3, 2, 1, Happy New Year!

I'm having a quiet New Year's Eve at home. Emma is tucked into bed and Kevin is working tonight and won't be home until the ball is about to drop. I got a wind of energy tonight and did some cleaning around the house. One of my most absolute favorite feelings in the world is the feeling you get when you walk in your house after being gone all day and it is spotless. I figure if I know I have a clean house to come home to on Wednesday it will be a sweet ending to a day of work.

I've been doing a lot of introspection this past week. I suppose most people do, this time of year. Christmas and New Year seem to be natural backdrops to renewing commitments, righting wrongs in your life, and making fresh starts. I've never been a "resolution" kinda gal but I seem to have several this year. For starters, like many people, I want to get in shape. I'm still carrying 20 Emma pounds and would like to get rid of them. Mainly, I don't have any clothes that fit and it would be nice to not have to chose between maternity wear or gym clothes.

Second, I want to clean up my language. I don't even know how it has happened but I've developed a potty mouth and it's got to go. It's not a good representation as a Christian and I don't want Emma to pick up my bad habit. I haven't figured out a reward/punishment method yet. I really don't want to wear a rubberband on my wrist and inflict pain everytime I goof. If you have any ideas, I'll take them.

Third, I really want to re-new my relationship with God and re-dedicate my life. It's weird how life can hand you the greatest blessing (eg. a child) and you are so at peace with your life and have every reason to be thankful...yet at those times it seems to be the easiest to get too caught up on Easy Street and forget to give thanks. This has happened to me over the last several months. And even though my life is more perfect than it has ever been I'm feeling a void. Kevin's brother and wife gave us Sacred Parenting for Christmas. I've started reading it and even though I'm only on chapter three it has given my core a shake that I really needed.

So, after some prayer and meditation I'm feeling very excited about my New Year resolutions. It makes me really happy to think about re-connecting with my old friend Jesus. I hope that all of you are anxious to ring in the new year like I am. I love you all, Happy New Year!!!!!!

Long time, no blog

We made it home yesterday evening from our fantastic Christmas in North Carolina. We had such a fantastic time and a great visit with family. My sister-in-law Cortney and I are like little kids and we talked the rest of the family into letting us open 1 present each night leading up to Christmas (3 nights in a row!). Santa was generous to all of us, especially me. Kevin got my a beautiful ring and necklace with saphires (Emma's birthstone) and I got some much needed clothes from Dave and Cort and Joe and Jill. Mae, Kevin's sister got me glass coasters that can hold pictures. She had the most beautiful pictures of Emma printed in black and white and had all the coasters loaded for me when I opened them; they were so beautiful and touching that it brought tears to my eyes! *Thanks, Mae*

Emma had a great visit with everyone. She hit two new milestones while we were there. First, she found her voice. She had started to babble a little bit the past few weeks but never more that a few syllables here and there. Now, she goes on and on and on. She is so excited to yell and coo and talk. It is so precious because her voice is really high pitched. It melts my heart listening to her talk. Also this week, Emma learned she can belly laugh. It only happened on one occassion so far, but she did it 3 or 4 times in a row. I was giving her kissies on her neck and making funny noises when she totally laughed until she was red in the face. It was awesome! We haven't been able to get her to do it again, but you can bet I'll keep trying.

We had a great day at church today. It was just me and Em becuase Kevin had to work this morning. I'm going to relish the next few days at home because I'm returning to work on Wednesday. I hope all of you had a relaxed weekend and will have a great week. XOXOXOXO

We Made It!

We made it to N. Carolina Saturday morning around 9am. During the 16 hour drive, Emma only cried ONCE! I could not believe it; we are so blessed to have such a content little girl. Prior to this trip, the longest I had ever spent in a car was 5 hours, so I was fairly proud of myself, too. We have been having a fabulous time during our visit and so glad that we get to spend a whole week. We'll be headed back to Missouri some time this coming Friday. We have made some fabulous food during our trip and have been having Guitar Hero battles. Here are a few pics of our family fun so far, more to follow. We hope all of you have a fantastic X-mas eve and X-mas day!!!

