Diary of a Woman Learning

It has taken so long to update you all because our schedules are so very out of whack right now...nothing like a new baby to turn your world upside-down and right-side up at the same time! We are all so in love with her! My doctor's appointments had been going really well and my doctor didn't want me to go past my due date, especially since there is a margin of error in the ultrasounds and measurements to estimate the baby's size. However, this time it was pretty well right on - I have a little one! (Okay, so she's not tiny...but so much smaller than Kiddo was when he was born!) This is likely much more detail than you want, but I really want this recorded for my own reference as much as that of my family's. Feel free to skim or even skip to the pictures! :) Thursday morning we got up early and went to breakfast - I was told to eat well, that I didn't have to fast! Woo-hoo! We ate at IHOP because it was pretty much the only thing open and we waited so long for o...

I'd hate to get your hopes up so I have to title my posts so that you know what to expect. :) I finally have a few pictures to share with you...they are not great, but my photographer took them during a quick break from school work. He's a busy guy, you know. :) We had another doctor's appointment today and it went very much as expected - though I was hopeful I had dilated more. I've gained a little bit of weight this time, Baby Girl has dropped a bit more and we set up an appointment for next Tuesday. If I've not gone into labor on my own by then, we will set up induction for later in the week. My doctor doesn't really want me going past my due date given the size of Kiddo when he was born. Baby Girl looks like she is quite a bit smaller, but we still don't want to push our luck because the ultrasound can be off by almost a pound. We'll likely do some more walking in the next few days - the Targets and malls are getting much of our time lately. I can ...

It's still been a lot of ups and downs around here lately as technology seems to be refusing to work/run reliably. It just wears me out, but I know that these things are certainly not necessities and are just to make our lives easier. As I come to adjust to that fact and also to the fact that what I have works at least part of the time, I try to work around things and just be thankful for the times that they do work. That's tough this late in pregnancy and trying to start homeschooling and praying for funds to pay off bills and so on and so forth...but God has not let us down yet - and I don't believe that He will ! I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow, late in the morning, and I am so very anxious to know if I have dilated any more. I am pretty certain that I have because Baby Girl is so determined to get outta there. I told Hubby the other night that I didn't think she was going to wait for me to dilate or start having contractions - she was about to cr...

I cannot express to you the way that this blog post title sums up the entire year of 2010 so far! Ugh! There have been a couple of redeeming experiences - namely Baby Girl and my gallbladder being done away with, however, for the most part it has been a very tough year. The past few weeks have been some of the hardest, for sure. I expressed in the last post that we had been having computer issues - well, they got even worse. My PC still randomly reboots and my live-in technical support (a.k.a. Hubby :) has tried just about everything. The only thing left is to replace the motherboard and that would cost nearly as much as just replacing the computer altogether. My monitor already freaked out and died on me, so really there is not much left on this computer to keep us up and running. I had been using Hubby's computer in the interim and last week I walked in the office and went to turn on the monitor at his PC and there I saw the "blue screen of death". Really?!? Well, lo a...

After quite a hiatus from my blog, I have returned to update you all on the goings-on. The break was not at all intentional, though, my monitor died and I had very limited computer usage during that time. There is still a possibility that there are some fishy things going on with my computer, but my in-home techie tells me that for now it is safe to use...and it has very recently been "backed up", praise the Lord! :) If it does go out, it will likely not be a cheap fix - Hubby thinks my motherboard is about to crash - and that would mean that I would likely be on the other computer for some time until we could afford to get mine fixed. That would stink. But we do what we have to do, and in the meantime, I'm just glad to be back on here. I'll start with Music Camp: we had a blast! We had about 32 kids come Monday-Thursday morning and then on Thursday night we put on a performance for the entire church and families of the kids. The kids learned a whole musical called ...

