Due Date

Well, today is the due date for Baby M. Melissa slept well last night only waking once during the night. We were both awake before 5 am and ready to see what the day would hold for us. I had yesterday off to go on a doctors visit and take care of things around the house.

As I was attempting to leave for work a little early this morning, Melissa kindly interrupted my commute with a phone call to come home. She had her first 'good' contraction this morning at 7:47 am and we called the doctor's office just before 9 am.

Doctor's office advised us to head to the hospital and get checked out. Upon being checked out at the hospital we found that Melissa's water had broken and they admitted her. Contractions have been regular for the past hour and it appears we will be having a baby real soon now.

Here we go!

The Waiting Game

Thursday marks the "official" due date for Baby M to make his or her debut into this world. I am ready. Mike is ready. The Grandparents are all ready. The Aunts and Uncles and Friends are all ready. Even the Doctor is amazed that Baby has not come. But yet, we still wait.
In the meantime, I walk. We went for a good 2 mile walk this afternoon. Perhaps that will stimulate some contractions. Mike even offered to let me mow the yard this afternoon to see if that would start up anything. However, I declined and worked around the house.
Even though it is a long and tiring wait, I know it will be so worth it when we do get to meet Baby. But for now, I'm going to go wait some more.

Homework Assignment

I did not go to work yesterday due to the fact that I'm 9+ months pregnant and on Tuesdays/Thursdays I work with small children. While it is rewarding to help at Mother's Day Out, it's absolutely exhausting. So, Mike said I could stay home, but I had to post a new blog. Well, here it is... 4:30am on Friday Morning and I can't sleep, so I blog. (sorry my assignment is a little late, honey)

This ninth month of pregnancy has brought on a whole new meaning to the concept of waiting. The month of January felt like the longest month of the entire pregnancy. And this first week of February has felt like an eternity. However, I know that waiting never takes place without good reason. Just like in Psalms David wrote, "I waited patiently for the Lord and He heard my cry".
I can't say that I have waited patiently this week, but I have definitely cried out to Him. "Please Lord, let it be today!" I know He hears my and Mike's requests to have this baby soon, but we also understand that it's not under our control. Two things in life that we will never be able to predict: the timing of natural birth and natural death.
But alas, I find myself typing this at 4:30am, experiencing those never-ending "practice contractions" and crying out "Please Lord, let it be today!"

We had another fun experience last night at a small Bible study that we have started attending recently. It's mainly young couples and we're doing a study on marriage. The first week there were two of us ladies in attendance who were expecting and one other couple announced that they were pregnant. Then just last night two more couples announced they are expecting as well. Needless to say there was much joy and excitement in the air. It was fun to talk to the three girls who are all about a month or two pregnant. There I was, about to pop, and remembering back with them to the days of morning sickness and the thoughts of, "Oh, my clothes are getting too tight...". Now my concerns rest on "wake-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-severe-heartburn" and "oh, my maternity clothes are getting too tight". It's such a beautiful journey!
In all seriousness though, I hope Mike and I can be a help and encouragement to those couples who are beginning this amazing adventure. In the same way that the women in my life (and many random strangers) have helped me through this with encouragement and advice, I hope that my experience will render some twinkle of encouragement for their own pregnancy joys and woes (in an un-intrusive way, of course). Mike has had these same encouraging thoughts and words from other men and we both cherish learning about others' experiences.

Unfortunately, sitting up and typing this blog did not put me back into sleep mode. (While it may put some readers into sleep mode...) Hopefully my wonderful husband will give me an A on this assignment and not take off points for it being late. And maybe...just maybe... we will welcome Baby M into the world today....(or tomorrow...or Sunday...), but today works for me!

It's Almost Time!

Tomorrow (1/22/09) will be the 37 week mark for Baby M and he/she will technically be considered "fullterm". I can't wait for that moment when I call Mike, either in the middle of the night or on the phone at work, and say "It's time!". However, I'm a little scared that I won't know exactly when "It's time!". But all of you experienced Moms out there have assured me that "You'll Know!", so I'm hanging on to that advice.

A few indicators that the end is drawing near:

*I am officially waddling. I went for a walk (waddle) at lunch today because everyone says to walk, walk, walk! Being the winter months, sometimes we have to walk, walk, walk around Target, Lowes or Wal-Mart.