Early Christmas Present

A guy Kevin was in the Guard with gave Emma an exersaucer. If you aren't familiar with these things, they are fabulous. It's kinda like a walker without wheels. You can buy different toys to attach to the tray, that way you can trade them out and it is always like a "new" toy. Emma is still a little small for it, but she seemed to like standing. Her feet don't touch the bottom, so they just hung there. Her eyes were really big, though, and she seemed intrigued and pleased by this new experience.

In other news, we're going to meet with Emma's nanny Thursday night so they can have a little meet & greet. I will be returning to work when we get back from North Carolina. Luckily, Kevin will still be on break from school so Emma will be going to daycare part time for a while. Hopefully it will make for a smoother transition for all three of us.

Oh, by the way, we were in the church cantata this past weekend as........Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. I will post a picture later. Trust me, though, Emma was a fabulous baby Jesus. She did so good through three services and our whole church is in love with her now. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad we did it.

Hope you're having a good week!

What a Year (Well, 18 months)

Kevin and I always joke that we hope the upcoming year will be very boring. We have had a crazy life for the last 18 months.

• Last June, we bought a house


• August, we got married


• December, my mom died


• Also December, we found out Kevin's mom had cancer


• January, we find out we're pregnant


• Also January, the ice storm happens, our house is wrecked and we live in a hotel for 3 months


• September, our baby girl is born


• Now it's December again and we're excited to be celebrating Christmas, but it's also a reminder that my Mom is gone.

Along with the obvious saddness of losing my mother, the biggest stress has been over my 3 younger siblings who still live at home. My 15 yr old sister and I have the same dad, and the twins (11) have a different dad. So, on top of losing our mom, they had to move to a new town/school and were separated. Luckily, they both moved to the same town: Farmington. We were so afraid that it would be more stress than they could handle and cope with, but I'm happy to say that they have strived this past year. My little brother, Eric, has cerebral palsy and is continuing to excel in his therapies. Laura is in marching band and theatre and Lindsey has just started band. They still think about Mom all the time, obviously, but they are adjusting, doing awesome in school, and have made many new friends. I am so proud to call myself their big sister. I thought I'd post some pics of them that we took this last weekend when we went to Farmington to celebrate Christmas and a pic of me and Mom at my wedding. Please keep our family in your prayers as the 1 year anniversary of Mom's passing is next week, the 18th. Love to all!

Santa is flexible!

Emma is lucky enough to have Santa visit her twice this year. This past weekend we celebrated Christmas with my family in Farmington. It was so much fun. My step-sister has 2 children (4 yr old and 6 month old) and my step-brother and his wife are due with their first baby in days. My dad said,"Can you believe next X-mas there will be three 1 yr olds and a 5yr old?!" It's pretty fun to think about.

Today is Kevin's last day of the semester and it couldn't have come a moment too soon. It has been a tough few months but only 1 semester left until he graduates! Yay! I'm a proud wife; he has done amazing in his program on top of working, taking care of a pregnant wife, and then caring for his new baby girl.

Today is the Christmas party for my work and I'm going to take Emma. It will be nice to re-connect with co-workers before starting back up in January. I have the most fabulous job and boss which is the only reason I can bear the thought of leaving Emma in daycare. I'm praying for a smooth transition...

Now we're just waiting for next Friday when we'll make our journey to Charlotte for Santa's 2nd visit. I hope you are all having a great week!

Presents????

This may sound kinda crazy, but we've been doing lots of Christmas shopping lately but haven't really gotten anything for Emma. I know that she isn't aware of presents yet, but I wonder if we're being cruddy parents for not loading the space under the tree with gifts for her. We've gotten her a few little toys because she's starting to play a little bit, but they're nothing much. The truth is, the girl doesn't need anything. If she could voice her feelings, I'm sure she doesn't want for anything, either. Emma has enough clothes to last her until Kindergarten (or at least until she's 1 yr) and has a zillion toys (or at least dozens). I've told all my family to buy her books as gifts because you can't have too many. I think Kev's family will probably get her little "somethings" too. I told Kev that this is the last year we can spoil ourselves because the next 18 Christmases will be all about her. He agrees. I think we'll maybe get her a few more little things, just for fun but otherwise we're going to wait until next year to buy her a pony.

