The City

So....Did you watch the premier of The City last night?

I admit it...I am hooked on The Hills. Sad, I know. It's my guilty pleasure I guess. Though to be honest, 1/2 of the show isn't even words, it's just blank stares!

Anyway, I had mixed feelings about The City but of course I tuned in. Whitney was never that huge of a character on The Hills so I really didn't know what to expect of her. It seemed like the show was filled with more blank stares than The Hills...blank stares and every two seconds we got to hear Olivia ask where Jay was. Olivia...She really got on my nerves. Very, very fake. Not to be judgemental about it, but I it really got on my nerves that every two seconds she was saying how she is having this party, or she personally knows this person or whatever.

Back to Whitney....I'm not sure how much substance she has. She seems like a nice person but I just don't know why I should continue to watch the show - if it is because Olivia is going to cause drama then count me out.

So did you watch? What did you think?

FULL TERM!

Today we are 37 weeks pregnant, aka FULL TERM!

We had a scare the other night - I thought I was in labor. I woke up at 2am with contractions that were 2 min's apart! I decided to get up and walk around and also get a big glass of water. Over the next hour and a half they slowed down and eventually stopped. I am still getting some strong ones but they are very unpredictable.

Kathy, my step MIL, was released from the hospital on Christmas Eve and was so happy to finally be headed home! Unfortunately, that same day, a very, very close family friend (our families were friends when we all lived in CA and then we all ended up moving here) had a stroke. She is still in the hospital and today she is having a pace maker put in. I really want to go up there and visit with the family but Chris and Mom have banned me (they are afraid I will catch something).

We had a really bad storm this morning which totally wrecked my plans of heading to Panera for a hot chocolate and a chocolate pastry. I may have to go do that tonight! We ended up leaving this afternoon to run some errands and then went to PF Changs, where there seemed to be a pregnant people convention going on. I think 75% of the women in there were pregnant!

Chris had an interesting thought today - he thinks that Dr. S might be headed to the Texas Tech game (Cotton Bowl, I think). Now I am panicking. He said he would be on vacation (hence, my next appt isn't until the 5th) but I never thought he meant he might actually be going somewhere. But he attended Texas Tech and is a die hard fan, and now I am totally freaking out that he might be in Texas and what if I go into labor?! I am having lots of irrational fears lately. I think it's hormone related. I know perfectly well that one of his partners can deliver Brayden but I want him!!!

Only 16 days to go (or less!) until we meet our little man!

My famous doctors

Did anyone watch this last night?
I did - but mainly because I was looking for people I know. Ha! Michelle goes to my Dr's office and her doctor, Dr. Sarver, is my doctor's wife! When they showed Michelle getting her c-sec, my doctor was the realllllllly tall guy who was in there assisting his wife. Oh and the nurse in the white coat at the doctors office is Tamela. She is so sweet too!

Anyway, it's a very odd feeling to see people you know (I just saw Dr. S yesterday) and places you go on TV. It's been a looooong time since I've had that experience. Growing up in the Bay Area, I would see places we went to on tv all the time...and my dad was on commercials there for the company he worked for. But that was years and years ago.

Somehow I missed that I posted my 100th post awhile ago...opps. I noticed that this morning. I guess when I log in I just don't pay that much attention to what I'm doing!

I wanted to give an update on Kathy - she is still in the hospital. She was finally allowed Jello late last night (she hasn't eaten since Friday) and if all goes well she could possibly be released tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers!

Only 20 days left in my countdown to Brayden!

Our weekend ... and it's not even half over!

Last night Chris' dad, step mom, step sister and brother came into town to celebrate Christmas. The plan was we would open presents Friday night and then on Saturday I would cook a Christmas dinner and then they would head home.

Friday night we opened presents, watched Elf and then headed to bed. I knew something wasn't right but I didn't know that Kathy, my step MIL was upstairs not feeling well. At 7am on Saturday morning Chris' dad came downstairs to tell me he needed to take her to the ER. Around 10am he called us (we kept the kids at home) and said that Kathy needed emergency surgery and that the surgeon was on his way to the hospital.

Chris took Shay, Kathy's daughter to the hospital while Jayce (Chris' brother) stayed with me since I am not supposed to go to the hospital (and end up sick myself). Anyway, I am totally exhausted from having been up most of the night anyway, and I hope this is making sense. Basically, at this point, Kathy has now had the surgery and is in a hospital room. She will remain there for 3-5 days depending on how fast she recovers.

