Living and Loving Life

judah’s friends- fisher, vesty, and sophie

2012-01-27T22:05:00.001-06:00

My friend, Hope, had a little boy just 2 weeks before I had Judah. We shared a lot of time while we were pregnant just talking about and comparing pregnancies and dreaming of what our little guys would be like. Wednesday, I met up with Hope and her sweet boy, Fisher. We hung out at their house for a bit and then took the boys on walk. I can’t wait to see these two grow up to be good friends. We have many play dates to look forward to!

Sylvester is my first baby. Justin and I got him over 3 years ago, right before we got married. I know that he has felt a little neglected since Judah has come along… but I try to give him as much attention as I can. And now, Judah is starting to give him attention too! This week Judah has started following Sylvester around the room with his eyes and has even tried to reach out and touch him. I think these two will become best buds soon!

And Judah’s last new friend these days is Sophie the giraffe. She is a well overpriced teether that it seems like is a must have item these days. I have always tried to get Judah to like her but had no luck. Until yesterday! I gave her a couple squeaks in front of him, and he grabbed on and wouldn’t let go!

1st try with solids!

2012-01-24T19:21:00.001-06:00

At Judah’s 4 month appointment, his pediatrician told us that we can start introducing Judah to solids. She advised us to skip cereal and go straight to veggies due to the lower calorie count since Judah is already in the 90-95th percentile for height and weight for his age.

Justin and I decided to start him out with peas. We really expected him to hate it and spit out every bite. Judah usually make a funny face like things taste terrible when we put them in his mouth (pacifier, teethers, etc). But, he surprised us! He didn’t gobble it up, but he did pretty well for his first time in my opinion. We will be making this a part of our nightly routine now and gradually add in different foods and mealtimes.

big boy eating his peas!

Judah’s dedication

2012-01-22T15:00:00.001-06:00

Justin and I took the opportunity today to stand up in front of our family, friends, and church family and pledge to raise Judah to know and love Jesus with the best of our ability. We dedicated his little life to the Lord. This was such a sweet and special moment for us.. but me especially. In the years since Justin and I have been married, I have been to several of these dedication services… and I would usually end up in tears. I always hoped and prayed that one day I would have the honor of being one of the parents on the platform holding a precious little one. And today, one more dream of mine came true.

My biggest hope for Judah is that he will grow up loving Jesus with his whole heart.

Thank you, God, for this sweet gift. <3

4 months

2012-01-21T14:14:00.002-06:00

Judah is four months old today! It sure has been a joyful and fun four months.

It seems like every month just gets more and more fun. I mean, I do miss having an itty bitty newborn to cuddle with all the time. (Judah is now out of the stage of wanting to cuddle… he’s too busy!). But we love that almost every single day, he is doing something new. He is learning and growing so fast. It’s just crazy!
In the past month he has really started to drool and put everything in his mouth. Some of his favorite things to chew on are his hands, mommy’s hands, and his burp rags. I’ve had to start putting bibs on him a good bit to catch all that drool!

Judah has really started to enjoy bath time. He kicks and splashes like crazy now. I can already see that bath time will become a favorite once this little boy can sit up on his own. Some of his other favorites right now are: 1) the tv… he loves all the colors and movement I guess. He will turn his head as far around as he can to find the screen. 2) the changing table.. no matter how fussy he is, it seems like when he gets on that changing table he just smiles and coos and laughs. He loves it! I oftentimes will change his diaper and then just hang out there for a while playing with him and talking to him. 3) his jumperoo… he is now tall enough for his feet to reach the floor, and this boy loves to bounce! 4) he loves it when I kiss his hands. it makes me laugh super hard almost every time.

Judah has started to notice himself in the mirror. I always ask him, “who is that handsome boy?”, and he will just flash the biggest gummy grin. I sure am going to miss that gummy smile once he starts getting teeth. It’s the best :). He has really started to play with toys now. He still plays on his playmat a good bit, and will also hold onto teethers or stuffed animals and try to chew on them. He’s been exercising his little tummy muscles. He tries so hard to pull himself to a sitting position when we hold him. He’s not quite there yet though! He also really seems to like standing up. He will lock those little legs and stand up whenever he gets the chance.
Judah had a little bit of hair when he was born, but a good bit fell out. It has started coming back in now, but I’m not sure what color it will be. Some of it is definitely dark brown, but underneath it looks like it’s more blonde. We shall see! The same with his eyes. His left eye is blue, and the right eye is blue for the most part.. but has turned a dark hazel or brown on the top.

In diapers, Judah is in the same size cloth diaper, but will need a size 3 next time we buy disposables! That is just crazy to me!!! In clothes, he is wearing all 6 month footed pajamas and is rapidly outgrowing all other 3 month clothes. I have been trying to get one last wear out of everything and am packing them away after I wash them. Six month onesies and pants are all folded in his drawers! Within the next couple weeks, he will be wearing them for sure!

I think we are in a transition period with sleep and feeding. We had always been on a 3 hour schedule where Judah would be up about an hour and then go back down for a nap. Now he is staying up 1 1/2-2 hours at a time. This means less naptime during the day and more playtime! He has sort of regressed in his night time sleeping. He usually wakes up 1 or 2 times a night now. I try to get him to go back to sleep without a bottle, but sometimes he is just hungry!! I’m hoping that after we introduce solids, our sleeping-through-the-night-baby will be back… but if not, I’m okay with that. I love how sweet and cuddly he is during those night time feedings.

Mommy and Daddy sure do love you, sweet boy!

I wanted to add here that we went to Judah's four month appointment for a well check and vaccinations. He is now weighing 17 pounds, 12 ounces. He is 25 1/2 inches long. Big boy!!!

my most recent stuff

2012-01-19T22:45:00.001-06:00

I’ve recently had the chance to take photographs of a precious, perfect baby girl. I went to high school with her mother. They are both just the sweetest girls! I had so much fun with them!

I also attended the wedding of one of my closest friends, Lauren Grace! I was there as a guest, but brought my camera along to capture what I could of her special day. I just love my Lauren and her handsome hubby, Daniel.

1.17 one year later

2012-01-17T23:25:00.001-06:00

January 17th will always be special to me now. Today marks the one year anniversary of one of my biggest prayers being answered. One year ago today, my world stood still as my eyes caught sight of a pregnancy test with 2 pink lines.

I had thoughts all day today about how blessed we are. About how emotional this day was for me last year. About what a difference a year can really make.

What was one year ago the beginning of a dream come true and an answer to prayer, is today so much more than that. Today we have a wonderful, sweet, happy, healthy, handsome baby boy. Our precious Judah Scott.

I had to bust out the camera and get some pictures of our little bundle of joy on this special day.

christmas 2011

2011-12-29T17:34:00.001-06:00

Christmas this year was super special to me. It was my first as a parent! I had so much fun this year picking out Judah’s gifts and wrapping them. I really enjoyed every moment. We had a big tree for the first time since being married. I loved sitting in the living room with no lights on except the lights on the tree. I sipped hot chocolate with cool whip on most nights. I got a new Christmas CD (David Crowder Band) and loved singing along and driving my hubby crazy.

For so long I dreamed of how my life would look with kids in it, and now I’m living that dream out. It’s pretty incredible.

I know that I want us to be a family that focuses on Jesus during Christmas. And I want us to be a family that has traditions each year. I want our children to have great memories of their childhoods.

I think that each year we will open one gift on Christmas Eve night. We will wake up Christmas morning and read the Christmas Story from the book of Luke as a family before opening gifts. I also want to bake a “birthday” cake each year for Jesus. We will take a ride and look at lights, watch Christmas movies, and spend tons of time with extended family members every year.

Judah is by far my biggest gift this year. He brings more joy to our home than I ever knew was possible. Justin and I are truly blessed.

Some pics from our Christmas this year::

cloth diapering

2011-12-29T17:10:00.001-06:00

I’ve had several people lately ask me about using cloth diapers. Most people seemed shocked when they find out we use cloth. Many think it is too much work or just too gross. But I really don’t think so at all. It’s just a couple extra loads of laundry a week.

I knew before I ever got pregnant that I wanted to cloth diaper. Justin and I had talked and knew we wanted multiple children… and I loved the idea of using cloth diapers to save money over the years. There are many good reason to use cloth, such as good for the environment, less diaper rash, no chemicals against baby’s sensitive skin, etc. But for me.. I just like saving money any way I can. Oh, and they are super cute! :)

I bought a bunch of a certain type of diaper second hand while preggo. These diapers did not work for Judah. I was very disappointed, but didn’t want to give up. I sold those diapers and decided to try another brand.

We ordered 15 Bum Genius 4.0 pocket diapers with snaps. These are one size diapers, which means Judah will most likely be able to wear them from itty bitty baby to potty training. They adjust size/rise with snaps.

These diapers are super easy to use. I have everything set up in Judah’s room on and around his changing table.

Diapers in one basket..

Inserts and fleece liners in one..

And wipes, powder, cream, etc on the shelves there too.

I also have a basket that holds disposables. We use these when traveling or when out all day. We also use disposables overnight because Judah is such a heavy wetter!

I have a diaper pail (trash can with flip top lid) lined with a wet bag to hold dirty diapers until it’s time to wash.

And a little trash can on the other side for dirty wipes and disposable diapers.

If we do go out in cloth diapers, I use a smaller sized wetbag in my diaper bag to hold the dirty/wet diapers until we get home. It is waterproof and smellproof. :)

This is what our diaper looks like before going on Judah man:

The diaper is pre-stuffed (I do this after I wash and dry the diapers/inserts). I grab a diaper out of the basket, lay a fleece liner on it (this helps wick away moisture and leaves Judah’s skin super dry), and then lay a disposable/flushable liner on top (this liner catches most or all poo and is then dumped into the toilet… so I don’t have to deal with much poo at all!).

I love using the cloth diapers. They are just as easy as disposables to me. They might take 5 seconds longer to change, only because snapping the snaps takes longer than the sticky tabs on a disposable to close.

I’m very pleased with these and can’t imagine not using them on all of my babies!

3 months

2011-12-22T23:43:00.001-06:00

Sweet Judah Scott turned 3 months old yesterday.

He is SO much fun these days. His little personality is really starting to shine, and I cannot get enough of it. He is smiling constantly and has started to laugh a little along with the big grins. He is cooing and talking up a storm. He really seems to be trying to communicate with us, and his eyes do a lot of talking.

Judah has been our joy from day 1, but with each passing day my love for him seems to grow. Joy, love, happiness, dream come true, answered prayer… words just can’t contain what I feel about him.

Judah has been doing lots of tummy time with his head and shoulders raised off the ground. He still loves his play mat and is really starting to grab and play with the toys. He has shown more interest in other toys as well. He seems to really enjoy things that light up and play music. Judah has continued to practice rolling from tummy to back, but hasn’t gotten it the other way just yet. He LOVES watching the TV. If there is a football game or something with much movement on, his eyes get locked on it.

Several things about Mr. Judah seem to have not changed much. He is still in the same size diapers and clothes. He’s still taking 6 ounce bottles every 3 hours. He is still sleeping like a champ! He really is a great baby. Pretty easy in my opinion.

Judah’s favorites right now: sticking out his tongue and sucking on his fists/hands. He just recently started doing these two things all the time!

One thing Judah doesn’t like: riding in the car. We just expect screams and crying when we buckle him into his car seat. I’m really hoping this is just a passing phase! I hate to hear my little man cry so hard when there is not much I can do for him.

At his last doctor appointment, Judah was diagnosed with reflux. He now takes medicine for that twice a day. He still spits up a good bit with every feeding, but the doctor says it shouldn’t irritate him anymore.

I’m am so stinkin’ excited about our first Christmas as a family of three this weekend! Our little guy is gonna be spoiled rotten by all of his loving grandparents. It should be lots of fun!

it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

2011-12-13T13:36:00.001-06:00

I just love this time of year. Last night I sat looking at our tree with all it’s pretty lights while sipping on hot chocolate and eating a Christimas tree cake. I had a candle burning. My boys were close by. It was perfection.

baby, it’s cold INside..

2011-12-13T13:29:00.001-06:00

So twice in the last week our heater has stopped working during the middle of the night. Both times I woke up freezing! Both times I went to the thermostat and tried bumping up the heat and turning it from “auto” to “on”. Both times this resulted in cold air coming through the vents.

Thankfully we have great landlords who had the problem fixed within a couple hours at most.

But in the meantime, this mama bear was not gonna let her baby boy stay cold!

I had him in footed pj’s and the sleepsack with a hat and mittens and then had him wrapped in a blanket and cuddled up next to mama. He was so cute! Justin and I were cracking up.

2 months

2011-12-06T10:07:00.001-06:00

Judah turned 2 months old on November 21st.. so yes, this post is way late. But I wanted to wait until his two month appointment so I would have his weight and length stats. I did take his pictures right at 2 months though.

My big 2 month old now weights 15.2 pounds and is 23 1/2 inches long. He is such a good baby. He is very happy and smiley all the time. He has started doing lots of cooing and “talking”. We have little conversations now. He is very strong! He has started being able to support his head very well on his own. He can lift his head and shoulders off the ground during tummy time. He has even rolled over twice! The first time he rolled over was November 26th. I laid him in his crib awake and then watched on the monitor. He went from tummy to back. I couldn’t believe it!

Judah man is also sleeping very well for us now. He slept through the night for the first time on November 12th. It was our first night in the new place. He actually slept for almost 10 hours! Every night since then he sleeps for anywhere from 6 to 10 hours at a time. He takes several short naps throughout the day as well. It is completely wonderful!

Judah’s favorite things right now are lights and ceiling fans, his daddy, and his play mat. He loves trying hard to hit and grab onto the toys that hang down.

Our big boy is wearing 3 months clothes and is almost too long for the sleepers already. He just moved into size 2 diapers and size 3 at night. We have been using cloth diapers a good bit too… but just recently he had a bad diaper rash, so I switched him to disposables so I could coat him in diaper cream and baby powder! Judah eats 6 ounce bottles now every 3 or 4 hours throughout the day. He gets 1 tablespoon of rice cereal in his bedtime bottle. Then he may wake up once at night to eat as well, but usually he doesn’t.

He has been pretty healthy during his second month. He did have a little cold for a few days. I had to suction his nose out every day which he HATED! He would get so mad! He also developed thrush again, so we are treating that now.

Today at his doctor’s appointment he did so good! He was flirting a little with the doctor :). He was cooing and smiling the whole time until he had to get his shots. Even after shots he only cried for about one minute until he was picked up and cuddled. As soon as we made it to the car he was fast asleep.

I cannot get over how fast my baby boy is growing. He seems so big and so smart already. I know this is just the beginning! But he has changed so much in the past month.