Growing Girl

Emma is growing so fast! Every day she is doing new things and interacting with us more; it is so exciting to watch someone mature and learn about their world. Emma is becoming very aware of her hands which she is now clasping together all the tme. She is starting to reach for things and bat at her toys. I've noticed that she uses her right hand a lot more than her left, so I'm wondering if that means she'll be a righty.

Her other favorite thing to do is stick her tongue out. All the time. It's so funny because she looks like a little lizard moving her tongue in and out.

A sleep update: She is doing fantastic. She has learned our routine and is happy to go to bed every night. We usually only have to go in to her once before she falls asleep, and sometimes not at all. She goes right back to sleep after feeding AND, dare I say it and jinx ourselves, she's starting to sleep 5-7 hour stretches instead of 4!!!!!

Being a mom rocks and I'm cherishing every moment I have with her before I return to work the first of the year.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

I know I'm probably bias, but we have the cutest baby in the world. We had her Christmas pics taken this week by the same photographer who did our wedding. We got the proofs back last night and they are fabulous with a capital F! I so wish we had the digital rights to these like we did with our family pics so I could post some. We have to decide what prints we want over the next few days which is going to be next to impossible. I know it's an evil ploy to make you buy more pictures than you wanted because you can't bear to let them all go. Maybe once we get some I can try scanning a few and see what the quality looks like. Until then, you'll have to settle for this cute video of Emma and the Christmas Tree. Cutest. Thing. Ever. Have a great weekend!

Family Photos

Kevin's mother, siblings and spouses came to town for Thanksgiving and we had family pics taken. I'm so happy with the way they have turned out. Emma did fantastic, considering she has a cold. We're very sad, though, that Kev's oldest sister was not able to come because she is in the process of moving.

We hope everyone had a blessed holiday with friends and family; I know we did!

Can You Smell The Turkey?

I have such strong cravings for turkey and dressing. I can not wait to feast on all the Thanksgiving trimmings. I love this time of year because you don't have to feel guily about induging in delicious food (until January when you realize you've gained 10 lbs). I am so excited about seeing all my in-laws and for them to meet Emma. I know so many people who have conflict with their spouse's family, but I couldn't ask for a better bunch of people. Every time we're together we have so much fun and laughter. There's love and friendship among everyone and it always creates a warm-snuggly feeling in my heart. Then, it is so sad when the "get-together" is over and everyone goes their separate ways. There's rumor amidst all of us that there is a possiblity we'll all end up living near each other in the upcoming year. I am hoping and praying that this comes to pass. I did not know much of my extended family when I was growing up. I didn't even know any of my grandparents beyond an occassional funeral. I want so much more for Emma. I want her to have the support and security that comes from family; the kind of relationships I never had. Me and Kev sure could use the support, too. It is nice to have a pat on the back for the efforts we're making to be good parents. Kevin's twin brother and his wife Cortney live here in Springfield and have been fantastic. They have made such an effort to spend a lot of time with us and Emma and to be available to help when we've needed them. I'm so thankful for them!

I hope that all of you have much to be thankful for this year. Kev and I have had a very rough and sad year in some aspects, but there have been many blessings (duh, our baby girl!) It's funny, though, we are both hoping this next year doesn't hold as much excitement. It would be nice to just coast for a while. :) Many blessings and safe travel to all of you. We love you all and are very thankful for each of you!

Love, Kev and Mandy

Smile of the Day

It is so exciting to capture her little smiles. She is such a happy girl after she eats and loves to play. I've started singing silly songs to her a lot and she loves them. Our favorite thing to do is take common songs and change the lyrics for her. A few hits are "For She's a Little Costello" (to For He's a Jolly Good Fellow), "Oh My Emma, Child of Mine" (to Oh My Darlin' Clementine), and "Sipsy Doodle" and "She's a Sipsy Doodle Dandy" (instead of Yankee Doodle).

Last night went pretty good. She's falling asleep a lot easier. I am so happy things are going better than I anticipated.