Chris' family will continue to stay with us. I've already had one very sweet lady from church offer to make us dinner for Monday night (I can't believe how nice people are...seriously it about made me cry) and I think I've got everything else covered. My mom is really helping out too. I just feel so useless, but I am doing the best I can (useless because I'm exhausted and I keep having contractions and having to sit down which is frustrating me).

Please keep us in your prayers. Right now it looks like her surgery was successful but there is a chance that it wasn't - they will continue to monitor her. I'll update soon.

Christmas Decor 08

I'm a little sad today because I should be leaving for our annual Mission Trip, but I'm not (doctors orders). Every year I work with a ministry that puts on a full Christmas holiday extravaganza for some very, very needy children. When I say very needy I mean it - they live in the poorest county in our country. I've gone every year for the last 6 years and last year, Chris and I were Mr. and Mrs. Claus (and no, I am NOT posting a picture!).

Anyway, the last couple of years my mom and I do all of the planning, shopping and buying of the Christmas presents. This year was a small year - we only had about 135 children. It's a ton of work and I love every single second of it, but my favorite part is being there with them and seeing their faces. They know us all by name and they look forward to our visits (Christmas, Easter and Summer Camp). So my parents and the people we work with every year headed down this morning and I am just feeling a little sad that I am not with them. But there are not any decent hospitals around so my doctor wouldn't let me go.

Therefore, I am consoling my sad self with showing you my Christmas decorations!

So...welcome to my home! It only has about 1/5 of my decorations up but I think you can understand why!

The wreath I made for our door:


A few decorations in the entryway:


He guards the stairs:

My mantel:

The whole fireplace:

Our pitifully decorated tree...we couldn't find the angel or the ribbon...

Snowman on the bar and my candle that smells like a real tree...yummmm:

My lone decoration for the table...usually I set the whole thing for Christmas:

Our entertainment center...that's the manger on the top:

Hall Bath (that candle tree is gold not white):

Towels on the double ovens:

Brayden's first ornament that I had made on our last trip to Tahoe:

So that's it for now with the decoration pics.

I have a HUGE PRAISE that I want to report. The family friend that I had asked for prayer for (she was given a 4/5 chance of having breast cancer) does NOT have cancer! I'm obviously soooo thrilled! Thank you for your prayers!

And one last unrelated to Christmas topic...I just want to say I am pretty sure I married the best guy ever. On Saturday I turned 35 weeks which = 9 months pregnant (don't ask me how they figure that, I just go by what my Dr says) and I woke up to a card from him.

It was pretty special for several reasons...One, how many guys do you know who would remember and plan ahead for such an occasion, Two, They don't make "Yay, you're 9 months pregnant" cards so he had to get creative and Three what he wrote was so special. I know he would get embarrassed if I posted it so I won't but let me just say, I am one lucky lady.

Carseat: Check!

Our carseat is officially installed!

And my good sport of a husband let me take a thousand pictures while he installed it!

(Oh, this is way off topic, but I am not a fan of wearing navy and black together but I didn't say a word since Dallas was playing and I knew there was no way I was going to get him to switch hats for my pictures...)

Almost done...

Complete!
I think he put the whole thing in, including the mirror in like, 10 minutes. I really think he set some sort of record. But that's Chris for you, he is incredibly handy.

Brayden's diaper bag is packed - with the exception of his coming home outfit which I am going to (hopefully) wash tonight. My bag has one item in it...I really need to work on that. Oh, and please tell me I am not the only one to take an actual rollerboard suitcase to the hossy! Chris looked at me like I had lost it when I asked him to bring it downstairs, but he seriously doesn't understand my need for makeup and hair products. I have my whole excel spreadsheet checklist typed out so I know what all I need but I just haven't shoved it in the suitcase yet.

Tonight I hope to finally take pics of my house decorations. We'll see. We both hate fluffing the tree and we keep waiting for the other one to do it so I am going to see if I can get him to just help me and then it will go twice as fast.

OK, last thing - I am still undecided on making my blog private. I think I am going to leave it public because I didn't realize you could only add 100 readers if it were private (thanks for the tip Kelly).

Oh and how could I forget....Only 28 days until my induction! WOOHOO!

Um Wow.

OK so I seriously had NO CLUE so many people read my blog! Now I am totally second guessing myself on whether or not to just leave it public? I'm so confused. So help me out if you will - if you have a private blog what are the benefits in your eyes? I was just thinking that once Brayden comes I might not want to have his pics and info out there where anyone can happen upon it. But you all seem like such nice people so maybe I have nothing to worry about! =)

Also - if you are one of the commenter's that have a private blog please email me at wife2chris@yahoo.com - I would love to read your blogs!

