Showered with Love at 34 Weeks

I had my first shower Saturday, hosted by Brittany and Ashley with little sprinkles  from lost of others that made the day perfect. Brittany graciously opened her house and decorated in pretty brown and green, inspired by the ribbon she bought months ago (and is wrapped around the diaper cake). Ashley knows me all too well and had all my favorite kinds of finger foods (and my favorite chicken salad!). Mandi made and decorated the yummy funfetti cake, complete with Jellybean/Necco/Lifesaver pacifiers. Sarah and Mandy guessed pretty exactly how big my belly is, and Baby BINGO was, interesting (I LOVE YOU BRITTANY!). Brittany had a little baby-brain moment and printed out 20 of the same BINGO card. After a good laugh, we altered the game to have everyone fill in their own cards on a makeshift BINGO card we whipped up in Word. I’m so excited to get the pictures printed and start scrapbooking them. I love the picture of the four bellies. Sarah is due in October, me in November, Amanda in January, and Brittany is May (or April, I can’t remember). I had such a good time and love each of them so much!

Thank You ALL!

Brittany, Ashley, Mandi, Mandy, April, Sarah, Amanda, Tiffany, Linda, Mrs. Patti, Mom, Mom K., Amy, Cheryl, Tracie, and Kendall!

Not Working Is Exhausting

It’s been a busy um… oh yeah, four days.

Thursday, I had lunch with Raechel and Lilly. I love sushi, and it cracks me up to see Lilly eating it from my chopsticks :) Then that night Devin and I watched Anekah for Chris and Ashley since it was their Fourth Anniversary. I made wonderful hotdogs and mac and cheese. Anekah thoroughly enjoyed her dinner while her parents were having their anniversary dinner at Sushi Rock. A whole hour and a half of watching the Noggin channel (which is apparently something we have to get used to!) the doorbell rang, I thought it was my brother. But alas, Ashley and Chris could not be apart from their little girl for very long and they came back to get her. Just for the record, if it’s your anniversary and you have friends that have offered to watch your child(ren) take more than an hour and a half, PLEASE! (LOVE YOU ASHLEY!) so they hung out for a little while then headed home, just as Bradley, Derrick, and Daniel were getting to the house, McFlurries in hand, to watch the Office premier. I went to bed anxiously awaiting to hear from Angela the next day, Dallas was coming soon!

Friday, what seemed like the longest day every. Spent the morning with the church girls then went to Publix to pick up food for the next night. Since I had some time (because Dallas was going to be taking her time) I went to the Middleburg Publix and had lunch with my old boss, then did my shopping. As I was looking for the special pasta for my nephews, I called Jenn, my sister-in-law, so she could tell me where to find it. She wasn’t home, so I asked a worker man where it was. He didn’t know, but was going to find someone who knew where it was. As I turned to follow him, I said, “Never mind, I found it.” I found it because I saw Jenn across the way. Small world. After some hugs and special pasta I headed home to put everything away and then visit Angela. I spent the next three hours hanging out with her, Dustin, and both sets of their parents. I got home about 7:00 and began cleaning the house (with LOTS of help from Devin) for diner the next night. Camille, our niece, turned 2 Thursday, and her family birthday party was at our house Saturday night. We got a message about 9:00 that Dallas was here! at 11:00 Angela called and we went to visit. SHE’S SO ADORABLE. I love that little girl so much already! It was a short visit since it was so late, but it was a good visit. Dallas was only 4 hours old when we got to see her for the first time. (I’m definitely MORE than ready to hold Collin in my arms now!) Devin and I finally got to bed about 1 in the morning.

Saturday: SCRAPBOOKING time! YAY! I had been looking forward to scrapbooking for a month! I got absolutely SQUAT done in the like five hours I was at Brittany’s, but I didn’t care. I had so much fun with the girls seeing what they were doing and playing with the Design Studio. After my lack of scrapbooking I ran home to start cooking dinner for the in-laws. Part way through dinner, my mom called. It’s NEVER a good sign when your mom calls when she knows your hosting your in-laws and starts with, “my phone is going dead, so I need you to listen without freaking out on me.” So I listened as she told me my grandmother was in the emergency room and was going to be there overnight because she had a stroke earlier in the day. So, after the in-laws left (but not before Jenn had offered multiple times to clean up so I could leave, who by the way was unable to eat anything because she was sick, she’s just that awesome of a person) we cleaned up enough so that food would be stuck on the dishes for the next year then headed to the hospital. Truth be told, I probably would have been at the hospital that evening anyway, however, it would have been at Baptist, not Orange Park, and it would have been in the Maternity Ward with Angela, Dustin and Dallas, not in the Emergency Room with my grandmother. The first one sounds much more fun doesn’t it? So after some visiting with my grandmother, (who had tests done today, and is doing fine, and hopefully going home tonight) we came home and Devin and Bradley finish putting the new fan up in our bedroom.

