How Big is Addison?

Sooo big! I was scrolling through her pictures today and came across her two month picture, and then her three month picture...unbelievable!! The days of worrying about her size are (praise the Lord), so far behind us. :)

Addison at two months.

Addison at three months. :)

Picture This

We had Addison's three month pictures taken. Denae Hutson was our photographer, and let me just say she was AMAZING! Addison was not happy about having her picture made, but Denae worked with her in our home for about four hours (she left at one point and came back later). Needless to say, we were all exhausted at the end of it. But, her talent shows in these pictures as you would never know how upset Addison really was! :) Here are a few of them...

I would definitely recommend Denae if you ever need a baby photographer! www.denaehutsonphotography.com

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I will admit I was a little nervous about it, as it was going to include Addison's first road trip, and staying at someone elses house for a couple of nights, but she did an amazing job!

On Thanksgiving day we were here as Brad was working that day. So, Addison and I went to my parents house where relatives from my dad's side of the family were and spent some time there, and then went up to the firestation to spend some time with Brad. After Brad got off of work, we loaded up the car and were headed to San Antonio to spend time with Brad's family. We arrived in San Antonio a little before midnight, and headed to bed with one very tired baby. We spent all day Friday at Brian (Brad's brother) and Gabi's house, cooking, playing with Ben and Grace, and just hanging out. Saturday morning we got on the road in time for Brad to make it back to work that night. It was a short trip, but so much fun! I can't wait for more holidays together as the cousins get older!

Addison with her daddy at the fire station.

Brad and Addison in front of the fire engine. (Addison is extremely dramatic about the sun which is why Brad's body is turned funny, trying to block the sun from her face.)

Hanging out with Grandad in San Antonio.

A wonderful Thanksgiving with so, so much to be thankful for! :)

Three Months - Nov. 20

Addison's third month was filled with many fun moments. She is becoming more and more interactive, which makes my days even more joy filled than they already were. Addison had her first Halloween in her third month. She dressed up in the cutest tiger costume that her Aunt Gabi got for her. She even got to wear it over to Nana and Grandad's one night, and Aunt Janelle was there so she got to see it too. Some things Addison has been up to lately...

• sleeping through the night consistantly. there are a few mornings she will wake up around 6:30, but most of the time she sleeps until 8ish.


• having to be woken up from most of her naps. I usually wake her after she has been sleeping for two hours, although sometimes I will let her go three hours if she didn't get a good nap that morning. (she does not like to be woken up!)


• will wake up and talk to herself for a few minutes in the middle of her nap. addison usually does this during her morning nap. she will wake up, smile, look at the monitor and babble for 10-15 minutes, and then back to sleep.


• sucks on her two middle fingers. she has learned to comfort herself by sucking on these fingers, and prefers her fingers to a paci.


• loves to stand up and look around. her legs have become very strong and she prefers to be standing up (with help, obviously).


• loves to look at herself in the mirror. will talk to herself for a long time when she is in front of a mirror.


• still wearing size 0-3 months, and size one diapers.


• is on a very consistant schedule, eating every three hours, waking up for about an hour, and napping for about two.


• has become very social while she is eating. If I answer my phone while she is eating she will stop eating and look up at me as if she wants to join the conversation, sometimes she stops eating just to get a smile from me, or flash me one of her own, and sometimes she likes to stop eating, "tell me" what is on her mind, and then go back to eating.


• went to the church nursery for the first time. this was way harder on me than on her, but she did great...she is just very tired on Sunday afternoons!


• has developed very distinct crys for the different discomforts in her little life.

YEAH for three months!! :)

What We've Been Up To...

We are having so much fun with Addison...hence why there is very little time for blogging. Here are just a few highlights in pictures. For more pictures, you can check out my facebook page. :)

Addison helping make dinner and watching Daddy as he plays with her toes.

Addison spends her fussy time at night in her swing. She loves to suck on her fingers - even though it is not her thumb, I'm happy that she has learned to find her fingers and self soothe!! :)

A little past due...but here are Addison's:

One Month Pictures

Two Month Pictures

(Look how much she changed in just a month!!)

Two Months

So, I didn't intend to only post once a month...but here I am, a month later to give Addison's two month update. Some of her accomplishments this month:

• Can suck on her fingers. Her favorite finger to suck on is currently her pointer finger on her right hand. She could find her mouth at one month, but now she can leave them there and suck on them.
• Smiles at Brad and I when we are playing or talking to her.
• Coos and Aahs when she is playing.
• Loves to lay on her back and kick her legs and coo.
• Rides happily in the car - as long as we are moving (this is a huge success!)
• Sleeps in her own room in her crib (she was sleeping in her room in her car seat, for those who think "in her crib" is redundant).
• Sleeps through the night most nights.
• Reflux is getting so much better with the help of medicine. (Hence why she now loves laying on her back).
• Can hold her head up for short periods.
• Is staying on a pretty consistent three hour schedule (nursing, playing, sleeping - repeat every three hours).
• Recognizes when Brad or I are not holding her, and prefers to be with us, although she will let others hold her if she is not too tired.
• Can put herself to sleep when I lay her in her crib awake.

