black/brown to make them match better...
If you notice, there are several wood tones in the 'brown' wood. We really liked this, so we don't have to be too matchy matchy with all the other furniture in the house. Because the floor plan is so open, we didn't want to be tied into one color of wood. And this way, it really goes well with our kitchen cabinets as well.

Check out the solid base! I have always been a little leery of round tables, worried they would feel unstable, but this table does not move.

Haha, you can also see Ryleigh's chair in the background...complete with a plastic cover and booster seat. Though the upholstery is supposed to be very clean-friendly, I'm not taking any chances in the chair of a two-year-old!

There ya have it. The long story and the pretty pictures. I for one, am just thankful that we no longer are eating on TV trays and folding chairs. :)

Slowly, but surely...

We ARE going to find our place here in College Station...and so far, my neighbor has greatly helped us get started! Ryleigh had her first day of Mother's Day Out on Friday, and can I just say, wow- she was excited.


She would ask me repeatedly about "going to sku," and kept reminding me that it was only a "cup-a days" until she could go. The program here is a little different, with shorter, more organized days. I'm sure she would have had more of a schedule to follow anyway, getting older and all, but regardless, we were excited about the routine. We signed her up for two days a week.


Ryleigh jabbered non-stop all morning, getting her ready. She put on her new Elmo backpack first thing when she woke up and wanted to help me fix her lunch. She asked specifically for "baids" in her hair, and giggled about her new friends the entire time I was braiding.

She went straight into her classroom, running to new friends and picking up toys to play with. I asked her for a hug and kiss, and she grinned and told me no. She truly cared less when I left; which should have made me sad, but truthfully, I was just so excited that she was excited, I did not care.


When I picked her up, her teachers said she did great! (I always wonder how much they filter info...) They told me she stayed dry all morning and told them when she needed to go potty, she was sweet to the other kids, and she LOVED painting her picture. Ryleigh jabbered excitedly the entire way home, and even sang my "get to go to school" song that I made up last year when I was trying to get her excited about school. We hung her painted picture on the refrigerator, and she kept taking it off to show Jesse and I. She keeps asking when she can go back, and I'm happy to tell her, "in only a couple of days."


Super Hooray for my neighbor helping us get plugged in!


On top of that, the same neighbor invited Ryleigh to her daughter's 3rd birthday party at The Bounce on Saturday. It was right during Ryleigh's nap time, so I was worried about how she would behave. When we first got there, she did great, running and playing, bouncing on everything. During the birthday party, she did not want to sit still, and I kept chasing her around. At one point she fell off the table, and from then on, every time any little thing happened, she would cry. And cry. And cry. Finally, I just took her home. So, she did not really meet many new friends or interact with people the way I had hoped...


However, I met some wonderful ladies and thoroughly enjoyed visiting and getting to know them. Honestly, I wish I could have gone to the birthday party by myself!! Sad, I know. Anyway, so several really nice people, including a few more neighbors. I cannot wait until it cools off and we can start hanging out outside again- I think we are surrounded with some great people, and I look forward to getting to know them better. I also got hooked up with several ladies in a local Mom's club, and they helped me get information about plugging in there. I guess they have get-together opportunities several times a week, and you just come and go as you can. I'm definitely going to try to get plugged in there!


SO, we are slowly but surely building a new life here. I know it will take awhile to feel apart of it all, but I'm so thankful for the kind women who have reached out to me so far. I look forward to repaying the favor and getting to know and love on these women who have taken time to do so much for me. Yay for friends!

Joining a new club

Brent and Susan are pregnant!

She said from the get-go that they wanted a honeymoon baby, and sure enough, Baby Burns is on its way, due mid-April 2010. Hooray!

It will be so fun to watch one of my sisters become a Mom, and start getting some Holder-family cousins for Miss Ryleigh and baby boy. Though I have a niece and several nephews on the Shulse-family side, I'm sure it will be different when the babies come from my own sisters. I'm very excited to join this new club, and look forward to meeting Baby Burns next Spring.

In the meantime, please be praying for Susan. Unfortunately, she has been very ill these past few weeks and really struggling. We are thankful that she got some medication from her doctor that seems to be helping. I'm hopeful that once her body adjusts to this new little addition and she gets through the first trimester, perhaps she will begin to feel better.

Congrats to Brent and Susan! We are so excited for you!

Date night

Last Sunday night, while Jesse was in Austin for his triathlon, Ryleigh and I had our date night. Aunt Julie even came along to join in the fun and greasy pizza!

Yes, we went to Chuck-E-Cheese. And if you notice in all of the pictures, Ryleigh is a little fuzzy...that is because she did not stop moving the entire time we were there.

When we got our food, she maybe ate two bites, which is strange considering she LOVES pizza. Too much excitement, I guess. She could not sit still long enough to eat! That's alright though, because Julie and I thoroughly enjoyed the greasy pizza. :)

And, it wouldn't be a girl's date night without a pedicure. Ryleigh picked out her color (and mine), and we had fun "penting" our toes. She still shows me her "pretty toes" every day, despite the fact the paint is already chipping. Anything looks better with a little nail polish. :)

We also made cookie dough, and I introduced Ryleigh to the concept of eating the dough off a spoon, rather than actually making cookies. At first, she was a little leery...but once she tasted it, oh man, I had to hide the dough! Seriously, I put it on the top shelf of the refrigerator. That girl loves her some cookie dough!!

If date nights are always this fun, we're going to be sending Daddy out of town more often!

(Not really...)

September 6

Today is September 6. Which means, for those of you not counting down days, that our little man is due in exactly one month...while realistically, he will come before then (because my doctor wants to induce the week before).

Hmmm....YIKES.


I am ready to meet the little guy and Jesse and I are both getting more and more excited. My belly moves most erratically these days, and still pretty constantly. Jesse can be sitting completely across the room and notice the entire contortion of the belly change and he'll say, "holy cow- that kid is strong!"

I did finally kick into "nesting"mode, when I panicked and realized I was completely NOT ready, should he decide to make an extra early appearance. I have since remedied that (for the most part), getting as much ready as I can. The nursery is functional, all clothing is washed/folded/hung, and the dresser is complete with newborn diapers and wipes. I washed the car seat insert, as well as the swing and bouncer cloths, and then took the Lysol to everything else. The bedding is all washed and in place, for the crib and cradle, and we now have a new sponge bath, blue wash cloths, and extra small hoodie towels. We're ready.

