Baby Girl's 3rd Baby Shower

On Friday, November 9th we had our third and final baby shower for the princess. This one was more of a girls' night with girlfriends, and it was time with friends that I was much overdue for. Things have been so busy lately that it had been months since I had seen any of them so it definitely did my heart good to be able to spend an evening with so many of them at one time. I am overwhelmed by the friendship and generosity of these amazing women. Thank you, to each of you, who made it to the party. It means more to me than you will ever know! Unfortunately I didn't get too many pictures from the evening because we were all having too much fun, but here are the ones that I did get.

My two hostesses, Tiff and Ascha. God sure knew what he
was doing when he put these two in my life several years ago.
Thank you both for a great evening, and for your
friendship over the years. You are so very special to me!

Love you, Girls!

Switched Tiff out for Rachel to take the picture.

 

 

Anika, Alyssa and myself.

Kaci, Tami, Tiff and Anika.

We were spoiled with gifts yet again at this shower. Gifts included: jumperoo, door jumper, several books, diapers, wipes, homemade blankets, teething rings, plates, baby feeding utensils, formula dispenser, white noise bear, sleep sacks, bottle cooler, socks, pacifiers, nose suction, hangers, furry boots, bath robe, Johnson's gift set, boppy slipcover, blankets, clothes, Medela feeding set, plug protectors, bottle liners, bottle cleaning brush, brush cleaning set, bowls, fresh food feeders, and snack bowls.

Thank you again to each of you who came. Baby Girl is so spoiled and is going to love each of you. You are the best!

Times Like These

Ten years ago today, we were celebrating my mom's last birthday. Nine years ago today, she celebrated her first birthday dancing the streets of Heaven. Today, my heart aches a little extra as I miss her and wish we could be celebrating with her. I had written this blog entry several weeks ago when words flowed easier and haven't had a chance to post it yet, but I thought it was fitting for where my heart is on this very day. Sure do miss you, Mom!

Times like these really make me miss my own Mama. As we near meeting our daughter and beginning life with her, I am ever-so-aware of my aching heart. I think about how she would have just loved Dan and thought the world of him being a Daddy to her grand-daughter; how she would have been calling me every day to see how her Grandbaby was doing throughout this process; how her eyes would light up at some of the doctors’ appointments that she would go with us to when she got to see Baby squirm on the ultrasound screen; how she would have loved to take big girls trips to go shopping for this Little One; how we would go get celebratory pedicures together before the big day; how she would  have already made plans on how she was going to be at the hospital that very first moment to meet her; how she would have been staying at our house that first week and teaching me her own parenting tricks; how she would be telling stories of us when we were little over late night feedings or diaper changes; how she would always be there when I needed a shoulder to cry on when our lives change so quickly; how we would laugh and cry together about all of the memories we had growing up; how we would dream about all of the birthday parties and holidays that would be so much more richer because of our baby girl; how she would light up my girl’s eyes when she heard that “Grandma was coming for the weekend” just because she could; or how she wouldn’t miss my girl’s first birthday party, dance recital or prom.

In times like these, I pray for strength -- to be able to be fully present and thankful for the family that God still gives us special moments with and not yearning for what I no longer have. I am praying for strength that first moment I see my daughter’s eyes that I am not heart-broken because my own Mom isn’t there to share those moments with. But I am comforted by the truth:

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).”

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).”

I am thankful for the short 16 years that I had with my Mom, and I am ever-so-grateful for this Baby Girl of my own. I can only pray that I would leave as much of a lasting legacy on her life as my own Mom did on mine. I am a better person because of her, and for that I am eternally thankful.

Looking forward to the glorious day when I can be with her again, when tears are never shed, and when our hearts don't ache missing someone so near and dear. What a beautiful day that will be. We love you, Mom!

Baby Girl's Second Shower

On Saturday, November 3rd my sisters hosted our 2nd baby shower back in Cambridge. They did such an awesome job putting it all together. I had a great time catching up with friends and even family that I don't get to see near often enough. Many of the women were dear friends of my mom's so they are extra-special to me. So here are pictures from the shower!

Party favors made by Aunt Kilah.



Diaper cake made by Aunt Roo.

Amy Lee and her son, Ryder and Sherri Edgerton.
These are 2 of our very special childhood friends - Sherri was a very dear
friend of my mom's and Amy and I were like sisters growing up.
It was so good to see her and finally meet her little man!