Going Private

Jenna's Journey is going to go private! If you'd like to keep reading my blog - and I hope you do - please leave me a comment on this post with:

Your First Name
Your Email Address
Your Blog Address

(The email address is really important - that way Blogger can send you permission to read my blog once it's private!)

Dr Appt and a Christmas Update

Today I had my 34/35 week doctor appointment. I would be going weekly but my doctor is on vacation so my next appt is 12-22 and then again on 1-5. I was hoping to move my induction date but after talking to my doctor we will leave it as is. He feels confident that I won't have Brayden on the 12th but rather the 13th so he would not be born on my FIL's birthday. Oh and I asked him if he thought there was any chance I would naturally go early and he said he doubted it. I'm still holding out hope that he might be ready to come early!

When I walked in my nurse, M, said "Wow! You have dropped!" I told her that Chris had said the same thing and now when I go to sit I have to lift Brayden up! When Dr. S walked in he said "Wow!" and I cut him off and said "I've dropped" and he said "Yes, but I was going to say you are showing!" I called him a suckup (he has a great sense of humor) and told him I've been showing for weeks now. He insisted that I've been very small the whole time...haha. I think he was just being nice!

Anyway, Brayden was moving around the whole time and begging me for a Starbucks...I told him no, since I had one last night...and because it was 27 degrees outside and I didn't feel like sitting in line and rolling down my window.

Now on to Christmas...

Chris brought down about 1/4 of my decorations and put them up. We have our manger out, and our mantle is decorated (except I can't find my stocking holders...) and the tree is downstairs but has yet to come out of the box. Our wreath is now on our door which makes me very happy. Once everything is done I'll take and post pictures. We'll be celebrating Christmas with Chris' dad, stepmom, half brother and step sister next weekend (the 20th I think) so I need to work on the menu. I'm tired just thinking about it!

I'm also working on a list of meals to make and freeze for before Brayden comes...if you have any suggestions or easy recipes let me know! I can't wait to make Jennifer's chili!

Oh and here's another coupon code for you...

Restoration Hardware Baby and Child rarely offers them, but I just got a coupon code for 20% of your purchase (including items on sale) for the dates of 12-12 through 12-15:

F2BC801

Oh one more thing - If you've seen the Macy's commercial (Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus) and wondered what it was about here's an interesting article: http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/

Only 33 more days to go!

All About Brayden

So todays post is entirely dedicated to Brayden...including some random facts:

-He apparently loves chocolate (like his momma). He goes nuts every time I eat it...Chris says he's either loving it or having an allergic reaction...I'll go with loving it!

- Every single night, at 9pm we have a kick fest, aka let's try to break out of here party. This lasts exactly one hour and then he goes back to sleep. I could seriously set my clock by it.

- He either loooooves his daddy or he's scared to death of him. Every time Chris goes to feel him move (usually during aforementioned kick fest) he freezes. The moment he takes his hand away kicking resumes. He does this only with Chris. Chris likes to say that he has the "calming touch," something I plan on using to my advantage during 3am feedings...

Anyway, over the last week or so Brayden has dropped and now when I sit I have to lift him up so that I can cross my legs. Very attractive. Oh and if he's continued to grow at the rate he was growing during those three ultrasounds I had over a three week period he is now well over 5lbs..probably towards the 5.5 lb mark. That's bigger than my brother was when he was born and almost as big as I was! Um, Wow!

My next doctor appt is this Weds and I am going to see about moving my induction date. Long story short, Chris knows that I've always wished that I didn't have to share my birthday with my brother (we're not twins, we were born on the same day 7 years apart) and our induction date is the day of his dad's birthday. Well, I didn't want to say anything but Chris asked me last night if I would want to talk to Dr. Smith about changing it so that we don't run the risk of having Brayden on his dad's birthday. I thought it was so sweet of him to think of that - because again, I wouldn't have said anything because I wouldn't want him or his dad to take it the wrong way.
So we might have a new due date!

But if not...We only have 35 days to go!

I think I mentioned the other day that it had been a few weeks since I'd gotten sick...apparently I should have kept that to myself. We went to see the Youth at our church do a Christmas production and I had to leave half way through (and of course I wasn't carrying any of my Zofran with me). As I was leaving two sweet girls (one that I used to teach) came running up the aisle to see where I was going! I felt so bad leaving! I can't believe the girls I taught are graduating this year! Wow, I feel old sometimes!