Addison has grown up so much this past month. She is so responsive to people playing with her, and is quite the crowd pleaser at my mom and dads. She loves laying on the floor at their house and watching their tv that is at her eye level. She seems to especially like to watch football which makes her daddy happy. :) While she has developed so much this month, she is still very much a little baby - and I am cherishing every moment as it is already going by so fast! Who knew being a mom would be so fulfilling (besides all you other moms out there), and that I could love a little person so much and fall in love with her more every day! Addison is definitely the love of our lives and we are having so much fun with her!

Official Stats:

• Weight - 9 lbs. 7 oz = 25%
• Length - 23.75" = 95%
• Head - (forgot the measurement :( ) = 50%

She is my long and lean little girl. But we made it to 9 lbs. and we're well on our way to 10! :) No more weight problems...YEAH! :)

One Month

I can't believe how fast this month went! It's amazing seeing how much Addison has grown and changed, and how much we both have learned! Some things Addison has learned this month are:

• Smiling - a lot, but at nothing in particular, usually in her sleep.
• Finding her mouth with her fist so that she can suck on it - she used to miss her mouth most of the time.
• Holding her hands - this is the cutest thing. She will hold one hand with the other when she's nursing, or when she breaks out of her swaddle, but especially when one hand is in her mouth, her other hand looks to be holding it there.
• Pushing up with her legs. She has some strong legs, and will push off of my stomach if I am trying to hold her against my chest and she doesn't want to be there.
• Looking at the mobile on her swing. She just started doing this last week. I put her in her swing and she became mesmerized with the little toys on the mobile, they weren't spinning, or making noise, but she loves to watch them now.
• Turning her head to find me when she hears my voice. As a new mom, this makes everything worth it, to know that she knows my voice and wants to find me.
• Following Brad and I with her eyes. We have to be pretty close, but she will be able to keep her eyes on us if we move...most of the time. :)

Official one month stats: 7 lbs. 14 oz. 20.5 in. long

You Always Round Up

Today we went and had another weight check. Drum roll please... 7 lbs. 2.8oz. Sooooo close, but no cigar. The nurse wrote on the little chart, or at least she said, 7 lbs. 2 oz. But, here's what I'm thinking. When she was born they weighed her and she weighed 7 lbs. 3.6 oz. and they said 7 lbs. 4 oz. So, if they round up her birth weight, it is only fair to round up her four week weight too, right?!! So, I'm going to say that at four weeks she weighs 7 lbs. 3 oz., only one ounce shy of her birth weight. And by Sunday when she is officially a month old she will undoubtedly be back to (and hopefully beyond) her birth weight. So it's taken her awhile to put on weight...someday she will greatly appreciate that fact! The doctor was pleased with her gain and didn't want to see us again until her two month check (I don't know what I'm going to do without my weekly doctor's visits, haha). And, I am pleased with the way she is eating and the way she seems satisfied after she eats. All in all, a great report - not exactly what I was wanting - but still a great report. She's just my itty bitty, petite little girlie... :)

An Ounce at a Time

The last three weeks have been full of so many emotions, so many triumphs, and so many struggles. Some days I feel like I am super mom and have finally figured it out and can really do this thing. The day that follows a day like that is usually a day full of I have no idea what I'm doing, I don't know why she's crying, or how to be a good mom feelings. Recently I have moved away from the whole dramatic despair feelings and more into, ok - I don't know why she's crying, but I can figure this out - even if I just have to sit and hold her all day. I think that that has helped me more than anything - realizing that for now this is my greatest responsibility and it's ok to slow down and just hold her if that's what I need to do. Right now the laundry is not the most important thing - don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to the day when I will figure out how to get the laundry done, dinner made, and the house cleaned - along with taking care of Addison...but for now taking care of Addison might be all I can do, and that's ok.

Our biggest challenge in the last three weeks has come in the form of ounces - whoever knew I would be obsessed with each little ounce! Addison was born at a healthy 7 lbs. 4 oz. Not too big, not too small, a very normal weight. Most of you probably know that it's normal for a baby to lose some of their birth weight. I was told about 10% was the most a baby should lose, and they are to regain that weight by about day ten. On Saturday when we left the hospital Addison weighed 6 lbs. 11 oz. Not too bad, but we were told that she probably shouldn't lose anymore. On Monday we had a doctor's appt., the first thing they did was weigh her, she weighed 5 lbs. 15 oz. She had lost almost a pound in a day and a half. Not a good thing for a brand new mom with crazy hormones to find out - that her daughter was starving. :( We soon found out that she was jaundice, hence the reason for the dramatic 18% weight loss. She was too sick and tired to eat. So, Addison had to do phototherapy in our home Monday - Wednesday. Which means she was in her diaper lying on a little light bed all the time except for when she was nursing. So hard to leave my newborn there when all I wanted to do was hold her. But, I also knew that she HAD to gain weight, and this was going to help. On Wednesday she weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz. and her jaundice levels had decreased. YEAH!! :) A week later she had her two week check up, time for weight check... 6 lbs. 4 oz. ... WHAT??!! She hadn't gained an ounce in a week, babies should gain at least four ounces a week at first. UGH. So frustrating. And she was in the fifth percentile for her weight, another discouraging thing. Can I just say that breastfeeding is hard - really hard - and not for the reasons I thought it was going to be hard. So, we scheduled another appointment for the next week. Weight check - 6 lbs. 12 oz. WOOHOO!!! And then we went on Friday and she was 6 lbs. 15 oz. yeah for progress! :) But, this is week three and she is still not up to her birth weight, so another doctor's appointment was scheduled for the next week. We go tomorrow and I will let you know how it goes. The coolest thing though, was after last weeks appt. I went to talk to the lactation consultant and she was able to weigh Addison before I nursed, and then after and tell me how much she had eaten. She ate 2.5 oz. which I was so excited about and it helped me not to feel like a terrible mom that wasn't feeding her daughter. I have also had amazing encouragement from some ladies here that have had some of the same struggles, that has been a huge blessing and has helped me get through this.