We are cleaning house this weekend, getting ready for family that's coming in for Thanksgiving. Kev gets done with his clinical early today which is great since he'll be able to help me get some things done. Other than that, life is good. Not too much exciting going on at the Costello household other than being mesmerized (sp?) by miss Emma Liz. Hope everyone is having a blessed day!

Sleep Training Day #2

First off, let me say that this is not how we put Emma to bed, so no need to say prayers for her dumb parents. JK. This is her wrapped in a blankie laying on the couch taking a cat nap while I was sitting next to her. I just thought it was so adorable.

Last night was 50 times better than the first night. She was asleep at 7:30, up at 11 back asleep by 12, up at 3:45, back asleep by 4:30 and then slept until 7:45 this morning. Ahhh, progress is sweet, especially when it's only been 2 nights. I'll keep you posted. Love to all!

Day 1 of "Sleep Training"

I had to post this adorable smile I ca

ptured this morning after Emma ate. It's amazing, considering that the girl didn't get a whole lot of sleep last night! We have started trying to get Emma to sleep in her crib (instead of our arms) and we officially have 1 night under our belt.

We have decided on a bedtime routine starting around 7:30ish to consist of bath, eat, rocking with a story/lullabye, prayer and into bed. It actually started okay last night. We swaddled her and put her into bed around 8:30. We would go in and comfort her every 10 minutes until she fell asleep, which only took a few times. So, she was sound asleep around 9 and I was feeling pretty cocky. "This isn't so bad," I thought to myself. Kevin and I went to bed and slept so soundly. Until midnight. I went upstairs to her room and nursed her, changed her diaper, swaddled her and put her back into bed. I repeated the comfort every 10 minute routine as earlier in the night. This time, though, it took until 6 AM. Actually, it didn't even happen then, but I got her up to eat again, swaddled, etc. She went to sleep pretty easily around 7 and slept until 10 (so did I).

I'm feeling a little sluggish, to say the least, but I'm hopeful. She's actually taking her first nap of the day right now in her swing (Can we say AMEN)? I'll keep everyone posted on how it all goes. Who knows, maybe she'll sleep through the night this time. HA!

Emma Goes to the Doctor

Emma with Trudi and Stella

Emma laying on the exam table after being measured

8 lb 13 oz and 21"

Emma's little bandaids from her shots :(

We took Emma to see Trudi, the pediatric nurse practioner that I work with for a well-baby check and her first shots. Emma did really fantastic. She was very still and quiet while Trudi examined her. She cried when she got her shots, but luckily she was easy to console. She has spent most of the day sleeping and snuggling with me. She's running a low-grade fever, but nothing too serious and we gave her Tylenol, so that's helping.

We are going to start a new sleep routine tonight, on the recommendation of Trudi. Many of you know we've been struggling with being able to get Emma to sleep when she's not in our arms. Basically, Trudi says that this is what she's learned so we have to "teach" her another way. This basically involves letting her cry it out a bit while being there to comfort her and support her with touch and our voices. It's going to be a rough night tonight, but we'll see.

We are really excited about family coming next week for Thanksgiving. ALL of Kevin's family will be here, so we're having a family portrait done on Friday. I can't wait to see it! We hope the rest of you are having a good week and looking forward to Turkey Day!

Happy Halloween!!

We finally have managed to capture a few grins on camera! She's really starting to smile more and more and we are just eating it up. I tell ya, when you're up with a baby at 3 in the morning feeding a baby and she smiles up at you, all the sleepiness goes away and you feel so blessed to be in that moment. She's 6 weeks old now and doing more and more every day. We tried to find a costume that would fit her, but she's so tiny there just aren't any. We found a cute onsie and hat though. They're a little big but she still looked precious. Kevin had to work tonight so his brother and his wife came over for a while and we handed out candy to trick-or-treaters. It was a lot of fun to see all the kids' costumes. I can't wait until next year when we'll be able to dress Emma up and take her around ('cause that means Mom and Dad get to eat all the candy she's too little for!)

We hope everyone had a happy and safe Halloween. Love you!