Back to Brayden...I washed his first load of laundry last night! I washed everything in Dreft which smells like babies to me, ha! I think he will be able to wear a new outfit everyday until he's 6 months old...spoiled doesn't even begin to cover it!

Brayden's Last Shower

Today was my final shower! It was held in our church parlor this morning. I am totally exhausted and we have a function at church to go to tonight so this is going to be a little short.

One of the gift tables:
The cutest diaper cake ever:

We are so blessed to have so many people who love us and have prayed for us over the years during our struggle to get pregnant. I am so thankful for all their support, love and prayers!

Brayden is going to be the best dressed little man - at least until he's one! He received so many cute gift today! It's great to see that they are making "cuter" boy clothes now...I don't think cuter is the right word, but hopefully you follow!

Last night was Chris' brothers 16th birthday and though we planned to be home by 9:30pm at the latest we got stuck in Van Buren until then so we didn't get home until closer to 11pm. I had to get up early for my shower and all I can think about now is a nap!

Oh, and today marks week 34...only 37 more days to go! WOO-HOO!

40 days and a new look

A new look for my blog that is!

A huge ol' thanks to Krysta for posting about Scrapblogs! Wow, that was a lot of fun! I made the header to go with my old background but then I didn't like them together so I've switched backgrounds and now I need a new header! But it's 12:30 and I haven't had lunch so it's going to have to wait! Check back in later!

And....drumroll please....drumroll....(you will totally get that if you've seen Christmas Vacation)

I have a maximum of 40 days left before I meet my little Brayden! Woo-Hoo! I know my ticker says more but that is because it's based off of my due date of Jan 18, not my induction date of Jan 12.

My extended family now knows of my plans to induce (frankly, I had no intention of telling them, not because I didn't want to but because I didn't want any comments...) and I've gotten my first email about the dangers of induction. I've decided to ignore it, and my mom said that if they write her she will handle it. You gotta love mom.

Awhile ago I asked for prayer for a friend who might be dealing with breast cancer. She met with the surgeon yesterday who reviewed her mammogram and he believes that it is a 4 out 5 chance that it will be cancer. She has a biopsy next week. If it is indeed cancer, then they've thankfully caught it early. I know that they would covet your prayers. A very special thank you goes out to all of those who've kept them in your prayers.

Chiro Appt and Bargain Shopping

I had my appointment today, and while I wish I could say that I feel great, I can't....not quite yet at least.

Basically, my sciatica (sp?) is really, really pinched. Dr. M said it was quite bad. I have to go back again Weds for another adjustment. He also told me to ice it for 10 mins every two hours. But I have faith that he will get it fixed...I've had horrible pinched nerves in my neck before and he's always been able to work it out. He said that because it's been hurting for so long it's just continued to get worse and worse so it will need some time.

On another note, we drove to Oklahoma City and back yesterday. I DO NOT recommend doing that at 33 weeks pregnant. We stopped once on the way down and once on the way back. Not fun. But it was my decision to go so I guess I deserved it! Chris got a new truck and we had to drive down there to pick it up.

I went to see my best friend today and I learned a ton from her. She had little Landon a few weeks ago and she made me this great basket full of things I can get a lot of use out of once we have Brayden!

Speaking of having Brayden....I could possibly have a baby this month! Oh my word! He would be early of course, and I'd rather be having him next month when he's closer to his due date, but still...I could have a baby this month! Wow, how crazy is that. In a lot of ways it still doesn't quite feel real. I woke up this morning and had to check my tummy to make sure it was still huge...I had a dream that this whole pregnancy was a dream! I think when you've waited for something for a long time it's just a surreal experience, if that makes sense.

For any online bargain shoppers, old navy has two coupon codes that you can use today...

ONEDAY will give you free shipping and SAVENOW will give you 20% off your purchase. I have one more gift to get Chris' 15 yr old stepsister and I know she really likes ON so I was coupon hunting!

Edited to add: I just placed my order...I got my SIL a faux fur lined hoodie and matching scarf which would normally come to over $40.00 before tax or shipping but because of the above codes, the total was $23.00!

Oh, and for anyone who loves shopping online, I wanted to share a great site with you for finding coupon codes: http://www.retailmenot.com/

So are you almost done with your shopping? I'm probably 75% done...not too bad for Dec 1!

