Thanks To Everyone Who Came Out Last Saturday!

Thanks again to all you fabulous people who braved the storm to come to my preview open house last Saturday. I have a faithful group of supporters who make my job so much easier. These are true friends, and I am so grateful for your encouargement, support, and friendship! You guys come to every party and always have such positive things to say to me. It was great to see each of you. I had a nice time and I hope everyone else did as well. :) The preparation for this one was stressful but the actual party was probably the most fun I have ever had doing a Home Interiors party. Thanks so much for letting me show you guys Faith's rooms. Everyone was so complimentary and sweet about everything. I appreciate it! We are really excited about her upcoming arrival, and she cannot wait to meet each one of you! Anyway, if you missed last Saturday, then I look forward to seeing you this Saturday!!!! Not to worry, there is still a lot of great merchandise left! See you soon!

Pregnancy Update

I am now officially in my third trimester! Thank goodness! I must admit that I already miss the second trimester because I actually got some relief during that time. However, I am glad that the pregnancy is progressing and that little Faith will be along soon. The first half of my second trimester was really rough, but as it progressed things got better. I miss that! Now I am just really uncomfortable once again. The nausea has returned at night. My back hurts, I am always tired, and my abdomen hurts like crazy especially at night when I am trying to sleep. Apparently, little Faith is positioning herself for birth and putting a lot of pressure on my Sciatic Nerve. Some people experience this pain while others do not. Lucky me-we should have known that I would! Ha! I do not sleep at night, but am able to sleep and get comfortable during the day. I typically feel better during the day. This is a bit challenging because I work during the day and cannot just sleep all day. However, I am learning to take advantage of Hannah's nap times. Those nap times have also become Aunt Heather's nap times! Whoever knew how great a nap could be?!? That is the best part of my day! :)

I had originally felt like this baby would come later than my original due date, but now I am feeling like she may come early. Or maybe I am just hoping for that because of the discomfort! Ha! My doctor originally gave me Dec. 6th as my due date and then later changed it to the 12th. To tell you the truth, it will not bother me one bit if she comes along closer to the 6th rather than the 12th. As long as she is strong and healthy, that is really all that matters!

Since Scott and I have opposite blood types, I have to get a special shot at my next appointment. I am really hoping that insurance covers it, but insurance doesn't always cover these shots. It is kind of pricey, but I have to have it. I don't want my body to reject the baby so I guess this is pretty important. Did any of you guys have to get this shot? My sister had to get it. It could be a lot worse, right? Faith is worth it!

We took a tour of the hospital, and I feel much more comfortable now with my decision to have Faith there. It is a smaller hospital so I will get more one on one attention. I like the nurse that we met with, and everyone was nice and helpful. What I like most is that the nurses really want the best for their patients. They will do whatever they can to accommodate new mommies. Scott was more concerned about that than me, but still it was good to hear. I must admit that I am getting more and more nervous as the day gets closer, but at least I feel comfortable with the service that will be provided to us. I have heard some horror stories from other friends regarding their hospital deliveries; I am grateful for a great doctor and an awesome hospital. I feel truly blessed!

I am taking a breastfeeding class in October. While I was at the hospital I got a list of classes. I have decided not to take the birthing class because it is expensive and an all day thing. My sister went when she was pregnant with Allison. She said most of what was shared was just a waste of time. I already know how to change a diaper. I have been taking care of babies for a couple of years now and don't really feel that I need a lesson in that. Now I know that I don't know everything, but I really don't want to waste and entire day just to learn a couple of things. I am sure there are some things I could learn from the class, but everything is in the book. My sister gave me the book from the class. We are going to study up on the phases of delivery as well as the other pertinent stuff on our own. Really that is the way I prefer to learn anyway. I also have a lot of friends/family members who have been through this that I know will help me out if I have any questions or concerns. (Thanks ahead of time, guys!) HOWEVER, I am not going to skip out on the breastfeeding class. It is an all day class as well. But since I know so very little, it will probably take a whole day to answer all my questions! Ha! Scott can go with me, and I know that it will definitely benefit me to participate in the class. Plus, having Scott there will help encourage me. He can help me remember what they teach us. I need all the help I can get at this point-my memory is bad! They make the class very affordable, and I am really grateful for classes like this one. I will let you know how it goes! :)

I am glad that it is cooling off! I am getting big and round. I have trouble shaving my legs and have pretty much given up on being able to paint my own toes. So sad! :( Ha! I am uncomfortable enough as it is without having to deal with the heat. Plus, during the winter you do not have to shave or paint your toes. That is a good thing! I just thought of that! I have always loved fall, but I have an even greater appreciation for the change in seasons now! Winter babies rock! I really didn't want to have a baby in December, but now I am more than okay with it. God knew what He was doing! I will have a precious little baby right in time for Christmas! Christmas is my favorite time of year, and the upcoming arrival of little Faith just adds to the excitement. I am beside myself; the anticipation is killing me! What could be better?!?! Even against all my planning and scheming, God worked it out this way. I am glad that God makes the final decisions! Thanks, God!