I follow a blog written by Patrice that journals all the ups and downs of her son, Jonah, with EB. I read the blog and I pray for them often - I cannot even imagine what life for them must be like each and every day. However, I find that Patrice - while real and bold - is so very inspirational to me. I love to get updates on Baby Jonah and hear how well he is doing. Anyway, she was tagged by her friend Katherine and has now challenged those of us with blogs. I figured I could play along because, well, it's pretty boring around here lately. :) What experience has shaped you most and why? Becoming a mother - I'm sure you might have guessed that. I learned at the age of 22 years what it was like to have someone else depending on me for every single thing. I had suffered from poor self esteem and I found myself, though obviously overweight, so very proud of my body and what it had to do to create a new life. My body did all that it was supposed to do and protected and provided for ...

Wow! Sometimes it seems as though time is creeping along and my Lil' Princess will just never come...and other days it seems as if these last several months are just a blur and she'll be here in a blink! We are getting more and more excited - Kiddo has even begun telling Lil' Princess goodnight before bed and he tells her often that he loves her. I have to say that it has to be one of my absolutely favorite things to hear and see. So sweet. She is quite obviously growing well, however, I have begun to retain some fluids now. In the last 2 weeks I have gained 5 pounds...and I certainly feel it in my legs and feet. It's partially related to me doing VBS and other things, but I've been able to sit much - just not with elevating my feet. It didn't really help that before my Monday appointment at 2:30 I had not been home since about 9 am due to errands and Kiddo's allergy shots. It was hot and I was tired. Hopefully my next appointment will yield better news on t...

Just wanted to hop on here long enough to tell you that all is well. VBS - though a short week - was exhausting and a huge blessing to me! I had a great time. I will tell you more about it later, but I didn't want anyone to worry about us since it has been so long since my last post. Everyone is doing great - including Lil' Princess - and this weekend will hopefully prove to be a relaxing one. Hoping for many blessings for you this weekend!

This last week has been a long one and we are glad to have the weekend behind us now! Poor Hubby worked on what should have been a minor project with our vehicle (we have only one car, but he does have a work vehicle - provided by his work, solely for work. However, they are gracious enough to let us use it in emergencies for personal use...and they know that Hubby does not take it for granted or abuse that privilege.) This minor project was to change out the spark plugs on our vehicle with over 100K miles before we were to go on an overnight trip with my parents this coming weekend, in order to celebrate both my mom's birthday and Hubby's. There was also a possible fuel filter change to take care of. This project started on Friday morning and as of Monday evening (sparing you the horrible details) was still ongoing with a very poor prognosis. Long story short, it was the brand of spark plugs we purchased and though it is now much, much better, it is sitting in the parking lot ...

*Sorry the spacing is off...ugh! Blogger. But I'm not going to fret about it - it is really grating on my perfectionistic tendencies and I'm trying to work on that. :) * The last week has been relatively busy, but we're making it. My reflux is still under control, even though I decided to take my pill only once a day instead of twice as I'm prescribed. I figured that the less medication in my system, the better...because then it isn't in Lil' Princess' system either. It's exciting that I can reduce the amount and still have great control, because before I got pregnant I took this and another medication and rarely had relief. It's definitely a God-thing! Praise the Lord for relief from heartburn! :) The Bible study group was a wonderful blessing. God has pieced together our little group of four, and we all hit it off great...like I knew we would. We have so much in common, yet so much that makes us unique and special and I am truly looking forward to ...

The last week has been a lot more of the same old thing, but I feel so much better! With my acid-reducer, my acid reflux is under control (even when I forget to take a dose, like I did last night - oops! ) pretty much all of the time. My energy level is better - though still not quite where I would like it to be - and I feel like I can accomplish more in a day. I even recently signed up for e-mealz which has really helped my meal-planning dilemmas. (Not that I follow the order on the list at all or even eat at home every night, but we are making great strides!) In fact, I've learned a few easy recipes that my family (read: my picky eaters ) are truly enjoying! Lil' Princess continues to move and my belly is growing at a pretty surprising rate these days! :) People no longer seem afraid to ask if I'm pregnant and ladies at church - that know how much we have wanted this and for how long - are beginning to ask if it's okay for them to touch my baby bump. It's so much...

