Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 21 - When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
Proverbs 27 : 23 - Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.
Psalm 46 : 1-2 - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
Proverbs 31 : 22 - She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
1 Timothy 2 : 9-10 - I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
1 Peter 3 : 3-4 - Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
The passages this week are telling me to put my family first and make sure that they are prepared for the changing seasons, or anything else that may arise in their lives. It is also important to be a beautiful person on the inside. God would rather us have inner beauty than flaunt outer beauty.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Saturday, June 23, 2012
GMG Week 6 Recap
Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 19 - In her hands she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
Colossians 3 : 23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
Ephesians 6 : 7 - Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.
Proverbs 31 : 20 - She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Deuteronomy 15 : 7-8 - If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.
Proverbs 11 : 25 - A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
1 Thessalonians 4 : 11 - and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,
Proverbs 19 : 17 - Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
The message that spoke to me this week, is to lead a quiet life of ambition, minding my own business. Too often we muddle in other people's lives. My goal is to work on leading a more quiet life.
Proverbs 31 : 19 - In her hands she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
Colossians 3 : 23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
Ephesians 6 : 7 - Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people.
Proverbs 31 : 20 - She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.
Deuteronomy 15 : 7-8 - If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need.
Proverbs 11 : 25 - A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.
1 Thessalonians 4 : 11 - and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,
Proverbs 19 : 17 - Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.
The message that spoke to me this week, is to lead a quiet life of ambition, minding my own business. Too often we muddle in other people's lives. My goal is to work on leading a more quiet life.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Beach Day
My sister came over yesterday to stay the night, and us girls went to Pearl Lake. Annelise loves being outdoors, so I figured that she would really enjoy a little trip to the beach. I knew that there were some trees that would provide some shade for us. Unfortunately, I think that it was just a little too warm for Annelise and she was a little bit crabby. Either that or she was tired. In any event, I managed to rock her to sleep and she took a decent nap sprawled out on a blanket in the sand.
We stayed until she woke up, which was after about an hour or so. I told Rachel that we'll have to go back when it's a little cooler so that she can enjoy it more. I look forward to taking her to the beach next year!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
GMG Week 5 Recap
Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 17 - She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
Nehemiah 8 : 10 - Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Ecclesiastes 9 : 10 - Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
Psalm 118 : 24 - The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.
Philippians 4 : 13 - I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Proverbs 31 : 18 - She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
Proverbs 14 : 23 - All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
1 Thessalonians 4 : 11 - and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,
This week, the scripture passages spoke to me about working vigorously on my tasks. I need to put my whole effort into things and not do them half way. All work is for the Lord, whether it's enjoyable or not.
Proverbs 31 : 17 - She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.
Nehemiah 8 : 10 - Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
Ecclesiastes 9 : 10 - Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
Psalm 118 : 24 - The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.
Philippians 4 : 13 - I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Proverbs 31 : 18 - She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.
Proverbs 14 : 23 - All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.
1 Thessalonians 4 : 11 - and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life. You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,
This week, the scripture passages spoke to me about working vigorously on my tasks. I need to put my whole effort into things and not do them half way. All work is for the Lord, whether it's enjoyable or not.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
GMG Week 4 Recap
Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 15 - She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.
Psalm 5 : 3 - In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Mark 1 : 35 - Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Proverbs 31 : 16 - She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
Proverbs 16 : 3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Proverbs 21 : 5 - The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.
James 4 : 13-15 - Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."
This week I worked on rising earlier in the morning. It was easy for me since I had such a busy week spending time with family. I will have to keep it up and work on continuing to rise early.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Busy Busy Bees
Annelise and I have had such a busy week. Eric, Jessica, and Wesley came into town last Saturday, and after my cousin's graduation party, we headed over to Drew's parent's house so that Annelise could meet them.
Eric had to work during the week, so Jessica planned lots of fun outings for Wesley so that he would be out of the house. On Monday, we went to Discovery Center. I was so surprised at how much fun Wes had. I figured that he would play in each area for a few minutes and then move on. Amazingly, he spent hours playing!
Annelise slept the whole entire time! She sure does love her Auntie Jess though.
On Tuesday, Drew and his dad took Wesley out on the boat. Annelise is still too little, so we just walked around the park.
On Wednesday, Drew's parents babysat Annelise and Drew and I went out on a date night with Jess and Eric. We went to Lucerne's, which is a fondue restaurant, and then played mini putt and laser tag. We had such a great time. Annelise apparently had a great time with her grandparents too!