Long Weekend

I LOVE long weekends. Mainly because I get to spend so much time with Chris which is my favorite thing in the world to do!

We spent Thanksgiving out at the cabin we just built on our family property, which was a lot of fun. Chris, I and my parents were there as well as my brother, my gma who was visiting from CA, and Chris' dad, stepmom and stepsister. Unfortunately his little brother wasn't there since his mom had him this Thanksgiving. I spent half the day in one of the bedrooms because my pinched nerves in my tailbone are sooooo horrible. We've decided (as a family...no one makes decisions on their own in my family, haha!) that on Monday I am going to the chiropractor against my doctor's wishes. I simply cannot deal with the pain anymore...I can barely walk and I am so miserable. I know my chiro can fix it. I've been going to him for about 6 years and he's wonderful and I trust that he wouldn't do anything that could compromise Brayden in any way.

Anyway, we took a ton of pictures for our Christmas card - this is the first year we are going to do a photocard. I am going to use Tiny Prints and if I'm happy with them, I'm going to use them for my birth annoucements too. I really like their cards. Have you or anyone you know used them before? Were you happy? Here are some pics...

I think we'll use this one for our card:

Yesterday we went to Babies R Us in Joplin and bought our stroller! I have to tell you my amazing deal on this. Chris thought I was nuts but I ordered BRU coupons from Ebay...someone sold a big pack of them for $3.00. Anyway, my $290 travel system cost me $90 after coupons, rebates and that also includes a 2 year warranty! GO ME! I was so proud of myself! I don't have a pic yet because Chris hauled it upstairs but here is a pic from BRU of our system:
Tomorrow we are headed to Oklahoma City to get Chris' new truck. I'm not overly thrilled about a 6 hour drive but I choose to go so I guess I can't complain! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Weekend Recap

First, I would like to ask for prayer...a very dear family friend of ours found a lump and is being tested to see if she might have breast cancer. I remember very clearly what it feels like to wonder how the results will come back, and it is such a scary, scary thing. The radiologist did tell them that if it is cancer they caught it early and her prognosis would be good. Please, please keep them in your prayers. I will update when I know more...

*******************************************************************

This weekend my husbands best friend moved back into town from Dallas. He is so excited to have his buddy back! I told him that if he moved back before we have Brayden then he can officially be Uncle Jared...if he didn't then he was going to just be Jared! Ha! The first thing he said when he saw me is that he is assuming the title of Uncle!

So Saturday night he and Chris were watching the Texas Tech game (which is my OB's team...secretly I am hoping they don't go to a bowl....because then I know I will run the risk of not having him there when it's time to deliver!) when another close friend of theirs called. Apparently he and his family were at his younger brother's Sport's Banquet when his dad had a seizure. They've since found a blood clot in his heart and another one in his leg. Chris and Jared went to the hospital and stayed with the family for awhile. We don't know anything new at this point, but I am praying everything will be okay.

Yesterday I became nearly ringless.

Please ignore my lack of a manicure...I ripped off my acrylic nails that I've had for YEARS because I highly doubt I will be making it to my regular 2 week appointments with a newborn. Therefore my nails look awful.

Anyway, so I say nearly ringless because I left one of my wedding bands on - I can't bear to part with it. My engagement ring, other band, and right hand ring all had to come off. I was starting to worry that if I didn't take them off that someone would have to cut them off and that scares me! My ring fingers now have what appears to be permanent indentions on them!

I also learned that heels are now pretty much out of the question. That makes me sad. I love my heels. But I wore a pair of heeled boots to church yesterday and we ended up standing a LOT more that usual, and I thought I was going to pass out! Chris kept whispering "Do you need to sit? Are you okay?" which I thought was sweet. Either that or he could see PAIN written across my face, I'm not sure which!

The rest of yesterday was spent out at our property decorating the cabin for Christmas...which was a lot of fun! My back hurt so bad by the time I got home (I think it was around 6:30) that I climbed straight into bed and did not get out. Chris brought me everything I needed and then went back upstairs to finish watching the Dallas game with Jared (they had recorded it).

32 Weeks

Today marks week 32 of pregnancy! Woo-Hoo! Judging by Brayden's weight growth pattern, I would guestimate that he probably weighs in around 4lb and 2 or 3oz! Possibly more! Wow!

I actually had Chris take a belly pic today, so these pics are the actual 32 week pics!

I had to break down and go buy a winter coat...I thought I could just tough it out for 51 more days, but I can't! I can get into some of my old coats but they won't close and I freeze! Here is the one I got...