Another week down

I can't believe it's already been 5 weeks. We finally have managed to capture some pictures with her eyes open. This girl loves to sleep! It has been so much fun the past week, though, because she is starting to spend more time awake and interacting. She is beginning to watch her toys and respond to music and noises. We think she's trying really hard to start to smile. She cracks grins in her sleep all the time, which is the most precious thing we've ever seen. She was sitting with Kev last night and every time he would talk to her the side of her mouth would twitch and her eyes would get big; it was so sweet.

We're still not having much luck lying her down to sleep. We have found away to get some relief during the day, though. I've started carrying, or "wearing" her in a sling. She really likes it and it frees up my hands to do other things.

We are really looking forward to Thanksgiving. Kev's entire family is coming to Springpatch to meet Emma. It's going to be such a good time!

Hope everyone's week is going well. love you guys!

4 Weeks

I can't believe Emma is already 4 weeks old, the time has really flown by! We are starting to get settled into a bit of a routine. We're still working on being able to lay her down to sleep. There has been some progress made (thanks to a vaccum CD) but we still have a way to go.

I love it that she is staying awake a lot more during the day now. She likes to lay on her little activity mat and listen to her musical toys and look at everything. Unlike most babies I've heard of, she loves tummy time. Mainly because she tries to go to sleep on her tummy. We always put her to sleep on her back but she loves being on her tummy, whether on the floor or on our chest.

She is not due to go and see the doctor until she is 2 months old but I think I'm going to take her by my office this week to see how much weight she's put on. She looks bigger to me but I want to be sure she's putting on weight since she was so tiny at birth.

We went for a walk in the park today. I kept her bundled and covered because it was a little windy but I think she liked getting out of the house and the motion. It felt nice to get a little exercise and some fresh air. If the weather is okay tomorrow, I'll try to take her out again.

I'll try to post more often and get some more pics up. Love you guys!!!

Thank God for Family

The past week has been so awesome. My sister-in-law Jill (see pic above) has been here staying with us and has been a HUGE help. She is married to Kevin's older brother and they are living in Texas while he goes through the Army's PA school. Emma has really started to turn into a little person and not just a sleeping and pooping machine. She has been staying awake alot more during the day and is definately making us aware of things that make her happy and things that make her mad. Her primary antagonizer is being put down. The girl likes to be held all the time. We've been taking turns sleeping while holding her on the couch at night. I figure, though, she isn't going to let me hold her forever so I'll enjoy it now while I can.

One of my other sister-in-laws, Mae, sent Emma some awesome gifts this week. She sent her some large letters spelling her name to hang in the nursery, a beautiful quilt with her name and birthday embroidered on it, and some cute premie outfits. Emma is wearing one of the new outfits in the picutre. It has an adorable elephant on it and says "Walk softly".

My parents, sister and cousin are coming to visit next weekend and meet Emma for the first time. I'm so excited for my dad to hold his new grandbaby! Other than all that, we're just settling in to our new family and enjoying one another. Thanks to all of you for your continued prayers and support, we love you!

Emma Live

Emma wanted to take a second and say hi to everyone she hasn't gotten to meet yet. I also thought this would be a good way to feed Mae's recent addiction :) Hope everyone is doing well, and as always there will be more to follow.

This is what happiness looks like...

Ihave finally found a few minutes to sit down and update the blog. As Kevin mentioned in a previous post, I had a last minute c-section due to a bad induction. Everything went perfectly and we were able to come home on Saturday. They are still monitoring my blood pressure because it has continued to rise. My doc started me on a short term dose of medicine today which will hopefully bring it down.
The last few days have went by in a blur. Having Emma home is more wonderful than we had imagined. I find myself just staring at her and falling in love with all her cute little facial expressions and grunts. So far, she has been an easy baby and we're not feeling too sleep deprived yet. Since she was so little, Kevin had to go buy a few premie sized outfits so we would have some clothes that fit her. I must say she looks just darling in the little outfits Kevin has picked out for her.
I can't wait to try and upload a little video we made of her yesterday; it's darling. We'll keep everyone posted and will put up more pictures. Thank you to everyone for all your prayers, support. Emma is lucky to have so many people love her.

Emma has arrived!!!

