Baby Shower {Addy Jo}...and lots of other stuff...

August is almost here! Depending on when my doctor wants to induce, this could be the month that we meet our Addy Jo! We can hardly wait! I remember when we first found out in January that we were pregnant and September 7th seemed so far off.  Now July is almost gone and she will be here before we know it!

 

 

July has been a very busy month for us and I'm looking forward to what August has in store.  Here is a recap in pics of the last two weeks:

 



After years of wanting a good camera, I finally got a great one and I am so thankful for it!

I love the clarity and detail! And this is just on automatic mode.  I can't wait to start learning how to use it on manual mode. 

This little boy has really been into cars lately.  There are some nights that we have to pry them from his hands at bedtime.  When he wakes up in the morning, his cars are the first thing he ask for!

We have been enjoying some good rain here lately.  The Lord sent us almost 5 inches just in one night! What a blessing! And right now, as I'm typing this, it is 2 o'clock in the afternoon and only 85 degrees! I am truly thankful for this!

I thought this one was too cute not to share!

We've been doing some homeschooling here and there getting ready for the real thing starting on Monday!

We were so happy to have family come to visit last week.  They traveled six hours to be here for my baby shower and we surprised them with some birthday fun while here.  My mom turned 50 and my grandpa turned 72.  The boys are responsible for most of the cake decorating!

We took everyone to Medicine Park and ate at the Old Plantation.  Notice the roll in Josiah's hand.  He refuses to leave a restaurant without a piece of food in his hand! : )

Josiah is getting some practice in!

Daddy has a lot to learn about little girls!

The boys really enjoyed opening their Addy Jo's presents!

I was blown away at all the planning, organizing and decorating that these two ladies put into the shower.  They did such an awesome job and I am so blessed to have them in my life!

Jordan's parents came to visit on Tuesday and we took them to Medicine Park as well.  Can you tell that we really like that place?

And so the fun begins! Mommy has had some late nights getting everything ready to start homeschooling on Monday. Say a little prayer for us!

Addy Jo {32 weeks}

It seems like I just posted my 7 month pregnancy update a few days ago. This past month flew by so fast and here I am, 8 months pregnant! And a lot has happened since my last update.  I failed my second one-hour glucose test and had to take a third test which was two hours long.  (I've had to drink that nasty stuff three times during this pregnancy. gag.) My blood sugar levels from fasting were excellent.  However, my levels one hour after drinking the glucose were sky high.  By two hours, they had leveled back down to a safe range.  So I passed 2/3 of the test.  Unfortunately,  failing 1/3 of it was enough to get me diagnosed as a gestational diabetic.  I was pretty upset about this at first. But after meeting with the dietician she explained to me that this wasn't my fault.  Apparently, diabetes affects about 10% of pregnant women because the placenta produces hormones that work against insulin which keeps glucose from moving into the cells.  While pregnant, the body has to make three times the normal amount of insulin to overcome this resistance. For women like me, our bodies just don't produce enough insulin while pregnant to meet this demand.  So I have been strictly following the diet plan that she gave me for 10 days now, and I feel SO much better.  I'm not getting light-headed or shaky anymore and I don't feel near as fatigued.  I have even lost 8 pounds in 10 days! (don't worry, my dietician and doctor are keeping a close eye on everything)...8 lbs. down but I feel completely satisfied after each meal and I am eating healthier than I ever have!

 I owe a large part of this to this book:

I cannot speak highly enough about this book.  Despite the title, this book can help you whether you are a mom or not, male or female, pregnant, nursing, diabetic, needing to loose weight, needing to maintain weight, or have food allergies.  It goes into great detail as to why fad diets don't work long term and why it is detrimental to one's health to completely cut a food group from one's diet.  It teaches you how to maintain a healthy balanced diet that includes all of the food groups so that you do not feel deprived.  And the results from readers will blow your mind if you look Trim Healthy Mamas up on facebook. It has been a great help to me just in managing my gestational diabetes so far. I will definitely continue this diet after I have the baby and even while I nurse.  I haven't seen results like I have seen from myself while on this diet since I was starving myself and exercising twice a day.  And I'm pregnant! Who would have thought that you could still feel satisfied after every meal and still lose weight? I sure didn't! Okay, I'll stop now.  But you should definitely look into it!



How far along: 32 weeks

Maternity clothes: pants...I'm still getting away with regular tops and dresses...stretchy ones, anyway...

Best moment this month: lots of them actually...in fact, I can't narrow it down!


Miss Anything: being able to lay comfortably in the bathtub for a long time.  Also, long car rides.  I just can't sit still for very long anymore and I end up getting painful contractions while riding.  Also (lol), I miss being able to sleep at night without waking up a hundred times to go to the bathroom or because I have a horrible cramp in my leg/foot. So yes, I miss a lot of things.  But not too much longer!


Movement: yes! she's a squirmy wormy at night...not too much during the day though. 

Food cravings: since starting this diet, my cravings for carbs and fruit has greatly diminished.  I'm not really having any cravings now...Just sticking close to my diet plan and feeling satisfied. 


Anything making you queasy or sick: The Lorax and the smell of apple cinnamon tea brewing (see my 28 week update if you are confused by this)


Have you started to show yet: ummmm....yes.  definitely yes.


