Aubrey Update - 6 months

Well on Wednesday, February 10th we had our 6 month check up with Dr. Thompson - I've gained an additional 4 lbs - leaving my weight gain at 5 lbs so far. (I'll take that!) But I have a huge feeling that the next month will hold double maybe triple that weight gain. My cravings are out of control but only with two things....Hot stuff and sweets...either in large quantities could be bad. But as I like to say - "Its for the Baby so it must be okay". I've began to feel distinct tosses and turns not just kicks or jabs from my little jumping bean....still can't see those big movements but I think its coming soon. Patrick was able to feel the crazy rolling around last night right after the Daytona 500 she was cheering for Jr. just like her Papa would've wanted her to. :)

This past weekend we bought the wainscoting for Aubreys room and Patrick is going to begin putting it all up soon. Then on Sunday we picked up the crib and changing table from Pat and Greta (Patricks Dad and Stepmom). We are so thankful to be able to use the furniture that Patricks little brother Luke used and the furniture that Gretas neice and nephew used also. Good family heirlooms I think. Last week her chandelier came in the mail - its so girly - its small and black wrought iron with little girly crystals all over it. I can't wait to see it all come together.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!!!! Its official...we've chosen a middle name.....drum roll please....our little baby will be named Aubrey June Severs. Aubrey is my family name - my Dads and Granddads name and June is Aubreys great grandmothers name (Patricks grandmother). So we are honoring both sides with a family name. We haven't told June yet but she'll be tickled last time we visited she hinted that she didn't have a namesake....well she does now. She's a tough cookie - a WWII veteran she served as a nurse...she's approaching 90 soon.

As the next 3 and a half months pass there will be a ton of things to update - I'll try to get them all done before the baby....God knows that we'll be a little busy come the 1st of June.

Reflecting

I've been on this "kick" lately of really looking around and being aware of all of Gods blessings in my life. My poor hubby is looking at me thinking "why are you being so lovey and sentimental are you just pregnant?" I can almost read his mind sometimes. I just really am so blessed and for the first time in my life I feel I TRULY appreciate it. From the recent job loss/find to our daily lives. I have a great family, a great husband and two great girls, a ton of friends that I couldn't live without - none of them seen frequently enough! Then you add in the blessing that I get to carry this baby, Gods own fruit right in my belly!! WOW...Thank you Lord that I'm able to be a mommy and a wife.

"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body." Elizabeth Stone

Our lives aren't perfect...we still bicker sometimes, we still have financial problems, we still struggle with faith and time and everything else but when I really stand back and look at it...I stand in awe of this thing I call my life. Thanks babe for sharing your days and nights with me! I love you!

Changes and Baby News

Well as most of you know on January 11th I went into work just like normal and much to our dismay we found out around 3pm that our company was shutting its doors. IMAGINE what was going through my head?? 5 and a half months pregnant whew....scared me to death. I immediately began praying, oddly enough that morning in the shower I was praying that if I was supposed to get laid off that it happen so God could put me where I was supposed to be, well BOY DID HE LISTEN....7 hours later his will for me came through. I spent the next hour packing my things, cleaning out my computer and saying goodbye to the coworkers that I now call friends. On the way home I called Erik Reed our pastor and leaned on him from some prayer needs. Monday night Patrick and I talked it all through took a look at finances and we'd be okay just had to get the unemployment running. Tuesday I spent most of the day mopeing around (might have been drinking if I could have) but Tuesday night I got on facebook and begin to send out networking messages to people I knew. Pretty much I was geared up that I wouldn't get hired full time while pregnant so my plan was to try to do contractor work, cleaning, babysitting whatever I had to do...so I put the word out. About 9 years ago I worked for Executive Title in Mt Juliet - I shared 9/11 with these gals and enjoyed working for them....one of the emails I sent was to the owner, Jackie Heatherly...I let her know I'd do just about anything to provide for my family during my pregnancy. Jackie is a Christian and within a few minutes she emailed me back said she had a job opening and that she'd call me in a few minutes. Well she called, we met up, agreed on the conditions of employment and by Thursday afternoon I had a job!!! 4.6 miles from my home!! PRAISE GOD....not only would I be closer to home but I am working for a Christian AND the ability to be flexible with a new baby and be closer to Aubrey when shes born. So I started Tuesday the 19th :) So everything is back good on the homefront. It really is amazing that God put me right where I needed to be. No doubt that his plan for me is to be right where I am. They needed me here just as much as I needed them.

On a different note, we had our 20 week ultrasound on the 14th and Baby Aubrey is perfect, she weighs 13 ounces is 10 inches long and everything looks outstanding. Of course Dr. Thompson sends everyone to Tennessee Maternal Fetal (high risk) at Baptist for ultrasounds....well I get there scared to death b/c I didn't realize it - theres a pregnant woman crying in the waiting room obviously she'd just gotten bad news and I immediately bust out into tears....I was so worried for Aubrey that she was okay - then of course when everything was okay I cried tears of joy. During the ultrasound Hannah (the sonographer) said that Aubrey was fiesty (Patrick chimed in just like her Mama, pshh...I'm not fiesty LOL) and Aubrey shook her fist at her...we chuckled - she also touched her nose when I said nose and gave a thumbs up when I said thumbs up. While I know its all unintentional at this point...I'm leaning on the fact that she's a genius....she must be right??? Look at her parents! :)

We picked paint colors with the girls this past weekend on Sunday - so we hope to start painting little bits nursery soon....just finishing up the last few "clean ups" and "clean outs" in our nursery.