I love him to the moon and back!

recent photog work

2011-12-01T23:44:00.001-06:00

Since moving back to Louisiana, I haven’t put much effort into getting work. I was a little held back by my big belly at first, then I was sleep deprived with a newborn. But, with the holidays around the corner, it seems people are in need of pictures for Christmas cards and stuff. I had 4 sessions in one week! It was a little insane for me and more than I’m used to, but definitely fun. It made me realize how much I have missed it!

Here are a few images that I edited for the sneak peeks!

time flies when you are having fun

2011-12-01T23:36:00.001-06:00

I seriously cannot believe it is DECEMBER! Oh my goodness!

Wasn’t I just hugely pregnant and burning up hot 24/7?? Didn’t I just give birth to a tiny little munchkin boy? So how in the world is it December with Christmas and a new year just around the corner?!

We have definitely been busy. Having a new little human to care for seems to do that for ya. I never ever in my life realized how busy I would stay with a baby. And I even nannied for several months! I love my sweet boy to the moon and back, but he doesn’t leave me a lot of time to get things done. For instance… I had 4 photoshoots last week and have barely touched the editing. :(. He is SO worth it though, and I refuse to wish this stage away. I’m already missing the itty bitty newborn stage. Heck, I even miss the pregnancy stage. But that’s another post for another day!

Besides Mr. Judah, we have been busy with a move. We moved (again!) right around the middle of November. We found the place, packed, moved, and unpacked all within a week. It was nuts! We are all settled in now and loving the extra space. We have 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a dishwasher now! haha… yes, the dishwasher is important enough to mention. It’s a life saver with all the bottles we go through!

And now that December is here, we have Christmas pics, Christmas parties, etc to go to. Plus a dear friend of mine is getting married at the end of the month, so I have her showers to shop for and attend.

Busy, busy bees!

my thanksgiving turkey

2011-11-29T01:03:00.001-06:00

We had a busy but wonderful Thanksgiving. For the holidays we usually have about 4 places to visit in order to see all of our family. Thank goodness most of our family lives nearby! It was a little rushed and crazy, especially having a little one… but we really enjoyed time with our families.

I have so much to be thankful for… but this year, I have to say that one of my very biggest blessings is one that came in a pretty small package. I am so beyond grateful for my little Judah man. Words cannot begin to describe how thankful I am that God blessed me with this son.

I love my boys!

instagram and diptic

2011-11-16T23:35:00.001-06:00

I’ve always enjoyed being able to use my phone to take pictures, but since the birth of my sweet son.. I have gone crazy using it! And to top it off, I’ve discovered these apps that make it even more fun.

Instagram and Diptic.

He’s such a cutie!

And that last picture… that melts my heart into a big pile of mush. I adore our special time together at night when he takes his bedtime bottle and holds onto my thumb and sometimes my pinky. So.Stinkin.Sweet.

Judah’s birth day (part 3)

2011-11-16T23:22:00.001-06:00

After what seemed like forever, the nurse came back in the recovery room. I could tell that it was even hard on her to see me so upset. She said that she wanted to remove the warm blankets, cool me off, and then retake my temperature. So we did all of that. I even took a drink of some cold sprite to cool me down a little. When we retook my temp, it wasn’t quite down to normal, but very close. The nurse left the room again.. and when she came back she had good news! I was going to get to see my baby! This time I was crying tears of joy and gratefulness. I was cleaned up and rolled into my new room where we would spend the rest of our hospital stay. Justin and I tried very hard to be patient, and the nurse finally brought our baby boy in to see us.

It was like no other experience in my life. Holding him for the first time was so wonderful. So unreal. Such a dream come true.

I held him and examined every little part of him. He was perfect. So tiny yet so big! I couldn’t believe he was ours. I wanted to spend hours and hours with him and not send him to the nursery… but Justin and I were both worn out. I was falling asleep holding him while sitting up in bed. We hadn’t slept much at all in well over 24 hours. We decided to go ahead and send Judah out for the night while we got some rest. He was still in to see us every 3 hours for his feedings.

Over the next couple of days we had tons of visitors, but also got to spend some good quality time getting to know our boy. I was surprised at how easily I was recovering from my c-section and ready to get home.

But then came another surprise. Judah’s blood work showed that he had jaundice and would have to stay an extra day. Thankfully the hospital allowed Justin and I to stay in our room an extra day as well. I couldn’t handle the thought of going home without Judah.

Seeing him under the light was very hard and emotional for me. I had to remind myself that we were very blessed. He wasn’t in the NICU. He was going to be just fine. We would have our baby home and in our arms within a couple days. Not all parents are so fortunate. But still… it wasn’t easy. My “momma bear” instinct was in full force. I wanted to protect my baby boy and wanted him 110% well.

After staying under that light for almost 24 hours and only coming to see us during feeding times, his bilirubin levels were down just enough for us to be discharged. It was a very happy time! I got Judah dressed in his going home outfit, Justin packed up the car, and our friend Jenna captured it all on camera and video for us.

Oh happy day!

My sweet boy’s birth and first few days was quite the adventure. I wouldn’t trade him for anything in this world. He is my pride and definitely my JOY!

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T23:48:00.001-05:00

Judah’s first halloween. Having a not quite six week old little one kinda limits what we can do as far as outings go.. but our church has a Fall Festival every year around Halloween that is super fun! We went this year and took our little guy. He ate as soon as we got there and then slept the entire rest of the time. But we had fun pushing him around in his stroller and talking to lots of friends and letting them admire our precious little monster. :)

Before we went to the church today, I did a quick little photo shoot with the little monster himself.

a few firsts

2011-10-24T17:03:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Judah experienced a few more “firsts”. He went to church for the first time, wore shoes for the first time, and had his first real try at a family photo!

He did really well in church. He slept through the entire time of worship and stayed quiet after he woke up. I took him out for a few minutes during the message so that I could prepare a bottle and feed him. I felt so overwhelmed with thankfulness that I finally had my baby and had the privilege to have him in church with us. I was reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness to give us the desires of our hearts.

After church we went to the grandparents’ house for lunch, and Justin’s dad attempted to get some family pics for us. Most of them didn’t turn out great because Judah wouldn’t look at the camera or Justin would be squinting because of the sun. Oh well, we will try again soon!

1 month

2011-10-22T15:29:00.001-05:00

I’m definitely not keeping up with this blog as well as I hoped to. My sweet angel is one month old, and I haven’t even finished his birth story. I will soon!

But for now…

Judah turned one month old yesterday! I can hardly believe it. The first month went by so fast. It hasn’t been as hard as I prepared myself for. But it hasn’t been easy by any means. We have had quite an adventure.

For the first week or so that we were home from the hospital, Judah was such an easy baby. He slept so much, ate well and rarely ever cried. He made having a newborn in the house a very easy transition for mommy and daddy. Both of us fell absolutely head over heels in love with this little guy. After that first couple of weeks, though, we ran into some problems. Our poor baby has had terrible tummy troubles that still aren’t quite resolved. He has had really bad gas and shown signs of colic. He fights going to sleep, especially at night. He developed a mild case of thrush. We have been through 3 types of bottles and 4 types of formula. We have already been to see the doctor 3 times. Like I said, quite an adventure! haha!

His first outing was actually the day we came home from the hospital. We wasted no time! We went over to Justin’s parents house for dinner that night. They only live about 5 minutes down the road, so it wasn’t a huge deal.

His first doctor appointment was to have his bilirubin levels checked for jaundice. He still had a mild case, but the levels were dropping, so he got a good report! At this appointment he had already gained some weight and was weighing 9 pounds, 7 ounces.

By his two week appointment, he was weighing 9 pounds 12 ounces and seemed very healthy other than his tummy aches.

At his most recent appointment, which was this past Wednesday, he was weighing 11 pounds 8 ounces! He is such a big boy!!! That appointment was to check on his thrush and get a prescription to clear it up.

Judah has had many firsts already during this first month… first trip to each of his grandparent’s house, first trip out to dinner with mommy and daddy, first bath, first real smile (we think), first time to hold his own weight up on his little legs, first photo session with mommy, and many more.

He is wearing size one diapers and size 0-3 and 3 months clothing. He outgrew his newborn stuff very quickly. He is eating on average 3 ounces every 2-3 hours.

He has many nicknames already. Judah Man, Judah pants, peanut, mommy’s monkey, pumpkin boy, little man. I’m sure he won’t approve of many of these names for much longer.. so I’m getting them in while he still doesn’t seem to mind ;).

Judah loves his swing, his pacifier, and his daddy! All three of those things can calm him down and make him happy when mommy can’t do it. He seems to already have a special bond with his daddy, and it is so sweet to watch.

Our little boy has taught us about a love we didn’t know or understand. We have both spent so much time just sitting and staring at him. I can’t believe how blessed we are or how absolutely precious he is. I can’t believe how fast he is growing or how fast time is passing us by. I’ve had many moments during this month where I have felt overwhelmed. I’ve felt the need to cook and clean house, but keep reminding myself that he won’t be little long. That thought makes me sit and hold him a little longer and just breathe in his sweet baby scent. So often he will fall asleep in my arms, and rather than putting him down so I can sleep or do things around the house, I’ll just hold him and cuddle until he wakes up.

Today starts month number 2 in his little life. I can’t wait to see what this month holds, but I sure don’t want it to pass by too quickly. I’m trying to enjoy every day.

Judah’s birth day (part 2)

2011-10-18T23:19:00.001-05:00

After I was all set up in the operating room, Justin came in. They gave him a stool so he could sit down by my head. I don’t remember us talking much. I was shaking uncontrollably from nerves and from the medicine that was running through my body. Justin told me later that the shaking freaked him out a little bit. He wasn’t sure if that was normal, and it was very hard for him to see me like that. I was just fine though!

I felt lots and lots of pressure and tugging. The doctor asked Justin if he would like to watch Judah be pulled out. Justin stood up and looked over the curtain.. but sat right back down. It was too much for him! I can’t say I blame him on that one. Once Judah was completely out, Justin stood up to see him, and they showed him to me. I immediately started crying and saying “he’s perfect.. he’s just perfect”. My doctor said she definitely underestimated his size. She had to make my incision larger than the average incision in order to get Judah out. Poor baby ended up with a bruised head and arm.

Justin had my camera in there with him, so he went over to the area where the nurses were cleaning Judah up to take pics. I could see everything from where I was. I just stared and cried and was overcome with joy and happiness and gratitude. My emotions and feelings really cannot be described.

My anesthesiologist then took the camera from Justin so he could take a pic of the three of us together.

After a couple minutes, it was time for me to get put back together while they took Judah to be cleaned up a little more and weighed and measured. Justin went with the baby, and I stayed alone.. but I was so happy I didn’t care one bit!

Once in the nursery, Justin found out that our big guy weighed in at 8 lbs, 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. Big Boy!

Justin then got to take him out to show to all of the family and friends that had waited for so long to meet him. One of the doctors made a remark about how many people were there waiting around at midnight. All I know is that Judah is one loved little boy!

During this time, I was rolled into recovery with warm blankets on me. I was starting to get some feeling back in my legs and the shaking stopped a little bit. Some of our family members came in to see me for a few minutes, but with it being so late, everyone left pretty quickly. Justin and I just sat and waited for the nurse to bring our son in to see us. The minutes dragged by so slowly. Finally a nurse came in, but she didn’t have Judah with her. She said she had some bad news. My heart sank. She said that Judah and I both had a fever right after he was born. They weren’t sure what was causing the fever, but because I could be sick, I wouldn’t be allowed to see or hold Judah for at least 24 hours.

I broke down. I cried and cried until my face was so swollen I almost couldn’t see. I asked God why a million times. I asked Justin why. I knew this wasn’t the end of the world. I knew that we were super blessed to have a healthy son. I tried to remind myself that God was in control and that none of this surprised Him. But I was still so upset. I had carried this baby for 39 weeks, gone through almost 24 hours of labor, and then went through a c-section. I couldn’t be okay with not getting my hands on him. I needed to see him.

Justin and I both prayed. I put a message on facebook for everyone I knew to see and asked for prayer. Then I thought of Judah. His name means “praise”. I knew in that moment that I needed to give God praise. I started focusing on the positive. I started be grateful for all of the good things. It definitely helped. I stopped crying. Justin just sat close and held my hand and comforted me. He was upset too, but we knew the outcome of all of this would be good. Everything was okay.

newborn pics

2011-10-18T22:36:00.001-05:00

So a while back after I realized that I really enjoyed photography, I found out that my favorite sessions were newborn sessions. I started studying up on how to get the little ones to sleep soundly and how to pose them, etc, etc.

Well, when I found out that I was pregnant, I couldn’t wait to have my own little “model”. I didn’t realize that I would be too exhausted, not to mention too busy, to do much photography after the little angel got here. Ha!

When Judah was 8 days old, I forced myself to get the camera out and snap some pictures of his newborn goodness. And a few days later, I did it again so I could have some images of Judah with his daddy. Hopefully I’ll get someone to take pictures of the three of us soon! I’d love to have family pics before he gets too much bigger!

Anyway, here are some of my faves from our little sessions in the back yard :)

Judah’s birth day (part 1)

2011-10-11T00:01:00.002-05:00

Tuesday, September 20th, seemed like any other day. Justin and I both knew that we would be headed to the hospital before the day ended for my scheduled induction, but it just didn’t seem real. We spent the day pretty much like normal and even went to our small group at church that evening. After small group, we came home and packed up the car and I double checked all of my lists. I tried out the video camera for the first time and made sure the cameras were charged up. Around 11:30pm we headed out… only to turn around a few minutes later because we forgot the ipod dock!

Eventually we made it to the hospital and got checked in right around midnight, September 21st. I was surprised at how quickly things went. I expected, for some reason, to have some down time. But as soon as I got to my room, the nurse had me change into my gown, get in bed, and get hooked up to my IV. By 1:30am my pitocin was started. I didn’t feel much different.. things were pretty boring. Justin went to sleep, and I tried, but couldn’t sleep. I was way too anxious and excited for sleep! I spent my time playing around on my phone, watching TV, and trying to sleep.

After what seemed like years, a nurse came in around 6:15 am to check my progress. I hadn’t made any! Same as my last doctors appointment. A little bit later, at 7am, a new nurse came on for her shift. She was super sweet and helpful. She informed me that it was a busy day for babies! There were 5 other inductions and a couple of c sections scheduled besides me. At this point we were waiting on the doctor to come and break my water. She ended up coming in about 2 hours later. My water was broken, and wow did that ever feel weird! I had progressed to 2cm.. but still felt fine other than being really hungry. I could only have ice!

By noon I was definitely feeling my contractions and asked for some pain medicine to be given through my IV. It made me feel drunk and warm in the face. I got all of my visitors (just family at this point) to leave so I could go to sleep. Justin and I both slept for a little while.. but by 1:30pm I was awake and asking for the epidural! My pain level had jumped big time!