Gender: Girl!



Labor Signs: I feel and look like Addy Jo is dropping already...lots of pressure on my pelvis.  I didn't drop with the boys until the very very end.  It's not exactly comfortable but I prefer this pain over the pain of carrying a baby so high that I can't breath and my ribs constantly ache.  That was the hardest part about my pregnancies with the boys. 

Also, I've been having a lot more contractions lately...and much more intense. 

Belly Button in or out: poking out a bit


Wedding rings on or off:  Wedding ring on....promise ring off.


Happy or Moody most of the time:  After being on this low carb/low sugar diet, my mood has changed drastically...much happier and less irritable...however, the first couple of days of cutting the carbs/sugar created some irritableness!


Looking forward to: my baby shower next week here at church! (Sunday the 21st)...I have family coming in and I can't wait to see everyone!

Randomness and VBS {2013}

What a crazy, busy, and fun week this has been.  But I have to say that I am ready for a little down time. And by "down time", I mean staying at home and getting some things done.  I'll be 8 months pregnant this week and nesting is in full force.  I have a few things to finish on Addison's nursery and I plan on having the boys' homeschool plans for fall all wrapped up by the end of the week.  Did I mention that my house needs a good cleaning? And that I have two doctor's appointments this week?
Down time. Right...

Speaking of doctor's appointments, since my last baby update, I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  I met with a dietician this past week and since cutting out almost all carbs/sugar, I cannot tell you how much better I feel.  I'm no longer feeling sluggish, fatigued, dizzy or shaky.  I have even lost 4 lbs. in 5 days.  My dietician told me that this is normal if I'm sticking to my eating plan like I should.  Anyway, I'll post more about all that when I blog for my 8 month update. 

Here are a few pics from this past week which include pics of the boys' new fort and our week at VBS.  Jordan and I were in charge of the music and it was a blast.  I definitely got my exercise in for sure!............

5th Anniversary {2013}

For the past week, I have been trying to think of the right thing to post here on my blog to commemorate five years of marriage.  I had already posted a blog on a past anniversary which detailed our entire lives together.  You can read it here. (I just re-read it, and laughed. I didn't realize how much of a stickler I was for details!) Anyway, like I said, I've been racking my brain trying to come up with the perfect thing to post about on our anniversary. 

And then, a couple of days ago, I came across this blog post. You should go read it too.  Sometimes, when you don't have the words to say, someone else says it better.  I hope these words touch you like they did me:


By Darlene Schacht at Time Warp Wife

""I do," is one of the shortest sentences in our English language and yet it carries a promise that's too vast to be measured by man.

It's not one thing we do, but a thousand little things that make up the sum of our vows.

Long-lasting love doesn't happen by accident. We don't find ourselves holding hands after twenty-five years with the one that we love by pure chance. Love is deliberate, it's intentional, it's purposeful, and in the end it's worth every minute that we give of ourselves to another.

Marriage is a thousand little things. It's giving up your right to be right in the heat of an argument. It's forgiving another when they let you down. It's loving someone enough to step down so they can shine. It's friendship. It's being a cheerleader and trusted confidant. It's a place of forgiveness that welcomes one home, and arms they can run to in the midst of a storm. It's grace.

It's giving of yourself tirelessly down paths you'd never imagine to travel. Through sickness and pain, poverty and loss, it's carrying the weight of another. It's being the smile they see in the morning, and the body they hold close at night. It's pure love. It's standing together in the face of adversity. It's riding alongside each other in a battle that threatens to tear down your marriage and seeks to grab hold of your faith. It's strength under pressure.

It's listening to the heart of another and understanding their pain. It's offering words of encouragement when they need it most. It's walking hand-in-hand in the park, and a gentle kiss in the pouring rain. It's laughing together.

It's endless compassion.

Marriage is ordained by an almighty God, and when we live out our vows according to His incredible wisdom and grace...it never fails."

 This picture was taken on the eve of our wedding.  I was beyond excited to be marrying my best friend.  I had no idea, at that point in time, just how much life would affect our perfectly blissful relationship.  And it has! From having babies young, to moving around like crazy, to dealing with some crazy church folk (sorry!), we have been through so much in our five years together.  Not to mention the fact that God couldn't have put two creatures together who are more alike than us two.  Don't get me wrong, we have our differences.  But in the ways that we are alike, we are REALLY alike... Both of us passionate, head-strong, outspoken, and opinionated...we make a great team when we agree on things.  But when we disagree? Well, like I said, we are very passionate.  We have a hard time backing down when we feel strongly about something.

But you know what, there has not been one day that I have regretted marrying this man.  Even on our worse days, when we have selfishly hurt each other deeply, we always return to each other with arms wide open, full of forgiveness, grace and love.  You see, the Gospel affects every aspect of our lives.  That perfectly blissful life that we had in mind? We traded it in for a realistic one.  A life that is even better than what we could have imagined.  God covers us in forgiveness, grace, mercy and love.  And because He does, we are able to do the same for each other.


"Marriage is ordained by an almighty God, and when we live out our vows according to His incredible wisdom and grace...it never fails."


I love you Jordan.  Always.