Sunday I pulled triple duty at church. Rather than working the check in for just the second hour of church, I worked, first hour, Sunday School, and second hour. After which Devin and I had lunch with April and Ryan at Texas Roadhouse. I ordered Chicken Critters. There was so much batter on them that they really did look lie critters. I ended up peeling more than half of the batter off of all of them and ate just the chicken (which was REALLY good!). One of my favorite part of any week is the Sunday afternoon nap. This Sunday’s nap was particularly good given the events that the last couple days entailed. When I woke up Devin and Bradley had installed another fan, this time in the living room. We (well, Devin and Bradley) have officially changed out every light fixture in our house. All the bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen and hallway. Alright, I guess I lied, the bathrooms are still the same, but I don’t think I want those changed. After my amazing nap, I put together some leftovers and brought them to Dustin and Angela so they could have something other than the tasty hospital food. Angela insisted that I didn’t have to bring them food, but I had to inform her that there were ulterior motives to my food kindness. I wanted to see and hold Dallas again… DUH! :)

That brings me to today, I didn’t do anything! I slept in to 9:30, and stayed on the couch doing nothing but relax and hope that the sweling in my knees and ankles went down. Which it almost did. Now, I’m looking forward to having dinner with our good friends Sam and Meg tonight. Busy busy days. But I love not working, life is good and I’ve got the best friends in the world!

Oops! Apparently Not Working Agrees With Me :)

Apparently not working has left me with a lack of material to talk about. That or I’ve just been enjoying life that I haven’t thought about it! Lets see, where to start?

Um… after I got off work (the week before Labor Day) I got to spend Friday and Saturday with my great friends, from our awesome Sunday School class, at the amazing Beth Moore simulcast, our wonderful church hosted. There really are no words to describe the experience. Other than saying it’s be a really long time since I had that feeling, I’m not even going to attempt it. Sunday morning I got up and went to church then enjoyed the last couple of hours with Devin before he left for Los Angeles for the week. By the end of that great weekend, I was more than exhausted, my feet and knees were swollen to the point that I couldn’t wear anything other than flip flops and my back and hip hurt so bad I could hardly stand it. I slept all week on my heating pad, just praying that it would help. By the end of the week, I felt a lot better and I wasn’t swollen anymore. YAY!

Devin got home Saturday afternoon. I was EXTREMELY happy he was home. I can handle being home alone during the day, it’s relaxing. But him being gone all week, was well, lonely. It was different from when he was in Tallahassee. I was in school, and didn’t really have time to get lonely, I was preoccupied with homework and projects. My great friends made sure I wasn’t by myself for very long though. I scrapbooked ALL DAY with Brittany one day, went to lunch and the Towncenter with Angela and Charish another, had ice cream with Brittany after church on Wednesday, visited just about every member of my family in Lake Asbury Thursday, and Friday morning I spent with the girls in my Sunday School class, where Brittany told us she’s pregnant again! It was a very successful last vacation before Collin comes. I knew that I had great friends, but I think I realized even more how much they have come to mean to me over the past couple of years.

Since my vacation just so happened to land next to Labor Day weekend, Devin and I got to spend Monday together, while he tried to recuperate from his LA Jet Lag. So by the time I went back to work on Tuesday, I had a very difficult time getting up and going in. But I didn’t mind once I was there. I had my heating pad, which I took at a precaution, and glad I did because I used it all day. Last Wednesday (my second day back to work) I had a doctors appointment at 4:00. When I got there, my legs, knees, and feet were really swollen and I was having problems walking. Since this had been going on for a month or so, my doctor told me that I was no longer allowed to work, but I wasn’t on bed rest. Apparently bed rest would only make me gain weight faster (which I don’t need) and keep the progression of labor from happening (which I don’t need either). But on the other hand I obviously was on my feet and working too much, so she took me out of work, and is sending me to Brooks Rehab to help with my back pain. (I start the 29th at 7:45 in the morning!) I have been told that I’m not on bed rest, but I’m not allowed to work, so basically, I have to find the happy medium of staying active but not pushing myself so that my back hurts and my feet and legs are swollen.