On Thursday, we went to Midway Village. I have been there for a reception, but I've never been through the museum. Did you know that Rockford is home to the sock monkey? Yeah, neither did I.
Annelise very obviously had a rough day because she passed out that night in Drew's arms.
Gosh, I just love that little girl so darn much!
Yesterday, we celebrated Wesley's birthday and had a small party for him. Annelise wore a dress first time. So cute!
We took a much needed break, and just hung out at home today. It was so nice for me to be able to get out of the house and do stuff during the day though. I loved being able to spend so much time with Jessica. I know that I've said it before, but I really hate that she lives so far away.
Eric had to work during the week, so Jessica planned lots of fun outings for Wesley so that he would be out of the house. On Monday, we went to Discovery Center. I was so surprised at how much fun Wes had. I figured that he would play in each area for a few minutes and then move on. Amazingly, he spent hours playing!
On Wednesday, Drew's parents babysat Annelise and Drew and I went out on a date night with Jess and Eric. We went to Lucerne's, which is a fondue restaurant, and then played mini putt and laser tag. We had such a great time. Annelise apparently had a great time with her grandparents too!
On Thursday, we went to Midway Village. I have been there for a reception, but I've never been through the museum. Did you know that Rockford is home to the sock monkey? Yeah, neither did I.
Yesterday, we celebrated Wesley's birthday and had a small party for him. Annelise wore a dress first time. So cute!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
GMG Week 3 Recap
Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 12 - She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
1 Kings 11 : 4 - As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
Proverbs 31 : 13 - She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
Colossians 3 : 23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
Proverbs 31 : 14 - She is like the merchant ships bringing her food from afar.
Proverbs 9 : 1-2 - Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; She has also set her table.
Genesis 24 : 15-20 - Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar." "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink." So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.
The important lesson that stuck out to me this week is to work with eager hands. I have a tendency to put off the less enjoyable chores and grumble my way through them. I need to work for the Lord eagerly and praise that fact that I am able to do such chores.
Proverbs 31 : 12 - She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
1 Kings 11 : 4 - As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
Proverbs 31 : 13 - She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
Colossians 3 : 23 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
Proverbs 31 : 14 - She is like the merchant ships bringing her food from afar.
Proverbs 9 : 1-2 - Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; She has also set her table.
Genesis 24 : 15-20 - Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar." "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink. After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink." So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels.
The important lesson that stuck out to me this week is to work with eager hands. I have a tendency to put off the less enjoyable chores and grumble my way through them. I need to work for the Lord eagerly and praise that fact that I am able to do such chores.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Two Months
Dear Annelise,
Another month of my life has flown by and you are now two months old. I know that I said it last month, but now I really can't remember what life was like before you were here. It seems like you've always been apart of me. You have absolutely exploded in your interaction this month. I can almost always make you give me a huge, gummy smile. And your smiles? They just melt my heart. All of the challenges that you give me are completely washed away when I look at your smiling face. I've also learned little things that I can do that will always guarantee a smile. My favorite time to make you smile is when I've put you on the changing table. It's always fun to play with you then.
Dad gave you a bottle for the first time right after you turned one month old. You were a little unsure about it at first, but once you realized that you could get milk from it, you didn't seem to mind the bottle at all. You definitely still prefer to nurse though, and that's okay with me. Other people have really enjoyed being able to feed you too. I like that other people, especially Dad, can bond with you while feeding you. Recently, you've started putting your hands on the bottle like you understand how to hold it.
I celebrated my first Mother's Day with you this month. You have no idea how happy that you make me and how honored I am to be your mom. It makes me feel so good when people dote on you.
You have really started cooing and "talking" to us this month. I will mimic the sounds that you make and we'll have "conversations". We do this a lot when you're on the changing table. I keep waiting for a laugh, but I know that will probably be another month or two.
We have been taking you to the chiropractor to get adjusted. Some days you really enjoy it, and some days you don't like it all. I can't decide if it's helping you or not.
You continue to amaze me with your head control. You love to be held upright on my shoulder and look around and I barely have to hold your head. You don't like tummy time very much, but will tolerate it for a few minutes. We're really going to have to work on getting you to like it better because you have to learn the skills that are required, like rolling over and crawling. You really like to stand up on your feet while I hold your body. Sometimes I'll hold you up by your hands, but you usually just try to shove my fingers in your mouth.