WE just wanted to let everyone know that Emma was born at 9:08 this morning by c-section. They tried inducing her but it did not really work. But both are doing well and the baby is a massive 5lbs. 14oz. Here are some pics, i;m sure more will follow soon.

Induction tomorrow morning

So they finally decided that enough is enough. Mandy went to her appointment on monday and not suprisingly they decided to keep her. After another day and a half of high blood pressures and headaches, they have decided to induce her. They will begin the pitocin at 0600 tomorrow morning, so hopefully miss emma will make her debut shortly after (8,10,15,20 hours or so....). There is some concern that Mandy may require a C-section because they are not sure if the cervix will be ready, she has a narrow pelvic arch, and the ever present high blood pressure. However, things will go as God (and medicine) has planned, and hopefully things will be well and both Mandy and Emma will stay well. All the tests show that Emma is head down and healthy, so now we just have to help her into the world. We will keep posted as we can and hopefully pictures will follow soon.

House Arrest

This past Wednesday I was placed on bed rest. Or, as I am referring to it, house arrest. I went in for a routine visit on Wed afternoon and my blood pressure was elevated a bit and I had some protein in my urine. My doctor sent me over to labor and delivery to have the baby checked and get some testing done. They then decided to keep me overnight for "observation" which turned into 2 nights. I got to come home this afternoon. I'm going back to the office Monday for some more tests and an exam. I am really really really hoping that I will either go into labor soon or will be induced. I'm full term so Emma should be able to be born safely. Also, I don't want things to get worse and start to feel more sick, which my doctor said will probably happen. And, I don't want to waste several weeks of my maternity leave lying on the couch.

According to my doctor, I can get up to shower and go to the bathroom and that's all. He said I can't do anything in the baby room, put away dishes, fold laundary, etc. Basically, that means poor Kevin is on his own for now. He has been totally awesome. In fact, right now he is at Price Cutter getting me some ice cream and snacks. He made some yummy dinner tonight and then picked up some around the house. It was so hard to just sit here on the couch and watch him do things. He has been totally accomodating and loving and I could not ask for anything more. I'll let everyone know how my visit on Monday goes. Maybe Emma's arrival won't be too far away. And, if it is, I'm open to suggestions for some good books to keep me occupied!

Emma's Nursery

Emma's nursery theme is called Tropical Punch. We thought it was really cute because it wasn't too pink and had lots of fun colors. We still need to hang her curtains and there's nothing on the walls. It will be several months before she ever sleeps in here since her room is upstairs and ours is downstairs. In the meantime, it will just sit and be pretty and we'll come up to visit it and change clothes.

We went to Toys R Us today and bought another carseat base to have put in Kevin's car. We also got some netting that can fit over her playard and the crib, hoping it will keep Jack out of there when she's sleeping. Kevin also got the Dr. Seuss book Hop on Pop which he says is an essential. We then went to Hannah Bananas (my new favorite place) and had some gourmet ice cream. Yum!

I feel like I should be productive and get some housework done but what I really want is a nap. I've been really sleepy lately. I guess I should take advantage of sleep while I can. I'm feeling good for the most part but it's become pretty uncomfortable to walk/stand. There's so much pressure on my bladder and pelvis, it kinda hurts. Oh well, not much longer.

I am praying that God will let me work up until I deliver. I really need to be at my job as much as I can for as long as I can. I'm trying to get someone up to speed on all my duties so that they can cover me while I'm gone. This past week I've really started to feel crummy, though, and I'm hoping this doesn't mean I'll have to go on leave early. That's all for now. I'm going to try to get some more pics up of some of our favorite things people have gotten us for Emma as well as a really cute Halloween outfit we found for her. Hope all is well with everyone, lots of love!

Happy Labor Day

Today is the first day Kevin and I have both had the entire day off together in a long time. So, we've taken advantage of the occassion by not getting out of bed and having breakfast until 11. It's now 4pm and I haven't changed out of my pajamas. Ah, the good life. We won't have too many more of these type of days with Emma coming so soon.