Yes, there are still some things on the wish list and a few things that should be done before he arrives, BUT, should he make a surprise entrance, we will not be in panic mode.

I think it is so strange that when you are pregnant the first time, the little one growing inside consumes your every thought. You count every day that you are pregnant, waiting in absolute mystery and enchantment for the baby to arrive. This time around, though I do think about the baby and I countdown to meet him (and no longer be pregnant!), it is not the same. The ironic part? I still think about Ryleigh. I worry about how the baby's arrival will affect her. I wonder about her response to him being in our home. I am nervous about learning how to properly divide the attention, so she does not resent him for taking away her Mama. I realize that people have multiple babies all the time, and these things more-or-less work themselves out. I also truly think she is excited and as much as she can understand what is happening, she does. I know she will be Mommy's little helper and be a sweet big sister...at least most of the time. I guess this time, she is again the "unknown." This time, we have a much better idea of what to expect from a newborn, but no idea what to expect from a 2-year-old adjusting to a newborn. Once again, we'll try to take it all in stride and learn right along with her. It's just interesting to me how perspective changes.

So, there ya have it. We are in the final countdown, and I'm ready to meet my little man. We're still trying to come up with a name, and something tells me we will not have a clue until he arrives. I guess I'm okay with that. Maybe we will look into his face and just know.

Oh yeah- want to see a picture of the massive belly? I know you do. No comments please, I already know it is huge.
My prayer requests for these last few weeks include:

• Jesse having the time, energy, and effort to really focus on the golf course right now. I want him to be in a good peace of mind when the baby arrives, so he can at least allow himself a couple days away, while we're in Houston, to just focus on our new family. Hopefully, getting things in a place where he feels comfortable will enable him to do that.
• Ryleigh getting lots of lovin' and special attention these last few weeks. I don't intend to stop the attention once the baby arrives, but right now, during our last month as a family of three, I want to make it special and really remember this time together.
• Hopefully get the house in working order. This especially includes finding, ordering, and receiving a kitchen table. Yes, you read correctly. We have no table. Currently, we eat off two tv trays and some folding chairs. We need a table. Please pray we get this situation remedied ASAP, so we don't have to worry about it once the baby arrives.
• I would like to get my work load in a place that it is manageable for my replacement. I'm going to be in major crunch mode this week and next wrapping up a big project, and from then on, I will just be trying to get everything in order.
• My uncomfortableness is not fun. The heartburn and acid reflux are killing me, as well as all the other weird uncomfortableness that comes from the last month. Pray for patience as my body finishes up this stage of the process.

Well, there you have it. We're close, but not there yet. We're ready, but still nervous about what to expect with two. We're busy trying to prepare, though knowing you can never fully prepare. All is well, and we are so thankful for all the kindness, encouragement, and support everyone has provided throughout this pregnancy. Thank you all!

Some pictures of our new home...a work in progress...

I guess you all have been patient with me long enough. Please keep in mind that nothing is "done," and you will notice that I'm only showing the bedrooms because the living area is still empty with no furniture, no rugs, no decor, no window treatments....nothing. I can tell this is going to be a work in progress for a few months, doing a little at a time, as we have time and money to do what we want.

In the meantime, here is a sneak peak at the bedrooms.

The nursery

A close-up of the bedding. We ended up going with the Kasey series from Pottery Barn Kids. You know me, I'm not one for themes, so this provided colors and patterns we liked, without theme.

My new rocking chair, glider, and recliner! I'm so excited about my new chair, I can hardly stand it. With Ryleigh, we had a rocking chair, and it was good for rocking her to sleep and calming her down, but not the most comfortable chair ever, and definitely not conducive to nursing. This chair will be moved into our room when he is born and staying in our room (for those late night feedings,) but will eventually go back into his nursery once we officially move him in there. I like it though because I think the chair looks versatile enough, we can use it later, after kids, anywhere we want, and not look like we are using a "nursery chair" in our home.

The changing table, complete with a new contour pad and cover, wipes, baby lotion, the works. And yes, the drawers are full of clean baby clothes, socks, and pajamas, and the itsy bitsy newborn diapers. Can I just tell you how much those took me back? Babies grow so fast!

Julie's hand-stenciled wall art! I had bought some plain canvases, not having a clue what to do with them. My sister is very creative and quite artistic, so I made them her project instead of mine. I think they turned out super cute. Thanks, Juls!

On to Miss Ryleigh's room. I'm sure it looks familiar, since we used the same stuff from her old room, but thought I'd show it off again (and its new configuration).

I don't know if you can tell, but both of the kid's rooms have raised ceilings. I really like them and think it adds a touch of flair to the room. This house also has carpet in the bedrooms, which we did not have in our previous house, and I am enjoying being able to play on the floor with Ryleigh in her room, without my knees hurting!

We do have a twin-size bed that we will eventually move in here. Obviously, the toddler bed will not last forever. But, in the meantime, she really likes her "big girl bed," so why mess with it?

The office/guest room. Yeah, this room is currently a "use what we have...for now" room. We plan to buy a new bed frame or headboard, new bedding, a bedside table, new desk/hutch, etc. The room will probably receive a total overhaul. But, until we can furnish the living areas of the house to my standard, I refuse to spend money on this room. So, in the meantime, we are using what we have to make it functional, though not necessarily pretty.

The master bedroom. Would you believe when we moved into our last house, the master bedroom was painted baby blue. During our painting party, before we ever moved in, we painted that room to get rid of the blue. When we bought this house and the master was again baby blue, we kind of shrugged our shoulders and said, maybe we are destined to have baby blue?! So, for now, we're going with it. Against our dark furniture and white bedding, it does not look horrible. Just blue. :)

The entrance to the master bath is on my side of bed this time! Yay! I have been so thankful, especially with the late night trips due to pregnancy bladder. Oh, and another cool thing is that there is a pocket door to the bathroom, so we don't have to lose space to a regular door swinging into the bedroom or bathroom. We really like the feature so far.

The master bath vanities. I like the fact that Jesse has his side, and I have mine. The granite counter tops are nice, and the light fixtures are pretty. There is also a ton of storage space under the cabinets and lots of drawer space, which I love. The jacuzzi tub and large shower are also nice. All in all, we are very happy with our master bedroom and bath.