It's so comfy!

Today we worked on some of our Christmas shopping, and then I started to have a mini freakout session about bottles. Why, I have no idea, but it suddenly occurred to me that if I went into preterm labor we wouldn't have a sufficient supply of bottles...so we ran to Wal-Mart, where I ran into Kelly! Too funny!

Tomorrow we are going to church and then probably spending some time with my family, especially since my grandma is still in town. I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

Dr. Appt and Massage

Yesterday was my first 2 week checkup! Woo-Hoo! Everything was great and Brayden's heartbeat was 140. I asked if it was normal that it keeps dropping and he said it was, and that he is right where he should be! I'm still measuring a week ahead which is good - I guess. I don't actually know if that matters or not to be honest!

I have been having some pretty interesting pain and so I mentioned it to him and it turns out I am having "practice contractions" - not to be confused with Braxton Hicks. I didn't know there were two kinds but apparently there are! All is good; they are very irregular and not too painful.
(Edited to add: The difference between the two is that braxton hicks are like a hardening feeling and the ones that I am experiencing feel like period cramps...hope that explains it a little better!)

I just love my doctor - he has such a wonderful personality. Chris really likes him too which is great - he hated my last OB. Well, hate is a strong word but you get the idea. Anyway, at my last appt my doctor had gotten a new phone and I was showing him how to work it - and then two days later I got the same phone and this time he was offering me tips! Too funny. I don't know any other doctor like him, which explains why I want to do all I can to make sure he is the one to deliver Brayden!

Today I had a prenatal massage. Oh goodness, I should have done that weeks ago. It was so relaxing that I almost fell asleep. If you're pregnant I highly recommend it! And if you live in my area, I highly recommend getting it at Heavenly!

Cravings and Answers

In addition to the ever popular, how much weight have you gained question, I've also been asked by a lot of people what I've craved during this pregnancy.

My answer? Nothing really. Well, I did go through that little two week long stint of only wanting ham and cheese hot pockets...but that aside, nothing.

And then this came along...

Not only is it the classic Starbucks holiday cup, but if you could see inside of it, you would see Salted Carmel Hot Chocolate. Oh. My. Word. This is like...well I can even think of something it's like, it's just that good!

So I wanted to answer some questions from my previous posts today. If I missed your question, let me know! Oh and while I'm answering your questions, here's one for you! If you voted in my poll, why did you pick the date you picked? I'm just nosy!

Q. Where did you get your sweater (the one in Brayden's nursery post).
A. I got that several months ago at NY and Co at the Pinnacle Promenade. It's my step-MIL's favorite store and I took her shopping one day and couldn't resist that sweater...I love all things argyle.

Q. How are you feeling?
A. I haven't had to take a Zofran in two weeks and I feel GREAT!! My back hurts, I'm tired and I have zero room left in my stomach for food, but really, that's nothing compared to when I was throwing up every day!

Q. Where did you get the top you wore at Shower #2?
A. Craving Maternity in Fayetteville.

Q. Do you go to Parkhill?
A. Nope, but I have a lot of friends that do! My doctor is very close to my home.

Q. Did you do IVF?
A. No, we actually didn't. We did four IUI's with oral and injectable medication and when they all failed we were told that IVF would be the only way for us to get pregnant. We choose to take a break, naturally got pg the next month and miscarried the month after that. I then got pregnant (naturally) on my first cycle post miscarriage. It was a total God thing. That's the only way I can explain it.

Back From Branson

...and I'm so tired!

We were going to swing by Joplin and go buy our stroller but I was just too tired to do it! Plus some of my discounts were at home so I decided to wait. Branson was successful...we completed our Christmas shopping for Chris' dad, step-mom and brother and half of my brother and his step-sister. Woo-Hoo! I really like having things done early!

I stopped in at the Ann Taylor Loft where we were staying (Branson Landing) and got some cute PJ's...

The top:

Bottoms:

And then we went to dinner at a fun mexican restaurant that makes the guacamole tableside, as well as the desserts:

Today before we headed out we stopped at one of my favorite spots, Big Cedar Lodge for brunch. This is one of the beautiful Christmas trees they have up:

I love Christmas and can't wait to put up my decorations. We normally put them up the day after Thanksgiving. It should be interesting this year since Chris has banned me from using the ladder...ha! He will be putting up the majority of our decorations, and I probably won't bring out everything just because it's cutting it close to Brayden's scheduled arrival time...and who knows if I will even make it til' the 12th! I need to put up a poll...I'm curious to see what you all think!

