Monthly Archives: December 2011

Dec30

Goals for 2012

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I tried the whole “New Years Resolution” thing numerous times. I succeeded once and failed miserably more times than I can count. Instead, I like setting tangible goals for myself. A checklist of sorts. Why? Because I love lists. I love being able to cross something off and that sense of accomplishment that comes with it. So, without further adieu, here are my (Emily) goals for 2012.

~Have a baby, bring him home, and love him like crazy!

I could seriously stop there, but of course there are other things I’d like to accomplish in the new year (and of course these are in no particular order)

~Never fail to let Joe know how much I love and appreciate him

~Be as prepared as possible for birth-especially when it comes to relaxation techniques

~Study God’s word more

~Put together a nursery

~Turn the tv off more…especially when its on simply for background noise

~Cook, on average, one new thing a month (obviously post natal will be a little more challenging)

~Get more serious about couponing. This past year I’ve slacked off, and once I will be a SAHM, I really need to have my act together

~Go to the gym twice a week

~Declutter, which shouldn’t be hard considering I’ve entered into the nesting phase (more to come in another post)

~Stock our freezer with meals for after the baby is born

~Make at least 8 new things this year from my list:

  1. Sourdough bread (I’m going to ask my friend Rebekah for her recipe because hers is SO good!)
  2. Shower cleaner  Finished, January 2012
  3. Curtains for our bonus room
  4. It Is Well sign (I need to get contact paper that I can peel off)
  5. Decorative fan for nursery
  6. Menu board
  7. New bag
  8. More grocery bags
  9. Burp cloths for boys, since all I have left in my stash is girly!
  10. Casserole carrier
  11. Prayer board
  12. Ironing board cover
  13. Hanging gift wrap organizer
  14. Curtains for the nursery

~Read at least 15 books in 2012 from my list of books I want to read:

  1. The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth Finished, January 2012
  2. Natural Hospital Birth- The Best of Both Worlds
  3. The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
  4. Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child
  5. Bringing Up Boys  Finished, January 2012
  6. Radical
  7. Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids With the Love of Jesus
  8. The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ’s Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children
  9. Blogger Behave: Make You Blog Benefit Your Life, So You Can Love Both
  10. Quitter Finished, January 2012
  11. The Happiness Project
  12. Crazy Love Finished January 2012
  13. The Joy of Pregnancy
  14. Still Growing: An Autobiography
  15. unSweetined: A Memoir
  16. Erasing Hell: What God Said About Eternity and The Things We’ve Made Up Finished, January 2012
  17. Thats My Son: How Moms Can Influence Boys to Become Men of Character Finished, January 2012
  18. Born to Run
  19. The Christian Mama’s Guide to Havinga Baby: Everything You Need to Know to Survive (and Love) Your Pregnancy  Finished, January 2012
  20. My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife Finished, January 2012
  21. The Resolution for Women
  22. A Life That Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart & Home to Others
  23. The Air I Breathe
  24. Organized Simplicity Finished, January 2012
  25. Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption

(I’m quite thankful for my new Kindle Fire. I get a short time of free access to the Amazon Lending Library, in which I’ll be able to borrow at least two of the books above for free!)

*I am going to frequent this post to check off things as I accomplish them! I will post monthly or quarterly updates!*

What goals are you setting for yourself in 2012?

Dec28

Mile Markers- 20 weeks

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How far along? 20 weeks

How big is baby?  The length of a banana or the size of a cantaloupe

Sleep? This changes day by day. Last night I slept really well, the night before I woke up at 4am with morning sickness. It’s definitely getting harder to reposition myself once I’m in bed.

Best Moment so far? Oh this week has been jam-packed with great moments! On Christmas morning, we found out we’re having a boy! That was pretty stinkin’ exciting! Joe felt our baby boy kick for the first time on Christmas day. Sharing our joy with family! Feeling our little one kick a lot more.

Gender? BOY!!!

Names? We’ve gone from a long list to a short list of possibilities

What I’m looking forward to most?  Hearing his heart beat again in two weeks!

