Few Pictures of Eli

Adjusting

Sleep... what is that again? Probably what I should be doing right now but I figure this is the easiest way to update people and feel a little human.

Life is good. Eli is doing really well and all three of us are adjusting to life again. He is such a great baby! The second night he was having a hard time sleeping by himself but I think we are starting to get over that problem. I don't blame him, if I could be held and loved all the time I would love that too.

Labor and Delivery went great. We had an awesome nurse and she was so helpful. We went in at 7:30am and by 2:02pm Eli came into the world. We only stayed 24hrs because everything went well and we wanted to come home to relax and rest. I am still a little sore and my body is getting use to not being pregnant anymore. That was probably the one thing that I didn't think about. How I would feel after I gave birth.

My parents are coming to night and Eric's parents are coming tomorrow afternoon. It will be good to have people around.

I will try to write more later.

Trying To Find Patience

Less then 24 hours before I get induced. My feelings are mixed.

Part of me has that feeling of being young again and so excited for a trip. The anticipation is starting to consume my every thought. Playing it out in my mind how things will go or won't go. What I will feel. What I will want. What the next two weeks will look like. It's funny how it's never how you pictured it, good or bad, it's always different then you expected.

The other part of me it hasn't even hit yet. Everyone around me is excited and nervous for me, but I don't feel like I can even grasp what is to come. It doesn't feel real yet.

These last few weeks I have been so ready to not be pregnant anymore. Being so uncomfortable, unable to sleep, wanting to meet the little guy. Today it feels different. This is the last time I will feel him kicking inside of me, asserting need for more room. Some how I find myself with mixed feelings now. Funny how that all changes.

Maybe it's the realization that everything changes. That you experience things in life and then you continue on because there is more to experience. Without moving on you would never experience more moments that are just as great or better.

So it's a day of mixed feelings and probably a little bit of the hormones talking. I find that I could potentially cry over anything the last couple of weeks. One thing I know is that I'm ready to be done with that feeling!

I probably won't post till the baby is here. Life will be different that is for sure. But I will keep you all updated on the joys and struggles of life with a new born.

Appointment

Quick little update. Went to the doctors today for my weekly check-up. Everything looked good. Still at 3cm but now 80% effaced. Hopefully that means on Friday it should take too long for me to have this little one. I am feeling a little surge of energy to get some more stuff done so that is good. Hopefully this afternoon I get take a nap and get some more homework done.

To Do

It's my day to sleep in. The first Wednesday to not have to be in to work at the OCC at 7:30am in 2 1/2 months. And do I sleep in... nope. I got up around 7:20am to go to the bathroom. When returning to bed I had found that someone had rolled over into my spot and was sound a sleep. He was just too cute to move, and I was tired of being in bed, so I decided to come out to the living room and try my hand at sleeping out here for a while. Not a chance. By this point I have way too much on my mind. Things that need to get done.

So I decided instead of waisting an hour or two trying to fall back a sleep just in time to have to get up and shower, I would just get up and work on some stuff. Take a nap this afternoon.

I find that posting my to do list on here really helps me to be focused. Or something... So here it is:

1. clean the kitchen.... check (just waiting for the floor to dry)
2. clean the bathroom
3. shower
4. doctors appointment at 11:50am
5. hopefully respond to my partner's essay online if she ever posts it. The essay was due yesterday at 8am and it's still not posted. We have 3 days to respond. Hope I don't have a baby before then or no responding from me. Just kind of annoying because I don't want to have to worry about it later.
6. work on Gospel of John homework due tomorrow (just looking up background information, nothing strenious)
7. if time try to research and write 3rd essay for Holy Spirit so I don't have to do it later.

So we will see how far I get. 1-6 needs to get done today but it would be nice to get of number 7 done.

BABY NEWS:
No news. Nothing much new on the baby front. Had some really good strong contractions last night but they didn't continue for super long. We will see what the doctor says today. Probably just see you on Friday.

I had lunch with a stuffed animal because I'm sexy and I do what I want.