*One of the kids at preschool yesterday looked up at me and said, "Mrs. Melissa, why is your belly SO BIG?" None of the kids have asked me this until now. When I asked him if he knew why it was so big, he thought for a moment and replied... "it must be from all that water you drink!"

*I haven't had more than 2 hours of consecutive sleep in about 5 weeks.

Nonetheless, we are super excited about Delivery Day. All the parents are ready for the phone call. The hospital bags are packed. Carseat is in the car. And the only thing lacking in the nursery is our little bundle of joy.

I can't wait to post the first picture of Baby M for everyone. Soon!

Little Treasures That Make Life Fun

Over the past few weeks I've discovered some things that make life easier or just more fun. Enjoy the findings:

*Nutella - It may be my new favorite food group. If only it was healthy enough to replace Natural Peanutbutter. Try it if you haven't!

*Mike can trim my hair. I haven't had a haircut since March. Yikes! Sunday morning, I just decided that it was time. I handed Mike the scissors and said, "Trim away". He did a great job. Better that some $20 haircuts I've had in the past.

*There is a fun resale shop less than one mile from my house that sells cheap maternity clothes. I got a brand new pair of 'mommy jeans' for about a tenth of full price. And a cute top. What a hidden treasure! Helps me live by the "never pay full price" rule.

*Starbucks Holiday Espresso Truffle beverage. Liquid Yummy Goodness! I usually don't go for the "fru-fru" coffee drinks at Starbucks. I'm a purist when it comes to coffee. I like it strong with a splash of cream. But this drink is just perfect to satisfy that spontaneous chocolate craving.

*We only have 9 1/2 weeks to go before Baby M's due date! Unbelievable. We just can't wait to meet him/her!

Lack of Sleep and Baby Towels

These days, alot of our spare time around the house has been spent setting up the nursery, washing new clothes, blankets and such and getting the house ready for Baby. Why do mommy and daddy have so much of that spare time? That would be because the nights of eight consecutive hours of sleep are a distant memory.

This past weekend was no different. At about 4:45am on Saturday morning I had tossed and turned enough to wake Mike from his peaceful slumber and he finally asks me if I wanted to get up and go watch TV. With that we travel downstairs with pillows and blankets and camp out on the couch to watch early morning infomercials. So romantic! At about 5:30am I begin to ask about breakfast and by 6:00am we were dressed and seated at a new local breakfast joint not far from the house. Yes, we were the first ones there that morning. It proved to be a rather productive day. Mike completed some projects around the house and I cleaned the house. After visiting with some friends that evening, we both crashed at about midnight.
...Sunday...5:00am...Are you awake? Yes, we were both awake and downstairs watching the early Sunday morning televangelists. What's so interesting about this particular morning is that one would think if we woke up THAT early... surely we could make it to Sunday School by 10:00am. But, no.
Check out the converstion that made us late:

Mike: "Sweetie, do you want to go to the store after church and take some baby returns?"
Melissa: "Sure, there is a bag of things right there."
Mike: "We can't take THIS back...it is TOO CUTE!" (speaking of two baby towels)
Melissa: "Mike, honey, we have four baby towels already and we don't even need that many. The baby will out grow them too fast"
Mike: "But Melissa, we need more than 4 towels for the baby."
...and so the conversation went on to receiving blankets, wash rags, crib sheets...until we were sprinting out the door to get to church.

Fortunately, we received some expert advice from Mike's sister who was very helpful on the matter. I want to hear from some other experienced moms.
What item(s) are absolutely necessary for a new baby?
What item(s) are are a waste of money?

"You could be carrying the next female president!"

These were the wise words of wisdom we received from the self-proclaimed "Pizza Queen" yesterday at lunch. Mike and I decided to treat ourselves and the baby to lunch after church and went to a pizza joint. We walk up to the counter and Mike orders two buffets and two waters. The lady working (who really was very sweet) thought she'd be funny and say..."oops, I almost charged you for three..." Initially, I was not amused but knew that was the cranky pregnant part of me. She then asked when I was due and we told her February, right around Valentine's Day. She notified us that many former presidents were born in February and that we could be carrying the next American President... maybe even the first female President! We both chuckled and said, "Maybe..." as we grabbed our plates and headed towards the buffet.