What I’m reading? Back to the Dr. Bradley book on natural childbirth. For Christmas, Joe gave me a Kindle Fire, which I’m excited to put a few books on. It will make reading on the go easier! No more lugging heavy books around in my purse!

Other? I should finish up our registries in the next few days, which will be a nice relief. 2012 begins in a few days, and the first month is packed with some great things! We are going to be ordering our crib and dresser in January. My sister and her husband are helping me clean out our guest bedroom, which I’m very thankful for! I’m also looking at a new closet system for the nursery, to hopefully provide a little more storage. This week I’ll also be registering at the hospital for our birth.

Dec26

He’s not spoiled…not at all!

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Yesterday morning we woke up to this:
 

The present we couldn't wait to open!

 
Joe gave me the option to open the gift first thing or wait until we opened our other gifts. No matter which order I went in, all that would be on my mind was the answer in the box- so we opened it first!  And….
We’re having a boy!
 
I think we’re both super excited!
 
And so are a few other people…who apparently have decided our child will be spoiled. Here’s what I mean:
 
Grandma wanted him to have the book “Twas The Night Before Christmas” ready to go next year-

Twas the night before Christmas

 
Papa brought him a book too-

The Little Engine that Could

 His cousin Katie spent her money and bought him a musical giraffe that moves his head-

Musical giraffe from cousin Katie

His aunt Michelle, Uncle Steve, and cousins Megan, Ashley & Katie continued to spoil him rotten-

A high chair

 

The perfect musical mobile to go with his room!

 

Alphabet puzzle

 

Toys and bath mits

 

Baby Clothes

 
 And of course, daddy and mommy couldn’t help but buy some things for the baby!  
 

Books from Daddy

 

Clothes from mommy

 

We'll exchange this one for one that isn't lilac

Dec25

It’s a… (yes, you must read the whole thing!)

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…crazy thing to be expecting a child this time of year, as we think about Mary and Joseph expecting to give birth to the son of God. Imagine their fear and anxieties at the responsibility of raising a child to become the Savior of the world.

The upside of His being sinless, the terrible two’s probably weren’t so bad ;)  

The responsibilities of becoming a parent in this day and age can be overwhelming at times. We hope as parents we do the right thing in raising our child so that they might become a follower of Christ. Its hard not to get lost in all the other aspects of raising a child, such as finding the right car seat, buying the right toys, and giving them a good education. Just like Mary and Joseph, we simply need to trust in His guidance, and follow in His Word.

We are so fortunate that God has given us not only the gift of His Son, but has given us the gift of having a son of our own. We are grateful that He has entrusted us with this precious life and are continually praying that how we raise him will not only be glorifying to God, but a witness to those around us.

Just as Mary and Joseph wondered what their son would be like, we too are wondering what our son will be like. Will he have the same interests as us, same temperament, will he love the Lord and want to follow and serve Him? This is a very exciting time for us and we are looking forward to the future with much anticipation.

We hope all of you have as wonderful and blessed Christmas as we have had this year.

Joe & Emily

Dec21

Mile Markers

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How far along? 19 weeks

How big is baby? either the size of a mango or an heirloom tomato depending on the website you consult. (For our sake, we’ll go with the tomato since Joe is allergic to mangos and I don’t like eating them)

Sleep? Going pretty well. Especially when I’m not fighting migraines. I’m rarely turning to my stomach anymore, but when I do, my hips quickly regret it.

Cravings? Salty food. I’ve never been one who loved french fries, in fact I could completely do without them. Some days you could give me a handful and I’d be the happiest camper in the park.

Best Moment so far? Definitely our ultrasound last week! Getting quick glances at the baby’s face was pretty spectacular.

Gender? We’ll find out in a few days! Yippee!

Names? Still no boys name picked out

What I look forward to most? Finding out what we’re having!

What I’m reading? Well, nothing at the moment because Christmas and birthdays have kept us busy and exhausted!

Other? With the exception of a few gender specific things, I believe our registries are reaching the finish lines! Which is a big relief because there are so many options! I’m also loving my cd Musical Journey for Childbirth and Beyond. It is INCREDIBLY relaxing. We often listen to it as we’re going to bed each night.