Brayden's Nursery

We've come a long way with Brayden's nursery and I wanted to share a few pictures. This isn't really the color that I wanted for the room but I left it the green that we had it painted when we built the house because we'll be moving sooner than later and I didn't see the point in repainting...especially since he probably won't spend that much time in here (it's upstairs and our room are downstairs)!

Me at almost 31 weeks with the letters I made (ohmygosh I look awful in that pic!!!):
The guest bed and puppy dog art:

His crib:

My super cheap art project...it's styrofoam that Chris cut into 12*12 squares and we spray glued 12*12 scrapbooking paper to it and the hot glued brown and white polka dot ribbon around the sides.

A very special drawing that a dear friend made for our little man:

We're headed out of town in the morning so I wanted to make sure to post these pics before we leave!

Mr. Shy

Lianna had commented awhile ago that she thought Brayden was shy like me...and I think she must be right. After 45 minutes, a route 44 sweet tea, going to the bathroom, and laying in all sorts of strange positions, we still do not have a 4D pic of Brayden.

There are several good things about this though. I've gotten to see him on the ultrasound three times in three weeks, for free! I know he is healthy and growing and doing great. His weight yesterday was 3lb 4oz...so he's gained 7oz in 5 days! He's so jam packed in there that no one can believe it! He's also measuring over a week ahead.

One more little thing I've decided to share...after a long conversation with my doctor last week, we've decided to induce on Jan 12th if he isn't here by then. To be honest, the way things are going I wouldn't be one bit surprised if he showed up earlier than that. My poor baby really has run out of room. Of course I hope he will make it to the 12th but you never know what God's plans are. If we make it til' the 12th then I have 62 days left! In case you are wondering why we picked the 12th it's because that is the date that I would have the best chance of having my doctor for delivery. They would induce at 5pm and I probably wouldn't have him until the next day.

Anyway, I know a lot of people are anti-induction, but please know that this was a very personal decision and something we put a lot of thought into. =)

Back to the ultrasound...I went into it prepared to not get any pictures so I wasn't overly disappointed. I know that he will be here soon enough and then I can see him all I want! I've been really, really tired lately and can't ever seem to get comfortable. My back is killing me 90% of the time, but I can't go see my chiropractor (doctor's orders). I haven't had to take a Zofran all week which is great...I can actually get up in the mornings like a normal person! Woo-Hoo!

This weekend we are going to Branson with my gma. Chris and Dad are going hunting (pheasant...this momma doesn't allow deer hunting - it's Bambi!!!) on Friday and then meeting up with mom, gma and I at the Branson Landing. Saturday we hope to do some Christmas shopping. We've been making our lists for awhile (well, I've been making them...you know how OCD I am about my Excel spreadsheets) and I feel prepared now.

Last but not least, I posted a few days ago about my best friend having her baby. Please keep her in your prayers...they had to hospitalize her for an infection and I think she will be released today but you never know. I know it must be so hard on her because all she probably wants to do is be at home with her newborn and her little girl (oh and her husband too!). Thanks!

Saturday's Baby Shower

Saturday was my second baby shower! I'm going to apologize in advance for the lack of pictures...I'll have to see if I can get some more from my mom. It was the most beautiful shower I've ever been too!

Here is me with my cake...

And opening some gifts...
A special gift from my mom...

She got me a Mom locket from Tiffany's as well as a silver spoon (and she got the Grandma locket). I was so surprised, the last thing I expected to see at my baby shower was a little blue box!

We seriously had the best food ever. A friend of ours is a caterer and she did all of the food for the shower...we had my favorite chicken salad, porchuitto and melon, fresh made hummus, brushetta and tapenade, spinach and artichoke dip, fresh fruit, and a lot more that I can't remember because I couldn't fit it on my plate!


In addition to a lot of wonderful gifts, I got a lot of great tips from a friend that has two little girls. There is just so much I don't know - we don't have any babies in our family and I feel clueless on some of the things that are probably super basic.


I managed to get all my thank you's written yesterday (which is why I wasn't on here) and that really relieved some stress!

Sunday we went to take a tour of L and D at my hospital which is conveniently located about 5 minutes from my house! Their labor suites are ENORMOUS! I thought the ones at Willow Creek were huge! My goodness, I don't know what I need that much room for! They also have a kitchen stocked full of goodies for mommy after you deliver. And of course they allow you to bring things in which is nice...because I just want a turkey sandwich from Panera! Do you know how long it's been since I've had a deli meat?!