I called my boss and told her right away and let her know that I’d be in the next morning to turn in my keys, cash drawer, and get all my paperwork in order. She was concerned but I told her my doctor said it was ok as long at I wasn’t actually “working” and was gone by lunch. My goal was to be out by noon, I was gone from work for the last time at 12:30 Thursday the 10th. Part of me was extremely relieved and felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of me, but another part of me was sad and still thinking about all the tings that I still needed to do at work. But, I’m not there, so technically, it’s not my problem anymore. But that’s not me, I don’t like relinquishing control. It gets easier every day not to think about it :)

Since I’ve been out of work almost a full week, I’ve felt a lot better. I’ve noticed that I apparently do know my limits because I don’t have the back pain anymore and the swelling in my feet and knees isn’t nearly as bad as it was while I was working. I’ve gotten to spend some time with the girls in my Sunday School class, ran some errands for Devin, spent the afternoon with Ashley and Anekah while they had pictures taken and Mandy (from church) came over today and painted Collin’s room (yes, AGAIN). I’ve been home everyday by 1:00 and been able to take a nap. We’ve saved money because I’m not eating out for lunch everyday (I’ve been really good about eating at home!) and (don’t laugh) we’ve planned out dinner for the next two weeks, so there is no question about what we will be having and I can start it before Devin gets home from work. In addition to all these GREAT perks to staying home, I’ve been able to devote the deserved time to my Beth Moore Bible study and reading. I have two books Devin and I got from Family Christian for $6, and three books my boss got me when I left work. Again, everyday gets easier and I’m pretty sure I can get used to this whole, not working thing.

In the coming weeks I’m looking forward to the Friday morning meetings with the girls in my Sunday School class, scrapbooking with them this weekend, my niece's birthday party (at our house) also this weekend, two baby showers for friends, and three for myself. Yes three. One from my wonderful friends from church, one from my sister-in-law for my family, and one from my great bank co-workers. Hopefully by that point, Collin will be ready to grace us with his presence :)

All in all, life is good. God has been working in my life in ways I could have never fathom before. Devin and I have never been happier. My friends have never been better. Although I’m still not one of those women who “loves being pregnant” I’m definitely loving this time in my life. 

I’m Sorry, Do I Know You?

As I am checking out at Old Navy today the woman wanted me to apply for a credit card to save 20% off my $20 purchase (what a savings right?). But wait there’s more! Not only would I get 20% off my purchase, I would get a tote bag, with a squirrel on it! So as I politely told the woman no(Who had already told me she was having a dyslexia type of day because she spelled Copeland with two P’s) she told me that I would want that tote to lug around all the baby stuff I would soon have. You know, because I’m pregnant and having a baby and all. Anyway, I again politely told her no thank you. She said OK and made a comment about how she thought she remembered asking me before and me saying no. While it is entirely possible that I declined a credit card before, I’m 99.9999999% sure I have never seen this woman before in my life and she has never been the one to offer me a card before. And the last time I was in Old Navy was back in May, before I went to Atlanta! Whatever. I just let it go so I could get out of there. As I swiped my card in the card machine she asked me credit or debit. I told her credit as I reached for my driver’s license. As I did so, she said “I know, I know you, but I just have to see it.” Seriously woman, I’ve never seen you before. I don’t want your credit card, and I am not going to get upset because you asked to see my ID. (Unless you are the woman at the Gate who authorized my gas purchase at the pump for more than $40, and now you are asking to see my ID for $1.81 of coffee and donuts! THEN obnoxiously discuss your daughters pregnancy and the price of cigarettes with the customer who is now in front of me… sorry that was just a side note!) I ask about a million people a day to see there ID, and I’ll fight with them in a second about the fact that I don’t know their name, they don’t know my name (even though I’m wearing a name tag) it’s protocol to protect their identity. Anyway, I think my point was that I didn’t know this woman, and she made it seem like she knew me. Yeah, that was it. Story over.