Playing the first game of the shower - everyone cut their piece of
string to the length that they thought I was as big around.

Great-Grandma Deaver seeing how she measured up.

Pretty much everyone was quite a bit longer than I actually am. Gretchen was the
winner and was pretty much exact! 2nd place was Jeanie tenBensel!

 

The 2nd game was everyone writing down what they remember
was all on the diaper cake. From left to right: Trisha Moore,
Sherri Edgerton, Great-Grandma Wert, Madi Wert and Great-Grandma Deaver.

And here are just a few pictures of some of the gifts that we received. We are SO spoiled, but we are very, very grateful for the love and gifts that everyone gave us.

 

I hate this picture of me, but this is an adorable bible from Great-Aunt Lori
Hunnicutt. It has a soft fuzzy bear on the front and each page is
a very short bible story. We are going to absolutely LOVE
reading these stories to Little Miss!

This is a giraffe/safari blanket made by Sherri Edgerton. SO cute!

Other gifts included: wipes warmer, bottles, bottle liners, diapers, lots of adorable outfits, crib bumper and skirt, several blankets (many handmade!), burpcloths, bibs, formula dispenser, bottle cleaning brush, tu-tu and butterfly wings, baby monitor, piggy bank, bath toys, swing/bouncer combo, rattles, teething rings, sleep gowns, sleepers, a subscription to Parents magazine, nursing pads, changing pad, breast pump accessory set, and lots and lots of books with special messages written inside that we will cherish forever!

 

I am overwhelmed by the love and generosity from our friends and family. I cannot thank each of them enough not only for the gifts, but for coming to our shower. It meant so much to me!

 

And here are just some other pictures from our weekend back home that I couldn't resist putting up.

  

My 2 favorites. You girls are the best sisters a girl could ever have!

 

 

Saturday afternoon golfing with the family.

 

My dad was given this buggy from a patient of his, and he
uses it as his "golf buggy." Typical Lennie Deaver style.
My dad and Joyce, and Terry (my dad's youngest brother)
and his son Bryce Deaver.

Roo and I hanging out while everyone else golfed.

 

Justin and Dan.

Some very special cousins with Kilah and I. We sure do
love these sweet girls!

 

Kilah and I with Karlie, Bryce and Kendal.

Kendal Jo - She is a cutie!

Dan and I with Uncle Elrod. Couldn't shut up
long enough to snap the picture :)

 

We had SUCH a great weekend with him!

We must have taken 100 pictures, but this one is
an all-time favorite. Love you, Kilah!

What a great weekend! Sad it is over, but looking forward to Thanksgiving!

Kilah's Musical

Friday evening we made it back in time to watch my sister's senior year muscial. I cannot believe she is graduating this year, but I am looking forward to her being in Lincoln with us. Here are some pictures from the evening. Beware of picture overload!
 

Kilah with some of the Deaver cousins - Bryce, Karlie & Kendal.
We were SO excited to get to spend all weekend with these
special kiddos!

The Deaver girls with our second mom and one of my most
special friends, Suzanne. She babysat us for a large part of
my life and her and I have remained close over the
years, now as friends. She is like another sister
to me because she knew my mom so well and spent so
much time with my sisters and I.
We love you, Suzanne!!

2 of the best soon-to-be aunts of all time!

 

 

Madison and Riley came back with Grandma for the musical
and shower. These two are two peas in a pod!

 

Couldn't forget a picture of these two! :)

 

 So proud of you, Kilah, and all that you are and will accomplish your senior year.

You have always made us all so proud with everything that you pursue.

Keep up the great work, sister!

We love you!!

34 Weeks!

-- 34 Week Belly Bump --

How far along? 34 weeks
Total weight gain: 26 by our MD's scale
Baby is the size of a: Butternut squash
Maternity clothes? Most definitely. Still wearing pre-maternity pants!
Stretch marks? Still the same
Sleep: Not too bad...as long as it is cold! Poor Daddy is freezing since we have yet to turn on the heater.
Best moment this week: Going back home for the weekend for our 2nd shower and spending lots of time with family and seeing friends from back home.
Miss anything? Pretty content this week.
Movement: You bet!
Food cravings: Chocolate chip cookies. And I'm overdue for Cake Batter with a brownie from Coldstone...
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing particularly
Gender: Sweet baby girl :)
Baby Name: Yep!
Labor Signs: Just more braxton-hicks
Symptoms: More heartburn, lots of swelling, just a bit more tired but not worse than before.
Comments Solicited from Others: The only thing I hear now is how I am too tiny to be having a baby in 6 weeks. Told Daddy I was about to start getting a complex about it!
Belly Button in or out? Flat as a board
Wedding rings on or off? Still off
Happy or Moody most of the time: Pretty content, and enjoying our last few weeks!
Looking forward to: This weekend we have our last shower, which is basically a "Girl's Night" shower with friends. I really haven't seen many of them in months and have been having withdrawals so this weekend is much overdue. Can't even wait!