I should have some nursery pictures soon...we made a ton of progress. I also did some art projects that I want to share!

Today is our final attempt at the 4D ultrasound...it's at 2pm. I really hope we get a good picture but if we don't I know I will be seeing him live and in person soon! Oh gosh, that's kind of scary to say! I feel so unprepared!

A Sneak Peak and a New Addition

My best friend Amy just had her little boy Landon! Isn't he precious? He is sooo tiny - I was holding him and I think think I could have held him all day, he was so light! He made the cutest little noises while I was there. He is such a good baby already! Congrats Amy and Trenton (and Natalie too!)!!

Long story short, I asked my mom if anyone would care if I designed the cake for my shower tomorrow. It's my "make up cake" as I like to say. I love Rick's Bakery but when I got married the designer who I had met with left right before my wedding, so instead of my beautiful fleur de lis cake that I'd draw out, I got corn husks. And we are not from Nebraska. I wasn't too happy, and it's something that has always bothered me, because I had sketched out exactly what I wanted.

So this is my make up cake...to replace my sad feelings over the loss of my beautiful fleur de lis...haha.

The top of the cake is three layers tall and the bottom is two layers tall...I like the modern look. It also features Brayden's monogram on the side...

And this cute carriage on the top:
And best of all, it's in his colors! So that's my sneak peak for my shower tomorrow!!

Third Times A Charm?

Today was attempt #2 at the 4D ultrasound...and once again, no luck. We did find out that since my u/s last week, Brayden has gained 10 ounces! Can you believe that? For those keeping track, Brayden now weighs in at 2lb 13oz. He's also head down now. Also, when they measured my stomach I was measuring at 31 weeks. We are going to give the ultrasound one more attempt on Monday...please pray we can get at least one good picture of him! Also, we made some very important decisions with my doctor today about the birth and it's not something I want to share yet, but I'm very excited!

I was so sad that when we went to lunch I actually cried! Pathetic, I know....and really, I'm just so glad he is healthy and doing well and that is all that matters. But for some reason, I keep getting my hopes up about this picture and I feel like I'm letting everyone down when I come home empty handed. I've never heard of anyone else having this problem and I feel like it's my fault.

OK, enough of my pity party. For those who've registered or been shopping at Babies R Us I wanted to share a little nugget of information with you that I learned yesterday. Ever since BRU deleted my registry, I've been checking it everyday just to make sure it's there. Well, yesterday while I waited for it to load (btw, is that not the slowest site ever?!) I saw an advertisement for their Rewards Club. It's free to join and you can earn Reward Bucks and special coupons. I was bummed out because we've already made several purchases there and then I noticed that you put in for Retro Credit requests. It let me use about $700 worth of receipts! You get $5 reward bucks for every $150 you spend (not a lot, but still...). I thought I'd share this with you all because when I registered no one mentioned it to me.

In other news, a huge congrats to my best friend Amy on the birth of her son today! Landon was born around 10am and weighs 5lbs 6oz. I'm going to go see them tomorrow and hopefully I will remember my camera! Please keep Amy in your prayers as they are keeping her until Friday so they can try and get her blood pressure under control. My mom had the same problem with my brother and I and I know how hard that must be!

Shower #2 is this weekend and you know me, I'm so nervous about it. My grandmother is coming in tomorrow from back home (Northern California) for the shower and is staying through Thanksgiving. I really wish I had family here. It's just the four of us...my parents and brother and I...and sometimes I really miss having family around. My cousin is also due in January and it would be so nice to go through this with her.

Well, that's it for now. Sorry I don't have any pics to share. =(

Edited to Add:
Please go check out Lianna's blog for a GREAT giveaway! Also, be sure sure to check out her Etsy Shop - the link is in my Favorite Sites List.

Edited again: If you watch 17 and Counting (the Duggars show), you saw my Dr's office and my wonderful ultrasound tech Teena!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I posted about my favorite fall muffins awhile ago and had a lot of requests for the recipe. I wanted to wait until I had made them so that I could show you pictures too!

The Recipe:

ChocoPumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 can (15 oz.)pumpkin (pure pumpkin)
½ cup Crisco
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, beaten

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in Crisco until mixture is fine. Add pumpkin, milk and eggs, mix until combined; do not overmix.
Fill greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake in preheated 400ºF oven for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.