A few hours passed, and when I was checked I was at four centimeters dilated. The doctor realized at this point that my body wasn’t responding well to the pitocin. She had the nurse turn it off to let my body rest. After they turned pitocin back on, I progressed to 6cm.. but started to really feel a ton of pain. I couldn’t understand why since I had the epidural. I can’t even describe how I felt. I couldn’t talk.. just had to close my eyes, grit my teeth, and breathe. I just knew something wasn’t right. Turns out my epidural catheter snapped! The anesthesiologist said it was his first time to see this happen during his 10 years of practice. Crazy! Just my luck :).

The epidural was fixed, but my pain level never went back down completely. I was given some other pain meds to help, but I still felt contractions. The medicine made everything from this point on kinda blurry and hazy in my memory.

All I know is that I had lots of people at the hospital visiting me and waiting for Judah to arrive. It was late evening, and we were all expecting him at any time! My body, however, had other plans. More and more time passed, but I just wasn’t dilating like I needed to. My nurse told me that if I hadn’t dilated completely by 11pm, she would contact the doctor to see what needed to be done. Well 11:00 rolled around, and I was only at 8cm. My doctor declared it time for a c section. So after all of those hours and hours of laboring and waiting… I ended up heading to surgery. By this point, though, I was so tired and just really wanted Judah out.. so I was fine with the decision!

They took me down the hall and had Justin suit up in scrubs. The whole thing was surreal. I felt like I was in a movie or something. I was flat on my back being rolled down the hall. All I could see was ceiling tiles and lights going by. I actually had a good time talking to the doctors and nurses and listening to their crazy conversations. I was surprised at how laid back the atmosphere was and at some of the stuff they talked about!

Judah Scott Perkins

2011-09-29T00:55:00.001-05:00

It’s been a while since I’ve had time to sit down with the computer.. but I can honestly say I haven’t missed it one bit.

My focus has been on something far more precious and important.

Judah Scott Perkins arrived last Wednesday night at 11:42 pm. He weighed 8 pounds, 9 ounces and was 21” long. I’m going to have to do a post really soon all about his birth. It was quite an adventure and nothing like I imagined.

I’m really loving being a mommy and spending all of my time focused on our little gift. He is incredible and words cannot describe my feelings for him.

Our lives have been changed.. and definitely for the better. I can’t imagine going back to life without him in it.

I thought this text message between Justin and myself perfectly captured how much our lives have changed…

Hahaha! The wonderful world of parenting

Justin is such a wonderful daddy. He really surprised me and jumped right in to being very hands on and involved with Judah.. dirty diapers and all! I’m so proud that he is my baby’s daddy.

Well… I’ll be back with more soon.. but for now I’m off to do some more cuddling with little man on the couch!

miss kindle’s dedication

2011-09-19T01:31:00.001-05:00

One of my besties, Jenna, that used to live here, but now lives in Dallas, came in town to have her precious girly dedicated at our home church.

I just adore Kindle and wish I got to spend more time with her. It stinks living so far from good friends sometimes.

But at least it’s close enough that we can visit pretty often.

Kindle and her parents:

What a proud day!!! And what a precious girly!

what a difference!

2011-09-19T01:24:00.001-05:00

I was just looking through all of my weekly “belly pics” and was truly amazed at how my body has grown and stretched and changed.

I cannot believe that I was ever this little… or that I thought I had a prominent “baby bump” at the time! haha

That was week 10.

This is week 38…

I’ve already packed away most of my maternity clothes. I’m really hoping that not having many larger item options will motivate me to lose weight quickly. I know that it took 10 months to put this weight on, though.. so I don’t expect it all to fall off immediately. At least it will be fall/winter so I won’t have to worry about being in a swimsuit!

39 weeks

2011-09-19T01:17:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 39 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 20 inches and 7.25 pounds… but we are pretty sure Judah is bigger than average!

Maternity clothes: everything except for skirts and stretchy waist pants is maternity. I’ve even outgrown many maternity clothes. In the past week I have struggled to find tops that cover my belly and have been wearing more dresses.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins. We cannot wait to see him!

Movement: Definitely less kicking.. but still lots of pressure and movement where he pokes his body out of my belly. When he kicks, it HURTS.

Sleep: Sleep is good… I just can’t go to sleep at a decent hour. I have been finding myself wide awake until 2am and then sleeping really late in the mornings.

What I miss: I miss having normal size hands and feet. I miss having ankles. I miss being able to move without hurting. I am definitely counting down the days until I can start on the weight loss journey and get some of this swelling down. I know I will definitely miss pregnancy though.

Cravings: no big cravings this week… just very hungry!

Aversions: pot roast. raw chicken. leftovers.

Symptoms: You name it, I’ve probably been experiencing it. The most prominent ones are probably indigestion and lots of aches and pains. I’ve had more contractions this week. And I am larger and heavier than I ever thought possible. Each day it seems like I have somehow grown bigger in the belly. And my nose is definitely wider.

Best moment this week: All week long I have been constantly counting down the days and thinking, “at this time next week……”. I’m just so excited to meet our little guy! Only a couple more days now!!!

38 weeks

2011-09-12T23:48:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 38 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 19.75 inches and 6.8 pounds, but about a pound heavier than this according to the latest ultrasound measurements.

Maternity clothes: everything except for skirts and stretchy waist pants is maternity.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins. We cannot wait to see him!

Movement: Definitely less kicking.. but still lots of pressure and movement where he pokes his body out of my belly.

Sleep: Sleep is going well.. unless I drink too much water before bed.

What I miss: I miss being able to go, go, go! I have really had to slow down and stay home more lately. I have a bunch of pains and pressure when I get out and do too much in one day.

Cravings: breakfast cereal and macaroni and cheese. not together!

Aversions: pot roast. raw chicken.

Symptoms: You name it, I’ve probably been experiencing it. The most prominent ones are probably indigestion and lots of aches and pains. I’ve had a few contractions randomly and (TMI..) lost my mucus plug! Oh yeah… and I’m HUGE! haha

Best moment this week: At our 37 week appointment we saw Judah on the ultrasound and set an induction date! Having a date on the calendar has been a big deal! Also, I really enjoyed putting the finishing touches on his nursery and spending time with lots of family this past week.

we have a date!

2011-09-07T16:19:00.001-05:00

Today we had our weekly baby doctor appointment and an ultrasound. I had Justin go with me to this appointment so he could see Judah one last time on the big screen before meeting him in person. I also wanted Justin to meet our doctor before she is actually delivering our son in the hospital!

Everything went well today. I had gained a few more pounds (blah).. I had a great blood pressure.. Judah’s heart rate was 140 bpm.. He is still head down and has even dropped into position!

It was so neat to see the ultrasound this time. He has gotten so big in there that he is all crammed in, making it difficult to clearly see the different body parts. We did get a good angle of his little profile and saw that he had some hair! He kept putting his hand up by his face though, so we didn’t really see his face from the front. We found out that he is still measuring a little bigger than average with a big head and weighing right around 7.5-8 pounds! His little heart was flickering away on the screen, and we could clearly see all four chambers. I’m so happy to know that he is a healthy boy :).

After the ultrasound, we saw the doctor. I am officially 1 cm dilated, and Judah is engaged but not super low. Doctor went ahead and stripped my membranes today (which hurt like CRAZY! by the way), so we are hoping I’ll go into labor soon! We did go ahead and set an induction date, though.. just in case I don’t go into labor. The big day will be in 2 weeks… 9/21/11!

It’s so hard to believe that I will have a baby in my arms in two weeks or less. It’s really crazy thinking that I may know his birth date already! This is so exciting and unreal!

After the appointment, we called lots of friends and family with the news and then decided to nap. Now I’m up and trying to think of all that is left for me to do in order to be totally ready for this little man’s arrival!

37 weeks

2011-09-07T15:59:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 37 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 19.25 inches and 6.3 pounds

Maternity clothes: everything except for skirts and stretchy waist pants is maternity now.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Still lots of movement. He really seems to enjoy poking his hiney/back/feet and possibly other body parts out. He has spent a bunch of time lately with his body on my left side with feet poking out the right side or in my right ribs.

Sleep: I have miraculously slept pretty well here lately. Usually only waking a couple times.

What I miss: I miss the days when I didn’t have to literally roll out of bed and off the couch.

Cravings: I’ve had lots of random cravings. If I hear someone talking about something that sounds yummy, I start craving it. Not good for the number on the scale. But not too much longer!

Aversions: pot roast. raw chicken.

Symptoms: You name it, I’ve probably been experiencing it. The most prominent ones are probably indigestion and lots of aches and pains.

Best moment this week: We are FULL TERM!

it’s officially baby month

2011-09-03T14:36:00.001-05:00

So here I sit on a drizzly and lazy Saturday. It’s the first Saturday in September. And September is “baby month”!!! I woke up a couple days ago thinking that, “wow… I’m having a baby this month!” It’s really an overwhelming thought that brings all kinds of emotions. Even though I feel like my pregnancy has absolutely flown by, I feel like I’ve waited forever for this month to arrive.

Everywhere I go these days, I have people asking how much longer and telling me that they know I must be so ready. And they surely are right. When asked about three weeks ago if I was ready.. my answer was no. I still had too much to do. I didn’t feel prepared. What a difference a few weeks can make! Now I really cannot wait to see my son and hold him and kiss him and talk about who he looks like and take a million pictures of him and share him with our families and friends. I would be perfectly happy to have him tomorrow if I knew he would be healthy!

Besides hanging some artwork and picture frames, Judah’s room is completely ready for him. All of his clothes are washed and folded. His sheets have been washed and his crib put together. I have his little bathtub and baby washes all ready to go. Even his little diaper bag is packed with anything and everything I could think of to pack. We are ready.

Justin has been talking about it more and more, too. He looks at my huge belly and sees the rolling around that his son is doing under my skin and is amazed. He has talked many times about how ready he is to meet Judah and to see his little face. I’m so glad that he is excited. I know he will be an awesome daddy. :) He has definitely been a great daddy-to-be. So understanding and full of grace towards me. These last couple weeks I have been very uncomfortable, kinda lazy, and a little grouchy even. I haven’t done a wonderful job of keeping the house clean or cooking dinner. I have done a whole bunch of sleeping and resting on the couch with my feet up. But Justin hasn’t complained one time.

He has been very thoughtful and even surprised me the other morning. I have been super duper craving cereal lately. Before I went to bed and he left for work one night, I was complaining that we were out of cereal but I didn’t want to go to the store. I knew he didn’t have time to go to the store before work either. But I woke up the next morning to not one, but four boxes of cereal and an almond joy waiting on the kitchen counter for me to choose from. It made my little [big] pregnant day! haha.

I packed my bag for the hospital last night. I’ll be 37 weeks and full term on Monday! So we could go anytime now. I know that it’s not likely I would go into labor early with my first child… but at least we know I’m prepared and ready if need be! I go weekly to the doctor now, and last week I had some bloodwork done and had a “check”. My body had not progressed at all yet, even though I had been having a bunch of cramps and pressure. I go back to the doctor this coming Wednesday, and this time we will have an ultrasound. The U/S will be used to measure Judah and see if he is still measuring big. If so, we may be inducing as early as the following week!!!! (That means in just over a week I could be meeting Judah!) If he isn’t measuring too big and everything else looks good as well, I guess we may just let him do his thing and come when he’s ready. I’m so anxious about this appointment. I’m ready to have a plan.. not to mention, I’m just ready to see his little face on that screen again!

But for now we wait.

And while I wait.. I have a few things to keep me busy. I need to write thank you cards, cook some meals to put in the freezer, and plan a newborn photo shoot for my little man! I won’t be too upset, though, if I don’t have time to get it all done before he decides to join us.

36 weeks

2011-08-28T23:02:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 36 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 18.75 inches and 5.75 pounds

Maternity clothes: everything except for skirts and stretchy waist pants is maternity now.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Still lots of movement. He really seems to enjoy poking his hiney/back/feet and possibly other body parts out. Sometimes it feels like he’s trying to escape through the front.

Sleep: It seems like it takes me forever to fall asleep these days.. but once I get to sleep I’m doing okay. Still up a few times at night.

What I miss: This week I’ve started missing my stamina. Just walking through Wal-Mart or Target gets the best of me. And don’t even get me started on cleaning the house. I have to take breaks between each task.

Cravings: none that I can remember.

Aversions: pot roast. raw chicken.

Symptoms: More of the same. But add to it some nausea and period like cramping that comes and goes pretty often. The doctor says it’s just my body preparing for labor. Some people tell me it’s probably Braxton Hicks. Either way, it’s not comfortable.

Best moment this week: Realizing that within a month, I will have a little boy in my arms is pretty amazing. :). I start my weekly doctors appointments now too.

35 weeks

2011-08-22T14:20:00.001-05:00

(I skipped my 34 week update… oops!)

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 35 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 18 inches and 5.25 pounds

Maternity clothes: everything except for skirts and stretchy waist pants is maternity now.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Lots and lots of big moves/rolls/jabs. I keep expecting it to slow down because he is running out of room… but that hasn’t happened yet. The video in my previous post is proof! He’s definitely an active little guy. I’ve been feeling lots of hard kicks on my right side right under my ribs. They are starting to hurt!

Sleep: It seems like it takes me forever to fall asleep these days.. but once I get to sleep I’m doing okay. Still up a few times at night.

What I miss: I miss feeling cute. I miss wearing my wedding rings. I miss being able to get off of the couch without assistance. I miss walking without a waddle. haha… but I am okay with all of this because I know it’s getting my precious boy closer and closer to my arms!

Cravings: fried pickles!

Aversions: pot roast. raw chicken.

Symptoms: aches and pains in my hips and back.. especially at night while trying to sleep. Also, I officially have an outie belly button! oh, and I’m staying swollen now. And just recently I’ve started having some pressure like pain down low. Maybe Judah has dropped a little??

Best moment this week: I’ve had a lot of fun doing online shopping for little things that we didn’t get from our baby showers. Getting packages in the mail and delivered to the door is so fun!

judah showing off! (warning: bare belly video)

2011-08-19T22:46:00.001-05:00

I have been trying to catch the rolling and shaking that has been going on in my belly for a while now.. but Judah usually stops as soon as I get the camera ready.

Tonight, though.. I caught him in action!

Judah at 34 1/2 weeks!

He is definitely an active little guy. I’m kinda thinking that I should be worried! I’ll probably have my hands full with him. Can’t wait!

my very own baby shower!

2011-08-18T01:51:00.001-05:00

I cannot count on both hands how many baby showers I went to and was secretly sad and maybe a tad bit jealous. I so badly wanted to be the one with the round belly opening all of the tiny little outfits and soft blankets.