At our doctor appointment last Friday, I wasn't able to see the doctor because he was doing a surgery so I just saw the nurse. Heartrate was 142 and by her measurements I am measuring 31 weeks, which she said was normal (I'm anxious to have him measure again on November 19th to see if he is concerned or not). Everything looks good, but she did have me see their APRN regarding my swelling in my legs and the paresthesias in my feet. My blood pressure was 100/65 and I had no protein in my urine so we aren't concerned about preeclampsia but it is definitely something they are watching closely. She said we would just watch my paresthesias still to see if they worsen as they could be worsening from swelling. At our next visit we will do a group B strep test and he will also check to see if I have dilated at all. Things are about to start getting more fun and exciting!

Love and Prayers in Week 35, Sweet Girl!

33 Weeks Down!!

- 33 Week Baby Bump -

 

How far along? 33 weeks
Total weight gain: 21+ - we will see Friday at the doctor (our scale decided not to work these past few weeks)
Baby is the size of a: Durian fruit??? Approximately 4.2 to 5.8 pounds already!
Maternity clothes? Most definitely. Still wearing pre-maternity pants...anxious to see how much longer this lasts...so far so good!
Stretch marks? Still the same
Sleep: Not too bad...as long as it is cold!
Best moment this week:  Nothing too exciting this week in baby terms. I worked all weekend and Saturday went tailgating with Dan's parents and some good friends who were back for the weekend and then we all went to the game. I said I wasn't going to go tailgating or to the game and ended up doing both (thankful that I did, though!) and then proved to myself that indeed I do still have it in me to stay up until 2 a.m. despite having to work in Omaha at 10 the next morning. 4 days later and I'm still paying for that one.
Miss anything? Just having a little more energy or hips that didn't always hurt.
Movement: Some
Food cravings: Sweets! And this week I am dying to have a big diet pepsi...which I have been saving for Friday for our trip back to Cambridge when I can most enjoy it :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing particularly
Gender: Sweet baby girl :)
Baby Name: Yep!
Labor Signs: Just more braxton-hicks
Symptoms: I was starting to think that baby may have dropped this week (is that even possible this early?) because my heartburn has been terrible still, but much improved from weeks before, I am making more trips to the bathroom now BY FAR than I ever have (new record a few nights ago = 12 TRIPS), and she hasn't been in my ribs hardly at all. Surely not, but we will see. I don't think I look like I have so I'm probably just lucking out for a week. Prior to this week I had a few episodes of sciatica that came and went, but this week it has been back to stay and here with a vengence. It's definitely worse after working 12 hours and being on my feet constantly. Overall starting to feel really tired by mid-afternoon and evening. Oh yes, and more swelling in my legs (but feet not-so-much!).

Yes, those are Dan's fingerprints from before he went
to get my phone to take this picture.
And yes, I was even wearing compression
stockings!

Comments Solicited from Others: Lots of comments about how tiny my belly is.
Belly Button in or out? Flat as a board
Wedding rings on or off? Off in week 33 - had to go buy a temporary one this week :(
Happy or Moody most of the time: Ehh more happy but not entirely enthusiastic at this point. Just ready to be done and meet this little one!
Looking forward to: This week I have been super excited to go back home for our 2nd baby shower. I am so looking forward to the shower, and seeing family and good friends that I don't get to see near often enough. I have been especially missing my sisters lately so time will be well spent this weekend.

