Can't Believe...

It's already been a week (almost... not until this evening!).

Life has definitely changed dramatically. I was going through some major anxiety this past week... just the newness and bigness of it all. It definitely wasn't as peachy of an experience as I expected it would be! BUT... I am so blessed by this little baby... I wouldn't change anything for the world. (Except maybe her feed/sleep schedule!)


We had 2 pediatrician appointments this week to check on her jaundice. It wasn't as high as the doc thought it would be... but he wanted us to come in the next day to have her levels checked again. Good news... she had gained 3 oz (in one day!) and her coloring was looking better, so she didn't have to get that horrible test again! Everything is looking good. Of course, the other night when she was throwing up this nasty orange curdled cheese looking vomit... we were not so sure! But she has been fine since... just wants to eat ALL. THE. TIME. Props to all of you breast feeding moms... it is a tough job! I hear it gets easier... I hope that's true!! I find myself feeding in the wee hours... trying to keep my eyes open and not slump over snoring!! I am not a good daytime sleeper.. so I'm having a hard time adjusting to her schedule. All I can say is that I hope it gets easier.... soon!

I apologize for my lack of blog-reading. I feel so out of the loop from everyone... but I guess that is to be expected! I hope to get back into it more as things start balancing out for us. Cory goes back to work tomorrow... I am dreading that! He has been so amazing!!! But luckily I have help coming every day next week... so I hope I won't get too overwhelmed!

One of these days I plan on sharing my labor story... :)

Baby E

This is the hardest job I've ever had in my life! Please pray for me as I am having a very hard time adjusting to all of the changes. I'm trying to fight a lot of anxiety. Cory has been amazing, thankfully!!

Meet Our Sweet Eloise!

My apologies for not posting sooner.. but well, you can imagine that I haven't had time.

I really wanted to do a wonderful introduction post for our new baby girl... but unfortunately, I'm running on empty! Please visit my sister's blog to see pictures!

And please keep us in your prayers... this new parent thing is quite a challenge.. but SHE'S PERFECT!

Eloise Anne
Born: Jan. 23, 2011 @ 6:33PM
Weight: 7 lbs, 4.5 oz
Length: 19"

Party Anyone?

I was thinking we might be having a Steelers Party tonight....

...in the hospital.

Yes folks, it has begun!

I started having contractions yesterday evening...

First signs were around 5:30 PM-ish... but it wasn't until around 7:30PM that I started to figure out that this wasn't just normal pain!

So... yes, I should be sleeping... Cory is in bed right now. I don't want to wake him up! Lord knows he needs his sleep as well!! I have been having VERY strong pains (as I was sleeping off and on)... so I came downstairs to use an online contraction timer (Cory thinks of everything!). I don't want to go to the hospital too early.... but I don't want to go too late either! (And I want to make sure my mom has time to drive 45 mins in the mean time!)

So... say a prayer for us!

Looks like this is going to happen... very soon!!!

***UPDATE***

Just got back from the hospital... I am in early labor.. but only 2cm. The pains I've been having are due to the baby being "sunny side up"... which we are hoping will change! Could be hours, could be days! I am off to rest!!

38 Week Update

Cory drove me to my 38 week appointment yesterday.

He stayed in the waiting room... and I got ushered back into the exam room. The very HOT exam room, I might add. However, I got taken back a few minutes early, so I was optimistic that I would only have to fan myself with the little scrap of paper I scrounged up out of my purse for only a short time.

WRONG.

I waited and waited (and fanned and fanned)... luckily the nurse didn't make me get undressed or anything right away because that would have been even WORSE of a wait.

Just when I thought the doctor was coming... in comes a nurse with Cory trailing behind. (I can only imagine the confused look on my face...)

Now, he's come to some of my appointments with me over the months.... but he's never been "in the room" (except for during an ultrasound). We were told that the doctor was delivering a baby in a different part of the hospital.

Great.

So, we waited together.

I finally went out and asked the nurse if she had any idea of the status.... because (um, hullo!) my husband would need to get back to work soon and I didn't want to keep him waiting if it could be hours! I'd call my MIL to come get me, if needed.

We decided to wait another 10 minutes... and *POOF!*... the doctor ended up appearing like 20 seconds later. No joke. Can't complain about that!

We opted for Cory to stay in the room... which I think he was a little freaked out about (he is a bit squeamish). I have to admit, it was a little awkward having an exam with a bystander, even if it was my husband!! But I think it was good for him to get a little taste of it since he could be dealing with similar and more intense awkward situations during labor!

All of this to say...

I don't have much exciting news to share.

The doctor told me that I don't have a very big baby... which, hey... I'm OK with that! Hopefully it will be better for delivery! And she didn't seem concerned with the size, which is good!