Well, that is all for now. Now that I have a camera battery charger, I will post some pictures. I PROMISE!!!

Man, I Hate It When I Misplace Things!

Well, I finally just broke down and bought a battery charger. I went to the Sony website and found out what I needed. I thought that I would have to buy one from them, but then I searched around and found the generic version of the same thing for way cheaper. There was just no way I was going to pay $60 for a charger. I ended up getting a car adapter and charger for $25 and there was no shipping. Let's just hope that it works. I called them up, and I feel pretty confident it will. Anyway, I thought that was a good deal for a replacement charger. Still I am mad at myself for losing the previous one. I keep blaming the pregnancy, but the truth is that I really do have a difficult time keeping up with stuff. I put things in such good places that I cannot remember where they went. Ha! Well, that is what I tell people. Really that is not the truth. It just sounds good, doesn't it?!? :) The truth is that losing things has become a real problem for me. I could probably solve this problem if I would just put things away in the same place every time, but I don't. Maybe it is laziness or maybe it is lack of discipline. I am not sure, but I think I might just need to change my ways!

So, I am excited about being able to use my camera once again. I cannot wait to take pictures of some of Faith's new outfits as well as her new rooms. I look forward to showing you guys what I got at the baby show last week! What did people ever do without cameras?!? I have definitely missed mine! :)

I Still Cannot Find My Battery Charger!

What in the world happened to my Sony camera battery charger? I have searched the whole world over and cannot find it. I have looked into buying another one, but I just don't want to spend the money if there is chance I could find the original one. I have missed out on taking so many cute pictures. My battery is dead so I cannot even get the cute pictures off of my camera that I took a while back. I like the camera but do not think I will purchase another Sony. They are a huge pain because they only take Sony brand memory cards and they have their own special battery charger. I have had a tough time finding a replacement for the camera. They don't sell the battery chargers everywhere. In fact, I couldn't really find the exact one on their website either. FRUSTRATING! It really aggravates me! I guess I am going to have to just break down and buy another one if I can find one. We are getting closer and closer to little Faith's arrival. I would never be able to forgive myself if I did take lots of pictures. I hate the forgetfulness that comes along with pregnancy. It is almost like a fog has settled over my brain and I cannot think straight. I misplace everthing and cannot remember anything. Maybe the fog will clear and I will be able to recall what I did with the charger. Until then you will have to just imagine what my belly looks like. :)

I Think I Found A Pediatrician-FINALLY!