Well, there you have the bedroom tour. Hopefully, we will be back shortly with more pictures of the living area, once we finally decide on furniture, get it ordered, get some decorations in place, and make our home look like a home instead of an empty college apartment. :) All in good time. Patience is a virtue, right?

My birthday came early this year

Saturday morning, I went and bought myself my birthday present. Jesse was hoping to be able to go with me, but naturally, work ran late and I was on my own. (I think he thought I would wait until 'another day' but we are running out of 'other days,' so I went on my own!)

I had been doing some research, trying to find what I wanted with the budget I had. I really wanted something with a little bit stronger lens, zoom, and focus than my last camera. Granted, I knew I would have to give up the convenient size factor, but it was a worthy trade-off in my mind.

I settled on the Nikon Coolpix. It had some mixed reviews, some claiming it was the greatest camera for the $$ and others saying that it did not provide the features they had expected. I guess the jury will be out on that for awhile, until I really learn how to use all the features and whatnot.

I'm very excited to have a camera again, and have been taking tons of pictures in the past 24 hours. I'm sure you will also be excited about me getting a new camera, so you no longer have to come here to only read about my life...we all like pictures, right?

So, happy early birthday to me!

The past week

Work has gotten crazy, so I have not had time to update this week. But, all in all, it was a good week, so I thought I'd give the play by play, of the note-worthy or exciting things.
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Sunday, Julie came over all afternoon and we worked on some decorations for the nursery. I had a couple of those vinyl letter applications, but the coloring was too close to the wall color, so I could not apply them directly to the wall. However, I still wanted to try to use them if possible, so we painted some canvases and then attempted to apply the letters to the canvas. It ended up being a much more labor intensive project than expected, since the letters did not peel off nicely and attach themselves properly to the canvas. I'm not sure it was the canvas though...those letters were just stubborn!! Anyway, I had fun hanging out with Juls, and we do have some cute (cheap!) decorations for the nursery now.

- - - - -
Monday, I spent a lot of time on the phone trying to figure out several weird situations due to the move. Gotta love all the transfers, changes, and administrative-type issues that arise when you move! Good news is, I got it all sorted out. Finally!

- - - - -
Tuesday, we got our Dish Network hooked back up!! HOORAY! I know it is pathetic, but I really missed my tv. It's not that I mind the quiet all that much, but the fact is, Ryleigh has played her movies on repeat for over a month now. I could not stand to listen to those movies again. Playhouse Disney and Sesame Street now have resumed a spotlight...and at least their shows differ from day to day!!

Tuesday night, Mom drove through College Station on her way back home to Houston, and took us all to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Yum! Any night that I don't have to cook (plus get to enjoy fellowship) is good night in my book!

- - - - -
Wednesday=work day. Don't get me wrong, I had been working every other day too, but Wednesday was just crazy. A 3-hr long conference call and working until 9:00pm...not too fun.

- - - - -
Thursday, I had to go to Houston for a doctor's appointment and a meeting with my boss. The doctor's visit was good. I had gained 2 pounds, 1 per week, which is what they wanted. My stomach was measuring perfectly, and my doctor was actually there! Ha. She and I spoke a lot, and she put my mind at ease about everything. She checked me again, and said it was a "tight 1," so not even fully dialated. We discussed plans for the birth as well as labor scenarios. Right now the plan is to induce the last week in Sept/first week of October, if I have not gone into labor on my own before that. If I do go into spontaneous labor up in College Station, she is fine with me driving into Houston, so long as there are no big scary things during that time. So, all is well, and we go again next week to continue to monitor any changes.

I also met with my boss and discussed maternity leave. Can I just say that I am really looking forward to my leave time?? I mean really looking forward to it. And not just because it got busy again. It has been a crazy, stressful year, and though I know the new baby will bring on a different kind of stress, I'm really excited about taking it easy for several weeks.

- - - - -
Friday, more work. And then more nesting. I finished decorating Ryleigh's room and started decorating the nursery. Not an exciting Friday, but it was productive.

- - - - -
Saturday morning, I went shopping...for myself. Details to come soon...!!!

Saturday afternoon, Jesse's brother Justin, his mom, Jansen, and Major all came up. Justin and Jansen were going to go with Jesse and I to the A&M football game, while RaRa hung out with Major and Ryleigh. We went early and stayed late, and I think everyone had a lot of fun. More details in it's own post.

- - - - -
Now it is Sunday, and I'm hanging out by myself. Ryleigh is napping and Jesse is on his way to Austin for a triathlon. Ryleigh and I were supposed to go too, and get to visit Ben, Stacey, and the girls, but the girls have not been well this week, and we don't want to chance sharing any germs between them all. I'm super sad, because I was looking forward to seeing them (I still have not met Baby Madilynn!), but know it is better to be safe than sorry. I hope everyone gets to feeling better soon!

I'm also disappointed about missing the triathlon. This is the one that everyone is doing together (Jesse, Lamar, David, Hayden, Lauren, Thomas, and Lindsey) and I'm not there to be a part or even watch and cheer. I hope they all have a lot of fun and do well- especially those who have trained for it!! You're all in my thoughts and I'm cheering in spirit!

Ryleigh and I are going to do something fun tonight, though I don't know what. We will have fun and make a date night out of the messed up weekend. :)


OHHHH, this is random. I should probably go put it back on Saturday morning, but whatever. My neighbor came over Saturday morning with EXCELLENT news! She works for one of the local church Mother's Day Out programs, and started back this week. She went and spoke with the director about us, and they are going to try to push Ryleigh in a class!!! Wahoo! I'm going to her office Monday to meet her and talk about days and what not, but how cool is that?! Ryleigh needs her social time and it would give Mommy a chance to get some work done, as well as hopefully meet some other mommies. Thank the Lord for sweet neighbors!

Anyway, that was my week in a nutshell. Busy, but good. :)

The countdown is ON!

Only 21 days until.........

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The 2-hour season premiere! It's okay to squeal a little... I sure did. Let's hope the season starts off with a bang!

Is there any rhyme or reason?

My nighttime heartburn and acid reflex has gotten even worse. Well, maybe not worse, but more irritable.

Every night when I crawl into bed, I naturally turn to my left side. And I'll lay there for awhile, but I never fall asleep quickly. So of course, there comes a point when I'm uncomfortable and turn over. Like clockwork, as soon as I begin the turn to my right side, my mouth fills with acid and the burning sensation takes over.