Speaking of that, you really like to bite on my finger. You even make a little mean face when you bite down. Sometimes you get so into it that you shove my finger too far into your mouth and you gag. You also drool a lot. I was convinced that you were in the beginning stages of teething, but your doctor quickly put me in my place with that and said that it was way too soon. Honestly? I was glad to hear that. I don't want you sprouting teeth yet!
At your two month doctor's appointment, you weighed 11 pounds 2 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long. You received three shots and an oral vaccine. You didn't mind the oral one too much. The shots were a different story. You were already fussing when I laid you down, and you really screamed when the nurse gave you the shots. Thankfully, she did them really quick and it was over before I knew it. It broke my heart to see the tears in your eyes. I hate to see you hurting. I scooped you up to comfort you and you calmed right down, but you were pretty out of it for the rest of the day.
You love to challenge me with your sleep. Some days you go right to sleep without any problems, but other days, you fight going to sleep so hard. It really breaks my heart. I really hope that you get better, but I know that we'll always have our challenges. We're going to start working on transitioning you to sleeping in your crib during nap time. I'm already not looking forward to it!
My girl, you are such a joy to me. It makes me so happy to watch you grow and learn new things every day. I can't wait to see what this next month is going to bring us!
Love you forever,
Mommy
Another month of my life has flown by and you are now two months old. I know that I said it last month, but now I really can't remember what life was like before you were here. It seems like you've always been apart of me. You have absolutely exploded in your interaction this month. I can almost always make you give me a huge, gummy smile. And your smiles? They just melt my heart. All of the challenges that you give me are completely washed away when I look at your smiling face. I've also learned little things that I can do that will always guarantee a smile. My favorite time to make you smile is when I've put you on the changing table. It's always fun to play with you then.
Dad gave you a bottle for the first time right after you turned one month old. You were a little unsure about it at first, but once you realized that you could get milk from it, you didn't seem to mind the bottle at all. You definitely still prefer to nurse though, and that's okay with me. Other people have really enjoyed being able to feed you too. I like that other people, especially Dad, can bond with you while feeding you. Recently, you've started putting your hands on the bottle like you understand how to hold it.
You have really started cooing and "talking" to us this month. I will mimic the sounds that you make and we'll have "conversations". We do this a lot when you're on the changing table. I keep waiting for a laugh, but I know that will probably be another month or two.
We have been taking you to the chiropractor to get adjusted. Some days you really enjoy it, and some days you don't like it all. I can't decide if it's helping you or not.
You continue to amaze me with your head control. You love to be held upright on my shoulder and look around and I barely have to hold your head. You don't like tummy time very much, but will tolerate it for a few minutes. We're really going to have to work on getting you to like it better because you have to learn the skills that are required, like rolling over and crawling. You really like to stand up on your feet while I hold your body. Sometimes I'll hold you up by your hands, but you usually just try to shove my fingers in your mouth.
Speaking of that, you really like to bite on my finger. You even make a little mean face when you bite down. Sometimes you get so into it that you shove my finger too far into your mouth and you gag. You also drool a lot. I was convinced that you were in the beginning stages of teething, but your doctor quickly put me in my place with that and said that it was way too soon. Honestly? I was glad to hear that. I don't want you sprouting teeth yet!
You love to challenge me with your sleep. Some days you go right to sleep without any problems, but other days, you fight going to sleep so hard. It really breaks my heart. I really hope that you get better, but I know that we'll always have our challenges. We're going to start working on transitioning you to sleeping in your crib during nap time. I'm already not looking forward to it!
My girl, you are such a joy to me. It makes me so happy to watch you grow and learn new things every day. I can't wait to see what this next month is going to bring us!
Love you forever,
Mommy
Monday, May 28, 2012
GMG Week 2 Recap
Scripture passages for the week:
Proverbs 31 : 10 - A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
Proverbs 12 : 4 - A wife of noble character is her husbands crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
Proverbs 18 : 22 - He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 19 : 14 - Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
Proverbs 31 : 11 - Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 11 : 28 - Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
Proverbs 28 : 26 - Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
Proverbs 16 : 20 - Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
Proverbs 28 : 25 - The greedy stir up conflict, but whose who trust in the Lord will prosper.
Proverbs 29 : 25 - Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
I felt like the Lord was really trying to teach me to trust in Him this week. I've had a challenging week at home, and I need to learn how to turn towards God when I get frustrated. As a Proverbs 31 woman, my husband should be able to trust me to maintain our household when he can't, and he should be able to trust me to maintain it with a calm and level-head. Drew should be able to trust me to make the best decisions for our family. I also need to exhibit noble qualities as a Proverbs 31 woman.