Dec20

Twas the Week Before Christmas

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Twas the week before Christmas and all through our house

I proclaimed exhaustion and so did my spouse.

The gingerbread candle was freshening the air,

While I frantically cleaned and wrapped, with not a second to spare.

We always look forward to when we can go to bed,

But I can’t seem to shake this aching of my head!

Five days and counting til when we found out,

Oh Boy! or Oh Girl! I can’t wait to shout!

Thats all the poetic feeling I’ve got for today! I’m so thankful to get to spend a few minutes with a friend tomorrow before she heads out of town. But until that time, I’m going to pray this headache away and keep on cleaning!

Dec19

Consumed by Chaos

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I know I’m not alone here, especially this time of year. I feel so consumed by everything going on. My house is a wreck and I cannot seem to find time (or energy) to give it a complete overhaul. I would love to sit down and sew some too, but I can’t get to my machine because I’ve stored a few things in the sewing room for the time being. I need to start taking apart our guest bedroom, which will be transformed to the baby’s room. I’ve neglected friendships because of lack of time to get together with people. I’ve got emails, phone calls, and fb messages to respond to. People to thank. I’ve finished Christmas shopping, all but one gift is wrapped. Oh, and lets not mention the fact I’ve not gotten to the gym in the past two months.
 
Its not just the Christmas season chaos, its a little bit of everything. Its amazingly overwhelming (in a GREAT way) being pregnant and trying to plan for the future. Christmas decorating season. Christmas shopping season. Birthday season. Cold and flu season (for Joe-work). The season where everyone is trying to use their insurance benefits before the cost goes up, so they’re having lots of surgery (work for me). Party season. Concert season. People acting and driving like maniacs season.
 
I love this time of year, but I’ll also be glad for 2012! The new year comes with amazing things and I can’t wait!
Dec14

Its a….

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So, as the world knows, we had our anatomy scan today. The baby looks AMAZING! I was so fixed on the screen that I didn’t pay a bit of attention to what Joe and the u/s tech were talking about. I do know everything looks great. 4 chambers of the heart, kidneys and bladder functioning well, all the parts of the brain are present, two arms and two legs, one cute little face. In fact, (s)he kept playing peek-a-boo with us. The placenta is positioned over his/her face, so (s)he would duck behind it, and then peek out, then back behind, and peek out again! The baby is also quite the wiggle worm! It probably helped that I had a few sips of caffeine about half an hour before!

So, what you’re probably wanting to know now is what we’re having, right? Well….its a….

BIG FAT SECRET! Haha! We’ll tell you after Christmas!

Dec13

Tomorrow is THE day

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But lets start with today…

 I’ve been super stressed lately, which is putting me in a great deal of pain. Stupid stuff that shouldn’t be happening is. Little things that normally I could roll my eyes at and move on are getting on my nerves to the core. And where does this stress end up? Bottled up in my lower back! I honestly did not think I could make it through this day. Baseball sized knots at the base of my spine are REALLY painful! I managed to (unintentionally) sleep off a little of the stress this afternoon. You may think its cheesy, but I purchased the cd collection Musical Journey for Childbirth and Beyond last week. The purpose is/was to help with relaxation, especially when it comes time for labor. A lot of the music reminds me of music they play in spas. But the cds really help with relaxing my mind-so much so that I’ve fallen asleep more than once.

Tomorrow we should find out if we’re having a girl or boy. Part of me really wants to wait for Christmas, as I think it could be the ultimate Christmas gift. But today I’ve been thinking a lot about life and how blessed we are for each day we have-we’re not promised tomorrow. Because of this, maybe we shouldn’t wait. I’m torn. I’ll leave the decision completely in Joe’s hands!

I would really appreciate any prayers you’d lift up to the Lord. Each time I go in for a doctor’s appointment, I get INCREDIBLY anxious starting the day before. My blood pressure always gets higher than normal. The devil whispers in my ear all the things that could possibly go wrong, and I try to swat him away each time he gets near. I want nothing more than to have the Lord’s peace when it comes to the baby.