It was better than our next door neighbor telling me "Wow! You're as big as a house!" on Saturday. Nonetheless, it sparked some fun and interesting lunch conversation for mom-and-dad-to-be. I doubt that a future president of the United States has taken up residence in my uterus, but Mike and I do have high hopes and dreams for our child. Above all, we pray that he or she will know and love Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and have a healthy respect and love for others.

Aside from carrying around future famous people in my "size-of-a-house" belly, Mike and I have been doing some "nesting" and we start our childbirth classes tonight. The time is getting near and we're excited (and a little scared...)

Still Gettin' Ready

Nine months is a short time compared to the 18+ years it takes to raise a child, but it sure feels like a long time to wait for the birth. We've been getting the nursery ready to rock!

The crib delivered while Mike was out of town... it was quickly assembled as soon as he got back in town.

Likewise, Melissa finished the baby's first quilt!


And we made some cute window treatments with fun zoo animals that match the quilt.
Grandma Davis came to visit while Mike was out of town and we had fun making baby blankets and shopping. She couldn't resist the "Grandma Loves Me" onesie.
...and so it begins. This was from a friend of Dad's. Mom is o.k. with such attire as long as there is equal representation.

Aside from getting ready for baby, Mike has been doing some outside projects. This will be our back yard garden! We have been wanting to plant a garden since we have moved into the house and so this weekend Mike took advantage of the most beautiful weather and began digging. Right now it looks like two burial plots, but come spring/summer we'll have a lovely crop of fresh veggies.

Hang in there readers. In four months we'll post pictures of the baby, but for now you get to see what mom and dad are up to during the preparation time. Thanks for checking in!

Practice Makes Perfect

So... as Soon To Be 1st Time Parents... we are diligent to educate ourselves through reading, asking lots of questions, extensive research and Hands on Experience. Thanks to Cousin Stuart... we had the opportunity to practice with a pint sized super hero!


Buckle up Mini Spider Baby! Are we doing this buckle correctly?

Ready to go for a ride!

Child Rearing: Then and Now

This is KoKo. He is a stuffed Koala bear that I've had every since I can remember. A few weeks ago, Mike and I were on vacation at my parents house down in South Texas and I was given the assignment to go through a couple of the never-ending boxes of my stuff that resides at my parents' house. Upon salvaging embarrassing Jr. High photos and grade school report cards, I reunited with KoKo. Now, you must understand...I am not a pack rat. So finding something that I have had for so many years was quite a surprise.

I took the little pre-historic "beanie baby" home to put it in the nursery because we have some other things in the nursery from our respective childhood memories. For example, Mike has a picture of a little boy and a stuffed animal and the bottom reads, "Jesus is my Pard'ner". So cute!

Well, before putting KoKo into the nursery (for display purposes only, of course), I decided to throw it in the washing machine. Luckily, I remembered to put it into a laundry bag because probably somewhere mid-spin cycle he busted at the seams and the little granules that made up his stuffing came out. When I pulled him out of the washer it was a little funny and a little scary all at the same time. Going through my mind was, "What did my parents let me play with when I was a child?" I know I had to chew on this thing at some point in my teething years. How unacceptable! But then, it WASN'T unacceptable 30 years ago. I brought myself back to reality and once again grasped hold of the fact that "child safety" regulations are not what they were many years ago.

Basically, the entire process of preparing for baby is somewhat overwhelming. With all of the specialized bottles, pacifiers, chew toys, clothes, sheets....on and on, my head starts to spin. I'm pretty sure I need another masters degree just to operate a car seat and stroller. But then I remember this piece of reality...there have been babies and births since the beginning of time. Mothers seem to know what to do with their babies and they utilize the resources available to make a suitable environment for the precious little one. Surely I can do the same without totally messing things up. Don't panic, we are going to be cautious and read about good baby stuff that's available and not give our baby toys laden with lead paint to chew on. But all the while it's good to have the reality check that our mommies and grandmommies raised us with much more simplistic resources and we turned out just fine. (or so we think we did...) What a fun learning process this will be!

...And for those of you concerned about the current state of KoKo, I was successfully able to re-stuff him with hypo-allergenic stuffing and stiched him up with some sturdy upholstery thread. Good as new...(at least for display purposes only)!

HIM vs HER

So Melissa and I have decided that we will not find out the gender of Baby M before it is born. While technology provides such easy access to this important piece of information we want to be totally surprised on Baby M’s birthday – one of the only true surprises in life.