In other news, hubby never ceases to amaze me. After painting 2 coats in our bathroom last week, we both agreed that we didn't love the color and he said that we were going to do it right because it was the last time we were painting that bathroom in this house. SO, we (I helped with one, the other he had done when I got home from work again) bought another gallon a few shades darker and repainted the entire room 2 more times. We had used a semi-gloss for those coats because I was planning to use a stencil on one wall and paint over it with flat paint to make the designs, and after painting a few squares of the stencil we decided that it wasn't noticeable enough to waste our time doing it (this was with the first paint color). With the 2nd paint color we tried it again and still really couldn't see the stenciling well in the bathroom. Our next idea was to try using the flat paint of the 1st color to stencil over the 2nd color. Came home from work Saturday and he had all but the borders done "just to see what I thought of it." It's not exactly what I had in mind, but the more I look at it the more I like it. And just like my dad said when I told him the process, "I think you better keep him around." I agree, and I think I will! :) Seriously, there is nothing that that man can't do or won't try and I have to give a lot of credit to his Dad for that one. Someone once said that his dad could build a rocket if he wanted to, and how true that is. I'm thinking that with a few more years of tackling all of my honey-do's he will be a chip off the old block...he's got a running start already! 

That's all for now. Love and prayers in Week 34, Little Missy! 

32 Weeks

32 Week Belly Bump!

 

How far along? 32 weeks
Total weight gain: 21+
Baby is the size of a: Squash
Maternity clothes? Most definitely.
Stretch marks? Just found another jackpot in the already disclosed location this morning
Sleep: Not too bad...as long as it is cold!
Best moment this week:  Getting another peek at Little Miss! So much has changed!
Miss anything? A flat(ter) belly
Movement: Possibly a little less, but still more than several weeks ago.
Food cravings: Sweets!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Steak
Gender: Sweet baby girl :)
Baby Name: It's pretty much decided..Daddy slipped this week, so we are done "testing out the name" and will stick with Baby Girl for the next 8 weeks.
Labor Signs: After the ultrasound, I am pretty sure that what I have thought was just baby pushing up hard against my abdomen are actually braxton-hicks?
Symptoms: Heartburn, and more heartburn. A little less energy, but nothing worse than last week, and possibly a little more swelling in my fingers and lower legs.
Comments Solicited from Others: Just those from people who don't believe that I only have 8 weeks left with how little my belly is. I'll take it!
Belly Button in or out? Flat as a board
Wedding rings on or off? On, but getting more and more snug every week now.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Just pretty content right now...starting to get anxious about all that needs done.
Looking forward to: Going back home in a week and a half for our 2nd baby shower!

I also need to just brag a little bit here. Dan has always done more than his fair share around here, and is always quick to help me do anything and everything...always. But this past month, he has seriously been the best husband ever. He has dinner on the table every night that I work when I get home, is diligent about his dish duties (that's his major job, mine is laundry...hence his nickname "Dish Dan"...he may or may not have started calling himself that), has rubbed my feet more hours than most women would get in a lifetime (ok, close), and even made brownies for me one night because I had been craving them. Not only that, but nearly every morning he will ask me what things on my list of things to do that he can do for me and does them (if I let him). And, this past weekend I got a crazy hair and decided I wanted to repaint our main bathroom. I figured he would most definitely turn me down because we just painted it a couple years ago, but he didn't...and his response was "When are we doing this?" When I sheepishly said "Today?" he didn't bat one eye despite it being his big day to watch football. A few hours later we were picking out paint and putting the first coat on. The next night when I got home from work, he was all but done with the 2nd coat. Seriously, he should get some big award, not only for being married to me, but for all of the things he goes out of his way to do for me. Many girls brag about how they are the luckiest girl in the world, but anyone who knows my husband well would agree - I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Things got more real this week when a patient told me about how her 2 daughters were born at 32 and 31 weeks. I cannot imagine that happening already (praying that it doesn't!), and started to panic because we still have so much left to do and get before we are ready. I also really need to get our hospital bag packed and probably start carrying that with me. Daddy is starting to get more anxious about how things are going to work out if I would happen to go into labor while I'm in Omaha at work, especially if he is out with the truck for work.

I also turned down the job offer this week that I had been praying hard about. Everything about it was more ideal than where I am at right now, with the exception being it would be a 50-55 hour work week committment. My heart was so uneasy about that because I'm just not sure I can committ to that many hours, especially having a new baby. I hope the uneasiness in my heart was God making his direction clear to me, and at this point all I can do is trust in His plans. Still praying hard and trusting that what is meant to be will happen in perfect time. I wish it was that easy....

I think that's all for now. Love and Prayers in Week 33, Sweetie!