Earlier this month, several sweet ladies got together and threw a baby shower for Judah and myself. My very own baby shower!!! :) It was surreal. And super cute. The theme was “under the sea”, and I loved it!

We had close to 30 good friends, family members, and church members show up to bless us with sweet words and precious gifts. I cannot express how grateful I am!

Here are a few pics:

Justin had been mowing and working and was sooo dirty! But I made him come at the end to help me load all of our gifts into the car. haha

This is my sweet friend, Hope. She is due with her first little boy just a few days before I’m due with Judah! She was one of several fabulous hostesses.

Justin is 24!

2011-08-14T22:21:00.001-05:00

Justin’s birthday was Saturday. He turned 24.. and I’ll turn 27 in October. I always seem to forget he is younger than me until our birthdays come around.

We didn’t do much to celebrate his birthday… but that’s how he wanted it. His mom cooked dinner for us, and we had birthday cake for dessert.

I got him some new awesome smelling cologne. It’s called Affliction, and we found it at Buckle. Yum! I’m so glad I get to be the one to cuddle up next to him when he’s wearing it. :)

And just for memory’s sake I guess I’ll post a pic of us together.. although I am NOT liking the way I look these days. I’m feeling like a marshmallow/beached whale with all this extra fluid and swelling. Yikes!

happy birthday, sweet man! love you lots and lots!

Happy 3 years! (a few days late)

2011-08-12T11:45:00.001-05:00

Monday, August 8th, Justin and I reached our 3rd wedding anniversary. I can’t believe that it’s already been 3 years. But at the same time, I can’t really remember life without him. And I surely can’t imagine not having him here now!

We actually celebrated our anniversary the last weekend in July. We got a hotel and spent the night in Bossier City. We knew we couldn’t do much or go far with me being so close to the end of this pregnancy. We had a great time though…just relaxing in the room, watching tv, swimming, and having a wonderful dinner with ice cream for dessert :).

I sure do love this man and am so thankful that I get to be by his side. He truly is an awesome husband.. so encouraging and funny and sweet and hard-working. <3. And now I look forward to seeing him be a daddy, too. At this point in marriage, I would have to say that it’s fun and exciting. And even though life can throw us some tough situations, it makes it easier knowing we are going through it together.

missing my girl

2011-08-12T11:34:00.001-05:00

I have to say, I have really enjoyed being back in West Monroe. I haven’t missed Texas too much. (Justin, on the other hand, is a whole different story.. haha). I love the familiarity of this place. I love seeing more of our families. And I really love how nature is so much closer.. The stars at night and the birds and squirrels hopping around outside my window in the morning.

But I have missed a few good friends, my sis, Dom, and this very special little princess…

Only she’s not so little anymore! From these pics my sister sent me, it looks like Ava has grown a foot since we moved only a couple months ago!

I sure can’t wait to see her and her parents again! I know it’s going to be fun to see Ava interact with Judah. She loves babies!

33 weeks

2011-08-12T11:19:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 33 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 17 inches and 4.25 pounds

Maternity clothes: everything except for dresses, skirts, and stretchy waist pants is maternity now.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Lots and lots of big moves/rolls/jabs. I keep expecting it to slow down because he is running out of room… but that hasn’t happened yet. I’ve been trying to catch him on video with my phone, but every time I get the phone out he stops! Little stinker!

Sleep: what is sleep? I am just not sleeping well at all at this point. But I am able to nap during the day which helps a good bit.

What I miss: I miss feeling cute, and I miss wearing my wedding rings.. but I know he is worth it :)

Cravings: cold liquids… especially sweet tea and icees.

Aversions: I haven’t tried cooking chicken lately, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk! haha. Nothing else has been making me sick though.

Symptoms: aches and pains in my hips and back.. especially at night while trying to sleep. Also, I officially have an outie belly button! oh, and I’m staying swollen now.

Best moment this week: We had an incredible baby shower and were greatly blessed with almost everything we still needed for little Judah.

32 weeks

2011-07-31T14:26:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 32 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 16.7 inches and 3.75 pounds

Maternity clothes: everything except for dresses, skirts, and stretchy waist pants is maternity now.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Lots and lots of big moves/rolls/jabs. I have had lots of fun this week watching the movements through my clothes and skin. It truly amazes me.

Sleep: I just might be at that point where my body is preparing me for sleepless nights with a newborn. I haven’t been sleeping good at all… back ache, indigestion, potty breaks.. it all keeps me up!

What I miss: not having to worry about finding clothes that will cover my belly. I have many tops now that are too short.

Cravings: raisinets. and milk.

Aversions: I haven’t tried cooking chicken lately, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk! haha. Nothing else has been making me sick though.

Symptoms: Indigestion has become a big one. And the usual backache and swelling are still around some too.

Best moment this week: Justin and I celebrated (a little early) our 3 year anniversary this past weekend. Also we had a friend pray for us and for Judah and got some really awesome promises from God through that.

31 weeks

2011-07-25T10:34:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 31 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 16.25 inches and 3.3 pounds

Maternity clothes: everything except for dresses, skirts, and stretchy waist pants is maternity now.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Maybe it’s because I have been less active, but I have noticed baby moving WAY more this past week. And I can see many of the movements through my clothes.

Sleep: Could be better… waking up several times a night for potty breaks and to change positions.

What I miss: being able to give myself a pedicure!

Cravings: sweet tea… I have been very thirsty lately.

Aversions: I haven’t tried cooking chicken lately, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk! haha. Nothing else has been making me sick though.

Symptoms: Back ache, heartburn, a little bit of swelling, belly getting realllllly round, belly button is completely flat and even pokes out a little at times.

Best moment this week: One day I got some gifts for Judah and found some awesome deals for him while shopping… I was super excited that day!

loving this

2011-07-22T12:24:00.001-05:00

Lacey surprised me with this painting for Judah’s room! Justin and I both LOVE it! I can’t decide if I want it over his bed or his dresser… but either way, it will be perfect!

everything is new!

2011-07-20T20:17:00.001-05:00

I haven’t been able to blog because we haven’t had internet for quite some time. And we won’t have it until the 29th of the month. I just go to Justin’s parents’ house when I have internet business to take care of!

Anyway… we have lots of new news!

Justin has been offered a job! It is with a really great company. The position he has been offered is temporary, so we won’t get to take advantage of the great benefits just yet. However, Justin still has the opportunity to apply for long term positions, and we are hoping that him working already as a temp will give him an advantage. We are very excited about it either way! We were praying and believing that God would provide Justin with enough income so that I didn’t have to work after Judah gets here, nor would Justin have to work two jobs. And our prayers have been more than answered! :) He should be starting on the 25th!

We have also found a place to live.. We are now renting a mobile home just minutes away from Justin’s parents and some of my family. It is pretty small, but we believe that it will be just right for us and Judah to start out in. Hopefully after I get everything in it’s place, I’ll remember to take some pics! We have been here for almost a week now and really like it so far. It was quite a process getting in though.. We cleaned and moved in 100+ degree temps for two days with no air conditioning. The electricity didn’t get turned on until a couple days after we started moving in! Needless to say, I was one tired, hot, and swollen preggo! haha

The only picture I have so far is of Judah’s crib. I have been having so much fun going through all of his stuff and trying to organize it. I can’t wait til my next baby shower so I can do even more! Anyway, here is his crib all put together…

We are in love with his bedding! The stuffed animal in there is from Justin’s uncle Dennis and aunt Laura. It’s his very first one.. a llama!

And finally, I have a new clinic and doctor here in West Monroe. I went to my appointment at about 29 1/2 weeks. I didn’t get to meet my new doctor.. just the nurse practitioner. I’ll meet the doctor at my next appointment. I got a few questions answered though, did all of my routine stuff, and had an ultrasound! I had no idea I would get an US, but since it was my first appointment at this clinic.. they wanted to check things out. And of course I didn’t mind one bit!

I got a little surprise too.. The ultrasound technician asked me if Judah has a big/tall daddy. And if you know Justin, that is the opposite of true. haha! He is only about 5’8’’ and under 140 lbs. But she said that Judah has long legs and big feet. And she said he is weighing almost 4 pounds… and the average baby at this point is not quite 3 pounds. So looks like we are having a BIG boy! :) I cannot wait to meet him!

We got several images of him printed out.. but I only have access to one right now on my computer. Here is his little profile…

He’s so cute! A dream come true.

long lost friends

2011-07-20T19:47:00.001-05:00

I don’t really have a lot to write for this post.. but I want the picture here for my memory. I got together for lunch with two of my best friends from high school. It has been years since we were all three together. I just love these girls! It was like no time had lapsed since we were last together. We just ate and laughed and talked.. we need to do it again soon!

29 and 30 weeks

2011-07-20T19:46:00.001-05:00

week 29 picture (no update):

week 30:

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 30 weeks

Size of baby: supposed to be 15.7 inches and 2.75 pounds… however the doctor thinks he is quite a bit bigger!

Maternity clothes: everything except for dresses, skirts, and stretchy waist pants is maternity now.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: It’s so funny to me… I may go hours without feeling him move.. and then all of a sudden he is all over the place! I have definitely felt some little body parts sticking out that I believe to be feet. And he tends to stay on my right side more.

Sleep: Could be better… waking up several times a night for potty breaks and to change positions.

What I miss: being able to move around with any sort of speed. I have definitely slowed down lately.

Cravings: Not sure if I would call it a craving, but I have been drinking more milk. I have a glass almost every night before bed.

Aversions: I haven’t tried cooking chicken lately, but I don’t think it’s worth the risk! haha. Nothing else has been making me sick though.

Symptoms: Back ache, heartburn, a little bit of swelling, belly getting realllllly round, belly button is completely flat and even pokes out a little at times.

Best moment this week: I went to an appointment with my new clinic in West Monroe and had an ultrasound! Seeing my boy on that screen was too sweet. I’ll post pics in a post coming up!

28 weeks

2011-07-07T09:46:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 28 weeks

Size of baby: 14.8 inches

Maternity clothes: yep! currently wishing I had more maternity shorts.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Lots of kicks and rolls. I feel him all over the place.. from way down low to up high near my ribs.

Sleep: Could be better… waking up several times a night for potty breaks and to change positions.

What I miss: being comfortable all the time.

Cravings: ice cream!

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken.

Symptoms: Back ache, a little bit of swelling, belly getting realllllly round, belly button is completely flat and even pokes out a little at times, and I’m HOT almost all the time.

Best moment this week: We made it to third trimester! I can’t believe it’s already here! Also, it’s great to know that if Judah comes now, his lungs are developed enough for him to most likely be okay.

super size catch up post

2011-07-04T12:16:00.001-05:00

I have had great intentions to blog several things ranging from before we moved until now… that’s about 3 weeks worth of stuff! Things have just been busy and hectic though, and when I’ve had free time I haven’t wanted to spend it on the computer. But for my memory’s sake, I’m about to dump it all into one big post!

The week before our big move, I wanted to spend time with my friends and family in the Dallas area. Justin and I had lunch with the Henderson’s one day. Then I had a girls’ night out with Jenna, Kaitlin, and Gabby. We had super yummy dessert and great conversation. It was so fun! But hard to say good-bye of course.

Justin and I also spent a day hanging out with Candice and Ava. We grilled burgers and swam. It was a really fun, but bittersweet day. I miss my sister and Ava so much already. Oh, and Dom too! haha :)

Another big event that week was that I had my last appointment with Dr. Freeman. Justin and I both loved her and hated to leave her. She has taken such good care of Judah and myself. At this last appointment I had to have my blood drawn for the glucose test. Yummy!

It actually didn’t taste terrible.. but it was just too much to drink in such a short period. I thought I was going to get sick afterward, but held it in! Then I was almost positive I had failed the test because I ate breakfast that morning.. and the lab tech told me I should have fasted! But I passed!!! The only problem that they found in my blood work was that I’m anemic. So I’m now taking iron supplements along with my prenatals every day.

We ended up moving on Monday, June 20th, after hours and hours of cleaning the apartment. It was really tough to move and do all of that deep cleaning with a big belly! We got it done though.

In West Monroe we have most of our stuff in storage and are staying with Justin’s parents while he looks for a job. So far he has put in a ton of applications and resumes, but only had one interview. It’s in God’s hands! We have found very few places that we would even consider moving to. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to find rental property! This is quite an ordeal. And I’m SO ready to get settled somewhere and start working on making the place our home and getting things ready for Judah. He will be here in less than 3 months!

Besides job and house searching.. I have had some fun times! Our first Saturday here we went to a little family reunion with my dad’s side of the family. It was a gorgeous day to swim and cook out.

I also took an afternoon recently to visit my mom and mamaw in Farmerville. It was so good to see them and just talk for a while. We even pulled out old pictures of my mom when she was pregnant with me and compared bellies!

I’ve had some great time catching up with friends. I have gotten to see my long lost friends, Penny and Audrey. I had lunch with Penny and just saw Audrey at Johnny’s Pizza. I got to spend an afternoon with Lacey and Lauren. I just love those girls and know we will have lots more hang out time this summer. Can’t wait! And I got to spend time with sweet Hope. She is due with her first baby, Fisher, just a few days before me. We had so much fun talking about our pregnancies and stuff. I can’t wait to visit with her more either.

Things to come:

hopefully this month Justin will find a job and we will move one more time!

I have 2-3 photoshoots lined up for this month. :)

West Monroe baby shower coming up in a month, August 6th!

26 & 27 weeks

2011-06-27T21:18:00.001-05:00

week 26 pic (no update because I was too busy with the move)--

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 27 weeks

Size of baby: 14.5 inches.. size of a head of cauliflower (2 pounds).

Maternity clothes: Yes! and I’ve been wearing lots of skirts and dresses lately because they are cooler. Most of those are non maternity.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Over the past couple weeks I have felt Judah rolling around in my belly. Not just kicks and punches anymore!

Sleep: Well, we are now staying with Justin’s parents in a spare bedroom until we get our own place… and I’m not sleeping great.

What I miss: my Texas friends and family. :(

Cravings: chinese food

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken.

Symptoms: Back ACHE!!! oh my heavens… it’s bad every day and gets worse towards evening. I’ve tried tylenol, heading pads, warm baths, massage, etc. Nothing helps. Any advice??

Best moment this week: Seeing friends and family in West Monroe for the first time in a while. I’m so excited for Judah to meet everyone in a few months! The time is coming quickly!!!

weekly randoms!

2011-06-12T19:22:00.001-05:00

So it seems like the only posts I know how to make lately are pregnancy updates or just completely random thoughts piled together… This one is the latter.