So, that has been our main focus - gaining weight. Hopefully we are almost passed that. I feel like this post conveys the message that I am discouraged, but as I sit here typing with one hand because my daughter is curled up sleeping in my other arm, I can't think of any greater blessing than this opportunity that I have been given, to love and care for this beautiful little girl. I am so blessed! :)

A Quick Glimpse at Three Weeks

The last three weeks have been wonderful, but completely full - with no time left over for blogging. I feel like I have been absent from anything other than my little world of Addison for awhile...and honestly, that's ok wiht me. :) But, right now - at least for now - she is napping, and I am not, and I thought I would quickly attempt to catch up my blog.

I'll start on August 19th. That was the Wednesday I checked into the hospital. At about 6 o'clock Brad and I went and had a wonderful dinner at On the Border (that's where we met and where he proposed, just fyi), kind of our last date night before the baby. Then, it was home, shower, pack a few last minute things, and off to the hospital. Let me back up, we decided to induce on August 20th. So, the week of, I went to the doctor, and of course nothing was happening yet, so he wanted me to go to the hospital the night before so they could start Cervidil. So, Wednesday night, that's what they did - started Cervidil and then said goodnight. Try to sleep when you know you're going to have a baby the next day!! The next morning we were awakened at 5 a.m. and praise the Lord, I was dilated to 2 or 2.5, I don't remember exactly. Anyways, I was thrilled, I though this is going to be easier than I thought. LOL. Little did I know the day that was ahead. They went ahead and started my pitocin to get my labor started. Around 7 the doctor came in and broke my water, and a little after that they gave me an epidural. Let me just tell you that next time I will wait until I think I'm going to scream before I get an epidural. I hated it, I hated it going in, I hated feeling the pressure of it, I hated feeling the needle against my bone (tmi??), I hated the sore spot on my back every time I moved, and most of all I hated the tingling sand feeling in my legs that lasted the next 15 hours. Now, I know I shouldn't complain as I didn't feel very many contractions, and that's what I kept telling myself - this is a lot better than what it could be - but I still hated it! Anyways, to sum it up it became a very long day of very little progression. Everytime they would check me I would have great hopes...and then they would be dashed as I would find I had dilated half a cm, or maybe one at a good hour. Haha. But, the nurse was very encouraging and kept telling me that I was progressing, I hadn't stopped completely, there was still hope for a regular delivery. However, at about 5 o'clock (starving at this point - hadn't eaten since On the Border the night before), the doctor came in and said the baby wasn't turned the correct way. She was looking up and apparently a baby in that position is very hard to deliver, and he started talking C - section. I was so discouraged! I had been there all day long, trying to have this baby and in the end they were going to do a C-section?!! I could have done that at 7 a.m. and saved all the rest of the days troubles. Well, the doctor tried to turn her, but apparently she was not having it, I think he got her on her side, but said she would probably flip back over. So, the nurse rolled me way over on my side to encourage Addison to either stay like that or hopefully go ahead and flip all the way around. The doctor left saying if she hadn't turned, and I wasn't completely progressed by 6:30 then we would go into surgery. I kind of freaked out. He was putting a time limit on me?!! I understand it's not healthy for the baby to not be born within twelve hours of your water breaking, but at this point that gave me about thirty minutes. I thought how in the world was this going to happen? Well, you better believe that we all started praying like crazy, I'm not entirely sure, but I think my mom texted all of her phone book to ask them to pray. A few minutes before 6:30 my nurse brought in a more experienced nurse to try and turn the baby again before the doctor got there and made his decision. Well, the prayers were answered, the baby was ready to be delivered...with literally about two minutes to spare before I would have had a C-section. It's amazing to me to even think about it now. So, at 7:00 I was ready to push and at 7:25 p.m. they laid Addison Elizabeth on my chest. I could not have been more excited to see her wrinkled up little face. The most amazing, indescribable moment in my life.