Heartbeat was good...

And... I'm only 1 cm, 80% effaced. *sigh*

I know that can mean different things for different women. Who knows how long it took me to come this far.... so I could have days or weeks to go! I'm not getting my hopes up!

The only thing that is semi-giving me hope.... is that I feel a lot more pressure... like the baby is lower.

So... STAY TUNED... we will have a report one of these days!! Promise!


On a separate note... I loved Steven Tyler on American Idol... I'm lame, I know... HA!

Homemade Ravioli!!

I don't know about you... but I get so frustrated with trying to think of what to have for dinner every night.

To be honest, we have a lot of repeats. We know what we like... how to make it... and well, it's just easier that way.

But sometimes it's nice to have something different.

My problem is that I, admittedly, am not a good cook. Ok cook, maybe.... but that's about as good as it gets. In my own defense though, I never really tried too hard until I was married and had the time to put into it. I'm still learning.

I love finding recipes on blogs and in cooking magazines... but a lot of times they call for weird ingredients... or things we don't eat (I refuse to eat almost all seafood... and I'm picky about spicy foods!).

Well, the other day I thought about getting some ravioli from the freezer section at the supermarket... but have you seen what they put in those!? I'm not too crazy about all of the additives and preservatives.... and who knows what else! So I Googled homemade ravioli and was satisfied with the fact that it only takes 4 ingredients to make the pasta. The filling is whatever you want. If you want the recipe I used... go HERE.

Here is a little peek into the creation of my raviolis...


I am so thankful to have a Kitchen-Aid Mixer. It kneads the dough for me, which frees me up for so many other things!


I do not have any type of pleasant work space in my kitchen to do things like rolling out dough. Our kitchen table has uneven leaf sections that make it hard to do ANYTHING (new table? hopefully someday!). As I was rolling and rolling on my small glass cutting board... I was really thinking about how nice it would be to have one of those pasta press rolly-thing-a-ma-jigs!!


The recipe said to use a glass and trace around it with a knife to get your circles... Yeah. Right.


The great thing about this recipe... is that you can make it ahead of time and stick the raviolis in the freezer. That way you aren't rushing at the last minute to try to get dinner on the table, after making a mess and doing all of the grunt work. I even had 30 extra raviolis left over that I put in freezer bags so that we'll be able to pull them out for later use! (Like, when the baby is here and we're too pooped to do much cooking!)


I must say... the end product turned out quite well! Cory even deemed it one of the best things he's ever eaten! I don't know if I'd necessarily go that far... but it was tasty! (I had filled it with ground beef and ricotta... but you can use whatever!)

Now, I need to learn to make my own sauce!

Still Waiting!

No baby yet... but I still have 13 days, so we're just playing the waiting game!

I have spent several hours today working on making homemade ravioli! It was my first time making any type of pasta... so it was interesting and a little more time consuming than I hoped. But I think it turned out OK and I feel good that I actually did it myself!! I'll post more about it (with pictures) tomorrow!

I've been trying to do things to keep myself busy... so now I'm off to write Thank You notes from the shower my church threw me on Sunday. It was such a nice little party and the ladies were so thoughtful in their gifts! I am so appreciative of everyone's generosity!! I don't have any pictures since I was the "guest of honor".

Hope you're all having a wonderful Tuesday! Thanks for stopping by!

Decoration Challenged

I am not a decorator. I know what I like... funky, fun, unique... maybe a little quirky and eclectic... but I can never just put things together to my own satisfaction. (So unfortunately my house looks pretty "simple"--not quite what I am going for... but it is what it is!)

Maybe it's my fear of hammering too many holes in the wall because I just can't decide what I want where.

I still have pictures and odds and ends sitting around from when we first moved in, waiting to be hung up.

I should just suck it up and get out the hammer and nails.... but I just can't quite bring myself to do it.

Yesterday, though, Cory offered to help me hang a few things in the baby's room (since I have been mentioning it off and on for months... and never acting on it!). I figured I should take the help if he was offering.... and this was the end result. (Sorry, the mobile is kind of in the way)


I know, it's not overly exciting... but I still think it's sweet.

(And NO, just cuz the walls are blue doesn't mean we're having a boy! We SERIOUSLY have no idea what we're having... blue is just the color the room was painted when we first moved in!)

One of these days I'll get those old pictures and decorations hung up...

In the meantime, here I am at 38 Weeks!


I feel like my stomach got really big in just the past week! This afternoon my church is throwing me a small baby shower. Even though I want this baby out... I was hoping it would at least wait until after today so that it didn't throw a wrench in anyone's plans! Once the shower is over... I'm READY! (Cory is hoping we can hold out until after the 21st so he can get caught up on some work stuff. It's all in God's timing... I just hope it's sooner rather than later!)

