Baby Update

Just wanted to share with everyone our last doctors appointment update. It was December 3, I know I am really on the ball :) and all is well! We got to hear the heartbeat which was pretty amazing. Doctor said my uterus is growing well and seems like everything is perfect thus far! My next appointment is Dec 30 and hopefully in January we will know what "it" is!

Christmas Jars

Better late than never! I shared this experience with my sister and a few others, it was a great dose of humbling and I wanted to pass it along.

A few weeks ago, before Thanksgiving, I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I miss my family and friends and was really bummed that I won’t be able to see them this year for the holidays. Add the fact that Chris worked Thanksgiving and is scheduled to work Christmas Eve and Christmas day and you have the perfect ingredients for a pity party!

Karly was at dance and I had been talking to our cousin Tammy about some holiday ideas and was actually feeling a little better. Went in to kill some time in Barnes and Noble which as many of you know is quite easy! I grabbed a few Christmas spirit type books to check out hoping one would help ground me. There is never anywhere to sit so I head to the children's section where the table is typically open. I get settled with my books and Chai latte and start in on this new pick. It is very Jesus-y....a little too much for me. Either way, I keep reading and get about 2 chapters in and the author references one of his other books...The Purpose Driven Life, which is super religious. Not that it’s a bad thing, just not my thing. So I am still giving it a chance...I am almost to the next chapter and not super sold on it but realizing it is short enough I can just read it there for free and buy something else. Yes I can be a big Jew! A few minutes later this odd looking lady who works there walks up to me. She is very frumpy and a little awkward and I am really not wanting to chat it up. Here is our conversation:

Emp: How do you like the book?
Me: oh..it's ok, don't know if it's really my thing (remember, I live in the Bible belt. One of the first questions people ask you is what church you are a member to...seriously)
Emp: Yeah it was a little too religious for me...
Me: (sigh in relief)...me too!
Emp: Will you take a recommendation for the best holiday book ever?
Me: of course
Emp: I worked at a B&N in California and this woman insisted and pushed me to buy this book. I wasn't too sure about it but then I read it. It was great. It reminds us no matter how bad we think we have it someone has it worse. People tell me I am so sorry you have cancer. I remind them that the man receiving radiation before me is so ill he has to be wheeled in and has an 'X' drawn on his head where is tumors are. I walk in jamming out to my iPod and walk myself back out. I am blessed. This book reminds us of the Christmas spirit...not of the overzealous greed.

Needless to say at this point, I am crying. Big huge alligator tears rolling down my cheeks! She is even tearing up at this point. She goes on to tell me how when she bought the book it was her first Christmas away from her family and the book reminded her of the good in the world and how lucky and blessed she really is. This person was exactly what I needed though in the moment I didn’t even know it.

Of course I started the book there and bought it. It's an easy read, but I love the message. I read it in less than two sittings and didn’t want it to end. I even have Chris and Karly convinced to let me read it to them. Check it out...probably not for everyone, but I loved it and would love to start the same tradition.

www.christmasjars.com

Mistletoe & Magic

Karly’s cheer class performed in the Mistletoe & Magic show this year. What a chaotic mess that place was, but so many cute things! Must start saving so I will have Christmas money for next year! Aside from being worse than standing room only, and Karly’s class being plagued with the flu they did great! Karly along with a few other girls fought the cold sweats and held in the vomit long enough to perform! The picture quality is fairly crappy. We were just far enough from the stage that it was tough…good think I have a tall husband to reach over the crowd!

10 weeks down...30 to go!!!

Well, I have survived the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. I am 25% of the way there! It still seems so weird that I am really pregnant. We are really having a baby! I am assuming when I start to show and feel the baby it will feel more real to me. I think I am almost over the sick and exhausted phase. I can’t wait to feel better…I am just sick of feeling tired and blah. I hope as things progress I find this more enjoyable. With Karly I was so young and in a less than desirable situation so when I wasn’t ignoring the situation I didn’t feel anything really. I always thought the next time would be perfect. All warm and fuzzy and great feeling…I wanted to be one of those people who swear they love being pregnant and have never felt better or more beautiful. I am so not one of those people. I am tired and feel like crap. I have only gained a pound or 2 but I swear my pants are already fitting a little snugger. Don’t even get me started on the bathroom issues and prepubescent skin! Cross your fingers that the second trimester is warm, fuzzy and beautiful!

Golden Year

This year is Karly’s Golden Year. For those of you that don’t know what it is, it’s the year you turn the age of your birthdate. November 10 is Karly’s birthday and she turns 10.

It’s supposed to be your best year for luck along with a number of other beliefs.Seeing as it was her Golden Year we decided to go with the “GOLD” theme…plates, silverware, balloons, tablecloths…we even wore gold pleather pants! Karly wanted a party at the roller skating rink which I thought was so bizarre since she has never skated. She figured it out about halfway through and now can’t wait to go back and skate again! All in all the party turned out great! Thank you to all our family and friends that made it. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.

Karly's BIG Surprise!

So as I have mentioned we had a big surprise for Karly’s birthday. Poor child swore it was a guinea pig even though I promised her numerous times that it wasn’t. To everyone else who knew there was a surprise but didn’t know what it was, it probably won’t be as exciting for you as it was for Kar. After many weeks of planning and being so excited, my sister Erica flew in from California to surprise Karly. Chris headed to Dallas about 9:30pm to pick her up. Around 1am they made it home…of course waking me up for hello and hugs. We had Erica ‘sleep’ on the couch, though neither of us slept much! Our couch isn’t the best for sleeping and we were both so nervous that Karly would wake up and the surprise would be ruined! 6am finally rolled around and I woke Erica up and stashed her in my room. One hour to get Karly up and out the door without finding out. We made it! Watching her climb on that bus was quite the relief! Erica and I did some sister bonding and shopping for the party. Met up with family for lunch and headed to Karly’s school. We were almost busted but made it. I walked in Karly’s classroom and asked her if she wanted her birthday surprise. I got the “I can’t believe my dorky mother is going to humiliate me in front of my friends” look. I stepped aside and Erica walked in. Karly sat and stared in shock and/or disbelief for a second before screaming Erica’s name and running to her. It was the sweetest thing. It all played out perfectly! Erica…you are the best auntie ever!!

Coming June '09

Today was our first real doctor's appointment. Our doctor seems very nice. He said everything looks like it should. I am 8 weeks and 5 days, so June 13th is our due date. The heartbeat was 177, you could see it just beating away. We didn't get to hear it, but I just eBayed a fetal heart monitor so hopefully we will get it in the next week or two and we can listen whenever we want! It was really amazing to see that there really is something in there! Definitely makes it seem that much more real! Our next appointment is early December and I am sure I will have more updates then! Hope everyone is well! Isn't our little blob baby sooo cute?!?!

White part is baby, dark part is uterus