I know I said you would get an update on three weeks...and that is still the plan...but this post has to end as it is time for Addison to eat. So, I will post the events of the last couple of weeks, with pictures, soon - maybe :) - and for now just leave you with the labor and delivery story. I hope it makes sense, I am a tad sleep deprived. :) Thank you all for your prayers, and encouragement, they have meant the world to me!!

Welcome Addison!

Addison was born on Thursday, August 20th at 7:25 p.m. She was 20 inches long and weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. It was a long day - 12 hours in labor - but so worth it! I am LOVING being a mom, it's exhausting, but one of the best things I've ever done. Once I get a little bit more caught up on rest I'll post pictures and details, etc. Until then, just wanted to say she is here, and we are all doing WONDERFUL!!

Still Waiting

I am 39 weeks pregnant today...and Addison is just kicking and moving, and seems to be having a grand ol' time and not anywhere near being ready to say it's too crowded, get me out of here. Haha. I have been feeling some contractions, and they are becoming more intense contractions, but nowhere near consistant...so we're still waiting. At first I was terrified she was going to come too early. Which is a terrifying thought when you have your belongings spread between two cars, two houses, and a storage unit. But as of this weekend we are completely moved in to our new house. All of our belongings finally in one place. There is still one room with boxes (the office), and there is only one picture hung (in the nursery, of course), but other than that we are completely unpacked and starting to get settled in. So, now that we are settled in and my feet and ankles seem to swell monumentally more everyday, I am saying it's time to meet Addison!!!

I just realized I never blogged about our house. It's such an answered prayer! We thought we would be living with my parents, honestly until December at least. We knew for sure that there was no way to find and buy a house before Addison came...and now here we are...all moved in with a week to spare. :) It truly is incredible. I need to take some pictures and post them, but I will do that a little later...as I'm trying to keep my feet up as much as possible. Let me say, though, that moving when you are 37 weeks pregnant is nowhere near ideal - and the cause of my swollen feet and ankles, I'm sure! But, if you have a need to do some serious nesting...moving into a new house will definitely take care of that! :)

Brad starts his new job with the Lubbock Fire Dept. tomorrow. We are both very excited, and anxious about it - as with any new job, I'm sure. As his wife, I think I am more anxious for him as I want him to love it, and to make friends, and for people to see him for who he really is. I've learned in my years with him that this doesn't always happen as soon as I would like, but it always does happen. So, I am just praying that he will love his new job.

This week has big life changes in it for us. Our first full week in our new house, a new job, and quite possibly a new baby...all in a new town. Please pray for us as we begin this week full of exciting, and uncertain events. I can't wait to post that our little girl is here!! Thank you for your prayers, I know they will be felt.

P.S. - pictures of the nursery are coming, too! :)

Take Two

Yes, this post is way over due...as are about ten other posts I have in my head right now. But, you must understand my computer usage is very limited right now as I am living at my parents. This post is coming courtesy of my brother who has opened up his apartment to me for the night just so I can use his computer...thanks bud! :)

Well, we moved to Lubbock - big change number one. And then I had to find a new doctor - big change number two. I know most of you are thinking, no big deal, a doctor is a doctor, how well do you even know your doctor? Well, let me say as a pregnant lady you get to know your doctor very well. I mean I saw the guy every four weeks for the last 8 months - he gave me confirmation that indeed I was going to have a baby, he let me know that our baby was ok when I thought things had gone terribly wrong, he gave me my first pictures of our baby, told me to expect a little girl, and month after month continued to give me news that she was developing on track, and that her heartbeat was strong and healthy. How can you not feel close to someone who gives you this kind of incredible information?!! I trusted him so completely and was very excited about having him deliver my first baby.

Obviously, this is not going to happen. And on to change number two - the new doctor. The day after arriving in Lubbock was my first doctor's appointment. Thankfully, Brad was still here and able to go with me which made me a whole lot less nervous. I was very skeptical and went into the appointment thinking it was very likely I would turn around, walk out, and begin looking for another new doctor. This, of course, didn't happen. Honestly, the doctor was great. He was surprised, I think, to be seeing someone for the first time at 33 weeks, but asked our story, how we came to Lubbock. And took time to talk to us and really made us feel like he had all the time in the world to answer our questions. Now, if you have been to the doctor's office a lot (or even a little), you know that this is not always the case. So, him giving us this gift of his time was really wonderful and gave us great confidence in him as our doctor. He even does an ultrasound every time I go in...which is amazing! I love getting to see our little girl and so this is like a gift that was completely unexpected. So at this first appointment he did an ultrasound and printed out pictures for us as I told him I hadn't seen her since 19 weeks. She had grown A LOT since then! He told us she was five pounds - and breech. But, he assured us she had plenty of time to turn. This week I had my 35 week appointment, and she has turned! Praise the Lord! (Now we're just praying she stays that way!). He also said she was about 5 1/2 pounds which means she will probably be a little over 7 1/2 when she is born. Haha, I joke that my pregnancy has been the epitomy of average and Addison's expected birth weight is just right in line with that. Haha. I couldn't be more thrilled!