Proverbs 31 : 10 - A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
Proverbs 12 : 4 - A wife of noble character is her husbands crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.
Proverbs 18 : 22 - He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 19 : 14 - Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.
Proverbs 31 : 11 - Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.
Proverbs 11 : 28 - Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.
Proverbs 28 : 26 - Those who trust in themselves are fools, but those who walk in wisdom are kept safe.
Proverbs 16 : 20 - Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
Proverbs 28 : 25 - The greedy stir up conflict, but whose who trust in the Lord will prosper.
Proverbs 29 : 25 - Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.
I felt like the Lord was really trying to teach me to trust in Him this week. I've had a challenging week at home, and I need to learn how to turn towards God when I get frustrated. As a Proverbs 31 woman, my husband should be able to trust me to maintain our household when he can't, and he should be able to trust me to maintain it with a calm and level-head. Drew should be able to trust me to make the best decisions for our family. I also need to exhibit noble qualities as a Proverbs 31 woman.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Annelise's Birth Story
I had a doctor’s appointment on Thursday, March 29th. We had already discussed doing an induction
that evening. Dr. Manas didn’t want me
to go too far past my due date. He did
an internal check at the appointment and I was only a fingertip dilated and not
very thinned out. Dr. Manas left the
exam room to go call the hospital to see what time I should check in. He came back in with the bad news that the
hospital was full and that I wouldn’t be able to get induced. He told me to go home and report to the hospital at 6:00 PM on Sunday, April 1st.
Drew and I went back home and tried to enjoy our
last few days before we would become parents.
Admittedly, I was pretty bummed that I wasn’t going to be able to be
induced that day. I had been looking
forward to meeting my daughter for so long and now I had to wait even
longer. Before we knew it, it was Sunday
and time to head to the hospital.
We checked into the hospital and were
immediately taken to my birth room. I
changed into the gown and got into bed.
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| 40w4d |
Since we were the only ones on the floor there to have a baby, (There
were a couple of other ladies there for monitoring.) I was bombarded with a
bunch of nurses. There were three nurses
and the on-call obstetrician that came into my room and they all started doing
something. One started hooking me up to
the monitors, one was working on paperwork, and one was starting my IV. While all of this was going on, the on-call
OB was asking me questions. I was
overwhelmed to say the least. One of the
nurses was taking my vitals and my blood pressure was extremely high. They were a little concerned since I hadn’t
had high blood pressure throughout my pregnancy, but they chalked it up to the
number of people in my room and that I was a little nervous. It came down a little the second time they
took it, but they were still going to watch it.
Starting my IV was quite the ordeal. I could tell that the nurse was either
nervous or new as soon as she started.
She began by putting the tourniquet on my right arm and searching for a
vein in my forearm. After a few minutes,
she found one and injected the Lidocaine.
As soon as that happened, she lost the vein. She decided to move down to my hand and began
searching for a vein there. She found
one to use, and injected the Lidocaine.
After waiting a minute or so, she inserted the needle for my IV and blew
my vein! I have never had a blown vein
before, and let me tell you, it hurt! A
LOT!!! That nurse gave up at that point,
and another came and began to start the IV on my left hand. She managed to get it in place without any
trouble. Unfortunately, now I was stuck
with an IV in my left hand. I’m left
handed. Big bummer!
After some time, my night nurse, Micki, came in
to insert the Cervidil. She did an
internal first, and I was dilated to about one centimeter. She inserted the Cervidil, and I had to
remain in bed for two hours. The
countdown started at 7:50 PM. At 9:50
PM, after being told I could get up, I sprinted to the bathroom as fast as I
could! A pregnant girl’s gotta pee! I tried to negotiate getting off the monitors
and walking around in the halls for a little bit, but I was told that wasn’t
allowed and that I could only travel as far as the cords to the monitors would allow. It wasn’t far! I paced for a few minutes, then decided it
just wasn’t worth it, and got back into bed.
We watched a little TV and I dozed some.
Drew slept, and noisily snored.
At about 2:00 AM, my contractions started to
pick up. There were some that I would
have to breathe through, and some that weren’t painful at all.
I decided that I would get an epidural before
Dr. Manas came in to break my water and start Pitocin. Since it was early in the morning, and that’s
when all the surgeries get scheduled, I didn’t want to want an epidural badly
and have to wait for it for a length of time because the anesthesiologist was
in a surgery. Drew had to put a mask on,
and we both got hair caps.