Hope you've all had a nice weekend!

Cooped Up!!

Over the past month or so... I have been feeling REALLY cooped up in this house!!

After my little car accident in December, I was pretty much stuck at home most of the time due to not having a car.

Then, I got that horrible cold! I actually didn't mind being cooped up then, since I was so miserable. (Still fighting that off a little bit.)

And also... the SNOW! We haven't gotten a ton, but there have been a number of days where the roads were too bad to venture out onto (at least for a pregnant woman in her 9th month).

So here I have sat.

Reading books and watching TV.

Trying to REST since I hear that I won't be able to much once this baby comes!

But I am going a little stir crazy!!

So... needless to say... right now, I'm one of those whiny people who say "I'M BORED!".

Normal things I would do... like crafting... take too much effort. (My only work space is the coffee table... my "stuff" is upstairs... and with the leg cramps I've been having, I don't trust myself to carry it all downstairs! And if it were downstairs, the mess would stress me out! --Especially if I were to go into labor and had no time or focus to clean it up before heading to the hospital--).

Thankfully, my mom came over on Thursday and took me out for lunch and a little shopping.

Look at my cutie pie Mini-Burger that I had for lunch!

I blindly asked for "everything" on it... and it was loaded!!!! But it was good! And it was so nice to have some adult woman conversation and get out and about for a few hours!! Thanks Mom!

But... now I am back in the house... hoping I can talk Cory into heading over to a friends to watch the STEELER game this evening!! Can you believe, he has to work this weekend just so he can take Monday off--which is already a HOLIDAY for him? (UGH!) Oh well!!

I hope that, if you are snowed in.... (or pregnant), you aren't going crazy being stuck inside--like me!

I Know, I Know...

I should be resting. And I will, I promise... as soon as I share these pictures with you.


I haven't really had many cravings during this pregnancy... but over the last month, I have really been wanting some pie crust. Not the kind you buy out of a can in the refrigerated section... or even those graham cracker crusts... but REAL homemade crust. And all the better if there is actual pie filling too, right!?


And honestly, how hard is it to make pie crust? It's one of the easiest things to throw together in my opinion (flour, salt, shortening, water--TAA DAA!).... so I decided that I would make Cory an apple pie today. Ok, maybe it's more for me than Cory... obviously, since I'm the one who wants to eat pie crust! But I am keeping it all in one piece until he gets home. (THAT'S an accomplishment!)


And the heart... that's for him.

I'd invite you over for some pie... but you know, you don't ever want to take food from a pregnant woman. Especially if it's something she's craving! ;)

1/11/11

I'm sitting inside my warm house... looking out the window at the winter wonderland that is falling all around us! They're calling for 5"-8" by tomorrow. If it keeps coming down like it is, I think for sure we will get more!! (But I hope not!)

My doctor appointment went well today. The baby's head is down and the doctor said I could "go any day". He didn't check to see if I'd started to dilate though, so I'm not going to get my hopes up too much!! We're just waiting as patiently as possible! (Come ooooon baby!!!)

The doc told me to REST, REST, REST while I can, especially since I've been trying to get over this cold. I'm tired of laying on the couch... I've read 2 books in the past couple of days and I'm about to start another. It makes the time go faster and is much more entertaining than the TV. UGH. The TV... it's so obnoxious! Thankfully, Cory is able to spend his evenings at home and doesn't have to be out and about... so I look forward to when I hear his car pull in!



My cat, Weezer, has been abnormally clingy. She constantly wants to lay on my belly. That ain't happenin'! But she seems to be content just to be near me when I push her away from my stomach... and I must admit, it's kind of nice to have a snuggly couch buddy! She will be in for quite a shock once we bring the baby home... so I'm trying to make up to her now as much as I can!! (And while she'll still let me... my cat has.. mental issues. LOL)



When the dog isn't home... Weezer likes to nose through the basket of dog toys. Not quite sure what is in there that fascinates her, but she likes to look around!

(We had a little photo shoot today, if you couldn't tell!)

Oh yes, and I wanted to share the adorable hat that my sister made for the baby! Isn't it too sweet??

We have truly been blessed by those around us who have given us gifts for the baby! I just can't wait to start using them!! :)

37 Weeks!

I have finally almost gotten this cold KICKED! Still not 100%... but I'm surprised at how fast it's gotten better despite the fact that I haven't taken any medicine. I know the doctors give you a list of "ok" meds... but I still don't trust them.

Cory put me on some home remedies of REST, a gallon of water a day, the nettie pot, breathing in steam from a pot of water and gargling salt water.