To sum up my feelings - I have been blessed! God provided me with another amazing doctor right here in Lubbock who has answered my questions and given me another glimpse at my precious little girl. I feel very confident in his abilities and as he happens to specialize in high-risk pregnancies, I know that if anything goes wrong he can handle it. Will I adore him as much as I did my first doctor? Probably not until child number two...if ever. But, do I trust him and feel so thankful to have him as my doctor? Yes, and that is what is most important in this last month! And, hopefully, with appointments every week we can develop a doctor/patient relationship quickly!!

Here is one of the adorable pictures of our little girl - you can actually see some of her little facial features. :) Let me help you see it...she is looking to the top of the picture. You can see her forehead, closed eye, nose, upper lip and chin. (Don't feel bad if you can't see it, it took Brad awhile too!).

Change...Take One

Well, here it is - the first of the big changes in our lives...moving to Lubbock.

I am officially moved. And almost unpacked, I might add. On Monday I said goodbye to our home and to Waco, and Brad drove us to Lubbock. My car was loaded down with all of my personal belongings and the rest of the baby stuff. It was so weird to leave - I don't even really feel like I was able to say goodbye to all of the people I wanted to say goodbye to. I feel like I had been saying goodbye for awhile, but then all of the sudden the time was there to leave and there seemed to be no finality to it, ya know, no one last hug and goodbye. While we were in Waco we were so blessed with so many friendships, and so many people that loved on us and cared for us that it was really hard to leave. Throw in the fact that I am eight months pregnant and I had an emotional day on my hands. :)

But, now I am here. I spent all day yesterday unpacking and organizing my stuff, and I have spent today unpacking and organizing the baby stuff. This Saturday Brad will bring the Uhaul full of all of our possessions, and we will unload them into a storage unit, as we do not have a house yet. And then on Sunday Brad will head back to Waco to finish working with the Fire Dept. and will officially move himself here August 2nd - in time for the baby to be born (at least that's our plan, I hope our little girl doesn't have different plans!). :) So, needless to say this is all a huge change in our lives, and anytime there is change it is difficult, but I am keeping busy, focusing on our arrival, looking for a house, and of course I have my wonderful mom to hang out with! :)

I am looking forward to really settling in - Brad moving here, starting his job with the Fire Dept., and hopefully moving in to our house! And, if the truth be told, I feel like my life is just waiting for the next month when Miss Addison Elizabeth will be born! But in the same moment I know I have SO much to get done before then, so hang on Addison, give us as much time as you can, I want everything to be perfect when you get here! :)

But, I do want to say before I close to all of the people I know and love in Waco: Thank you for everything you have meant to Brad and I the last two years. We have felt so blessed to get to know all of you and spend time with you. You have each brought something different and wonderful into our lives and have helped us to grow. We will always cherish the time we had with you! If you are ever on your way to Colorado or New Mexico, remember that Lubbock is on the way and we know a great "bed and breakfast!" Please stop and stay with us. Or if you ever just happen to be in Lubbock, you are always welcome in our home...I know that's unlikely, but the offer, of course, is there! :) I love you all and will miss you terribly!

My Hero

If you spend very long with me you will find very quickly how proud I am of my husband and the fact that he is a firefighter. At first it was scary, and I definitely still have my moments, but what outweighs all of that is how proud I am of him for wanting to serve - and how excited he gets talking about a recent fire. He is truly passionate about what he does, and as his wife I love to see him doing what he loves! I love that I can immediately tell by the tone of his voice on the phone, or when he gets home in the mornings if he has caught a fire on shift. This last Tuesday I heard that tone. He said, "I'm pulling up to a huge fire, go outside and you can probably see the smoke." Sure enough, I saw the billowing smoke coming over the rooftops in our neighborhood. He was excited about being called to that fire, and wanted me to know. I asked him to be safe, we hung up, and I said an extra prayer for him. Not only did he get to fight the fire, he got to go up on the 50 ft. aerial ladder for the first time. I think he had a lot of fun, and he was safe and so we're both happy. :) I'm obviously proud of him, so I wanted to share a picture that one of the guys took of Brad helping put out the fire.

That's Brad at the top of the ladder, although you obviously can't see his face.

Headed West

Well, the time has come... We are moving to Lubbock. Most already know this, but just in case you don't let me get you caught up real quick.

Brad tested with the Lubbock fire dept. and was recently offered a job. There are a ton of details in between the test (and prior to the test), and the job offer, but I will sum it up by saying there has been excitement, fear, uncertainty, joy, tears, faith, and A LOT of prayer and seeking God's will for our lives and our family. And at the end of it all, we have felt God leading us to move our family to Lubbock. So, here we go...

Obviously the timing of all of this is very difficult as we are making this huge transition in our lives right before the birth of our first little one. But, God has already been so faithful. We put our house on the market, and there was a contract on it in 2 1/2 weeks - praise the Lord! One stress down. :) So, now as soon as we get to Lubbock we can immediately start looking for a house...YEAH!! :) Just as God provided a buyer for our house, I know He will provide a house for us to buy.