So why is that? What is different about laying on my right side?

I was so irritated last night about the whole thing, I was determined to look it up first thing this morning to see if there was any rhyme or reason.

This is what I found:

A study conducted by the Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia found that sleeping on you left side is the best way to avoid nighttime heartburn. Sleeping on your right side may increase your heartburn symptoms because the acid takes longer to clear out of your esophagus when you lay on your right side. While sleeping on your back can allow acid to slip back into your esophagus more often, sleeping with your head elevated, such as on a wedge pillow, will allow gravity to keep the acid in your stomach.

And this was a tip on WebMD:

Try sleeping on your left side. Some studies have shown that this helps with digestion, simply because of a quirk of the body's design. Sleeping on your right side seems to be most likely to aggravate symptoms.

So, I guess it is just one of those weird quirks of our body. Needless to say, me and my Tums have become very good friends, and I do not lay down without having them within arms reach. Hopefully, only a few more weeks of this discomfort...then we move into the sleepless nights due to little hungry cries. :)

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Julie moved up this week! Her new house is so cute and her room mates all seem very sweet. I'm glad she is getting settled in before school starts, and hopefully now I'll have a friend I can at least take to lunch sometimes. :)

Glad you made it up here, Juls!

33 weeks- an interesting checkup

(Might include too much info for some...stop reading now if you don't want to know the nitty gritty.)

Yesterday I my 33-week checkup and ultrasound. I have been slightly irritated about having to go in for these bi-weekly checkups lately, because they seem so pointless! I go in, wait for over an hour, step on a scale, pee in a cup, have the doctor come in for about 2 minutes, measure my belly and the baby's heartbeat, and say, "everything looks good- see ya in 2 weeks!" Fun.

But yesterday, I was very anxious about going to see the doctor. Last week, I started feeling a new pain very, very low in my pelvis and even the tops of my thighs. I first noticed it when I would stand up from sitting, sit down from standing, or try to roll over in bed. It was bothersome, but nothing to panic about. I did some online research and it said it was common of ligament pain and stretching. I did not have that with Ryleigh's pregnancy at all, but frankly, this pregnancy has been very different, so who was I to question another difference? Well, the pain continued, grew more frequent and severe, and on Monday I literally had to take Tylenol throughout the day to even manage-- and I typically have a high pain tolerance!

So, needless to say, I was anxious to see the doctor and ask about it. Also, they had scheduled an ultrasound for growth of the baby, and since Jesse could not come in with me, my mom and Julie went with me. :)

The ultrasound was first. It was much harder to see cute features this time, as he is getting quite squished in there, but it was fun nonetheless. The ultrasound technician commented on how much hair he has, and then pointed out that it was standing straight up, down the middle of his head-- my boy was sporting a mohawk!! HA! Already a cool kid, I'd say.

When the technician got to the measurements of the cervix, she said that it looked nice and long, but then kind of paused. I asked if it was still holding strong because I have had a lot of pain the past week. At that point, she wrapped up the ultrasound pretty quickly and asked my mom and sister to go back to the waiting room. She called the doctor and asked about doing an internal ultrasound to check the cervix, which the doc agreed to.

I was sent back to the waiting room, but then called back pretty quickly, which was a miracle! (Seriously, I normally wait an hour!) The nurse tested my blood pressure and weighed me, and told me that I had not gained any weight from the last checkup (almost 3 weeks prior). I looked at my big belly and wondered how in the world that could be true! She took me back to the checkout room and there informed me that I was not actually going to get to see my doctor, because she was called to the hospital for a delivery. UGH. All this weirdness, and no visit with my doctor? (She had been out of town for the previous visit on vacation, so I did not get to see her then either.) I was visibly frustrated. The nurse assured me that the other doctor who was going to check me out was in communication with my doctor about the circumstances.

Sure enough the other doctor came in, and had the ultrasound in hand. Baby Boy is weighing a little over 4 pounds, but he should be weighing closer to 4.5 or 5 pounds by now. And considering I have only gained a total of 9 pounds and 4 of them is the baby...she told me I need to gain weight. She asked if I have been getting sick or had another reason why I might not be gaining, to which I answered no. I have eaten normally and have not been sick. She measured my belly, and it was measuring right on track. Weird. So yeah, my goal these next few weeks is to gain some weight!

Next she brought up my pain issues and the internal ultrasound of the cervix. She wanted to do her own internal exam and see what was going on. First she checked for any infection that might cause pain, and said there was no infection. When she checked my cervix, it was already softening and dialated to a 1. Not really a cause for concern, but the fact that I was having so much pain made her cautious. She spoke with my doctor who asked them to hook me up to the contraction monitor for 45 minutes. I told them I had not felt any contractions yet, but they were being cautious, just making sure there were no signs of labor, since we do not want to drive in from College Station in labor! Luckily, there were no contractions during that time.

SO, to sum up, the baby is measuring small and the cervix appears to be getting ready. Sure, I could stay dialated with no change for weeks. I'm not really worried about it, just perplexed because it is so different than my pregnancy with Ryleigh. With her, I literally did not have ANY cervical change until about 4 days before she was born. No softening, shortening, or dialating...then all of a sudden I was in labor. I think this time my body just "knows the ropes" and is getting ready a little sooner.

The pain has lessened but not stopped. I'm just being very cautious and not doing anything that could cause issues.

I go back on the 1st, and we'll check things out again at that time. Hopefully, my doctor is there this time! :)

The Wiggles- LIVE!

A few months ago, my mother-in-law emailed me, very excited, to let me know that The Wiggles were coming to town! I did not hesitate in answering, "yes! get tickets!" knowing how much Ryleigh would love the show. I was curious about whether or not she would actually sit and watch the show, but I figured since it is a show for kids, the atmosphere would be conducive to whatever behavior she decided to display. My mother-in-law called my mom to see if she wanted to go with us, so we could all watch Ryleigh experience it together; of course Mom said yes!

So, almost two weeks ago, Ryleigh and I drove to Houston for the matinee showing of The Wiggles. The show was scheduled to start at 1:30, right in the middle of her nap time, but I assumed she would sleep some in the car on the way down there, so she would be happy and feeling good when we got there.