Just couldn't help myself! Thanks Moe :)

Pick the month you were born:
January——-I kicked
February——I loved
March——–I karate chopped
April———-I licked
May———-I jumped on
June———-I smelled
July———–I did the Macarena With
August——–I had lunch with
September—-I danced with
October——-I sang to
November—–I yelled at
December—–I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:

1——-a birdbath
2——-a monster
3——-a phone
4——-a fork
5——-a snowman
6——-a gangster
7——-my mobile phone
8——-my dog
9——-my best friends‘ boyfriend
10——-my neighbor
11——-my science teacher
12——-a banana
13——-a fireman
14——-a stuffed animal
15——-a goat
16——-a pickle
17——-your mom
18——-a spoon
19—— - a smurf
20——-a baseball bat
21——-a ninja
22——-Chuck Norris
23——-a noodle
24——-a squirrel
25——-a football player
26——-my sister
27——-my brother
28——-an ipod
29——-a surfer
30——-a llama
31——-A homeless guy

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White———because I’m cool like that
Black———because that’s how I roll.
Pink———–because I’m crazy..
Red———–because the voices told me to.
Blue———–because I’m sexy and I do what I want
Green———because I think I need some serious help.
Purple———because I’m AWESOME!
Gray———-because Big Bird said to and he’s my leader.
Yellow——–because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange——–because my family thinks I’m stupid anyway.
Brown———because I can..
Other———-because I’m a Ninja!
None———-because I can’t control myself!

Update

Sorry I haven't updated. I am going through spurts of needing to sleep, clean the house, make Eric move things around and hang things up. I think I am just ready for this baby to come!

With that being said, we are still waiting.

This past Wednesday's Doc. appointment we decided that if he doesn't come before Friday we are going to induce. So I am scheduled to go in at 7:30am. They will break my water and give me drugs to start labor. I am already 3cm and 70% effaced so it really should take much is what the Doctor said. Still having contractions but nothing strong enough or for long enough to get overly excited about. I feel like I am at the edge and someone just needs to push me over.

The Doctor also guessed on his weight. She thought he had hit the 8lbs mark. To that I say, "yup, time for him to come out!" It will be interesting to see how close she is to his actual weight. All I know is that he is big and I am ready to meet him.

Eric's sister and fiance are coming up on Saturday so I'm also really excited for that. It will be good to see them and for them to hang out with us in the hospital. They are really laid back but really good company. It will be really good to have them around. My parents are going to wait till next Wed. to come up so they can be up here for Thanksgiving and till Sunday. It will also be good to have family here for Thanksgiving. Eric's parents are going to try to come up next Saturday. It will be nice to have family here to help and give me a chance to get some sleep also.

So, that's about it. Every day I get a little bit more homework done and that always feels good. Eric is still working but always on baby call. He keeps telling me to stop being a baby hog. Every time I think the contractions are actually getting stronger and it might be it, he gets all excited. It's kind of cute.. okay, not just kind of but really cute! I am excited to see him be a dad.

I will try to be better about updating this week and then posting pictures when the little one actually comes.

Summer Camp

We are still waiting.

Some days he acts like he is going to come but then the contractions just fizzle out. I think I am more then ready to just get the show on the road.

Friday we found ourselves at the hospital. I had contractions every 3-5 minutes for a couple of hours regularly so the nurse at the clinic told me to head to the hospital. We were really excited thinking this is the beginning. Well, I was having regular contractions but they weren't strong enough. They told me to come in again if they got bad enough I couldn't talk through them. Oh yeah, on Wed. at the doctors office I was at a 3cm and I guess on Friday I was the same. The nurse lady at the birth place said they didn't want to admit me till I was at a 5cm. So we wait some more. I'm not a very good waiter.

All weekend we were at the hospital anyhow. We had our birth and parenting classes. Most of it was common sense but some was helpful. I think just good to know and have in the back of our minds. During the class we added up how much time it would take to feed and change the little one. 7.5 hours. That is a full time job. AHHHH That doesn't even count everything else that goes along with a baby. Someone should have done the math for us before all of this happened. In light of this realization... or number crunching... I have decided that having a newborn is going to be a lot like working at camp. And here is why:

1. When you sign-up to work at camp you think it is a really good idea. You don't think of all the work or lack of time to yourself. All you see in your mind is fireworks and balloons, maybe some confetti. The only thing that flashes through your mind is FUN! This too happens when you think of babies. The joys of having a baby overshadow any common sense or clarity of reality. I think it's God's trick to get us to procreate.

2. Time Factor. As previously mentioned there isn't a lot of time to yourself with a baby. Much like at camp. I remember coveting my 5-10minutes a day that I got to spend talking to an adult. It kept my sanity. Kept me going. This will be the same way the first few months of the babies life. What's an adult conversation? Have I been outside of the house in the last 4 days? When's the last time I've showered? All questions you ask yourself at camp and when you have a baby. The only difference is that at camp I smelt of horses and campfire. With the baby I will smell of spit-up and poop.

