Holidays!

Christmas 2010

I hope that everyone has been enjoying their holidays. I have been able to relax somewhat. My break from college officially began December 21st, although the last week has no assignments. The living room finally got picked up a few days before Christmas, which made me happy. Our tree went up only a couple days before Christmas as well. There were no presents under our tree this year. However, this does not bother me. I have had a very mellow Christmas day, so has everyone else in our house (except Luke, who had to visit family). Josiah and I woke up at 11 and began to make dinner. Mom (Josiah's mom) made some parts of the meal also.








Altogether we had: ham, two little chickens, mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, green beans, rolls, cranberry sauce, chocolate cake, and pumpkin pie.

Everything turned out well and we ate in the early evening before going to visit my parents (and Calico, my beloved kitty).

Now Josiah is on the computer, Luke is asleep, and Mom is in her bedroom chilling out. Josiah and I are supposed to be playing games or something soon-so I am just wasting time until then. Tomorrow I will be 33 weeks pregnant (according to my calculated due date: Valentines). My midwife has my due date marked as the 17th, though (close enough). We have another appointment this Wednesday. I have my new planner already- and it's prepped for the new year. We still need a couple new calendars. Baby's things are set up in our room- and we have the list made up and ready to get the rest of baby's diapering things soon. Josiah just has to finish (my now late) Christmas present of cleaning the house.

I may not have mentioned it here yet, but Josiah and I have decided to wait on moving. We plan to sty here and save up some more first. Maybe if we work hard at it- we can be in our own place this summer, when Luke returns for his summer break. That's far enough away for now, though. Right now focus is on getting the rest of baby's things and whatnot.






New Years 
A Reflection of 2010
Let me grab my journal and see what this year has been like.
One major thing that is different is that before last New years (2009) I was planning on using disposables. LOL- I was worried that cloth would be too much of a hassle outside of home. 


From my journal  January 2010: 
- Josiah and I buy $80 worth of fish tank/accessories 
- Josiah is working full time in Niceville
- I am waiting to take a HPT (home pregnancy test)
- I turn out not to be pregnant
- Josiah and I decide to save up to buy a Wii
- I am planning to get a ring sling
- I go to the dentist and find out I have a cavity
- Josiah's father passed away unexpectedly. It is later determined that it was a heart attack. :(
- Josiah and I move back in with his mother to lend our support (We bring Kaylee and Kimanchee, cats, with  us)

February 2010:
- I weigh 149 lbs
- I begin taking prenatal vitamins
- Feb. 12th, it snows
- I get a hair cut

- I buy fabric/patterns to make an outfit for Josiah's mom and Luke's daughter.
- I get my own Paypal account
- I decide on a natural birth and we decide against circumcision

- Still not pregnant

March 2010:
- I weigh 153 lbs
- I order my stretchy wrap

- I am collecting Legos

- I buy Nick a birthday present and bake him a cake (Not going to bother this year)
- I am already thinking about diaper bags (and I bought a maternity shirt)
- We visit Gulf Breeze Zoo with Luke and Fiona
- Mr. Fish still isn't moved in with us (He ends up passing away before we get a chance to move him)
- Josiah gets fired (for what turns out to only be a week) from his manager misplacing $300

April 2010:
- I weigh 154/155 lbs
- I begin to sign up for free samples online to occupy myself
- I begin to search/apply for jobs (though I really didn't want one)
- I buy a small cork fertility idol from the mall
- I get called in for an interview (they never call back after the interview)
- I become very frustrated with Josiah's brother
- I find out my freind Tiffany is pregnant (due in Sept)
- I see 'Back up Plan' and 'Kick-Ass' in theaters
- I agree to start babysitting for a family friend (her 2yo son)
- Still not pregnant

Easter 2010

May 2010:
-  I am exercising regularly
- I begin babysitting for some pay :)
- I see Iron Man 2 in theaters
- Mothers' Day
- I go to 6 Flags (had a little fun but felt like crap afterwards)
- I spend time with Gabby

- Josiah agrees to get me a woven wrap once I am 3 mos pregnant
- I weigh 157 lbs
- Find out my cousin Roxy is pregnant

June 2010:

- More fighting with Josiah's brother
- June 5: Positive pregnancy test!