Getting the
epidural was painless, however, it was difficult to sit with my back rolled out
for such a long time. It was also
starting to get very warm in my room, so I told Drew to fan me with a
folder. He kept forgetting to fan me
because he was so interested in watching the anesthesiologist administer the
epidural. I was thankful that Micki was
there to help hold me in the proper position.
It didn’t take long before my entire lower half
was numb. Dr. Manas arrived sometime
between 6:30 and 7:00 AM. He broke my
water, inserted an internal monitor, and removed the Cervidil. I felt nothing! God bless epidurals! Pitocin was started around 7:30 AM.
Before the Pitocin was started, Micki was in the
room with my new day nurse, Melissa, and they were going over everything from
Micki’s shift. Drew and I were chatting
with them also. I felt something fall
off the bed and let them know that something had dropped. Melissa turned around and said, “Oh my god,
it’s your leg!!” She immediately grabbed
it and put it back on the bed. I had no
clue! I felt nothing!! It was the strangest thing to not feel it at
all. I realized that I was sitting a
little close to the right side of the bed, and I wanted to move more towards
the center. As much as I told my brain
to tell my legs to move, there was just no moving them! It was such a weird sensation!
After that excitement, I decided to take a
little nap. It didn’t last long because
Melissa came in at 8:30 AM and had me roll over to my left side because
Annelise’s heart rate had dropped. I laid there for a little bit and it came back up.
Around noon, Melissa did another internal check. Dr. Manas had told me when he broke my water
that I would probably only be about two to three centimeters at that time. I told him that he was crazy, and that I
would be much further than that. I was
five to six centimeters when Melissa checked me. However, someone (Drew?) overheard her on the
phone with Dr. Manas and she said that I was seven. So, I was somewhere between five and seven
centimeters.
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| Having a decent contraction |
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| Dr. Manas called to see how I was doing |
Around 4:00 PM, I was starting to feel my contractions more, and they were making me nauseous. I let the nurse know and she gave me something in my IV to help with it. I ended up throwing up though. I knew that I had to be getting close to the end at that point.
All photos, with the exception of the first two, are compliments of Kristen at Photography by Kristen.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Being Vulnerable
I'm going to open up and be vulnerable, which is pretty rare for me to do, and I've certainly never really done it here.
I really wish that I had a best friend. A best girl friend. A friend that I could call up and talk to about anything and everything. A friend that, while she has her own life, would make time for me on a regular basis. A friend that cared about me just as much as I cared about them. A friend who would celebrate joys with me, and cry tears with me, and laugh together until our sides ached. A friend who could understand that sometimes I have bad days too, and need someone to talk to about it. A friend who I could make memories with. A friend who would trust me with all her secrets, and let me confide mine in her. A friend who understands that they just have to be themselves, and lets me be myself. A friend who doesn't have to impress me.
I have really been struggling the past couple of weeks. I feel so lonely lately. In fact, I feel even lonelier now that Annelise is here than I did before she was born. I used to be such a homebody, and perfectly ok with that. Now? I find any excuse I can to get out of the house. Even if it's just Annelise and me running to Sam's Club for some diapers. It helps to break up the monotony of the day.
Don't get me wrong, I have friends. I just don't have a best friend. I don't have a close girl friend. It takes a lot for me to open up and trust people, and I keep myself pretty guarded. When I was dating my ex, his mom and I got into a huge fight one day. She said to me, "People don't really like you, they just tolerate you". Ever since that day, I built a wall around myself and it's very hard for me not to shield myself around people. I don't know if she meant what she said or not, but it was said. So, there must have been some truth to it. And it hurt. And it still hurts and it's been years, probably around seven years. I probably come across as stuck up to people because it's hard for me to open up. I've tried very hard to open myself back up, but it's such a struggle for me. I'm so self-conscious.
I blogged yesterday about the Proverbs 31 Bible study that I'm participating in. I'm praying that God makes me a better person. I'm hoping that this will help.
I really wish that I had a best friend. A best girl friend. A friend that I could call up and talk to about anything and everything. A friend that, while she has her own life, would make time for me on a regular basis. A friend that cared about me just as much as I cared about them. A friend who would celebrate joys with me, and cry tears with me, and laugh together until our sides ached. A friend who could understand that sometimes I have bad days too, and need someone to talk to about it. A friend who I could make memories with. A friend who would trust me with all her secrets, and let me confide mine in her. A friend who understands that they just have to be themselves, and lets me be myself. A friend who doesn't have to impress me.