Last Wednesday I had Justin take me to IKEA. I love IKEA and really wanted to go one last time before we move away. I thought I would maybe find some cool stuff for Judah’s nursery, and I wanted to pick up some new blankets for photography purposes. Unfortunately we didn’t get much for the nursery, but I got a nice new stash of blankets, a small table to possibly use in Judah’s room, and we got baby boy a set of stacking/nesting cups! (I just had to get him something!)

Then on Saturday I went to a baby shower for a sweet friend, Julie. I actually worked for her a while back helping her out with narrowing down sessions for her photography business. (If you are in the Denton area, check out www.juliebirdseye.com). The shower was all baseball themed and sooo cute! And it was great to see her again before I move away. She was even sweet enough to bring Judah a gift to her own baby shower. :)

Today we had lunch at Mi Cocina with some super great friends after church. I just adore Gabriella and Riman. I realized today while having lunch with them that we really are running out of time to spend with people that have grown so special to us. It’s going to be very hard to leave these friendships behind. Thank you guys for lunch and for everything! We have to keep in touch… for real!

We have ONE week left until the move, and it’s going to be a crazy busy week. Tomorrow night we have dinner plans with the Henderson’s… Tuesday night I have plans for dessert with some girlfriends… at some point I HAVE to go visit with my sister and her fam.. not to mention working, finishing up packing, getting utilities turned off, cleaning the apartment, etc. I’m tired just thinking about it all!

25 weeks

2011-06-12T18:56:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 25 weeks

Size of baby: 13.5 inches.. size of a rutabaga (1.5 pounds).

Maternity clothes: Pants are maternity or stretchy, and shirts are still a good mix. I’ve been wearing lots of skirts and dresses lately because they are cooler. Most of those are non maternity.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: This past week I started feeling some really hard kicks and jabs. Sometimes they come out of nowhere and startle me!

Sleep: It takes a little while to get into a comfortable position, but once I’m asleep, I’m sleeping well.

What I miss: being able to cook chicken.

Cravings: mainly just fruit (watermelon, pineapple, strawberries) and sweets! Also frozen yogurt. yummm!

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken.

Symptoms: back ache, itchy belly, and hot! oh, and my belly button is getting flat. I really think it will be poking out soon!

Best moment this week: One day before leaving for work, Justin put on IHOP’s Joy CD, and Judah moved around the whole time the music was playing. I think he liked it!

23 weeks + 24 weeks

2011-06-06T21:14:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 23 weeks (no pic this week)

Size of baby: 11.5 inches.. size of a large mango.

Maternity clothes: Pants are maternity or stretchy, and shirts are still a good mix.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Movement is throughout the day not.. not only when I’m sitting still or laying down. I love to feel these little movements. Sweet reminders that he is in there and still doing okay.

Sleep: Sleep is good I guess. I’m waking up a few times a night to reposition myself, but go right back to sleep.

What I miss: not much this week!

Cravings: mainly just fruit (watermelon, pineapple, strawberries) and sweets!

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken! Also, the thought of pot roast has had me gagging. For this week add the smell of a ripe banana to the list. I took a bite of one and smelled it and then threw it in the trash. SO NASTY!

Symptoms: back ache, thirstier than usual, itchy belly, and starting to be hot more often.

Best moment this week: Justin getting to feel Judah kick was really neat.

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 24 weeks

Size of baby: 12.5 inches.. size of corn on the cob.

Maternity clothes: Pants are maternity or stretchy, and shirts are still a good mix.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: Lots of moves this week! Some of them were pretty hard.

Sleep: Sleep is good I guess. I’m waking up a few times a night to reposition myself, but go right back to sleep.

What I miss: cooler weather… it’s already SO hot!

Cravings: frozen yogurt/ice cream

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken! Also, the thought of pot roast has had me gagging.

Symptoms: back ache, itchy belly, and hot.

Best moment this week: We had a baby doctor appointment and heard Judah’s heartbeat again. I also had my first baby shower this past week.

things to remember….

2011-05-31T18:08:00.001-05:00

A few nights ago I had a dream that I was in the hospital. I was having a c-section with Judah. I woke up just remembering how mad I was that I didn’t get to hold him first. And I remembered what he looked like in my dream. He had a really round face with chubby cheeks and dark curly hair. He was adorable!!! I wonder what he will really look like?!

Justin has told me several times lately that he thinks I look great pregnant. It’s so sweet every time. He makes me melt <3. He even told me once that he like me better pregnant. Haha… I told him that was sweet but could be bad because I won’t stay this way! Hopefully I’ll have at least a couple more pregnancies though. :)

Our little boy is kicking more and more these days. He can hear things from the outside now. The other day I put music from my iphone up to my belly and he started moving around. I’m excited that he can hear our voices and stuff now. It makes it more fun to talk to him throughout the day.

On another note… I got the bedding in today and LOVE it! Justin loves it too. It’s definitely a keeper. I couldn’t believe how soft and well made everything seemed to be. Now I’m really itching to find stuff that matches it to go in Judah’s room!

clearing my head

2011-05-28T20:18:00.001-05:00

Seems like these days I just about cannot turn my brain off. Any time I get still for a few minutes my mind starts racing, and I start adding things to mental lists. I think that I’ve officially reached my “nesting” mode.. but there isn’t much I can do about it. I’m in the wrong home in the wrong state with so many things to do before I can really start nesting. I cannot wait to get moved into a new home and begin setting up Judah’s nursery, among many other things.
For now, here is the bedding that we have ordered—I haven’t gotten it in the mail yet, so not positive it’s a keeper, but pretty sure. Justin and I both love the color scheme. And the rocketships have great significance to us, especially Justin. It seems just perfect. It’s from the Dwell Studio for Target line. LOVE Dwell Studio stuff, and since this is the target line, it’s only costing a little over $100 for the set! (This is not our crib.. we actually don’t have a crib picked out yet, but I know we want to go with dark wood.)

image found here

Besides trying to pick out stuff and plan for the baby’s room, I’ve also wanted to start reading more “mommy” books. I bought several before I was even pregnant, but just haven’t felt like reading in the past few months. Hopefully I can get back into the reading groove. I used to read a ton! Right now I’m reading The Happiest Baby on the Block by: Harvey Karp, M.D., and just today I bought Bringing up Boys by: James Dobson. Any other good book suggestions??

herehere

As anyone can imagine, I’ve had lots and lots of “firsts” lately. One of my favorites has been Justin finally feeling Judah kick. It’s so sweet to me that he can finally feel our baby move. We played some music this morning and Justin laid his head on my belly and could feel Judah rolling around in there and hear his heartbeat :). One of my not so favorite firsts happened today at lunch. The girl at the register asked when I was due, so I told her September. She then proceeded to ask me if it was twins!!! haha… I didn’t get upset, but it did leave me wondering how big I am really looking?! I feel huge, but I thought that was normal. Oh well! As long as Judah and I are both healthy, I guess it doesn’t matter how far my belly sticks out.
My first baby shower is next weekend. I still can’t believe that I’ll be attending a baby shower that is for MY baby. It’s so unreal. I can’t wait to see all of my Texas friends and see all of the cute little stuff that they bless us and Judah with. Hopefully I’ll have a couple pics to post from the shower.
I’m officially counting down my last days/weeks at work and my last weeks in Dallas. I have three more work weeks and four more weeks here before the move. We still don’t have a house there, and Justin still doesn’t have a job there… but we aren’t worried about it really. God has totally given us peace in the situation. We know we are doing the right thing.. so we are just walking in faith that He will provide at the right time! It looks like we may be staying with Justin’s parents until we find “our” house. We’ve all talked about it and think it will be fine. I hope Sylvester feels the same way! haha… not sure he will be crazy about living with two barking dogs!
Speaking of Sylvester.. he has been so needy lately. He wants way more attention than ever before. And he’s been super cuddly. I think he knows a baby is on the way or something!

I’m really glad that the weather is finally starting to be nice again. We have had the rainiest May ever this year! It has been so gloomy and just hasn’t felt like summer. Not to mention the crazy hail storm and tornadoes that came through a few days ago. I’m so thankful that everyone I know made it through the storms safely. That was my first experience with tornado sirens, and I wasn’t crazy about it!
This is Memorial Day weekend, and I’m excited about the next two days. Tomorrow we have church and then a church wide picnic outside afterwards. Then on Monday we have plans to hang out with some friends from church and people that Justin went to school with. Not sure exactly what we will do.. but maybe grill, swim, hike, volleyball?? And then Monday night we are getting together with Candice, Dom, and Ava to swim and possibly grill burgers. It will be Justin’s first time to grill burgers! He will do great, though. He grilled steaks the other day for the first time and they were delicious!

I guess this is enough brain dumping for now… gotta get back to my laundry!

the truth

2011-05-24T18:14:00.001-05:00

I’ve always imagined myself to be one of those women who has super easy pregnancies and loves being pregnant more than life itself. Needless to say, I was a little shocked at how hard this process can really be. I don’t hear too many people talk about the details of what it’s like to share your body with another person.

I know it’s different for everyone. But for me, the first trimester was pretty intense. I spent weeks and weeks on end so sick to my stomach that I could sometimes not get off of the couch. I never had full control of myself.. and would be so upset when once again I had the uncontrollable urge to throw up my food. The precious food that was so hard to get down in the first place. Every single day my body wanted something different. I would crave pot roast one day and gag at the sight of it the next. Same thing with many different foods. Not to mention smells. I just about couldn’t walk through the kitchen without gagging. Besides the sickness, there was the constant state of zombie-ness. No amount of sleep was ever enough. I had no energy to even do a load of laundry or put my dirty dishes into the dishwasher. It was hard. I had to rely almost completely on Justin to make it through each day. And I thought to myself… I really don’t like pregnancy. But, I always loved being pregnant.

After about week 13, I started having more and more days where I wasn’t completely nauseated and sick. Every day that I went without that uneasy feeling in my belly felt like a victory. However, just when I would think the sickness and vomiting were gone for good, I’d have another episode. At least they were fewer, though. I could deal with that. And then… the headaches. Oh my goodness. The headaches. They put me out of commission. I couldn’t read, look at the computer screen, have lights on in the house, listen to music or just about anything else. I don’t know how many evenings I spent on the couch in silence in a dimly lit room. Medicine was prescribed, but didn’t help one bit. I seriously thought I would have to stop working or else my head would split in two. With every headache, though, I still thought to myself that this is what I have been praying for. I would still thank God for blessing us with this little gift inside of me.

Here I sit, at 22 weeks pregnant. I’m a little over halfway to meeting my precious bundle. Although the nausea is gone almost completely, and headaches are rare these days… there are new symptoms that have come along. Heartburn is one. Swollen fingers and feet another. Backache is even bigger than those two combined. Even while I type this I feel like my spine is trying to splinter and pull in opposite directions. It is a pain that never really leaves. It only intensifies as the day goes on and turns into night. I know that carrying around the 11 month old baby at work isn’t helping. Only a few more weeks of that. I’m really hoping that the back pain will be gone with the job. Fingers crossed. Despite these symptoms and the other minor ones that plague me, I am happy and in love.

I can honestly say that I really do like pregnancy now. Knowing that I am carrying my son around inside me and feeling his little movements every day make it all more than worth it. I remember telling Justin the other day that I would go through this all again and many times over just to have the chance to meet my sweet Judah. No amount of pain or sickness can take away the love I already have for him. I’m so thankful for this pregnancy. Every single minute of it. I realize that this is a special time that I’m sharing with my boy that I’ll never get back. And nobody else gets this time with him.. not even his daddy. It’s so special being a mother. I never really understood that before. Judah is teaching me all kinds of things. He is my gift from God and answer to my prayers.

I have a feeling that the next 18 weeks of pregnancy aren’t going to be all peaches and cream. I’m sure that new symptoms will come and others will intensify. My body is in a constant state of change that I cannot keep up with. I’m literally being stretched in all directions. But one thing will remain-- he is worth it all.

22 weeks

2011-05-23T20:26:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 22 weeks

Size of baby: 11 inches.. size of a spaghetti squash. also finally made it to 1 whole pound!

Maternity clothes: Pants are maternity or stretchy, and shirts are still a good mix.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott Perkins.

Movement: more movement this past week.. mainly in the mornings and at night when I’m sitting or laying still. On the 18th, while trying to fall asleep for the night, I felt Judah moving around and put my hand on my belly. I felt two hard kicks after that from the outside! That was a first for me.. and I haven’t felt it since. Can’t wait for more though!

Sleep: Sleep is good I guess. I’m waking up a few times a night to reposition myself, but go right back to sleep.

What I miss: bending over and moving around really easily. I’m also missing my high heels. Seems like my feet are either swollen already or they are starting to grow.. none of my cute heels fit right anymore.

Cravings: green grapes, bbq baked beans, and more water than usual.

Symptoms: back ache, thirstier than usual, itchy belly, and starting to be hot more often.

Best moment this week: feeling Judah kick from the outside. And ordering his crib bedding!!!

21 weeks

2011-05-16T20:36:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: 10.5 inches.. size of a banana

Maternity clothes: Pants are maternity or stretchy, and shirts are still a good mix.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott

Movement: Still not feeling a ton of movement, but felt some definite kicks/punches again this week.

Sleep: Sleep is good I guess.

What I miss: bending over with ease. It’s getting harder and harder to move around and bend down with this belly poking out. Several people this past weekend told me that I’ve “really popped out there..”

Cravings: I can’t remember craving anything specific.

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken! Also, the thought of pot roast has had me gagging.

Symptoms: back ache mainly.

Best moment this week: We made it past the halfway point! I cannot wrap my mind around the fact that I’ve already carried Judah longer than I still have to carry him. It’s still flying by!

graduation

2011-05-16T20:11:00.001-05:00

We had a very big and busy weekend this past weekend! Justin completed ministry school and had graduation on Saturday night. His parents and Uncle and Aunt came in town to watch him walk and help us celebrate.

The past two years have been a time of great change. This school definitely stretched and challenged Justin. He is such a different person than he was two years ago when we moved to Dallas. I am so proud of how he has let God shape and mold him. I know first hand that it wasn’t always an easy road. There were many times when Justin felt like giving up.. but he never did! He accomplished his goal, and I think even exceeded his own expectations.

I was so proud and happy just to know that he was graduating, but then during the graduation ceremony we found out that he was also Valedictorian of his class! What an awesome honor!

I cannot wait to see what all God has in store for Justin in the years to come. I know he will be a great teacher and father to many. He has such a passion for knowledge and learning, and I know he will use that to help others.

Congrats, baby! I love you!!! I’m so proud to call YOU my husband and my best friend.

20 weeks

2011-05-09T21:40:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 20 weeks

Size of baby: 6.5 inches.. size of a small cantaloupe

Maternity clothes: Pants are maternity or stretchy, and shirts are still a good mix.

Gender: baby boy. Judah Scott

Movement: Still not feeling a ton of movement, but felt some definite kicks/punches during the past week. He is getting stronger.