Another stress during this time is the transition to a new doctor. I LOVE my doctor here and trust him so much. So, leaving and finding a new doctor has been a very scary part of this whole move. However, I have an appt. with a doctor in Lubbock on July 7th. After a shower that my mom helped host she called and said that she had met a lady expecting her third baby and she uses the doctor I have an appt. with and loves him. She also said, "I'm surprised that she got in with him, his practice is full." Once again, I think God is watching out for us!!

So...here's the plan. Brad starts work August 17th in Lubbock (exactly one week before our due date). But, I can't wait that long to go and get established with another doctor, and get everything in Lubbock ready for our little arrival, because she could very well come before then. So, I am moving to Lubbock July 6th - in time for my first doctor's appt. there. And Brad will work in Waco until August 1st, and then move to Lubbock - in time to get there for when I reach "full term." It gets a little tricky because we close on our house July 17th, and Brad won't leave town until Aug. 2nd...so, he is going to either stay with friends or get an extended stay type place for a couple of weeks. It's all a little confusing, but I know everything will work out.

So, that's our plan. I feel like I could go on and on about the emotions I'm feeling, the transitions we're making, the enormity of it all...but right now I need to go to bed as my sister and mom are coming to help me pack tomorrow (YEAH!). More to come...at least that's the plan. :)

All the Cute Things

Baby stuff is too cute! I know I might be a little biased at this point, but baby girl stuff is the best! All of the pink and the lace and the flowers, and it's all so soft. I can not get enough!

Last weekend four of my wonderful friends (Britni and Karen from church, and Katie and Nicole from college) threw me an amazing shower! Mostly girls from our Sunday school class came (which, can I just interject how blessed we are and have been by our Sunday school class the last two years!), along with of course my two best friends from college, my mom and Brad's mom and my sisters. It was so much fun having so many people I loved all together in the same place to celebrate our little girl. I felt so blessed, as did Brad (in a more distant kind of way since he wasn't there), by everyone that was there.

Which brings me to the cute baby girl stuff. You would not believe how adorable all of Baby Barrick's clothes are. She is going to be one adorably dressed little girl. I don't know where the girls found all of these amazing outfits, but she will be styling - no doubt. :) Plus, she is going to have so much fun with all of the little things that she got to play with, chew on, bathe in, etc. And, her mommy is so excited about all of the things I will need to take care of her! She is definitely one well taken care of little girl. So, thank you to everyone who has shared a part in this - we are truly overwhelmed with the amount of love we feel. AND especially to the girls who threw the shower. WOW! Your hard work is so appreciated and it is something I will remember forever!! :) Here are a few pictures from the event...

With the girls from our Sunday school class.

The girls each made me a scrapbook page so later all I have to do is add pictures (they know me too well!). These are two of the super cute pages.

With "Grammy" (Brad's mom) and "Nana" (my mom).

Some of the ADORABLE clothes.

With my sisters and mom.

With the hostesses, behind the yummy cake and food.

Celebrating Two Years

Yesterday, June 2, was our anniversary. It was wonderful: chocolate, gorgeous flowers, yummy dinner, ice cream, and a movie. What could be better?? Well...we agreed going back to Jamaica would be nice, but other than that... :)

The last two years have been the most amazing of my life! I could never have imagined how wonderful marriage could be. I am so in love with the man I married, I feel so blessed. I love the way Brad:

• opens my car doors
• lets me put my cold feet on him to warm them up
• says goodbye to me when he's leaving for work
• offers to go to the store for me
• loves to work hard and get dirty
• is humble
• helps me make dinner and do the dishes
• dreams about the future
• talks to my pregnant belly
• helps me stick to a budget... :)
• lets me decorate the house
• makes me laugh the hardest when I least expect it
• prays with me
• serves people unconditionally
• encourages me and builds me up
• watches romantic comedies with me without complaining :)
• loves being a firefighter and helping people
• seeks out God's will for our family
• loves me unconditionally

I could not have asked for a better two years. Even though the year ahead holds a lot of BIG life changes, knowing that we will do it all together, makes it all seem like one big exciting adventure. I could not do it without him. I am so excited about spending the rest of our lives together!!

Counting Down...

Do you ever feel like your life has become one big countdown?? Here are a few in my life right now.

• 5 days until our 2 year anniversary (this time two years ago I was beside myself with excitement!!!)
• 3 1/2 days of school before the summer!
• 4 1/2 days of work before I become a "stay at home mom"
• 8 days until I get to see my wonderful college roomies again
• 9 days until my baby shower that my sweet friends are throwing for me
• 36(ish) days until we move to Lubbock
• 88(ish) days until we get to meet our precious baby girl!!!

I know that we are to live for today, and cherish this moment, and honestly I do feel like I am doing that. Especially as I feel this little girl kicking and moving inside of me, it's hard not to feel "in the moment," and to cherish every second of it. But, I have always been a "count down" kind of a person, and I feel like there are a lot of exciting and scary things happening in our lives in the very near future...and so I countdown (as I cherish today??). :)

Some things I wish I could countdown to:

• when our house will sell
• when we will have a name picked out for our little girl
• when we will find, buy, and move into our very own house in Lubbock

But, "there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven." It's not in our control, and for that I am relieved. Our faith is in someone so much bigger than us who sees our future. Praise the Lord for that! And so until then, I remember that "those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not grow faint." (I can't imagine running at this point in my pregnancy)...and so I can wait on the Lord...He is my strength!