Here's a picture of me taken 1/25/10 - 22 weeks and 2 days pregnant

Snow Days

Well Tennessee had its first big blizzard (HA!) January 7th - we got some coverage and the girls were out of school Thursday and Friday - just so happened it was our weekend so we got all that extra time with them it was great. Here are few pics that we took of them with the BLIZZARD!!!





Baby Aubreys first snow!!!!

Almost 5 Months Pregnant - Aubrey Progress

Wow so the 5 month mark is quickly approaching and this belly is still getting bigger but not like I expected. I've always been a thick girl - not big not small built like a softball player I've heard, so I thought I'd blow up quickly at first. Now I'm almost 5 months in and because I was so sick for 15 weeks I'm still at this point 4 pounds below pre-pregnancy weight. I'm wondering if Dr. Thompson is gonna get on me this time about it - last time she mentioned it and gave me "the eye". I go back for my big ultrasound and next doctors appointment on the 14th - b/c we already knew the sex of the baby we just scheduled them on the same day even though we could've technically had it this week. Updates on that will come quickly. Praying everything is developing as it should.

I've been feeling much better since the week after Thanksgiving and in the last week or so I've been feeling Aubrey move alot more. She's a bit of a night owl - I'm hoping that doesn't translate into the real world but we'll see. Last Saturday (January 2) Patrick was able to feel her kicking (to me it felt like kicking to him it was like a muscle spasm or a poke) as we were laying down to bed. I've noticed I can get her to "show" herself by laying on my back for a minute. He felt her again Monday morning I was laying on my left side I guess she didn't like it she kicked about 6 or 7 times in a row as if saying "hey um...can you move" or "dang it I will kick my way out of this position" - Patrick rolled over and put his hand on my belly and felt her moving continuously. I believe she may be a dancer like me if she keeps this up.

We also went to Babies R Us for the first time last weekend - MAN how overwhelming was that??? So many gadgets. I'm a simpleton - I don't need a bunch of expensive "gadgets" I just want what I need and if any of that is hand-me-downs even better. So that said....Mommies out there - advice on what you couldn't live without would be AWESOME...

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our precious baby girl.

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. I can't wait for any of these.

P.S. - Still no middle name :)

New Years Eve

Just wanted to do a quick short post about NYE - I wanted to thank the Hardings for having us over...great food and great times were had by all. We ate, talked, played Rockband (including a great rendition of "You Outta Know" by Mrs. Miranda Allen and my rendition of "Give It Away Now" not so great but funny) - we played Wii Sports Resort where Kendria gets the award for most movement (she was so into it I thought she was going to bust a hole in the wall) and Kyle gets the most wins. Thanks guys for a great evening and for allowing us to share the New Year with you.




"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure."

Christmas Morning

Christmas Eve this year we went over to Papa Severs to celebrate with him, Greta and Uncle Luke - we tracked Santa on Norad and played with Will and Kirby (Katherine)and sang songs and played the guitar. Those are great memories for me so glad the kiddos have them too. Also we went to visit Ms. June - Patricks grandmother. She's almost 90 - when we arrived she was just finishing up a hand crocheted receiving blanket for Aubrey - solid white. It was perfect I almost cried, can't wait to bring Aubrey home to cuddle in the blanket that her Great Grandmother made her. She also gave the girls the baby dolls that look like real dolls....they are awesome but almost creepy they are so lifelike. The girls love Evelyn and Emily they didn't put them down all afternoon. After that we headed home to start our night.....Christmas Eve tradition in our house entails everyone getting to open one gift - its always pajamas so that we can awake to Santas goodies in new jammies. So fun this year to share this tradition with the girls!!! Emma got Peace, Megan got Spongebob, I got hearts and Patrick got Doughboy (thats how I roll) pajamas!!



What an outstanding Christmas morning this year!!! This was our year to have the girls for Santa and it was so cool for me - my first experience as a "parent" on Christmas. Not only that my Mom came and stayed the night with us so she could wake up Christmas morning with the family. It was amazing to see the girls come in and the excitement on their faces when they saw what Santa had brought for the first time!!!



After spending about 30 minutes playing with all the toys Santa brought we stopped a few minutes to pray and remember what the day was really about. I led the prayer (which I normally don't do b/c I cry but I did and yes I cried) we prayed with thankfulness that God sent his son to save us from our sins, we prayed that Patrick and I be given the strength to teach our children (including Aubrey) daily not just on Christmas what the reason for the Season is and to be stewards of Christ everyday of the year and for him to continue to bless our marriage with a bond that only his will can place on one and we also prayed for Susan, the girls mom. I can't imagine how her heart felt waking up this Christmas for the first time without them. She had our prayers that morning. I can still remember my Mom and how hard it was for her when I was with my Dad and Stepmom for weekends let alone holidays. Afterwards we all shared a few hugs and talks, ate a few sausage balls then dug into the gifts from Daddy and me and from my Mom. Seems they opened gifts FOREVER as did Patrick, Mom and I. What a blessing it was to be able to enjoy gifts when so many were without this year.

We played until almost 12:15 then packed the girls up to take back to their Moms after 8 days. Its always so hard after having them so long. The house is so quiet without them, we just cherish the time we do have.

We spent the rest of the weekend resting, cleaning and playing our new game - Wii Sports Resort (what a workout) and the week leading up to New Years cleaning organizing and getting ready for the arrival of Baby Aubrey.

A definite busy time but always a great one. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!