Things have been going really well. We decided to go with the nanny I had wrote about last week, Kim. It is such a huge burden lifted off our shoulders knowing that we have good childcare lined up for when I return to work. I'm taking the full 12 weeks off for maternity leave and have lots planned since it will fall during the holidays. I think all of our family is going to come to Springfield for Thanksgiving. This is good because we probably won't feel up to traveling away from home yet and everyone from out of town can meet Emma. For Christmas, the plan is to fly to Charlotte and visit Kev's sister and husband. I've had people tell me that flying with a baby isn't too big a deal as long as you're prepared. Then, I'll return back to work the first week of January.

We've made some finishing touches to the nursery (although she won't be using it for several months.) I still need to get the carseat installed and get our bag packed, but that will come soon.

On a sadder note, the house diagonal across the street from us caught on fire this afternoon. We're not sure of any of the details yet, but it appears that noone was hurt. The house looks pretty destroyed. I think every fire engine in Springfield showed up to help battle the blaze. The family living there hasn't been moved in for very long. We haven't got to meet them but Kevin is pretty sure they have children. Hopefully we'll be able to connect with them after things settle down and see what we can help them with.

That's all for now. I think I'm going to put some real clothes on and maybe run to the store for some veggies. Kevin is slow-cooking a pork-loin; yumm!

Braxton-Hicks- my new friend

35 Weeks

I had an appointment this afternoon for a two week check. All morning, while at work, I was having contractions. I've been having sporadic contractions for a while now. Usually I'll have three or four in a row, they're painless and then they stop. This morning, however, I had a BUNCH and some of them started to hurt. I kinda freaked out but decided to just let it go until I went to my appointment.

Luckily, Dr. Stamps said this was perfectly normal and will probably just continue to get worse until Emma comes. He said that you can tell the Braxton-Hicks contractions from the real thing because they won't be consistant.

On a positive note, we met with another potential daycare provider this evening and we loved her. We're going to sleep on it before making a decision but I think we'll go with her. Yay!

That's all for now. I'm trying to compile a list of things I need to pack for me, Kev and Emma and our hospital stay. I'll try to get some of that together this weekend and maybe go and get her carseat installed. Talk to you all soon!!

Childbirth 101

We started our childbirth classes tonight at Cox South hospital. I've been really looking forward to them because I really don't know squat about labor and delivery. I must say, though, that I hated every minute of it.

We started the class with a 45 minute tour of labor and delivery. While it may seem as though this would be beneficial, it wasn't. First of all, you feel like you're in a prison. Actually, it's more like a mental ward. There are locked doors everywhere and all the hallways are long and narrow with no color. The actual delivery rooms are located along several long corridors with locked doors and a small window to peep in each room. I can't imagine making the trip down that hallway when I'm in labor and feel any sense of comfort.

Our tour guide then demonstrated some of the "features" of the room. When it's showtime, a huge door of sorts retracts from the ceiling and an electric flood light lowers down right over you that is about the size of a ceiling fan. Also, the bed that the moms lay on is raised 5 feet in the air with a mattress that's 2 inches thick. Right along side that is where the dads hang out - in an oversized leather recliner. Fair? I don't think so.

We then saw where the c-section suites are and the recovery rooms. We also swung by the perinatal ICU and the neonatal ICU. I don't think they should let a big group of expectant moms go in those areas. Not because it will scare the preggies but because all the families in those areas are visiting people who aren't in the best of condition. They probably don't appreciate the tour group strolling through.

We then returned to our classroom where we all learned a hand-massaging technique and practiced some breathing and relaxation. This is what I'm referring to as the peak of dumbness. She made everyone sit on the hard floor and lean back against their spouse. I'm sorry but that's not comfortable when you're not pregnant. I'm at a point now where I can't lower myself all the way to the floor. I get to about 8 inches from the ground and from there I just have to fall the rest of the way because I can't bend anymore. Then, sitting there for the next 45 minutes makes your butt sore.

I don't know why they had us get in these positions because it's not what you would do in actual labor. I don't think Kevin is going to get in the bed with me and lay behind me, at least she didn't go over that part while we were in the delivery room.