I was miserable enough not to complain... and honestly, I couldn't really move to get up off the couch anyway... except to go to the bathroom, of course. Cory would come home at lunch time to make me soup. Poor guy was still getting over being sick himself and he still took care of me at lunch time, shoveled snow at 4:30AM and went to work for 9 hours (only to come home and take care of me again). He's a special one, that Cory!

I am still going to take it easy for awhile... I have a little bit of a cough to get rid of... but hopefully I'll be back into the bloggy swing of things!

Oh yeah.... and 37 weeks... NOT LONG NOW!


I'm having little pre-labor symptoms... but when I look them up online, everyone says that they could happen for weeks before I go into labor... so I'm not getting too excited... yet.

Tomorrow is my next appointment... we'll see what they say!! :)

It Has Arrived...

... No... not the baby.

The dreaded sinus infection that I have been happily avoiding for 36 weeks!

Now, I am no doctor... so perhaps my self diagnosis isn't all that accurate... but I am pretty sure by the symptoms... that I'm dealing with a sinus infection here. Or at the very least... a VERY BAD COLD!

I don't want to go to the doctor--since I was just there on Tuesday... so I am resting (can we say--boredom?)... and trying to drink lots of water... using the Neti Pot... and well, going through quite a few tissues.

Hopefully I can kick this thing without antibiotics...

So... I might be a little lax in the blogging over the next few days..... but I'm sure you understand!

Blessed Beyond Measure

I hope she doesn't mind me posting this... but a long-time friend has started her own blog... and I wanted to share it with you.

I have known this wonderful lady since my days back in elementary school. However, I was the student... she was the school employee! I still don't know the difference in our ages (although that doesn't really matter) and we haven't kept up too much over the years. She ended up moving away for some mission work and other things that I am sure I know little to nothing about... however, the wonderful world of Facebook has reconnected us a bit. When she posted about starting her own blog, I figured I'd check it out. Even though it's only a few posts into the year, she has been very uplifting and encouraging (and even shared a yummy recipe for veggie beef soup in the crock pot!).

So, if you feel so inclined... hop on over to visit Sue! She is a lovely lady with a heart for God and an infectious positive attitude!!!

Already...

Today was my 36 week appointment...

I know, you're probably sick of hearing about
these appointments and pregnancy stuff.
But only a few more weeks and then
I'll be bombarding you with BABY talk!

Hard.To.Believe.

I've waited my whole life for this.
Seriously.
It's all I've ever wanted... and now that it's
almost here, it almost doesn't seem real.

A good friend of mine reminded me a
few months ago that I'm living my dream.

How right she was.
And I often find myself thinking of that very
fact when I am getting up to go to the bathroom for
the 12th time in the middle of the night.

Or when I can hardly walk because of the pain
from the baby "lightening".

Or when I'm bored out of my mind, cooped up in the
house with little or nothing to do because there
is only so much I can do!
(Among other things)

I have truly been blessed... and am excited for this
next stage in life!!
(Thanks for the reminder Julie!)

Oh yeah, and my appointment went well.
I've gained 22 lbs to date.
Not thrilled about it... but satisfied.

Now... what I was really meaning to write this post about..
is this..


Obviously I wasn't going to post a picture of the candy before I ate it.
That sucker didn't last 30 seconds after I got in my car!

The wrapper will just have to do.

And I post this to say... ALREADY?

The stores are not only lining the shelves with
Valentine's crap...
they're busting out the Easter stuff!

It seriously gets worse every year, I tell ya!
We're only 4 days into the new year...

It's ridiculous!

But... that Cadbury Creme Egg was quite delicious!
Can't really complain about that!

Moving on in 2011

How do you not be offended when someone you have been "friends" with your whole life... starts dating someone... gets engaged... and sets a wedding date... without even bothering to tell you ANY of those things? (Not even ONE detail... even to this day! I had to find out from my mom.)

When I say "friends"... it's more of a one sided thing, I suppose. I try to keep up via email, text, calls, snail mail......... yet it has ended up being pretty much one-sided for the past 2.5 years.

I guess that should be my first clue. If it's been one-sided for so long... apparently our "friendship" isn't what I thought or hoped it would be. But I can't deny that it still hurts my feelings to have been left out of such important life-altering details of someone whom I care very much about.

I'm not much for New Years Resolutions... but I guess perhaps 2011 will be a year to really take stock of those who are most important in my life. I can resolve myself to just move on from those who have removed themselves from me... and focus on my family and our (soon-to-be) new arrival.

Not to say that it still doesn't sting a little... but I choose not to make myself miserable just because I'm not in the loop. I have my own loops to keep me busy!

So here's to 2011 and MOVING ON!

.... and to less than 1 month till we meet our wee babe!! :) Eeek!