- I decide on Milton Birth Center for prenatal care
- Still babysitting
- Father's Day
- Gina Lott (now Cote) gets married

- It is decided we won't have ultrasounds, so baby's gender will be a surprise
- no longer collecting Legos




July 2010:
- Enter 2nd trimester
- I begin online college classes the 28th
- No longer babysitting
- Josiah reads the Bradley (Husband coached childbirth) Book

August 2010:
- We hear baby's heartbeat the 14th
- I turn 19
- On my birthday, Aunt Jo takes me out to lunch and to visit Grandma's memorial (it has been 1yr since her passing)
- Luke goes to Sarasota to attend Ringling Art College
- I get a woven wrap
- Josiah says we are having a baby boy

- Roxy finds out she is having a girl

September 2010:
- 20 weeks pregnant and feeling kicks
- My friend Casey (due 3 weeks ahead of me) has her baby shower the 10th
- Cousin Roxy (due same time^) has her shower the 16th
- My sisters offer to throw me a shower, we decide on Nov. 13th
- I get my cavity filled
- Josiah and I talk about moving to MO sometime after baby is born

October 2010:
- I go to my first LLL meeting
- My sisters and I go shopping for the baby shower
- Spend all of my savings :(

November 2010:
- I begin the 3rd trimester
- Josiah and I celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary
- We receive most essentials at baby shower (which was lots of fun)

- Moving to MO is put on hold
- We begin looking to move out (before Feb) and rent a place in town
- College is going well and I am making all A's
- Luke visits for Thanksgiving break

December:
- I weigh about 170 lbs
- I am getting more anxious about baby's arrival
- Josiah buys himself a Roku box
- We still need to finish getting cloth diapers and a diaper bag (maybe a co-sleeper too)
- We've agreed to put off moving out (at least until Summer)
- Luke comes back to stay with us over the Christmas Holidays
- I finish term 3 of college and get a 2 week break
- Christmas is uneventful/peaceful with no gifts under the tree (though we did buy Luke a gift)
- The outfit for Mom is finished being sewn (my Grandma Lundy did most of the work though)
- Josiah and I are still talking about saving up to buy a Wii
*I write a blog entry to reflect upon the year and realize I've been pregnant most of this year. I also realize how some things took a long time to get done, and how many things don't get done at all. (It took me eight months to get my cavity filled)

Local Vendor Support

      Elaine's Crafts

This vendor currently has pouches in stock and is hoping to expand soon. She is great with a sewing machine and has experience in making medieval clothing.

Giveaways!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=177081152304584&set=a.136137766398923.23184.127158910630142

Ragababe Black Friday Basement Giveaway!



BOOTYFUL BABY BOUTIQUE DIAPER REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY ON YOUR WORLD: HEALTHY AND NATURAL  Go Here!

Money

Money can be an annoying (or depressing) subject depending on how you look at it- but I haven't talked about it yet. It is an unavoidable subject. Survival in the modern world = money.

When you're having a baby- you can't help thinking about money, because it is so important. Even though there aren't many big items necessary to buy for baby- there a lot of smaller things. Luckily, Josiah and I are bothering with a nursery. Baby will be rooming with Mommy and Daddy. That is one less burden, to me. The other big item: car seat, is taken care of as well.

That just leaves building up a diaper stash. (cloth diapers)
I am hoping to gather up enough cloth diapers in newborn size and the next size up. This should cover baby up to 15 pounds, (hopefully 5 months.) The cloth diaper swap board on Babycenter (BBC) has been very helpful. Here, mamas sell their used diapers. Since cloth is made to be durable, it's a great alternative to buying all new diapers. What is most difficult (frustrating) about trying to buy diapers from the swap board is that I see the best deals when we don't have the money available.

The only day I can earnestly shop for diapers is on payday. But even then, the money can be spoken for already. Of course, this is part of life. I am able to counter this some by making my own money here and there. I do so with surveys. Toluna is a great site, although it is a very gradual process to earn $20 (the minimum amount you can get transferred to Paypal or a check.) My college (Kaplan University) also sends me surveys or practice tests occasionally. Just recently I completed a practice test for them in exchange for $20. I am should be receiving the gift code by the end of December.

I am really looking forward to my baby shower this Saturday. I know it isn't about the gifts. But once I have received the gifts from the shower, I will be able to make a list of the remaining essential items for baby. Then we will be able to wrap up shopping for baby, (for now) and focus on our next financial goals.

There is a used Honda in our yard that is nearly ready to be ours.
We first need to replace the master cylinder. Then there are payments to be made upon the car. Then after some cleaning this Honda will be all set to be our family's first car. (Hopefully nothing else major needs done.) (Then Papa gets his Saturn back. We are so grateful for him letting us use the Saturn for so long. It has been a good car.) We really want to have this car ready before baby is ready.