Sleep: Sleep has been pretty decent this week. I have been really exhausted for the past few days, though, and can’t get enough!

What I miss: not a thing

Cravings: apple juice!

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken! Also, the thought of pot roast has had me gagging.

Symptoms: super sleepy, back ache (I think this has to do with carrying a 20 lb baby around at work all day), and heart burn!

Best moment this week: By far my favorite thing was finding out that our little boy is indeed a boy, shopping for him, and starting to register. This part of pregnancy is awesome!

we found out today!

2011-05-03T13:36:00.001-05:00

This morning at 9:20 I had a baby doctor appointment. It took forever for me to fall asleep last night, and then Justin and I were both up way earlier than necessary this morning. So much anticipation because we knew we were about to find out what our little one’s name is!

At the appointment we did all of the regular stuff (weight, blood pressure, urine sample…), then waited what felt like an eternity for the ultrasound tech to come get us. I laid on the table with Justin beside me as she began looking for different organs and getting pictures and measurements.

Eventually she got down the the legs and was measuring something there and I got a glimpse of the area. haha! I was pretty sure I knew right away.. but we had to wait on the supervisor to come in and confirm it for us.

As soon as he put the little wand on my belly, he said, “well, there is no doubt about it.. it’s a boy!”. And he was right.. No doubt! Here is what we saw on the screen:

Justin said he was smiling ear to ear. And I had a couple tears leak out of my eyes. We were both over the moon happy. Justin had really been wanting a boy first. I didn’t care either way, but we both felt like it would be a boy. And we were right!

So, Judah Scott Perkins is on his way!!!

And the even better news is that he looks completely healthy. Everything measured and looked great. 4 chambers in the heart with a heartbeat of 148 beats/minute.

I’m just not sure the day could get any better. Words can’t begin to describe how happy we are. It’s so surreal now knowing that we will be parents to a son. I can now call Judah by his name when I talk to him and pray for him. It just really makes it seem more real somehow.

Justin and I have been busy dreaming about all the fun stuff we will get to do with our son. Fishing, playing ball, camping out, etc. And most importantly we want to raise him to be a man of God and love Jesus with all his heart. We went and bought some baby boy clothes right after the appointment and then had lunch together to celebrate. I’m off work today and thinking I may just go register somewhere later too!

Judah means “praise” or “thanks”, and we feel like that is so fitting. After praying and praying for this baby, we are very thankful to the Lord for blessing us with him. We definitely praise God for this gift.

Kindle Elisabeth

2011-05-02T22:36:00.001-05:00

Some of our best friends welcomed their first baby into the world today. Her name is Kindle Elisabeth, and she is perfection. She weighs 8.5 pounds and is 19 inches long. We went to the hospital for a visit after I got off work today, and I’m pretty sure it was love at first sight.

Seeing Miss Kindle really gets me excited about our little bun in the oven too. This was the first time I’ve been to visit a newborn and family in the hospital since getting pregnant. It’s a whole new experience. I couldn’t help but think that in 5 short months, I will get to meet my little one. It’s scary and exciting and happy and everything else all rolled into one.

Congratulations, Dustin and Jenna! She is one beautiful and perfect little gift from God. I know more than just about anyone how blessed she is to have you two as parents. I can’t wait to see yall’s story unfold and watch that little princess grow up. I feel so privileged to get to walk along side you guys in this whole journey. Love you.. all three of you!

19 weeks

2011-05-02T21:25:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 19 weeks

Size of baby: 6 inches.. size of a heirloom tomato

Maternity clothes: Pants are maternity or stretchy, and shirts are still a good mix.

Gender: Holy Cow!!! WE FIND OUT TOMORROW!!! in exactly 12 hours I have an appointment. I cannot wait!

Movement: More and more little movements. Still nothing big that I can definitely call a kick or a punch.

Sleep: Sleep has still been not-so-great. My sinuses have been acting up so it’s hard to breathe. And my back has been hurting.

What I miss: I can’t think of much.. but I do miss a good night’s sleep.

Cravings: watermelon and a Captain D’s breadstick (random, I know.. and I didn’t get it because there isn’t one close to us).

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken! Also, the thought of pot roast has had me gagging. A new one is my gummy vitamins. I get sick every time I try to chew one.

Symptoms: getting tired easy and backache mainly.

Best moment this week: I think that my favorite part of the past week has been all of the excitement and anticipation from all of my friends and family. I have so many people that love us and love this baby anxiously waiting with us to find out the gender and the name of this angel!

18 weeks

2011-04-25T22:04:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 18 weeks

Size of baby: 5.6 inches.. size of a sweet potato

Maternity clothes: I’m definitely making my way into maternity clothes now. Pretty much all pants are maternity or stretchy waist bands. Shirts are still a good mix. However, some shirts are getting too short!

Gender: Anatomy Scan has been moved up a couple days to Tuesday, May 3rd! Yayyy! We are both feeling like it’s a boy and will be shocked if it’s a girl. But we will be thrilled either way.

Movement: I didn’t do a 17 week update, but starting last week I have definitely been feeling some movement. Little flutters and sometimes feeling like bubbles popping. It’s not very consistent, and not even every day.. but I love when it happens. It’s usually in the evening while I’m resting on the couch.

Sleep: I’m really hoping it’s temporary, but sleep has been rough lately. My sinuses have been acting up so it’s hard to breathe. And my back has been hurting.

What I miss: I guess this doesn’t really have to do with pregnancy, but I miss being tan! I gave up laying in the tanning beds last year though.

Cravings: nothing huge.. but did really want chicken wings one night.

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken! Also, the thought of pot roast has had me gagging. A new one is my gummy vitamins. I get sick every time I try to chew one.

Symptoms: I’ve had a few nauseated days. I’ve been dizzy a lot more. My favorite symptom is my growing belly.

Best moment this week: feeling little baby moving in my belly!

busy, busy, busy (an update)

2011-04-24T11:38:00.001-05:00

The days are flying by faster than ever. It seems like I am constantly adding little events and to-do’s to my calendar. I have had so much going on that I never even posted a 17 week update! oops…

Last weekend Justin and I took a trip to Mobile, AL. We had planned on relaxing at the beach during the days and going to The Bay of the Holy Spirit Revival services at night. Friday day was cloudy and on and off raining, so we decided to skip the beach and head to do some shopping. Only we didn’t buy anything! Service was great that night though. The next morning we woke up early and decided to head to Pensacola beach. The drive was about an hour, and once we got there and unloaded our car, we realized we were not going to be able to relax. The temps were pretty cold and the winds were about 15-25 mph. Sand was pelting us constantly, and we were freezing! We ended up finding a spot on the bay that wasn’t so bad, and we stayed there for a while. Long story short… our trip was nothing like we planned, but everything we needed. We had so much fun laughing and talking and dreaming. It was a great getaway for us to reconnect and enjoy each other before the baby comes.

Besides the trip, I’ve just been busy with work, editing pictures for a recent session, hanging out with different girlfriends, etc.

Oh, and we helped my sister, Dom, and Ava get moved into a new apartment yesterday. I love their new place… it’s very nice and spacious. And there is a playground right outside that will be perfect for Ava.

Today is Candice’s birthday, so later I think I’m going to take a cookie cake and some ice cream over to celebrate. It’s so hard for me to believe my itty bitty baby sister is 22! Why do the days and years pass so much faster when you are an adult?! Happy Birthday, Sister!!! I love you to pieces <3

Things coming up…

2 photo sessions on the calendar (1 newborn, 1 maternity). This makes me happy
gender ultrasound May 3rd! It was scheduled for the 5th, but I moved it up to the 3rd so that Justin can be there. He HAS to be with me for that appointment. (I’m soooo excited and anxious to find out what this little angel is and give him/her a name. I have literally been counting down the days and talking about it non–stop.)
registering! After we find out the gender, I’ll have to pencil in some time to create baby registries. I’ve already been working on a list of items that we want and need. Although I’ve been picking up items here and there (car seat, bumbo, boppy, diapers, etc), there is still so much that we need to get!
1st baby shower- I feel so blessed that two of my good friends here are throwing me a baby shower on June 4th. It seems so soon!
moving. I don’t think I have mentioned it on my blog yet, and I know there hasn’t been a public announcement yet.. but we are planning on moving back to our home town at the end of June. I am really excited about this and thrilled with the idea that our baby will get to be around more family more often. We are currently praying that Justin will get a great job and that we will make the right decision on where to live.

16 weeks

2011-04-10T23:13:00.001-05:00

--I feel like my belly is growing at lightning speed! One friend even told me that she could tell a difference between last week when she saw me and this week. It’s crazy how fast it’s popped out there!

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 16 weeks

Size of baby: 4.6 inches.. size of an avocado

Gender: Anatomy Scan set for May 5th. I cannot wait!!!

Movement: Something felt a little funny in there yesterday.. like a little flutter in my lower left abdomen. I’m thinking it may have been baby, but I’m just not sure! I haven’t felt it again since then.

Sleep: sleeping pretty good, but waking up before my alarm most mornings.

What I miss: I haven’t really missed anything this week. I’m really starting to enjoy pregnancy.

Cravings: snow cones! I’ve only had one because there isn’t a place super close to us that sells them.. but that one was delicious and left me wanting more!

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken! Also, the thought of pot roast has had me gagging.

Symptoms: Just the same stinkin’ headaches almost every single day.

Best moment this week: Doctor’s appointment.. getting to hear the heartbeat and sneak another peek at baby. This time he/she was rolled up into a little ball and not moving alot. Maybe it was sleepy time?

happy day

2011-04-08T20:19:00.001-05:00

I had a baby doctor appointment first thing this morning. It went very well.. we got to hear baby’s heartbeat. And once again I talked my sweet dr into letting us have a little peak via ultrasound. Baby was curled up in a little ball, probably sleeping. He/she moved around just a little bit. I’m so excited, too, cause we finally have a date set to find out the gender! My next appointment.. less than one month away!!!

After the doctor appointment, I got to spend time with my wonderful hubby. We just had errands to do.. post office, oil change, etc. But I love these Fridays when we get to hang out and be together. I’m gonna miss them so much when Justin has a regular job.

I ended my afternoon with a much, much needed spa pedicure with my friend, Jenna. It was absolutely lovely and relaxing. I forget how good it feels to pamper myself. Next on the list is haircut and waxing of the brows! haha :p

Now I’m just hanging out at home.. about to cook spaghetti and eat dinner with my love. I’ve gotta say, it’s been a wonderful day. Even the weather was pretty great!

15 weeks

2011-04-06T19:56:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 15 weeks… I can’t believe we are at 15 weeks already! It’s flying by!!!

Size of baby: 4 inches.. size of a navel orange

Gender: I’m so ready to find out! We have an appointment coming up on the 8th, and I’d be thrilled if we found out then. But, I’m pretty sure the doc is making us wait until our May appointment.

Movement: Lately I’ve found myself trying to imagine what those little rolls, kicks and punches will feel like. I’m so excited for that milestone.

Sleep: sleeping pretty good, but waking up before my alarm most mornings.

What I miss: I’m very much a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.. and I’m missing being able to fit into many of my size small t-shirts! When I have one on, my belly peeks out of the bottom.

Cravings: green grapes and salads from Outback.

Aversions: I cannot bring myself to cook raw chicken or eat eggs still.

Symptoms: Maybe second trimester really will be better. I have felt much better this past week, besides the almost daily headaches.

Best moment this week: Justin and I picked definite names for boy and girl. We are ready and prepared to announce the name just as soon as we can announce the gender!

Ava

2011-03-30T16:29:00.001-05:00

I was talking to some family members about our little bun in the oven and his/her gender. I am thinking it’s gotta be a boy because Ava is the princess in our family. haha!

I’m sure if we do have a girl, that Ava will share her title, though.. she’s just so sweet like that!

Justin and I met Candice and Ava for lunch last week. She was so pleasant and well mannered the whole time. At the end of our meal, she asked her mama if she could sit by Aunt Lissa.

She loves her Aunt Lissa…. and I love her back!

14 weeks

2011-03-30T16:19:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 14 weeks

Size of baby: 3.4 inches.. size of a lemon

Maternity clothes: A cousin and a good friend blessed me with some great maternity clothes. They are all hanging in the closet waiting on me! I’ve worn a couple pieces already.

Gender: It seems like everyone I know has a definite opinion on if our little one is a boy or a girl. I sure wish we knew!

Movement: baby is moving, but mommy can’t feel it.

Sleep: I can’t complain!

What I miss: If I have to choose something, I’ll say lunch meat. Thinking about lunch is a little harder than it used to be. Before pregnancy I had a sandwich almost daily.

Cravings: strawberry and orange push ups! and grapes. YUM!

Aversions: chicken, eggs, any type of leftovers, lots of smells… the list goes on.

Symptoms: I’ve been nauseated a little, but my main symptom has been migraine headaches. I got my Dr to call me in a prescription though. Tylenol just wasn’t doing the job!

Best moment this week: I made it into the second trimester! Risk of miscarriage goes way down, and I’m hoping that my energy is on it’s way back up.

13 weeks

2011-03-23T16:41:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 13 weeks

Size of baby: 2.9 inches.. size of a peach

Maternity clothes: I have worn maternity jeans several times already. They are just so much more comfy! Still in regular jeans with a rubberband most days.

Gender: no idea really… we both feel like it’s a boy at this point, but would both be happy to have a girl too.

Movement: baby is moving, but mommy can’t feel it.

Sleep: yes, please! anytime and anywhere.

What I miss: having any sort of energy.

Cravings: potato salad and fresh fruit.

Aversions: chicken, eggs, any type of leftovers, lots of smells… the list goes on.

Symptoms: I could sleep all day every day. The nausea seems to be subsiding a little… only to make room for some killer headaches :(

Best moment this week: Justin and I had a date night at Olive Garden and spent time day dreaming together about our future. It was really great.

hitting the high points

2011-03-20T20:27:00.001-05:00

I just noticed that several of my favorite things from the past week or so are in my photo album on my phone. So… gotta blog ‘em!

A girl from my home church posted on facebook about having strawberry fanta.. and immediately I had to have some. I went to Walmart and bought a 12 pack and then went to Sonic for some good ice. YUM!

My newborn nest finally arrived! This thing is WAY bigger than I expected it to be.. I’m so excited to use it, but have no idea where I’m going to store it. For those that don’t know it is basically a giant bean bag that I’ll use to pose newborns on for my business. :)

I’ve been having lots of couch time lately and couldn’t be happier to share my couch with Mr. Sylvester. It makes me smile to see him laid out all comfy with his little paws hanging over the edge. He’s the best!