She then played some soft music and turned the lights out while she read from a book about the differences between slow breathing, rhythm breathing, cleansing breathing, etc. We got to practice about 10 seconds of each type, which I refused to do. Then she did a total relaxation exercise from our foreheads to our toes, like some therapists would do. Again, she's clumsily reading from a book. Who's going to read the exercise to me while I'm in labor?

Oh well, we have four more classes which will pretty much take me up to my due date. I mainly want to learn more about pain management and epidurals, which I think we'll cover next week. Kevin was a total champ, he was trying to participate in the activities and get me to do them, but I was pretty stubborn.

I go to the doctor tomorrow for a 2 week check. Hopefully all is normal and well. I'll let everyone know how it goes. Ta-ta for now, Mandy

sooner than later?

i started a myspace account some time ago because mandy had began one, and i soon realized that perhaps public relations is not my strong point. i can't remeber the last time i checked it, and i think i officially sent out mae's first b-day card in my adult life, so i thought maybe this new idea of hers might work better. i'm not responsible for any backrounds, music, surveys, games, or lists of famous people i'd love to meet. i just have to write every now again, and see what happens.

As mandy said in an earlier post i've gone back to school just as she is finishing, and it is in fact going to be quite busy. I will be spending a great deal of time at the kitchen Inc., a free medical clinic that provides services to some of the neediest people in springfield (2nd only to pregnant women in springfield haha). i think this will be a very difficult task, but am excited to see where things will go. General George Patton once said that "no good decision was ever made from a swivel chair", of course implying that one must take an active role in the tasks presented to them rather than to just sit back and hope all goes well. i hope to take this approach to get a jump start before emma arrives and turns the whole world upside down.

Speaking of emma, many have asked if we are ready yet, to which i of course reply absolutely not. we are both getting more excited as the day approaches, and have accepted the fact that she may in fact come sooner than Oct. 6 as the doctor has suggested. However, we just recently came to this conclusion and now find ourselves scurrying to tie up loose ends (like getting diapers that will fit). we are very thankful for the blessings we have received through the gifts we have been given and through the support that we know we have from so many different areas of our lives.

As the day quickly approaches i pray that God will keep mandy and emma healthy and me sane, and that He will give us the strength and insight after she is born to survive the times ahead.

The Search for Daycare

A bunch of people met over at our Sunday school teacher's house tonight to have a "meet and greet" with our 2 new pastors. They asked everyone to share what their vision and hope for the church was. Several people mentioned that they would like to see our church start a daycare that was affordable and safe. It seems like there are several people we know who are currently in search of a good daycare for their kids.

We, too, are still on the prowl. We looked at a few centers but not only were they way beyond what we can afford, they seemed crappy. One of the centers showed us their infant room which consisted of one worker and 4 infants. She had one on her hip and the other three were lying face down in a crib screaming. One of them had spit up and their face was covered with it. Gee, we thought, this is what $190 a week will get you?

We've decided to try to find an in-home daycare because it's much more affordable and more attention is available. We met with a lady last night, but I don't think she's going to be a good match. We have another interview tomorrow morning, hopefully it will be more promising.

Other than that, things are going well. Emma is doing gymnastics inside my stomach, which is not fun. Luckily it rained a lot today and the temperature has cooled off - for now.

Starting the countdown. . .

I thought I might start a blog to keep everyone informed about our crazy journey. Anyone who knows me knows that I am absolutely terrible with correspondence, phone calls, mail, email, etc. This way, I can say things once and hopefully reach everyone. :)

We basically have about six weeks left before Miss Emma is due to make her entrance. I feel like this whole process has went by pretty quickly, which I've been happy about, but now it seems to be speeding by. We have the necessities taken care of: bed, carseat, clothes, medicine, etc. We even have a lifetime supply of wipes. We thought we were good on diapers because we've gotten so many packs as gifts. As I was going through them the other night, though, I realized we don't have a single pack of newborn size. So, it's on our shopping list for the next time we go to Target.

Kevin started back to school on Monday. He has a CRAZY two semesters left (we don't expect Joe or Ian to sympathize). Hopefully things won't be too stressful in that regard.

All in all, things are good. My hormones have come back under control for the most part, thanks to some fantastic medicine. Excitement is really starting to set it and for the first time through all of this, I think we're ready.