Our next major goal is moving.
Our plans on this are unsure- as circumstances change often. Originally, we were hoping to move to Missouri, Josiah's home state. The appeal of Missouri is the cost of housing (as well as the overall lower cost of living compared to FL.) We were hoping to be able to find a house there, and maybe even make a couple of payments on it before moving. Then we would have a house to go to when we moved. Then all that would need taken care of is Josiah finding a job. The problems with this plan of course have to do with money. I know I said it is cheaper in Missouri, though moving that far can be expensive. First there is the gas to drive over 800 miles- but that isn't the major cost; it is moving our things all the way there. (It wouldn't be a problem if we only had a car load of things. But Josiah alone, has more furniture (and books) than that. (My parents know firsthand, as they are helping us store some of it.) So maybe we will stay in Crestview. But even then, you can't avoid wondering about money. The average rent in this town starts at $500, and many homes within that range are. . .less than desirable. (Not to mention I have a picky hubby who refuses to live in an apartment.) Hopefully, with connections we'll get into a decent place. We have considered section 8 (low income housing) though it just so happens that the waiting list is incredibly long. (They aren't even accepting applications until January 2011.) -Not sure if I have covered it all at this point but I have to help with supper right now- We are still working on this issue right now, so at this point I still retain a healthy amount of optimism. 

Birthdays and such

Today is Sunday. Tuesday is my husband, Josiah's, birthday. He will be turning 23. Although there are nearly 4 years between us, I can hardly tell. I have always noticed though, that the older you get, the less age differences matter. I have a sister who is 10yrs younger than her husband. You don't see it though. They interact just as any other couple. Age just matters less and less the older you get. I suppose there are exceptions for those worried about aging. Anyways, about his birthday. I feel guilty because I know we will not be able to do anything extra special. Our money is responsible now, for buying things for baby and such. I am still hoping to be able to make this day special for him.

Next month will be our one year anniversary. I am very excited, as I marvel at how an entire year has already passed. I admit, that I did imagine that we would have done much more in our first year. But it has been an amazing year, nonetheless. I can hardly believe it has been this long, being with Josiah just seems so natural, that I hardly sit and count the time that has passed. Again, we do not know what we will be doing to celebrate. One thing we definitely want to do is buy a nice piece of beef from Winn Dixie. This will be a very special steak. Josiah will be taking a (rare) day off of work for us to spend the day together. I hope to make the most of it, and have lots of fun.

Update:
Josiah had a nice birthday. I baked him a ham for dinner. His Grandmother sent him a card, and we were able to buy a car seat for baby. (Evenflo brand convertible car seat) Our anniversary was also nice. the day before, we had lunch at Azteca. On the actual day of our anniversary, we weren't sure what to do. We ended up going to Ft. Walton. We visited the mall, Target, and Uptown station. We did a lot more walking than buying, (which is a good thing.) We did buy a pack of flannel blankets for baby, along with another duck robe. Hopefully we will be buying more baby things soon.

Baby Showers and Registries

Baby showers and registries, almost unavoidable when a new baby is on the way. I will be attending more baby showers than I ever have in this one-year span. There was Ashley's Sept. 11th, and Casey's is next on Oct. 10th. Then there is cousin Roxy Oct 16th. And finally, my baby shower will be November 13th (Saturday.) It is expected to begin at 1:00 pm.  I am very much looking forward to these celebrations. Right now it is hard to have a grasp on the reality of this little life growing inside of me. My baby shower will be just another step closer to solidifying this reality. Below is a link to my registry.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/registry.html?ie=UTF8&type=baby&id=39EB911HCTRJZ