One day recently I had been feeling sick all day long and really wanted a Sonic grilled cheese. But my sweet darling husband was home and decided he could make me one. This guy NEVER cooks. It was comical listening to him in the kitchen. And I laughed so hard when he brought me the plate. Crazy looking sandwich… but it was made with love and tasted great! Justin has done such a good job of taking care of me and the house lately. He’s really stepped up, and I’m so grateful :)

12 weeks

2011-03-15T22:05:00.001-05:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 12 weeks

Size of baby: 2.1 inches.. size of a plum

Maternity clothes: I have worn maternity jeans several times already. They are just so much more comfy! Still in regular jeans with a rubberband most days.

Gender: no idea really… we both feel like it’s a boy at this point, but would both be happy to have a girl too.

Movement: baby is moving, but mommy can’t feel it.

Sleep: It has seemed pretty normal lately.

What I miss: nothing at the moment.

Cravings: breadsticks and gummy candy

Aversions: chicken, eggs, any type of leftovers, lots of smells… the list goes on.

Symptoms: I could sleep all day every day. Keeping up with the baby at work is getting harder!

Best moment this week: Our baby doctor appointment was great. The Dr couldn’t find the heartbeat so we got to sneak a peek at the baby with the ultrasound machine :) He/She was very active and bouncing all around. The baby actually looked like a baby this time with distinct arms, legs, and head.

west monroe trip

2011-03-08T17:48:00.001-06:00

This past weekend Justin and I headed back to our hometown for a birthday party and a wedding. We also got to see lots of family which is always great.

The birthday party was for Lacey’s baby boy, Hudson. He turned one.. I can’t believe it! Lacey had the cutest monkey themed party for him. There were close to 50 guests! Lots of love for that little man.

The wedding we attended was for our good friends, Ty and Emily. They are just a sweet couple that we went to church with at Christ Church. Ty was actually in our wedding.. he and Justin have been pretty close friends. The wedding was outside on a gloomy and cold day… but it was perfect. The couple wrote their own vows and had me tearing up! So sweet! I can’t wait to see them grow together in marriage.

I just love my trips home. It’s so refreshing to see so many people that mean the world to me. Can’t wait for the next one!

11 weeks

2011-03-08T17:35:00.001-06:00

I didn’t get a good picture this week because we were so busy, and then yesterday I was just too sick. So I’m settling for a terrible self portrait of the belly this time… oh, and I just ate so this is not all baby! haha

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 11 weeks

Size of baby: 1.6 inches.. size of a lime

Maternity clothes: I have worn maternity jeans several times already. They are just so much more comfy! Still in regular jeans with a rubberband most days.

Gender: still a while before we find out.

Movement: baby is moving, but mommy can’t feel it.

Sleep: I’m sleeping pretty good right now. I have been waking up a little before my alarm most days needing to go to the bathroom though.

What I miss: I miss not being sick. This past week has been hard. I’m focusing on the positive though… I’m having a baby!!!

Cravings: Nothing major.. I’ve just had to try to figure out what I can eat that won’t make me sick. Oh, and I finally got my Johnny’s Pizza :)

Aversions: umm… everything? Seriously.. chicken, eggs, water, any type of leftovers, lots of smells… the list goes on.

Symptoms: very tired, pretty nauseated most days, and my belly is starting to poke out.

Best moment this week: seeing lots of friends and family in West Monroe!

10 weeks

2011-02-27T21:06:00.001-06:00

Pregnancy Highlights:

How far along: 10 weeks

Size of baby: 1.2 inches.. size of a prune

Maternity clothes: I have worn maternity jeans several times already. They are just so much more comfy!

Gender: still a while before we find out

Movement: baby is moving, but mommy can’t feel it

Sleep: I’m sleeping pretty good right now. But I’ve been waking up with an aching back. Maybe it’s time for a body pillow?!

What I miss: I miss feeling normal for more than a day at a time. I’m beyond ready for the nausea to say bye-bye.

Cravings: I haven’t had any major cravings this week, but I have been thinking about making a tuna salad sandwich.

Aversions: umm… everything? Seriously.. chicken, eggs, water, any type of leftovers, lots of smells… the list goes on.

Symptoms: very tired, pretty nauseated most days, and my belly is starting to poke out.

Best moment this week: feeling pretty good for Ava’s birthday party :)

Ava turns 3!

2011-02-27T20:11:00.001-06:00

Yesterday Ava Nicole had her third birthday and her birthday party. I cannot believe how fast this past year has flown by. And Miss Ava just keeps growing taller, getting smarter, and doing more. She talks so much now and is even potty trained!

Her birthday party was at Chuck E. Cheese. She had SO much fun. Every time we would try to get her to come over and eat, she just said, “I wanna pway (play)!”.

We eventually did eat some yummy pizza and then had cake and ice cream with the birthday girl.

She had a princess cake of course!

Ava was blessed with many, many gift this year. Lots of clothes and fun stuff too!

Thank you, Chuck E., for wonderful birthday memories!

Happy Birthday, Ava! We love you!!!!

pregnancy up until now…

2011-02-15T20:18:00.001-06:00

I haven’t been doing weekly updates, but thought I would go ahead and do a little recap for my own memory’s sake.

Week 4- found out that prayers had been answered and our little one was on the way! didn’t really feel pregnant. just a little crampy.

Week 5- felt like a bottomless pit. ate everything I could get my hands on. a little tired.

Week 6- morning sickness. evening sickness. night sickness. simply miserable and nauseated all the time. stayed on the couch all week. thankfully I was off work because of the ice storm.

Week 7- sickness now comes and goes without any predictability. very, very tired all the time now. 1st doctor’s appointment—got to see baby and hear heartbeat :)

Week 8- week 8 just started yesterday. so far I have been extremely nauseated both days, especially after getting home from work. there are many early pregnancy symptoms. I think by this point I have had some experience with most, if not all of them. I’m pretty much ready for the second trimester! haha

I mean to have Justin take a belly picture yesterday, but since it was Valentine’s Day he was working all night. Oh well…. maybe I’ll start that next week.

1st gift from MeMe

2011-02-15T20:03:00.001-06:00

My mom is so thrilled that we are expecting. She loves being a grandma, or MeMe as she likes to be called!

I’m only 8 weeks pregnant (as of yesterday), and we have already gotten our first package from MeMe. I was super excited to open it up. I’m having so much fun already!

She got the baby two super soft blankets, a huge thing of washcloths, and some Christmas goodies that I assume she found on sale. Some pj’s, several bibs, and a cute little diaper cover.

I can’t wait to see our little guy or girl in some of this sweet Christmas stuff this year. What a wonderful little gift! I have a feeling holidays are going to be a lot more fun from now on.

Valentine’s 2011

2011-02-13T20:18:00.001-06:00

Justin and I have pretty much agreed that Valentine’s Day just isn’t a big deal. We don’t do gift exchanges or anything. Since he works in a restaurant, he is usually working Valentine’s Day and even the weekend before.

This year we decided to go out to dinner a few days before Valentine’s and call that our celebration. We went to Copeland’s and were not disappointed. We shared a chicken/pasta dish and then enjoyed a huge slice of cheesecake. Yumm!

It was fun to know that this was our first holiday to celebrate while pregnant. Next year at this time we will have to find a babysitter! :)

1st appointment

2011-02-10T19:22:00.001-06:00

Finally! 3 weeks felt like forever.. but today finally rolled around, and we had our first “baby doctor” appointment.

Justin met me at the office right at my appointment time. I got signed in, filled out paperwork, and got taken back almost right away to get started. After some necessary (I guess) tests and 8 tubes of blood from my left arm, I still like my doctor. Dr. F is what I’ll call her. She is super sweet, down-to-earth and easy to talk to. She even picked on Justin a little which I thought was funny of course!

I was super duper excited after my exam and everything because we got to have an ultrasound! I was really hoping for one, but wasn’t sure since I’m not very far along still.

But here is Baby Perkins in all his/her glory…

Just a little peanut right now, but got mommy and daddy all excited!!! :) <3

I can’t even begin to explain how happy it made me and what a relief it was to see that little white spot on the screen. I knew immediately that it was our little miracle. I was looking hard for a heartbeat but didn’t see it. Thankfully, though, we could hear it!

We were wondering if there would be only one or maybe two… but it’s just ONE this time! He/she is measuring 7 weeks, 1 day, which means the due date is September 26th. The heartbeat sounded so amazing… kinda like a washing machine.. haha! It was 151 beats per minute.

I go back in one month for my next appointment.. I’m already counting down the days. We were told we probably won’t have another ultrasound until between 18 and 20 weeks to do an anatomy scan. That seems so far away! I know it’ll fly by though.

I’m not taking this pregnancy or baby for granted. Thank You, God! I know all good and perfect gifts come from my Heavenly Father. :)

snow, snow and more snow!

2011-02-09T17:12:00.001-06:00

Last week schools were closed, and I was out of work almost all week. We had a whole bunch of ice and then snow on top of that. I can’t believe how many times it has snowed since we have lived in Texas. I have always thought of Texas as such a hot state and figured the weather was very similar to the weather in NE Louisiana. I guess it is most of the time, but I’ve seen more snow in two years than in my entire life.

Oh and it sleeted and snowed some more today too! Craziness!!!

Of course last week I got all excited about the snow since I’ve rarely had the chance to play in the stuff… we went out for a little bit, and I snapped some pics.

At this point, I think I’ve had enough winter weather. I’m ready to be able to drive around with the car sliding all over the road! haha! And I’m ready to be able to wear only one layer of clothing at a time. I guess I’m just ready for spring time in general. I need some sunshine in my life!!!

my thoughts tonight..

2011-02-01T21:13:00.001-06:00

Today I had a “snow day” along with the rest of north Texas I believe. There wasn’t much snow, but the roads were covered in ice. I know this because my crazy husband couldn’t handle being cooped up, so we hit the road looking for something to do. Only everything we tried was closed except for Taco Bell. Taco Bell was super yummy.. I had been really wanting chicken quesadillas from there.

I am now 6 weeks pregnant and starting to feel a little more pregnant. I am so tired all the time. I can take a two hour afternoon nap and still be in bed by 930. It’s insane. I’ve had a little bit of nausea yesterday and today. Both days it started at around 2pm. I’m really hoping this won’t be a trend. I do not want this mess sticking around!!! Also, I’ve started noticing definite preferences in food. For example.. the thought of a fried egg this morning was not sitting well with me at all… and tonight all I can think about is a big juicy homemade cheeseburger.

I’m so beyond ready to get to the doctor’s office and have things checked out. After my first appointment I think I may start doing weekly updates with pictures and stuff. I just don’t see the point right now since I’m not sure of an exact due date, and I’m really not showing yet.

In other baby news.. I had a newborn photo session over the weekend. The baby is an absolute doll. Here is a preview:

Oh I’m so ready to have my own little bundle in my arms! :)

uhhh…

2011-01-27T19:29:00.001-06:00

why has nobody told me before about the greatness that is TOMS shoes?!?!

i finally ordered a pair, and i adore them!

i’m so mad that i just now got them.. and i definitely want at least 2 more pair! haha

i’m thinking these will be great pregnancy shoes :)

a baby

2011-01-23T13:20:00.001-06:00

“A baby will make love stronger,

days shorter, nights longer,

bankroll smaller, home happier,

clothes shabbier, the past forgotten,

and the future worth living for.”

-unknown

I still can’t really believe that I’m going to have a baby. It seems so unreal. Although I do NOT want to get sick or anything, I am sorta looking forward to having some sort of pregnancy symptom. I want this to feel real.

Up until now my only “symptoms” would be some light cramping and being tired. But I’ve been attributing the tiredness to a cold that I’ve had all week.

I went to the Doctor on Friday and had the pregnancy confirmed. I’m SO ready to go back and have an ultrasound! I want to see the little blob and heartbeat on the screen so bad!!! I’m also anxious to find out if there is one or two little miracles growing in there…

I don’t have a picture to go along with this, so I’m going to post a picture of the very first purchase I made for this baby. I bought this pack of onesies wayyy back before Justin and I ever started officially “trying”. My plan was to use the “handsome like daddy” one to announce the pregnancy to Justin when I found out. That plan didn’t work since he was home with me when I got the positive test, but I still love having these to look at.

our miracle

2011-01-18T22:36:00.001-06:00

**written Jan. 17, 2010 8:50 pm**

Today would have been the beginning of cycle #6 for us. But looks like that cycle isn’t coming.

Let me back up… After several disappointing months, Justin and I decided to take the month of January “off”. We just weren’t going to try hard to get pregnant.. no charting and counting days, no vitamins, etc. I was nervous about skipping a month knowing that it could be the month, but we both really felt like it was the right thing to do.

Now fast forward to today. I was at work and sent my friend Jenna a text saying that my cycle was expected this morning, but hadn’t shown up. I told her if I didn’t see anything by Wednesday I would take a pregnancy test. However, she kept talking to me and pretty quickly persuaded me to test today.

When I got home from work I told Justin about everything and that I still had no signs or symptoms that my cycle was starting. I went into the bathroom and took a test, left it on the counter, and went back into the kitchen to talk to Justin and have a snack. After a few minutes I decided it was probably time to check the test. In all honesty my hopes were pretty low, especially considering it was our “break month”.

But. I saw 2 lines. TWO.

I was in shock. All I could say was “oh my gosh!, oh my gosh!” Justin thought I was playing a joke on him, and I told him to come see for himself. As he walked toward me in the bathroom I started laughing so hard. That laugh quickly turned into tears. I was bawling. But they were finally tears of joy. Justin just grabbed me and hugged me tight. He was pretty much holding me up too. I was crying and shaking so bad that I could barely stand. I knew I was pregnant right away. I had read several places that it’s not very often someone gets a false positive. Justin, however, wasn’t so sure. We decided I should test again with a digital test. I drank an entire bottle of water plus some juice and waited and waited and waited. Finally I felt up to testing again. This time Justin saw the test first and said, “you’re pregnant!” Seeing the word “pregnant” just made it seem more real.

We immediately grabbed our phones and started calling family and the close friends that have been praying for this baby with us. (I have to add here that both of my grandmothers said immediately that they think we are having twins…. time will tell!)

After what seemed like a billion calls, texts, congrats, etc., we decided it was time to celebrate. We stopped by Dustin and Jenna’s house and were greeted with pom poms and hugs and bunches of happy talk. Then Justin’s dad bought our dinner at Salt Grass Steakhouse. It was so yummy!

I can’t adequately put words to my feelings right now. I am still a little in disbelief. I doesn’t seem real. It’s too good to be true. I’m crazy happy. I feel like I’m dreaming, but I guess it’s a dream come true :) I have waited so long for this day. I have prayed so hard, cried so many tears, and have had to learn what it means to really trust God. It’s been hard, but today I can say that it’s been worth it.