So we have also decided that with the birth of our son or daughter our lives will be filled with immense excitement – boy filled excitement or girl filled excitement. Even though we are both excited for either gender, Melissa refers to Baby M as ‘HER’ while I refer to Baby M as ‘HIM’.

So last night, we were talking about Baby M and Melissa slipped, referring to Baby M as ‘HE’. That settles it… we agree that Baby M will surprise us as our SON!

Parents-to-be conquer the.....Poopy Diaper!

To prepare for the coming of little Baby M, we as future parents have been helping out in the nursery at church on Sunday mornings. It's fun, it helps us prepare for parenthood, allows us to be good stewards of our time and gets us out of "Big Church". (Real mature...I know). The first Sunday we had the "crawlers" class in which there were about six kids and ONE of them was a crawler. The rest...pretty mobile on their feet. We left that Sunday feeling successful, no major catastrophes or tantrums and no diaper changes. I'm thinking to myself...this baby thing is a breeze.

Fast foward to this past Sunday. We get to church, ask if help is needed in the nursery, and behold, they put us back in the same class...crawlers. This week we had two bonafide crawlers, two cute little boys. So we're going along playing with the toys...and all of a sudden I hear Mike say to his designated little one..."I think someone has a poopy diaper... Um, Melissa".

Now we have both changed our fair share of diapers, but for me it has been quite a few years. So, we traded babies and I conquered that diaper like a pro! We get all settled and guess what?! Little one #2 decides he needs the same services. That's right, not one, but TWO poopy diapers during the Worship Service hour. I left that nursery walking pregnant and proud thinking, "O.K. Baby M...Mom and Dad are ready for you! Bring it on! There's nothing we can't handle, as long as we can tag-team it!"

In all seriousness, working in the nursery on Sundays really does get us excited about the baby's arrival. I've discovered a few important lessons:
*A mirror is a great way to entertain a baby for hours. It's amazing!
*Changing diapers is just part of it and you can make it fun.
*There is nothing more precious than rocking a sweet baby to sleep and then watching Mike take over and rock him too.

"Baby M", Meet your Dad

Dearest Baby M,
I want you to know that you will have the most wonderful father a little boy or little girl could ask for. How do I know this? Just look at him, holding your cousin Stuart...he's a natural. I tease him that I'm worried he will be a better mother than me. He's just that great of a guy. I even told some friends last night that he is so wonderfully involved in the pregnancy that he would push for me during the delivery if he could. I know we have another six months before we get to meet you, but here are some things you can look forward to while growing up with your father.
If you should be a little girl, know that you will have your dad wrapped around your tiny little finger from the moment you enter this world. Know also that you will probably not date until you are 25 years old and mini-skirts and mid-drift tops are totally out of the question...so don't even try.
If you should be a little boy, know that you will be raised to be an outstanding gentleman. You will know to open doors for ladies and you will learn at an early age how to mow the front yard on the diagonal, alternating that diagonal each week.
These are just a few ways that your dad will show you how much he loves you and how much he wants you to succeed in life.
We can't wait to meet you and love you and watch you grow.
Love,
Mom

Pics for Mike from the Homestead

Hi Honey,
Me here, sending you some pictures from the homestead just for fun. Thought I'd post them on the blog so it'd count as a new post. Enjoy! Love to you and to all who check our site.
Love,
Melissa

Moses waiting at the door for you. Who, by the way, did his little trick the last half of our walk this morning and who is currently outside barking and chasing imaginary birds around the back yard.
You can hardly see them, but these are the little mushrooms growing all over the front yard because of all the rain. It'll be a beast to mow once the rain slows down, but I'm not complaining...we needed it!
The trees out front...aren't they pretty!



The pantry...I warned you about it, Mike. (Everyone else...don't ask)



The back yard...it doesn't look too bad, but it will be fun to mow in a day or so.

The long-lost hummingbird feeder, strategically placed above the purple petunias.

Can't wait to put on the new shutters next week.

O.k., that's it from the homestead. We miss you (the baby and me.....and Moses....)!

Who Will I Look Like?!?!?!

This is my family:




I wonder who I will look most like... Maybe my Aunt Amanda or my Uncle Lee? Maybe a red-headed baby girl born on February 14? No matter what, I'll be unique and loved dearly by all of these folks in this photo.