3. Lack of sleep. At camp you get a few hours of sleep a night on a good night. You rely a lot on caffeine and motivation. Baby... what you get to sleep at all?

4. And then just like camp when looking back on the past summer you remember all of the good times, some of the bad, but for the most part think that it would be a great idea to work their again. In the same way when the last child is 2 or3 years of age you look back on the first few months and remember the mostly good times. The struggles that you overcame and think once again that having another child is a good idea.

I remember the first week when the campers arrived. I was scared I was going to break them or mess them up for life. I didn't know what I was doing. What I really wanted was to sit back to watch someone else do it for a while. Someone had taught me some things during training but I couldn't remember them... how do I do that again?

So I'm ready. Bring it on. Just like I muddled my way through the first week or two of camp I will do the same with this little one. I will learn, I will find that I can do it, I will overcome and I will learn a lot about myself and my marriage. And through it all I will truly live.

Rainy Day Spider Solitaire

I have a new addiction....Rainy Day Spider Solitaire on iVillage games.

This is what my morning will hopefully look like:

1. 7:30-8:02am -- Online Rainy Day Spider Solitaire. I have come in and gotten a little fix. Only a half hour so that's not bad.

8:02-8:30am -- Blog and read others blogs; some where in here BS with the maintenance guys

8:30am -- Finish thoughts on sermon for class this afternoon. Remember that the sermon is only for class and it doesn't have to be perfect. This is also my last sermon for the class this year! YIPPIE!

9ish - 9:30am -- Reward myself for finishing the sermon with some Rainy Day Spider Solitaire

9:30am -- Work on homework for EBT that is due on Friday

10:30am -- Go to Gospel of John Class

12:30pm -- Come back to the infodesk to work till 3

3-5pm -- Senior Preaching Class

5pm -- Go home and take a nap! Really this is my favorite part of the day.


Quick note: Eric goes to see Keith today for a massage. I am excited to see how that goes and if he likes it. I hope he really enjoys it but the other part of me is scared that he will really enjoy it and want to go often. Who is going to pay for that?

Sunday Afternoon in the OCC

So there is this little event in the campus center today. There is one gentleman who has been wondering around by the desk wanting to know why the building wasn't designed differently. Mainly because he couldn't figure out where the parking lot was and got confused. So he needed to complain about it. I'm not sure what he wanted me to do about it?!?! I'm not going to go and knock down walls for him and build a walkway so he feels better. THEN he asked me where they hold Sunday services. Um.. we don't. He kind of freaked about about that and said, "What.. (gasp)... the Lutheran Seminary doesn't hold Sunday services!" (In a very judging tone) Then I tried to explain to him that everyone is out in congregations and have responsibilities for Sunday services in church communities around the City. We have Chapel services everyday of the week at 10am. Well, I think that let the air out of his balloon a little and he couldn't find anything else wrong so he walked away. I just don't get why people need to come in and complain about everything. Does it make them feel better?

Getting closer to having my sermon written for class on Monday. That's exciting! I'm trying so hard to be motivated but it is so beautiful outside I can't help but want to be out there. AND I am being good and snacking on baby carrots. All I want to do is eat so I am trying to eat something good for me and not just junk. Once again I think I have a bound will to food.

Ready, Set.... Go?

I'm Ready!

I'm ready to have this baby already. Last night while I was sleeping my sides just hurt so bad from having to lay on them all the time. This morning after being up for a while my back is killing me! I think that means that the baby is growing again and not just a little bit but noticeably. So I put my belly belt on again today. I have found that I don't need it everyday so I usually only wear it when I need it. I think that sitting at the desk for too long is part of my problem also. I'm just looking forward to this part of it being over and having a baby. At this point I don't even care about school work or the infodesk and how that is all going to work itself out.... I just want this baby to come. I dreamed about being in labor all night long so obviously I'm ready. I have also found that I am the most emotional I have ever been. I could start crying over anything. I don't like that feeling and it usually isn't me. Once again I look forward to having my body back and the hormones to even out again. I keep telling myself that there have been so many strong women who have done this before me.. and continue to have childern. I just have to keep my eye on the goal.

One more crab for the day. It is so HOT in the campus center that I think I might be melting. You would think that they could regulate the heat a little better and save some money.

On an up note.... it was daylight savings last night and we gained an extra hour. Can't complain about that really. Espeically for this prego woman who needs all the extra hours she can get of sleep!