Well, she did not sleep in the car. And she was very excited when RaRa and Gaga got in the car with her- jabbering all the way downtown. Mommy even got a big kiss of appreciation for driving her to Houston for the concert! (That is what I'm going to tell myself anyway...)
And Miss Ryleigh was very excited about being in the same place with BOTH grandmas-- talk about getting some special loving and spoiling! These ladies know how to love my girl!

When we actually got inside the theater (once I ran back to the madhouse women's bathroom, where I had left our tickets sitting on the counter...yeah, slightly forgetful these days), Ryleigh was in awe. There were Wiggles things everywhere, kids everywhere, and "twinkle stars" on the ceiling.

She literally jumped up and down, looking at everything and everyone, for about 20 minutes straight. When the show started, she continued her excitement, pointing at the big red car, naming each of the characters...

...and thus began the trance. Ryleigh was totally sucked into the show, staring wide-eyed as the characters danced, tumbled, and sang around the theater.

About an hour into the show, we noticed she became even more subdued- very unlike Ryleigh. And sure enough, she had sleepy eyes. I tried to encourage her to clap and sing along with the songs...really in an effort to keep her awake and enjoy the show!

She finally asked to get down off my lap and went straight to RaRa, where she knows she is always welcome for a little snooze. Yep. My crazy two-year-old fell asleep in the middle of The Wiggles show. And it was not long before RaRa joined her in la-la land. :)

Overall it was a really fun day. It was so fun to watch Ryleigh get excited and make the connection that it was Sam, Murray, Jeff, and Anthony on the stage! The part she watched, she loved, and she talked about the show, asking to go back, for days after the concert. My mom got her one of the souvenir backpacks full of Wiggles goodies, including a t-shirt, which Ryleigh asked to wear every. single. day. for a week afterwards!! Needless to say, I was doing a lot of laundry that week...!

Now that I know how well she behaves during children's shows, I definitely want to take her again, and let Jesse get to watch her experience the magic. There is a Disney character show in September and The Imagination Movers are coming in October...I'm debating both of them, knowing she would love either one! Anyone else out there with a toddler, seriously consider taking your kiddo to these child-friendly shows. It was so worth it!

And she slept like a champ that night. :)

(Pictures courtesy of my mom, since my camera is dead. Thanks, Mom!)

On the prowl

We have been in College Station about three weeks now. The first week was spent mainly unpacking, getting things situated, and making sure everything worked properly. Ever since, I've been slightly bored. Strange, right? I mean, I know there is still a lot to do. My house still has a long way to go before it feels homey. But, with Jesse still working crazy hours and not being around to help me much, there is not much I can do on my own. Not to mention we still need to buy several main pieces of furniture, and thus don't really want to decorate until we find the main bones of the room, ya know?

So, Ryleigh and I have been bored. Work is slow. I'm restless. Ryleigh has played and played with her toys and has watched every movie we own probably ten times. She is restless. She always wants to play outside, but in this crazy heat, I really cannot let her until the evening hours. It has made for some long, lonely days.

I need to find some friends!! We try to go for at least one outing a day, even if it is just running to the store, just to get out of the house. And I find myself scanning the aisles, making eye contact with every Mom in there, smiling super big. I'll take Ryleigh to lunch at a "kids" place, such as Chick-fil-A or McDonalds, hoping to connect with another Mom while our toddlers run and play together. We have gone to the park several nights, and have met many different people from our neighborhood, again, through uninhibited instant friendship of our kids. While searching for a church home, I find my eyes searching each congregation looking for couples our age, wondering, "could they be our friends?"

I'm searching, doing everything I know how. For those of you who know me, this does not come easy. I'm not an initiator by nature. I'm not exactly shy...but I'm not super brave either. To strike up conversation with strangers is not something that falls in my comfort zone. I usually fall back on old reliable: ask about their kids! I guess it is easier to have the limelight on the kiddos than to actually look at the adults; because if I ask about them, then they will feel like they have to ask about me...and what if I'm really just not that interesting?

It is hard to find friends at this phase of life. Not just acquaintances (though even those are hard to come by right now), but real friends. Life is busy. Schedules conflict more and more. Making time for all of life's demands, raising a young family, having a job, keeping up with extended family, and sharing fellowship with friends, how do you do it? I think I thought I would not have time for it, and therefore would not miss the friendship part. I have learned in these two weeks how much I do miss it. Friends matter. And I need them.

So, even though it is hard to start over and muster up the courage to put myself out there, I'm going to do it. I want to find people. Friends to hang out with when our little ones need to play. Friends to go to lunch with when we need out of the house. Friends that come over to hang out in the evenings on our deck. Friends that we can connect with in a real and meaningful way. And though I know it won't happen overnight, I know it can happen- which gives me hope.

Wanna hear the kicker in all of this? I admitted to being on the prowl in all public locations, actively looking for people who might fit with my idea of a friend, right? So in my daily "flip book," called Power of a Praying Woman, this is what it said yesterday:

Don't leave your relationships to chance. Pray for godly people to come into your life with whom you can connect. Don't force relationships to happen, pray for them to happen. Then when they do, nurture them with prayer.

Hmm, perhaps God is asking me to once again hand this area of my life over to him? I'm going to start praying long and hard that He brings us some friends, and I know that when He does, they will be worth the wait.

Hmmm...food for thought

I was bored this morning and started looking up random things on the Internet. Do you ever do that? C'mon, I know you do.

My search started on reviews of a Christian book I just finished reading. For those interested, Rocking the Roles by Lewis & Hendricks was a great book, and one I would definitely recommend to anyone who is married, has been married, or wants to get married. It might be my new gift to all engaged couples I know.

Anyway, so after reading a few commentaries and reviews, I moved on. My new search led me to home decorating tips. Hmmm. Fun, but oh-so-much $$$!!

Next, I looked up Playhouse Disney's Fall schedule, wondering if Little Einsteins would be returning, since Ryleigh was thoroughly engrossed in one of their movies at the time.

Which led me to think about my show: Grey's Anatomy! We still do not have any kind of cable hooked up at our new house, and so I've been completely out-of-the-loop with all shows, news, you name it. It has been good, being productive, reading, playing on the floor with Ryleigh, etc, and to be honest, I have not missed it much. BUT, I also know that Grey's should be starting up again sometime in the Fall, and then I will definitely want to know what is going on!! (Yes, I am addicted and need help.)