As many of you know, I have spent countless hours trying to find a Pediatrician for little Faith. I have a list of 125 doctors in the area who take our insurance, but I knew nothing about any of them. I really didn't feel comfortable just taking Faith to anyone. I want to take her to someone who has been recommended to me-someone that I know something about. (By the way, thanks to all of you who recommended a doctor. Unfortunately, none of them worked out, but I still greatly appreciate the help!) Anyway, I seriously think that I called like 30 or more doctors in my attempt to find the perfect one. There was some light at the end of the tunnel when the nurse from my doctor's office told me that she recognized two of the doctors on the list. Still I knew that it was a long shot because just because a doctor's name is on the list doesn't mean that s/he is taking new Tricare patients. My nurse couldn't really tell me any specifics about the two ladies on the list, but she just told me that she had some patients who used those doctors. At that point, that was good enough for me. I had no clear direction and felt pretty overwhelmed. Her referral was better than nothing. So, I called the offices for both of these doctors. Their offices are in a hospital in downtown Ft. Worth. Apparently, they stay extremely busy there. I had a bad feeling almost immediately. I don't know why, I just didn't have any peace. Things did not get any better as I conversed with the receptionsists from these two different offices. Then when the receptionists told me that I couldn't meet with the doctor before Faith's arrival, I knew that the conversation could go no further. That was a deal breaker-most definitely! I want a doctor who will spend time with me and answer all my questions. I don't want someone who is rushed and who doesn't care about me or my child. They told me that their doctors do not have time to meet new mommies. That tells me that they are totally wrong for us. I want the doctor to remember my name and my child's name when I go in to see him/her. I think that we deserve that much especially since we will be going in so often. We pay darn good money for health care; I want darn good care. I do not think that is too much to ask for! So, I got a little frustrated and discouraged after getting off the phone. I then decided to just cry out to the Lord and ask him to lead me to a doctor. Duh, why didn't I think of that earlier? I had prayed about this situation every time before making my calls, but I was still trying to make things happen for myself. I wasn't fully trusting the Lord to lead me. I then came to the realization that I was going to have to turn over complete control to the Lord. I was going to have to move over and let Him drive. I care so much about little Faith, but my love for her cannot even compare to the love that her Heavenly Father has for her. When I made that decision in my heart to trust the Lord and completely rely on Him, I felt led to call the first doctor on the list. Duh, why didn't I call her sooner? She is the closest to us. It makes sense to start at the beginning and work down the list, right? Well, I was so caught up in trying to make things happen on my own that I wasn't listening to the Lord or thinking straight. So then with some fear and apprehension I took a leap of faith and called her up. From the moment the receptionist answered I felt comfortable. The receptionist was very helpful and sweet. She even let me talk to the nurse. The nurse was also polite and helpful. They seemed to care about me and all my concerns. They geninuely wanted to help. This may sound crazy, but I was impressed by the fact that the nurse could actually say and spell my name correctly. Ludwig is super easy but way too many people cannot spell it or even say it right. I really appreciated the fact that she was smart enough to talk and communicate with me properly. Most of all I liked the fact that this doctor really cares about new mommies. She sets aside one morning every week just to meet with expectant mothers. Scott and I are meeting with her next Wednesday, and I have a total peace about this even though I do not know her and haven't been referred to her by anyone else. Well, I take that back- I really feel like the Lord has led me to this doctor. He gives the best referrals, right? I am trusting Him because He knows the desires of my heart and cares about even the small things in my life. God has given me the best OB/GYN in the world so why wouldn't He also provide me with a great Pediatrician? Lord, forgive me for doing things in my own strength and not trusting you. Your plans truly are way better than any of my own!

Please keep our meeting in your prayers, and I will definitely let you know how everything goes.

Pregnancy Update

I am currently 27 weeks along and feeling more and more round every day. Everyone keeps telling me how small I am, but I certainly do not feel that way. I have reached the uncomfortable stage and have even started waddling around. I go to the bathroom atleast 50 times a day, and I live in sweatpants and big t-shirts. How come comfortable pregnancy clothes are so hard to find? It is almost like you have to be sloppy to be comfortable.

The nausea let up for a while but has come back. Still, I am only having to take 4-5 pills per week instead of 14. The nausea is really just happending during the night-actually the early morning hours between 3 and 6. Praise the Lord for that! I am still having a lot of problems associated with the Anemia. I feel out of breath, my heart races, and I am unable to sleep most nights. It kind of stinks, but I know that it is not going to last forever so I just try to make the best of it. The good news is that I am able to eat more now. I still get bad Acid Reflux, but I am able to eat some Mexican food once again. :) I love feeling the baby kick and move all around in my tummy. At times my stomach gets really hard and I can feel her head pushing up against my side. It is a little uncomfortable but kind of neat to feel her. She has gotten so much bigger in such a short amount of time. It is crazy to think how much babies grow during the second and third trimesters! I am starting to be able to see her move from the outside. I thought it would freak me out, but I really like it. Little Faith is taking over my body but I don't mind. :)

Faith's bathroom and playroom are all finished. I just need one more item for her nursery, and then that will be finished as well. We rushed to get it done because we thought Scott would be leaving this month for Captian's career course. But now that he isn't going, there was really no need to rush. However, it is kind of nice to have everything done. The further along I get, the more uncomfortable I get and the harder it is for me to do stuff. Now maybe I can sit back and relax and enjoy all my hard work. I need to post some pictures. I will try and do that soon.

We finally made a decision on the middle name. I had pretty much agreed to McKenna just because it was the only other name besides Noelle that I liked. Scott didn't like Noelle and was really pushing for McKenna. The first name was what was so important to me so I wasn't quite as obsessed with getting my way with the middle name. But then this last week Scott told me that he felt like the Lord was telling him to let me have Noelle because of its significant meaning. Noelle has always been my number one pick for little Faith. McKenna is pretty, but I could never really find its meaning anywhere. The one meaning for the name that I found was not that great. Since I am all into the meaning of names, I really wanted Noelle. What could be more perfect than a name that means "precious gift"? Plus, little Faith is going to be a Christmas baby; that is just another reason why Noelle works well. :) Anyway, I am excited about us finally agreeing on her full name. Most of all I am grateful to Scott for allowing me to have the name that means so much to me. Thanks, Scottie! :)

I Love Little Old Ladies!