We know that this baby is a gift from the Lord. This baby is a miracle. I feel so honored and blessed that I get the chance to be a mother. Wow. I guess calling myself “mother” is gonna take some getting used to! Haha!

According to my calculations I’m almost 4 weeks pregnant. The due date is around the end of September. Hopefully I’ll get an appointment with a doctor soon and get more details. I seriously plan on treasuring each and every day of this journey. I hope to blog about it a good bit too so that I can look back on it after it’s over. I know that this next year is going to be one of the most special years of my life. Today especially will be a day I never ever forget.

I’m a proud wife

2011-01-03T18:23:00.001-06:00

It’s been an amazing experience to watch my husband walk through the last couple of years. To think about him when we started dating and then to think about him now, there is such a huge difference. He is still the same person I fell in love with, yet so different. He has shown so much growth and maturity in many areas. Ministry school along with many hours of prayer and reading the Word have shaped him and molded him into something new. And I’m thrilled to know it’s a process that is going to continue as long as he lives. He is determined to know who he is in Christ. He’s determined to have a real relationship with God. And he is determined to follow the Lord wherever He may lead.

I seriously LOVE this about my man. Even when I have no idea what the future holds, I can know that if I follow Justin, I will be following Jesus. There is such a peace in knowing that.

The thing that really got me thinking on this tonight is this picture…

Justin was leading a devotional time for the addiction recovery class that he used to attend. He really is a living, breathing miracle. God rescued him from a filthy life of drugs, alcohol, lying, stealing, etc and made him into a new creation. Now Justin is able to use that testimony to help others. He spoke this night on finding identity in Christ. It was really good and touched the hearts of many in the class.

One would never imagine that only 2 years ago, Justin hated standing in front of people. He did not like speaking in front of groups at all! Now he does it like a pro!

I’m one proud wife.

3D

2011-01-03T17:54:00.001-06:00

I have been wanting to see a 3D movie for a while now, but combine the fact that Justin usually isn’t into seeing movies with the fact we will only see G or PG movies, and that really limits my movie-going.

Christmas night Justin and I got together with Dustin and Jenna and watched “Gulliver’s Travels” in 3D at the theater in our hometown. I have to say I wasn’t terribly impressed with the movie, but I really enjoyed the previews! haha!

I had such a good time being with some of my favorite people and laughing at how goofy we looked with our glasses on!

I definitely want to start watching all animated movies in 3D if it’s available. The effect didn’t seem as noticeable on the movie we saw. Either way, I can’t wait to go back!!! :)

puppy love (+ a kitty)

2011-01-03T17:46:00.001-06:00

I haven’t been able to get much practice in with my new camera because I don’t have any willing participants at my house!

Well, Bobo got a haircut right after Christmas, so I decided he needed to pose for a picture.

Here is my shaggy boy before his appointment. Justin had actually started calling him “big nasty”.

He looked so fresh and much younger when we got him back!

And just because I can’t leave my kitty out…

is it too late for Christmas?!

2011-01-03T17:35:00.001-06:00

Yes, it’s now January. A whole new year. I’m just now blogging about Christmas. This really doesn’t surprise me at the rate I’ve been going. Seems like for some reason I find the motivation to blog at the beginning of the month, and then forget about it until a new month rolls around.

Anyway..

Christmas 2010:

We traveled to West Monroe so that we could spend Christmas with family again. We stayed (as usual) with Justin’s parents. On Christmas Eve we met up with some of my daddy’s side of the family. We ate gumbo (super yum!) and talked about old times and shared funny stories. It was fun, but I wish the entire family could have been there. After that, we went to Justin’s mom’s side of the family. We actually showed up late, but just in time to play the Dirty Santa game. Justin and I ended up “winning” gift cards to Copeland's! Woohoo! We ended the night opening gifts with Justin’s parents and sister. We were more than blessed. I was actually shocked at all the gifts!

I gave Justin a wish list way back before Christmas, but really had no idea what he would get me. I was very pleasantly surprised when I tore away wrapping paper and saw this…

He knew how much I needed a camera bag and how much I loved the Kelly Moore Bags. I was and still am thrilled with it!

Just for memories sake, this is how I was carrying my camera around before in order to keep it protected:

and after:

muchhhhhhh better :)

I gave Justin several books that he asked for and an armband to hold his iphone while working out. He was very happy with everything, even the stuff that I surprised him with! And that’s saying something, because he is hard to buy for!!!

Christmas morning we slept in a little and then headed over to Justin’s dad’s side. We had tons of yummy food there and just enjoyed each other’s company.

Next we headed to visit my mom and some other family on her side. It was fun being there to watch two of my cousin’s girls open some presents. Being around children during the holidays just makes it more fun to me!

After 5 different houses, lots of good food, plenty of gifts, and tons of laughs, we finished with our Christmas celebrations.

With the busyness of the season, I have to remind myself that although I enjoy all of these things, I really need to put more focus on my Savior willingly coming to earth as a tiny baby so that he could live a sinless life and die a sinner’s death so that we can all have eternal life with Him.

glasses

2010-12-22T17:43:00.001-06:00

Sometime Saturday night I lost my glasses. I’ve had glasses since I was about 16 for reading. I ended up making an appointment Monday for an eye exam and to get new glasses.

Well, turns out my eyes have gotten much worse than last time I had an exam. I have to start wearing glasses all of the time, not just for reading! I also found out that I have astigmatism in both eyes.

Anyway, my glasses came in today. Wearing them all day is going to take some getting used to!

the past week

2010-12-22T17:37:00.001-06:00

It’s been an eventful week. I guess December is always busy, though, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.

Last Wednesday our friends, Dustin and Jenna, hosted a little Christmas dinner party. We had super yummy lasagna, green bean casserole, and pecan pie for dessert. Then we watched Elf… it’s the best!

On Thursday, the same friends, Dustin and Jenna, found out that their baby is a GIRL!!! We are all so excited! She is due in May, and her name is Kindle Elizabeth. So sweet! So of course I had to pick her up a little girly outfit :)

The rest of the weekend was pretty laid back, but then Monday night Justin and I met my sister, Dom, and Ava for dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.

We won’t see them for Christmas, so we went ahead and gave Ava her Christmas gifts. We gave her coloring books, crayons, stickers, and clothes. Her very favorite thing was the Dora stickers. By the time we left the place, she had stickers all the way up her arms. haha!

Now we are getting ready to head to LA for Christmas with the rest of the family! Can’t wait!!!!

baby update

2010-12-12T23:57:00.001-06:00

I haven’t been posting anything about the “baby”, cause there hasn’t been anything to post. But after talking with a friend last night, I’m thinking it might be a good idea to write some of this stuff down. I know I won’t remember it all, but might want to one day.

I want to start off with a few words I’ve gotten from God in the past…

-God is going to put you in dark places where you must depend on Him. He will teach you to trust His voice and not your eyes. (4.11.06)

-God has not forgotten about you. He hasn’t forgotten the promises He’s made you. Keep your faith in Him. Don’t lose trust, don’t lose faith. He will come through. (10.25.06)

-… He’s getting ready to teach you a lesson. He’s going to teach you to live this life of faith… (5.30.09)

-Your family, that baby you have been wanting, it’s coming sooner than you think. (spring/summer 2010)

-Don’t give up hope just yet! My promises are not empty to you! I am the God of faithfulness and I will prove my word to you. I will not let you down! I have a plan! My plan for you has a purpose and that purpose lies in the waiting…. Just hold on a little longer and you will see that you will have not waited in vain. (10.18.10)

Since probably about fall of 2005, all of my dreams have been focused on having a family. I have wanted to become a mother so badly. I finally found my wonderful husband and got married in 2008. Well, he wasn’t ready to start a family just yet. I didn’t understand then, but I do now. We have needed this time together without children. We have both changed so much as individuals and as a couple. We needed time to get to know each other and learn how to be married. Anyway, since fall 2008, it’s been a waiting game. I was just waiting on Justin to be “ready”. Well during the summer of this year, that time finally came! We were very excited, but wanted to make sure we did things in God’s timing. We prayed about it and thought about it, and finally decided to start trying to start a family on a certain day in September.

I must pause here to say that in the two years that I waited on Justin to get ready, countless (probably around 30-40) girls I knew had babies or were pregnant. Many of these pregnancies were not expected. The girls weren’t even trying to have a baby. This somehow made me think that it would be easy for us as well. (I did have a few fears about infertility because my mother dealt with it, but those fears were dealt with over a period of a few months before we began trying. God showed me time after time that I wouldn’t need to worry about infertility. Thank you, Jesus!)

So, September comes and goes.. then October… then November…

Another handful or two of girls I know were announcing pregnancies throughout this time. Some of them their second child.. one even her fourth!

I really didn’t expect a positive test in September. It was our first month, so that negative was easy(er) to deal with. October… that’s a different ballgame. I really FELT pregnant. I just knew I would see two pink lines. But nope. Big fat negative. After that cycle, I got really down. I was so sad. I felt like it was so unfair that everyone around me was being blessed with babies… even when they weren’t desperate for them. Here I was crying out to God for my little one, and all I got was a negative test. We kept trying, but I honestly just started getting bitter. When I would hear yet another announcement, I would get super emotional. It was like I was just being tortured. I wanted to be happy for them, and I was… but at the same time I was so ripped apart inside. It’s been SO HARD. I never would have imagined that so much pain and emotions and grief and stress could come from this.

I can’t wrap my head around what I need to be doing. I sometimes feel like I need to keep praying for our baby to come. That if I’m persistent enough, God will answer me. But sometimes I feel like I don’t need to ask even one more time. He knows my heart’s desires. He’s heard my prayers and promised to answer them. So should I be done with praying and asking? I don’t know.

I have really had to lean hard on God’s promises to me.

I have had to lean hard on my husband. He has had to hold me at the dinner table while I sobbed and big tears dropped onto my plate. He has had to listen to me time after time after time as I try to sort through the feelings and thoughts that go along with all of this.

I have had to lean on two of my best friends. They have been there for me through it all.

Here we sit halfway through December, and I’ve yet to see my positive test. I’m super disappointed. But I’m trying to remember that it’s all for a reason. God is using this time to strengthen my faith in Him. He is using this hard time to strengthen my marriage.

God is going to use my story as a testimony. He is going to use our baby in a mighty way. I just know it!

Sometimes I just want to be selfish. I want to say forget the testimony. Forget that I might be able to help someone else walk through this one day. I just want my baby! But I know that isn’t the right attitude. I have to take control of my feelings and give them back to the Lord. His thoughts and ways are higher than mine.

I cannot wait until the day comes when I get to make an “I’m Pregnant!” post. What a glorious day that will be!!! I pray that it is soon.

**Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.

** Matthew 11:6 Blessed are those who don’t doubt Me.

a few of my favorite things.

2010-12-12T22:57:00.001-06:00

It’s almost halfway through the last month of 2010. I figured this would be as good a time as any to blog again. I don’t know what it’s going to take for me to be consistent with this thing again….

A few of my favorite things. In a list. In no particular order.

1.) the holiday season. As much as I dislike the freezing cold temps, I love the holidays. I love that I get to see all my family and at least a few good friends twice in two months. Going home rocks! Therefore the holidays rock. I was pretty much camera-ed out this Thanksgiving and didn’t get many pictures. Gotta do better at Christmas! But I love this one of me and my daddy.. I don’t have many pictures with him, so I cherish this one..

2.) my Ava princess. Ava is and always will be one of my very favorite people. She is a living doll. I bought her a princess crown and gave it to her on Thanksgiving day. I told her she was a princess. Her response?? “no, I’m a QUEEN!!”. So there we have it… she is Queen Ava from now on! haha!

3.) my Hubby. He has been my rock here lately. I’m so grateful for him. He makes me laugh when I don’t feel like laughing. He is changing before my eyes.. and the changes are good ones. I feel so blessed!

4.) my job. Although little man has been fussy lately, (He’s been cutting two teeth and dealing with a cold) I couldn’t ask for a better job. Just look at that face…

5.) my furry babies. On cold nights before Justin gets home from work, I love cuddling with my puppy and my kitty. They keep me good company.

6.) caramel brulee fraps. Starbucks knew what they were doing with this one. No words.

7.) my Christmas tree. It is small. But it, along with the stockings hanging from the mantle, does it’s job. It brings me Christmas cheer! I love having the lights on all the time. Christmas is the best!

8.) monster cookies. These things probably deserve their own post… but oh well! A friend, also named Melissa, posted about making these on her blog. I was intrigued! All things good that can go into a cookie are combined together into one cookie!!!! I made half a batch and it was plenty. You must try them….

9.) MY NEW CAMERA AND NEW LENS!!! I almost can’t believe it. I have been wanting to upgrade for a while. I was pushing my xsi to it’s limits at just about every shoot I’ve had here lately. I needed something better. But thought surely it wasn’t possible. With the money from my old gear, my hubby, my wonderful in-laws, some money I’ve had saved, and a photog friend needing to upgrade also…. I’m now the proud owner of a Canon 5d and a 50mm 1.4 lens! No pictures yet, but I had to list it, cause it’s definitely one of my favorite things right now.

10.) The Chronicles of Narnia movies. Justin and I had seen the first two movies before, but when we found out the third was coming out this weekend we decided to have a little marathon. We watched the first one last sunday, the second on wednesday, and went to the new one today! They are all great, but I really enjoyed the newest one. We went with some of our besties, Dustin and Jenna. It was a good time.

a blessing

2010-11-05T19:37:00.001-05:00

My sister has been sending me pictures of Ava on my phone lately, and with each one I am amazed at how beautiful she is… not to mention how grown up she looks. I told her the other day that she better realize how blessed she and Dom are. Ava has been an angel baby for them. So well behaved (most the time), so smart, so gorgeous.. She is so easy to fall in love with.

Anyway, I wanted to post some of the recent pictures.

Oh my goodness. That is too much sweetness for one post!

Psalm 8:3-9

2010-11-01T19:43:00.001-05:00

When I consider your heavens,
   the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
   which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
   human beings that you care for them?

You have made thema little lower than the angels
   and crowned themwith glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
   you put everything under theirfeet:
all flocks and herds,
   and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
   and the fish in the sea,
   all that swim the paths of the seas.

LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

im ditching the highschool bag

2010-11-01T19:33:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I found a purse at a garage sale that I kinda liked. I had been wanting a new bag for a while and figured for a couple bucks, it was worth a try.

Well when I transferred all my stuff and carried my purse out the next day, my wonderful lovely sweet husband told me that my “new” purse looked like a highschool bag. Hmmmmm….

I carried it anyway. Up until today that is. Today I went to the mall with one purpose. Instead of buying what I went after, I ended up with a replacement purse.

Hubby will be so proud :)

Especially once he finds out it was on sale!! Haha