Okay, so I'm on the Grey's website (the season premiere is Thursday, September 24, for those interested), and I see one of those online quizzes you can take to find out which character you are most like on the show. I was intrigued. Honestly, I don't know who I think I'm most like. There is not one clear cut personality on the show that I totally fit. So, I took the quiz to find out who they think I'm most like. This was my result:

You are Cristina!

Very few people have, or can understand, the sheer determination and drive that propels you, but you’re just as fiercely protective of your friends as you are of your own hopes and dreams. If they’re smart, your friends already know that. They also know that you’re more vulnerable than you seem and are only glad to offer a shoulder to cry on.
Hmmm, am I like Cristina? There are times in my life when I am very driven and focused. I do feel propelled to excel in certain areas of life, and can try to appear less-vulnerable on the outside than I really am. Of course, I am protective of my family and friends, and I think they all know that about me. So, am I Cristina?

In the show, she comes across calloused, cold, and unswerving in her beliefs. She is meticulous and controlling, never allowing for spontaneity or much humor. She is a good friend, one who speaks the truth in all circumstances, having no problem laying her thoughts out there for anyone/everyone to see.

Is that me? Is that a good thing? Or a bad thing? Should I have wanted to be Meredith, who is a dreamer, tends to bring chaos into her own life and has a hard time trusting people? Should I want to be Izzy, who is everyone's friend and seldom focuses on herself?

Food for thought, brought to you by Grey's Anatomy. See? Who says television cannot help us probe into ourselves and make us think?

Six

That is how many times Ryleigh got up last night, between 2:56 am and 4:13 am. Six times. Six times, I got up and walked her (sometimes chased her) back to her room.

What gives??

I do not understand. I really don't. I do not want to lock her in her room or anything rash, but seriously, how do I make her understand she cannot get out of bed at night, six times? I have tried the sweet, soothing Mom approach. I have tried the stern approach. I have tried the angry approach. Nothing is working!!! HELP! Any suggestions??

Confessions of a Rebellious Pregnant Woman

I'm not rebellious by nature. In fact, I probably missed out on a lot of fun growing up because I thought everything was against the rules...and I followed the rules to a T. And while it made for a "good" kid, it was also seen as boring, monotonous, and scared. Scared to step out of the box of comfort I had built for myself. It was as if I knew my life was boring, but by living with rules for myself, I also knew the exact outcome I could expect. So, rules it was!

When I was pregnant with Ryleigh, naturally, the rule book came out. All the do's and dont's of pregnancy literature governed my every move. If some all-knowing author said I should not clean my bathroom due to the strong smells of the chemicals, then my bathroom was going to get nice and dirty! I never missed a single prenatal vitamin. The rules said no medicine, thus living with an intense headache because I was terrified of what could happen by taking a Tylenol. And that headache I'm referencing? Yeah, that lasted about a week long when I stopped ALL forms of caffeine cold turkey. You get the picture.

What I have learned since Ryleigh is that life is fragile. No one is promised a healthy baby. And though I can control my circumstances to help aid with the health of my baby, nothing I do or don't do will guarantee a healthy baby. If it were really up to us, how would we explain to someone who did everything "right," why their baby was called home early? How could we justify healthy babies born to unfit families? God already knows this little one growing in my womb, and the number of days he will live in this world. Following the rules will not change that.

For all of you thinking, "Yes, BUT, God has entrusted you with this precious life, and it is your job to be wise and responsible, caring for it to the best of your ability..." I agree. And normally, if you really know me, you would know that is how I operate by nature. I am a perfectionist and a rule-follower! I do not take risks, and I strive to always give my 110%. Normally. Problem is, nothing about this pregnancy (and its timing) has been normal.

So back to the title of this post. I have been rebellious this pregnancy. Not necessarily intentionally rebellious, just slightly more laid back. Not so paranoid. And though some of my rebellious acts have been just pure selfishness, others have been driven by circumstance and not many options. Here are my confessions:

• I did NOT give up caffeine this pregnancy. At all. Most days I make an effort to cut back on how much I drink, but other days, I don't even think twice. I guess if I get a hyper child, I'll only have myself to blame. That being said, I was "good" with Ryleigh, and she is one of the most active kids ever. Go figure.
• I have skipped prenatal vitamins...intentionally. When I was going through the sick phase this pregnancy, it hurt more. Obviously, having another little one running around, I could not just be sick. So when I figured out that I felt less nauseous on the mornings after I would skip a vitamin...well, you get the picture. I will say that I would try to eat much more nutritiously on those days to make up for it, but still. Bad mommy.
• I'm a stomach sleeper. Apparently you are not supposed to do that, but sometimes you gotta sleep! Sure, it typically gets the baby kicking and moving around, trying to find a new comfortable spot in Mama's belly, but I don't always mind feeling his movements at the end of the day. If he gets really irritated with me, you know, kicking hard and aiming for ribs and other important organs, then I'll roll over and let him win. Such a nice Mama.
• During the move from Houston, I did way too much. Yes, I painted. I packed heavy boxes. I moved things around myself. I worked out in the insane heat and felt myself get light-headed, yet would not stop. I cleaned with strong chemicals. Yeah, it was rough. But, with Jesse being gone, some things had to get done. When I had help, I'd let them help me. However, there came a time when it was just me. And I had to do what I had to do. You will be proud to know that when it came to moving into our new house, I was good! I did not move any furniture or any boxes. I sat back and let others help. I did not clean with chemicals. I did not make the trips to the hot storage unit. I followed the rules. :)
• I took a bath. Hey- I had to try out the new jacuzzi tub and make sure it worked! And, man, did it feel good!
• I have painted. On a ladder. Yeah. Don't need to go into that.

Okay, so all of these things have thus far not affected me. Sure, there were days when I worked a little too hard and was really tired. But that happens anyway during pregnancy, so no worries.

Yesterday, I was dumb. I thought twice and went against my better judgement. And I paid the price. Ryleigh had been asking to play outside and "cut the grass," and I looked outside and realized the grass really did need to get cut. And at the time, it was early in the morning, I was wrapped in a blanket, cold, thinking, the warmth outside will feel good. (Pregnancy brain=Memory lapse as to the fact we live in Texas...it is not warm in August.)