My pregnancy thus far

I first found out that I was pregnant on June 6, 2010. I found out that morning with a clear blue digital test. Words cannot describe the excitement I felt. I was trembling with joy.
August 4th: (12 weeks)We heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time. Our midwife, Maria, had a hard time keeping up with baby- they were moving around quite a bit.
August 17: (14 weeks) I begin the 2nd trimester. Haven't gained much weight yet. Less nausea.
September 14: (18 weeks) I am quite excited. My belly is starting to show that I am pregnant. Also, I think that I have been feeling baby flutters for nearly a week. I am unsure, though, as they are not consistent. I have also felt a Braxton Hicks contraction. Laying on my stomach isn't comfortable anymore. Finding a comfortable position at night is becoming difficult. (I am trying not to lay on my back) I am looking forward to making the "half-way point." February seems very far away.
September 27: (20 weeks) Well I am technically "half way there." 40 weeks is considered the norm here, but I will almost definitely be going over that. This LO (little one) is a "late mover." It is fine, they are healthy with a great heart beat, just a little slow according to "schedule." At nearly 21 weeks, a friend took me out and bought me a baby book.  I have filled out the family tree so far. I am excited to go print out pictures for the book. I've bought gifts for the 2 showers I was invited to this month. I am excited about mine- it's a whole month away, though!
October 24: (24 weeks) We are now nearing the third trimester. (Which begins at 27 weeks, I believe) Baby is moving around quite a lot, recently. Movements are strong enough that my belly can be seen moving when baby is very active. I have a midwife appointment in three days. The showers I attended were very nice. Both showers were for baby girls. I will update more after my midwife appointment. 
November 21: (28 weeks) -written Nov.8-Third Trimester-Hooray! Everything is measuring good and normal at our last appointment. Our next appointment is December 1st, after which I believe I will be sent to do my glucose test. Luke stayed with us last week for Thanksgiving. (He's been attending college in Sarasota the past 6 months) It was great to see him. He will be returning for Christmas. (But now more about baby) My baby shower was this month (the 13th). We got many useful things for baby. (All of which we are very grateful for!) As I mentioned in the "money" post. We just need a diaper bag and a good stash of cloth diapers (and things of that nature), and we should be set. (For the better part of baby's first year, at least.)
I am also beginning to get stretch marks. (Need some cocoa butter!) Leg cramps are making an appearance too, in addition to the occasional heart burn and indigestion (though I've acclimated to those two). 
In other recent news: We are looking at moving soon. Josiah and I found an affordable home for rent in the neighborhood behind (Crestview's first) Dominoes Pizza. It has two bedrooms and an extra room. The rooms are very small, but the kitchen is fortunately of a workable size. There is central heat, but not AC (which is alright). Overall, the house is in good shape and clean. There is even a decent-sized (fenced in) front and back yard-shaded, too! (Perfect for get togethers, and for children to play in.) So we called the number for the house. The man I spoke with asked I leave my email address to him in a voice mail, and said he would email an application. (This was before Thanksgiving) I am so anxious and filled with so much anticipation. Especially with my nesting kicking in, all I can think about is how to arrange everything in this house and make it our little home. (In fact, all of baby's things are already packed, I'm looking forward to it that much.) It's starting to drive me (and therefore, Josiah) crazy- so I hope to get that email soon- or I'll be calling again. 
December 5: (30 weeks) Stretch marks have definitely made their appearance. I will now be seeing the midwife every 2 weeks. Our next appointment is December 15th. This time is getting exciting. Still working on getting diapers, though. 
January 2, 2011: (34 weeks) Oh no stretch marks! (Ok, they aren't too bad) Luckily they are staying near the under side of my stomach. We had an appointment Dec. 29 (all is well) and our next one is January 12th. I am feeling alright, appetite is fine and sleep isn't too hard. Although towards the end of my sleep, I toss and turn a lot because my hips hurt. I am definitely a lot more moody (I am fine at the moment, however). 
January 30, 2011: (38 weeks) So there are more stretch marks and boy is it hard to find a comfortable sleeping position. In more exciting news: we found out it's a BOY!!! A couple weeks back (on a Saturday night) we had to go to the hospital, I was in horrible pain. The Crestview hospital thought it may be an infection and sent me to Pensacola Baptist Hospital, they did a couple more u/s and thought it may be a hernia. (We thought they were going to induce me) Then they did a MRI and found out it was an ovarian cyst (which could be easily treated). So then they stuck a needle in me and drained it. We got to go home later that day (Monday). I was so glad to be off of those monitors and IV (and out of pain). And the best part was when they told us we'd be able to continue seeing our Midwife and not have to worry about any more complications from this. My next appointment is this Wednesday (Feb. 2) and this will be just a week since we've last seen Maria. Yes, we are on weekly appointments now. At this visit, we're supposed to start talking about signs of labor. I am soooo nervous. I don't feel quite ready- not to mention we're trying to move (again). 


PICTURES:

 Early Pregnancy

 August 26, 2010 (Between 15 and 16 weeks)

 September 27, 2010 (20 weeks)

 October 24, 2010 (24 weeks)

28 weeks

-Picture taken November 22, 2010- 

30 weeks

-Picture taken December 06, 2010-

34 Weeks
-Picture Taken January 3, 2011-

38 weeks

-Picture taken January 30, 2011-

*According to EDD of Feb. 14 (which has been changed to Feb. 17)*