What's in a Name?

A LOT apparently...

We can not decide on a name. Who knew this was going to be outrageously hard for me! I think Brad is way more laid back about it than I have become. Sometimes I have to make myself completely quit thinking about it or it will totally overwhelm me. We had picked out the name Macie, Macie Layne to be exact. The more I thought about it, though the more I wasn't sure. I know this shouldn't be this hard. The problem is not that we can't think of any names, the problem is that there are so many. BUT, another problem comes in with the fact that I am a teacher and have had so many of the "cute" names in my class, without the cute personality, and so then that name reminds me of a certain kid that I don't want to name my child after. I know that sounds bad, but you know how you can associate a name with a person, well I happen to teach five year olds, so they have all of the latest names, so so many of the names we like are in my class/or another kinder class this year. But really, I think I'm afraid of commiting to a name. But, at the same time I can't wait until I can actually refer to her by her name.

I know that that is a lot of rambling, but it's just really hard. There was a lady at my school this past year who had a baby and they didn't tell anyone the name until after they had met their baby and told her her name. I didn't really understand why you would want to do that, until now. I think I would be way less stressed out about it if I could say, "we're not telling her name yet," instead of, "we don't know her name yet!" Because then people would at least think we had a name picked for the poor girl.

Why is this so hard? There is one name that I love, but that name right now means a student I have had in the past. My thoughts though, are that if we name our daughter that then she will be who I associate that name with, not this other little girl...right? Haha. I still think Macie Layne is a very cute name, I just don't know if that is who this little girl is. Maybe Emma, or Aubrey?

Again, I can't wait to meet her...I just hope she has a name before then!! :)

It was JUST a dream!

I thought I would share one of my crazy pregnant dreams with you...

Background: Many people have seen this picture of a pregnant woman, and you can see the impression of a foot pushing out through her belly. Very cool picture. And I think it's where my dream originates.

So, I dreamed the other night that our little girl had her foot pushed into my belly and you could see the impression of her foot. It was so cool! So cool in fact that I didn't want Brad to miss it. Since he was just in the other room, I grabbed the little foot that was pushing out in order to hold it in place until Brad could see. Well, he saw it...and I BROKE her foot! I was mortified. We went to the doctor (obviously), and he told me I was the only mom he knew of that could break their child while they were still in the womb. He was even so worried that he gave me my own ultrasound machine in order to check her and make sure I didn't break her again. AGH!

Can you imagine a more terrible dream? To be told I broke my child, and to actually have done it. I think that it's probably one of those inner thought things that probably means that I'm worrying about whether I'm going to be a good mom, and if I can keep her safe and take care of her, etc., etc. But, I have to believe that that is normal, especially for first time moms. I mean, let's face it, I have no idea what I'm doing! But, somehow, in rare moments like this, I know I can do it, I can't tell you how I'm going to do it, but I know I can - WE can! Brad and I will learn together, and like so many other parents, all of whom have been parents for the first time before, we'll learn. And in the meantime we'll give our little girl all the love we can! We love her so much already. I can't wait to meet her. It's getting closer. :)

And I'm Back...

So, I thought that my blog was going to leave me defeated. For the first time in a long time I felt completely and utterly computer illiterate. I was watching all of my friends (and the parents of the kids in my class, which is a huge blow to the confidence) create these amazing blogs, and I couldn't figure it out. I also didn't feel much motivation as I thought no one even knew about my blog. However, after being told that there's never anything on my blog to read, I realized...I needed to figure this thing out. WELL, let me just say I have a great sense of accomplishment as I sit here with a blog I feel somewhat ok with. It is not perfect yet, and I'm still working out some details...but it's WAY better than it was before. AND, come to find out...it wasn't my problem at all, nope, it was my computer (isn't it always REALLY the computers fault anyways?). Apparently, some of the settings on it are incompatable with blogging. So, after switching computers, downloading a new version of windows, restarting my computer, trouble shooting, set up wizards, and error messages, I finally figured it out! WOOHOO! It's a good thing Brad is working tonight or he would think I was crazy for spending so long working on something like setting up a blog. However, I have been doing laundry as I work. :)

In baby news...nothing really new. We had a good doctor's visit two weeks ago, great heartbeat. She is a little squirmy wormy, though. She moves all the time. Not that I am complaining, but it's just fun, and sometimes kind of funny. I wish I could see what she was doing in there. It feels like she's flipping and somersaulting all over the place. She has definitely moved up higher (as my uterus is now the size of a SOCCER BALL!), and I feel her kicking more behind and right below my belly button. Speaking of growing, we have entered our third trimester. AMAZING! It has really flown by. I know that the next couple of weeks will fly by as I finish out the school year and pack up my classroom, and then it's on to relaxing, preparing, and waiting for Baby Girl's arrival in August. I know it will be hot, but I don't have anything to do or anywhere to be...so really what better time to be pregnant!