So, we put on tank tops and shorts, and I put her toys on the driveway, blocked by my car, and got ready to examine our new yard and plan my attack. Yeah, the yard pretty much attacked me. Jesse had already told me how "spongy" it was, but I was not sure what he meant. Now I know. The lawn mower died 3 times on me, flooded with grass, leaving massive streaks in the yard, as if I was bailing hay. And though the grass was slightly tall, it was not that tall...Jesse has just mowed it last weekend, 4 days prior! I ended up having to pull out the rake and pick up extra grass from all over the yard. And the yard is not even at all. Dips in the yard, the house sitting slightly uphill...not cool. I'm used to having a pretty yard, with nice grass, where the biggest mistake I can make is to slightly scalp the edges if I'm not paying attention. Normally, when someone cuts the grass, the yard always looks better; maybe not nice, but better than how it started! Yeah, I did not feel that way yesterday. And it took me for-ev-er (to be pronounced like Squence in The Sandlot) to finish. Needless to say, I did not do the backyard. I was hot, frustrated, and exhausted by the time I was done.

When Jesse got home last night, he found me laying on the couch- sunburned, laying on an ice pack, with a bottle of Tylenol and a box of Bandaids sitting next to me. He cautiously walked over, kissed me, and said, "did you cut the grass?"

I just sighed.

He shook his head and said, "Honey, you do not need to do that! We're here together again, and I will handle that. It's not good for you!"

I started tearing up, exhausted and hurting and said, "I was trying to be nice and helpful."

He gave me a hug and said, "Thank you, babe. But, please don't do it again. What are our neighbors going to think when they see my 8-month pregnant wife out there pushing a lawn mower in this insane heat? What if you passed out? What if you really did hurt yourself? What if you started having contractions? Thank you for trying to help. Next time, just cook dinner. I like when you do that." Grin.

"Speaking of dinner," I said, "You're on your own tonight. I'm pooped."

Soooo YEAH. LONG story short, my rebelliousness caught up to me. I was stupid, and last night, I paid the price. Now it's back to the rule book for me. Well, at least most of the rules. I don't want to be considered a goody-too-shoes, or anything. :)

Life

Disclaimer: This post is going to be scattered.
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Update on sleeping situation.

I gave Ryleigh Benadryl last night. I did. Not the full dose, but some. And Jesse rough-housed with her for awhile before bed to get her nice and sleepy. And she slept, all night, in her bed, until 6:45 this morning. Thank you, Lord, I will take that!

Ryleigh is still in a mood, testing me at every turn, frustrating me to no end, throwing tantrums, throwing toys, hitting me, and being all-around not fun. I'm running out of options for discipline, and what works one day, does not work the next. Parenting is exhausting. I know, or at least I pray, that one day all of this discipline and frustration will be worth it, as demonstrated by her character. I can only pray. But in the meantime, it wears me out.

The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother. Proverbs 29:15
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We picked up our TV this weekend, from a friend's house who was keeping it for us, while the rest of our stuff was in storage. Still no cable or anything hooked up, but I did pull out the DVD player. We have been to Blockbuster twice and have been enjoying catching up on the movie scene. So far we have watched:

• Slumdog Millionaire
• Taken
• Seven Pounds
• Yes Man
• Marley and Me

I have to say, I have liked every single movie! Sure there are always some scenes which could easily have been avoided, but they are made in Hollywood. I would honestly recommend any of them to you! If you haven't watched a good movie lately, take your pick!

We have also watched our share of The Wiggles, Baby Einstein, Elmo, Veggie Tales, The Little Mermaid, and A Bug's Life. Apparently, for a 2-year-old, they never get old.

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I've been enjoying cooking again, trying more new recipes and bringing out some old favorites. Really since the end of May, we have eaten out more than I care to mention. Something about working on home projects, packing, moving, living out of suitcases, and having your kitchen stored away somewhere makes eating home-cooked meals kind of difficult. Granted, while I was staying at my parents, we had more regular meals. But Jesse has literally been eating out every meal since coming up to College Station. If I even mention grabbing a bite, he turns green. Haha.

Some of the new things I have tried have been Eggplant Parmesan (his Italian favorite), BBQ Brisket using my Grandad's original BBQ sauce recipe, and Herbed Chicken and Roasted Potatoes. Tonight I'm trying a spin-off of my favorite Chicken Enchiladas.

So far, everything has been really good. Jesse said the Eggplant Parmesan might be his new favorite recipe of mine, and he would not stop talking about how tasty the BBQ sauce was last night. Literally, he was licking the spoon and then re-dipping for "just one more" taste. :)

Ryleigh seems content to eat corn, green beans, rice, and fruit. As long as we have one of those staples with every meal, she eats. If not, she just picks. Hoping this is a phase...

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Along with movies, I have also pulled out the books. A quiet house can be too quiet, but it can also set the stage for a perfect reading situation. Some things I have been reading:

• Vanishing Acts by Jodi Piccoult: Love this author! I have read most of her books, and have not found one I didn't like. This book might not have been my absolute favorite, but it was still a good read.
• Rocking the Roles by Robert Lewis and William Hendricks: Jesse had bought this book for us a few anniversaries back, and we never got around to reading it together. So, now we have started. So far, I'm enjoying the perspective, explaining that the Biblical model for roles within marriage is not what we typically think. People normally think of either the Traditional model (think 1950's) or the Modern model (no roles, everything must be equal), and most associate the Traditional model with Biblical principles. This book explains that it is not true. We're still reading, but so far, so good.
• Baby name books...and websites...and suggestions from friends...still no news on that front. I honestly have not had a single name that I really liked. Yikes! Still hoping that some beautiful boy's name just falls in our lap.

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We met some neighbors! The next-door neighbors were out this weekend, and came over to introduce themselves. They have three girls, the youngest who is 3-years-old. She and Ryleigh got along right away, running and giggling together. They seemed very nice, and we look forward to getting to know them more.

Monday, I was half asleep during Ryleigh's nap, just out of the shower, no makeup, hair not done, and the door bell rang. It was another neighbor, bringing us a beautiful hanging basket and introducing herself. She and her husband are retirees from Ohio, who moved to College Station because their son lives here, and owns the Texas Roadhouse restaurant. (Yum!!) She was incredibly sweet.

Hooray for nice neighbors! Hopefully when it cools off some more, we can hang out outside and meet others.