My grandmother ("Memaw" as she is called by just about everyone who knows her), just recently hosted a Home Interiors party for me. We had a blast! I really didn't know if anyone would come or buy anything, but I decided to do the party anyway. You just never know. God has been teaching me not to limit myself to my own understanding of things but rather to trust Him in all things. This was one of those times that I actually let faith lead the way and cast fear aside. Boy am I glad that I did!

There were 12 people in attendance at this party. That was a good turn out, and I was pleasantly surprised especially since no one RSVP'd to my grandmother. We all met at their apartment meeting hall. I did an auction of prizes that required everyone to either do something or wear something special in order to get bucks to bid on prizes. It was so cute to see all these ladies in their crazy hats and house shoes. Almost everyone participated. I put my grandmother in charge of passing out the bucks. Those ladies were serious about getting the right amount of play money. I should have known! My grandmother is one of the most competitive Domino players I have ever met! Anyway, they loved the game and many of them went home with nice Home Interior prizes. I took Hannah with me because I was babysitting her for the day. Everyone went crazy over her. I think my pregnancy and the cute baby definitely won me some sympathy! All but three people bought something at my grandmother's party. Even though a lot of items were backordered or sold out, all the ladies were so sweet and accommodating. No one cancelled an order or got upset about anything. That is so refreshing especially after some of my past experiences. These party guests genuinely just wanted to help me out and also help my grandmother get free stuff. I was really blessed by their attitudes. A lot of times people get grumpy and impatient as they get older. It is somewhat understandable but still not fun to be around. All of these ladies were encouraging and positive. We can all learn so much from them! They have such great stories to share and wisdom as well. I guess what impressed me most was that even though many of these ladies are on a fixed income, they still bought something. They loved the products and really made me feel good about myself and my business. I get told "no" so often that it is refreshing to be around people like this. This of course is true for any sales person, but still at times it has been tough for me to hear "no". God has taught me a lot, and I have definitely been challenged to not take a "no" as personal rejection. Still I am grateful to the Lord for sweet customers like the little old ladies of The Chandler Place Apartments. It is people like this that keep me motivated and inspired to do my job. Just when I want to give up the Lord sends people across my path to love and encourage me. I am not a natural at sales, but God equips me for everything that he calls me to in life. May God bless each one of these sweet old ladies for their kindness and generosity, and may they have good health and be blessed with many more years of life!

Here is "Memaw". She is 93 years old and is truly an inspiration!

It's Confirmed-We Are Having A Girl!

Today's appointment confirmed that the baby is in fact a girl! What a relief! I started worrying about it last night. I just almost have Faith's nursery completed. I really didn't want to have to take everything down and start all over again.

The baby has gotten quite a bit bigger and is doing well. I love hearing her heartbeat. My doctor was pleased to hear that I am feeling better. He always gets a big smile on his face when he hears the baby's heartbeat. I took my niece with me today and the whole office just went bananas over her. Dr. McAlpine's wife and daughter both work at the office and they both held her and went on and on about how pretty and sweet she is. They were not just saying that either because there were other babies there as well. They didn't tell anyone else that but Hannah. Any of you who have seen her know what I am talking about. She looks like the Gerber baby! If my baby is half as sweet and pretty as little Hannah, we will be extremely blessed!

This time I got sonogram pictures of Faith's bottom and her head. She is looking more and more human every day and is quite cute if I do say so myself! The sonogram lady was really nice and actually spent more time with us than she had originally said she would spend. I am glad that Scott got to go this time around. This month's sonogram was much better because Faith is bigger and she was face up as opposed to face down like last time. :)

The nurse is on vacation this week, but I did get to talk to my doctor about pediatricians in the area. However, he did not recognize anyone from the list. :( I left the list for the secretary to put in my file. She will have the nurse look it over when she comes back. Maybe I will have more luck with her. But if not, then Dr. McAlpine told me to take my list up to the maternity ward and ask them about it. I didn't get to take my hospital tour today, but I will definitely be taking the list with me when I go in the next week or so. I am not giving up, but boy this is a little discouraging!

I also found out today that I am 23 weeks along rather than 22 weeks along. I lost track of a week somewhere along the way! Saturday, August 16th will start week 24 of my pregnancy. I cannot believe how much bigger I am getting. The baby is growing like a weed!

I hope to post some pictures of the nursery and playroom soon. I am pretty proud of both of them. However, I must admit that the camera does not do them justice. I hate to brag, but they are way cuter in person. Faith's nursery is now my favorite room in the house! For those who haven't seen it yet, you will definitely have to swing by and take a peak! :)