In us news...pray for Brad and I as we pray and seek out God's will for our lives. Brad has applied for a job in Lubbock, and as you can imagine this is a HUGE decision for us. If he gets the job and we accept, we would be in Lubbock by July. I can't even imagine how all of this could come together! We appreciate your prayers, more than you know!

Off to fold the laundry and then to bed. Yeah for being "back" in the blogging world! :)

Sugar and Spice

It's a GIRL! We went in for our sonogram a little over a week ago and got to see our precious baby GIRL. We are so excited, and are working on filling our lives with pink! He measured her at 19 weeks and 2 days, exactly on track with our August 24th due date. She looked perfect. She was moving her legs a lot and rolling over...apparently she loves to lay on her stomach, which didn't make the sonogram doctor very happy, but I loved it. I loved to see the sweet curves of her back as she rolled over and got comfy on her tummy. Haha, she's her mommies daughter...she loves to be comfortable. I know the doctor just wanted the "cute" pictures for us, but honestly, just getting to see her was the most amazing thing ever. The sweetest part was when she started opening and closing her mouth, and she put her hand up to her mouth and then on her face. How precious! She is a real little girl...just waiting to get big enough to make her appearance into the world. What an amazing Creator we have. I can hardly fathom that this little baby girl will be in our world in about four months. I can't wait!!

On another note. She started kicking! YEAH!!! I can feel her. It's the coolest feeling in the world. They say it's going to feel like butterflies, or bubbles...but I guess I completely missed that stage. Honestly, I think I thought that that was just my stomach growling...but it must have been her. Regardless, when I felt her kick for the first time I was so surprised that I was feeling her. I didn't even tell anyone (except Brad of course) because I thought that couldn't have been her. It felt like something inside of me pushed on my stomach. It was just once and it was short, and the next day I didn't feel it, so I dismissed it until Sunday night when I was sitting on the couch and she decided to become very active. I could feel her kicking...not just bubbles or butterflies, real kicks, kind of like thumps inside of me. HAHA. I can hardly get anything done these days because I will be in the middle of something and feel her and completely stop and just sit and feel her, or wait to feel her again, not wanting to miss a single kick. Haha. I know I have a lot more kicks ahead of me, but these first few kicks are just precious and feeling life inside of me is indescribable! Last night she started moving/kicking when I was laying going to bed and I didn't want to fall asleep...she already brings a smile to my face, I can't imagine what she will do when she is actually here. I can't wait until Brad can feel the kicks too!

In a side note...I'm sorry my posts are so long. I'm going to try and get better at that. But, if you're still here, thanks for reading! :)

Four Down...

So...here is my first blog. So exciting, right? Haha. I feel a little silly, and don't really know anything about blogging, or how to make it look good, or even what to write. I don't really expect anyone to read it, but I do know I want to chronicle the second and third trimester of my pregnancy...and the beginning of parenthood and my little one's life. (The first trimester I kind of felt like I had been hit by a train, so we'll just leave that one behind...haha). Oh, and just a warning, if you read this blog frequently you could possibly get tired of the use of the ellipse. I love it...and I use it a lot. :)

Four down...months that is...on Sunday we hit week 16. That means I have officially been pregnant for four months...which also means that I only have five months left to go. It also means that I am almost halfway through my pregnancy, and that I am soooo close to finding out if we are having a boy or a girl. I can't wait. Brad has begun referring to our baby as "she/her." At first every time I pointed this out to him he would say, "no, that's not what I said," and try to deny that he had affectionately referred to our baby as a she. However, the other night he informed me that no, he does not think it's a girl, but that "she" is a good generic term. (I know, I wondered how he would explain that too!) He said that a lot of things are called "shes" like cars and boats, haha. So, apparently if our baby is a car or a boat it will be a girl, otherwise we are expecting a boy. LOL. Not really. We both feel the same way, we have no idea if it will be a girl or a boy but we are so excited to find out. At first I really wanted a girl, I think out of fear that I would never ever have a girl (if you look at Brad's family history you would understand this fear a little better). And then my nephew came to visit and I watched him with his mom and began to think oh my goodness, I want a little boy so bad. So now I have reached the point where I am now...expectantly waiting for what God has for us. I know that whether it is a girl or a boy it will be perfect! I guess it's probably a good thing that you have to wait until almost 20 weeks to find out so that you can experience and go through all of the emotions and realize, it really doesn't matter what we have. They say that usually the mom's instinct is usually correct, but I really don't have an instinct right now. I have had two very vivid dreams where I am holding my baby. The first dream my baby was a girl, and I thought there's my instinct... until the second dream. The second dream my baby was a boy. Haha...gave Brad hope for that firstborn son, but just completely confused my "motherly instinct." LOL. Maybe that instinct will get better after the baby's born! :) Until then I will keep waiting and looking at pinks and blues...by the way, I find out March 31. YEAH! :)