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Okay, that's life in a nutshell. Hope it was not too scattered for ya... I did warn you. :)

Rough night

Since we have moved, Ryleigh has been slightly out-of-sorts when it comes to sleeping. I'm honestly not sure why. She is normally a pretty good sleeper, and as long as we stick to her sleep schedule, we have no issues.

Lately, she fights us when it is time to go to sleep, coming back out of room, crying, asking for more cuddles, etc. Originally, we thought perhaps it was just her adjusting to us again being a family of three-- most of her cuddle requests were at Daddy. Naturally, he was happy to oblige, missing his cuddle time with her as well. But now, we're worried she is getting into the habit.

More than that, she is waking up throughout the night, sometimes screaming, running across the house to our room. Again, at first, we thought perhaps she was nervous in her new room or just needed confirmation that we were still there. But when she would climb into bed with us, she would be wide awake. For at least an hour, sometimes more. And eventually, I would end up having to take her back to her room, where she would cry and beg to sleep in "Mommy's bed."

Last night she got up three times, starting at 2:45. The first time, I gently picked her up, carried her to her room, rocked her for awhile rubbing her back, and sweetly put her back to sleep. The second time, around 3:20, I walked her back, holding her hand, and told her that she had to stay in her room and sleep in her big girl bed until morning. The third time, at 3:40, I was mad. I told her to go straight to her room, and I just followed behind, making sure that she got in bed.

(On a side note, Mondays are Jesse's long day at work: 5:30am until about 7:00pm. Needless to say he was exhausted, and had taken a Benadryl to help with his allergies and get a good night's rest. So the whole time this is going on, he is sawing logs...)

So, after the third trip to Ryleigh's room, I got in bed, mad, and now wide awake. And yes, the baby had started kicking and rolling around, probably wondering what in the world was going on.

Well, within 5 minutes of getting into bed, I heard a really weird beep. Then again. And again. Being that this is a new house, we're still not used to all the little sounds we hear at night. I sat up, listening, agitated. When the beep did not stop, I got up to see what it was. I looked around, and it stopped. Of course. It made me slightly nervous, but whatever, I was tired, and just wanted to sleep! So, I got back into bed. And Jesse rolls over and says, "what was that?" I told him I had no idea, because it stopped on its own.

5 minutes later, it started again. And it was more frequent. We both sat straight up and headed for the door. Sure enough, it was the house alarm at the front door. And the "trouble" light was blinking. My heart started racing. Jesse and I do not have the alarm activated yet, but we did have cables run for activation last week when we ran our telephone/Internet lines. So, how can a disabled alarm be beeping "trouble?" We checked all around the house, turned on all outside lights, and came back to the alarm. I picked up the phone and the line was dead. Then I remembered some automated message I got from our phone provider (the same one who ran the line for the alarm) that there was going to be shutdown between the hours of 2am and 6am.

About that time, Ryleigh again came out of her room crying, and ran straight to Daddy. He just looked at me, both exhausted and frustrated, turned off the light, and we went back to our room. We all fell in bed around 4:10. Jesse's alarm went off at 4:30.

WOW. It was a long night.

I kind of wonder if Ryleigh knows that I'm going to need some preparation for the long nights that are to come when the baby arrives...perhaps she is just trying to help...I don't know. I do know that she cut some molars sometime over the past few weeks, which might have had something to do with her initially waking up. She also wakes up during nap time, needing to go potty. I'm thankful that she is learning, but man, I need her to take that nap!! Plus, she is a much nicer girl when she sleeps well; you can imagine how nice she has been these past couple of weeks...!!

Okay, I'm done venting now. I need a nap. Literally.

Welcome Madilynn Grace!

Madilynn Grace arrived last Thursday afternoon, after a speedy labor and delivery. She is a tiny thing, weighing only 6 lb 14 oz and measuring 18.5 in long.

Stacey said that labor and delivery was very smooth, and they were discharged within 24 hours. Nice! I'm sure they had a lot of family and friends this weekend to come meet the baby, and it truly took everything in me to not get in my car and go see them!

Ben and Stacey have been some of my best friends since high school. It seems we always hit major crossroads of life at the same time, which has been such a blessing to me. I love knowing that Stacey understand exactly what I'm thinking and feeling about a situation, because she's right there too. They are true friends in every sense of the word, and I'm so blessed to have them in my life.

We are so excited for you guys and your beautiful new addition. We'll continue to pray for a quick recovery for Mama, extra time for Daddy, and lots of love and attention for Gabbi. Miss Madilynn is precious, and we cannot wait to get there and meet her ourselves. We love you!

Yes, I shamelessly stole their pictures off Facebook to post on my blog... :) Aren't they the cutest family you ever saw??

6 years

Today is Jesse and my 6th anniversary. Six years ago, we pledged our lives together.

I don't remember much, to be honest, except through pictures. I know it was an incredibly emotional day for me, full of nerves, anxiousness, excitement, and powerful joy. The words we spoke to each other, barely audible to the rest of the audience, were sincere and heart-felt. There was passion and desire to strive towards an amazing marriage.

Those vows we repeated have been the basis of our life. Definitely not always easy to follow, but solid convictions in our hearts. The past six years have had ups and downs, joys and sorrows, as I'm certain the rest of our lives will also hold. I know this. I know that I vowed my life to Jesse, and him to me. I know that whatever might come, we will face it together. I know that God brought us together, and it is only because of Him that we will be able to make it together. I'm thankful for every positive aspect of my husband's character, and prayerful for every...well, not-so positive aspect. :) As I'm sure he is of me. We have grown individually and together over these past six years, and I'm curious to see what we look like as a couple in another six years from now.

I found pictures from our honeymoon on an old digital card when we were moving. We went to Colorado for a week, hanging out together, hiking through beautiful mountains, climbing up the sides of waterfalls, having picnics beside streams, fishing in quiet lakes. We enjoyed nature and spent time with only each other. It was a beautiful week, and looking back at these pictures makes me remember how young we were. Young, in love, and full of faith in each other. It was a special time, full of memories.

(If you notice, we don't have any pictures of us together from the entire week. We truly spent the week secluded from the rest of the world, therefore having no one else to take our picture. And we had not mastered the arm-outstretched pose yet...)

I love my husband. I'm thankful that God has blessed us with each other and the life we lead. I look forward to the future and the continuation of this road we have begun. Thank you Jesse for choosing me to be your wife, friend, lover, and life-partner. I can't imagine going through life with anyone but you. I love you.