I have really been struggling the past couple of weeks. I feel so lonely lately. In fact, I feel even lonelier now that Annelise is here than I did before she was born. I used to be such a homebody, and perfectly ok with that. Now? I find any excuse I can to get out of the house. Even if it's just Annelise and me running to Sam's Club for some diapers. It helps to break up the monotony of the day.
Don't get me wrong, I have friends. I just don't have a best friend. I don't have a close girl friend. It takes a lot for me to open up and trust people, and I keep myself pretty guarded. When I was dating my ex, his mom and I got into a huge fight one day. She said to me, "People don't really like you, they just tolerate you". Ever since that day, I built a wall around myself and it's very hard for me not to shield myself around people. I don't know if she meant what she said or not, but it was said. So, there must have been some truth to it. And it hurt. And it still hurts and it's been years, probably around seven years. I probably come across as stuck up to people because it's hard for me to open up. I've tried very hard to open myself back up, but it's such a struggle for me. I'm so self-conscious.
I blogged yesterday about the Proverbs 31 Bible study that I'm participating in. I'm praying that God makes me a better person. I'm hoping that this will help.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Proverbs 31 Woman
My good friend, Lindsay over at Designer Wife, asked a couple of weeks ago if I wanted to participate in a Bible study that Good Morning Girls was starting. This course was going to be all about Proverbs 31. I thought it sounded extremely interesting, and I've been wanting to do a Bible study. So, I, and some other women that I know, formed a group and we've started learning all about the Proverbs 31 woman.
Last week, I read about King Lemuel's mother telling King Lemuel how to be a good ruler. There is also an ebook that goes along with the Bible study. The ebook talked about whether or not the Proverbs 31 woman is for real.
Proverbs 31 is a chapter that gives women a lot to strive for and live up to. Some women may be offended or discouraged by the verses that are written.
I think that this study is going to be good for me in this season of my life. I've settled into my role as a wife, but there is always room for improvement. Now that I've taken on a new role as a mother, I'm struggling with everything that that encompasses. And, admittedly, I've lost some ground in my role as a wife. It's all par for the course, but I want to get back on track.
I hope that through this study and prayer, God can teach me how to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. I was recently told by a "friend" that I'm always angry and that I'm toxic in their life. That hurt. I'm not sure whether that "friend" was just speaking out of anger or if she honestly and truly believes that. Either way, it was said, and I'm the type of person that would rather hear the truth that have things kept inside. So, I'm obviously need to work on being a happier person around the people that I surround myself with. Now, I'm no longer going to be surrounding myself with that "friend" due to some other circumstances, but she definitely gave me some things to think about it.
I'm going to try to do a reflection and recap post here on the weekends about what I've studied during the week. Feel free to join the study and, if we're Facebook friends, let me know that you are doing it and I can add you to our group.
Last week, I read about King Lemuel's mother telling King Lemuel how to be a good ruler. There is also an ebook that goes along with the Bible study. The ebook talked about whether or not the Proverbs 31 woman is for real.
Proverbs 31 is a chapter that gives women a lot to strive for and live up to. Some women may be offended or discouraged by the verses that are written.
I think that this study is going to be good for me in this season of my life. I've settled into my role as a wife, but there is always room for improvement. Now that I've taken on a new role as a mother, I'm struggling with everything that that encompasses. And, admittedly, I've lost some ground in my role as a wife. It's all par for the course, but I want to get back on track.
I hope that through this study and prayer, God can teach me how to be like the Proverbs 31 woman. I was recently told by a "friend" that I'm always angry and that I'm toxic in their life. That hurt. I'm not sure whether that "friend" was just speaking out of anger or if she honestly and truly believes that. Either way, it was said, and I'm the type of person that would rather hear the truth that have things kept inside. So, I'm obviously need to work on being a happier person around the people that I surround myself with. Now, I'm no longer going to be surrounding myself with that "friend" due to some other circumstances, but she definitely gave me some things to think about it.
I'm going to try to do a reflection and recap post here on the weekends about what I've studied during the week. Feel free to join the study and, if we're Facebook friends, let me know that you are doing it and I can add you to our group.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Ready For Dinner
I heard Maya walk into the dining room this afternoon and typically that's her cue to me that she wants to go outside. I walked around the corner and this is what I saw.
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