There isn't really a lot going on as of late. Life is great, though. I feel better since I've started the iron supplement - it's not a drastic improvement, but I don't feel as if I could fall asleep at any given moment. It's been nice - my energy level is not up to par, but that could be the acid-reducer and the iron working against each other. I may just have to take 2 iron pills and that should help. I'll just take one a day until my next appointment, though. I figure 4 weeks should be long enough to know if I need more or not. Today Kiddo's summer session of golf will start up, so he is very excited! It will last for 8 weeks and then there will be a short break and a new fall session after that. He really has a great time and seems to enjoy playing golf more than many other sports. Don't get me wrong, he is all boy and loves to play with baseballs, basketballs, footballs - he just really doesn't care to abide by the rules or follow the faster-pace...

The last week has been a blur: The guys got the new (to us) shed put up, but there is still some finishing work to get done before we can use it because it is not quite watertight just yet. We've gotten Kiddo's shots and he is still doing well...even with having been spending a lot of time outdoors lately as he helped his Dad and his PaPa. I've cooked more at home - though I am still struggling with that area. I've also decided that eating at home might not be the best decision anyway - I cannot believe the number of dishes that we go through when we eat at home! I barely have the energy to cook the food and eat it, much less clean up afterward! (I do have a wonderful family that helps, but really, people... I only have so much energy ! :) We made it to another payday... and subsequently are ready for the next one . :\ I had another doctor's appointment and have gained 4 pounds this month...technically I'm up one pound throughout the entire pregnancy. My doc i...

I just wanted to leave a quick note of thanks for all of those who are or have been in the military. Memorial Day was always a day of remembrance for me and my family growing up, and I am profoundly grateful to have grown up with such gratitude and an understanding of the sacrifices that a military man or woman makes - not to mention the sacrifices of their families. My mom is a retired SSgt in the Air Force Reserves and served stateside during Desert Storm and the Gulf War. My stepfather is a retired CMSgt in the Air Force Reserves and also served in the Gulf War (And I'm pretty sure he served in Desert Storm as well) but he retired first from the Army - I'm not sure of his rank in the Army. My mom's and my stepfather's family histories are both steeped with rich military connections. While my husband is not in the military, he, too, is very patriotic and is easily offended when someone does not respect the country that we love - or the flag that represents it. We are ...

I come from a military family and Memorial Day was always cause for great family cookouts. While my family and I have no big plans this year, we might have a cookout at some point - however, the portable shed we (and by we, I mean Hubby and his dad :) need to put up should be done this weekend. We plan to park our lawn equipment mostly in there, but this is the first step to getting some of the large stuff out of the garage so that it can eventually be turned into a laundry room/office to make room in the current office for Lil Princess. :) I just wanted to pop on here and tell you all to have a wonderful weekend with family and friends and stay safe! Be blessed! Oh - and by the way...I have begun reading the Christian Atheist (Hubby finished it the other day) and I highly recommend it. Wow! Craig Groeschel has an awesome way of wording things so that they are entertaining, but do not detract from his heartfelt and very important message. If you have not yet heard of this book or you ...

Well, in the last week, many things have stayed about the same and a few things have improved. Kiddo's school work has been much the same except for the fact that my amazing in-laws offered their assistance in teaching Kiddo his times tables. We thought this might be helpful for a few reasons: change of environment, a change of teacher, and a change of teaching styles. My mother-in-law in particular is great with numbers as she crunches numbers most of the day at work. She was the one who taught me how to balance my checkbook when Hubby and I first started dating. She doesn't really think she is, but she is very patient. Kiddo went over Friday afternoon and by Saturday afternoon we could quiz him on zeros, ones, twos and threes and he was consistently correct and quick...for Kiddo that is quite a feat, as it takes him a bit to process things sometimes. He is doing so well. Right now he is working on fours and fives...he knows them pretty well, but he needs to gain some confiden...

Hi, Friend. How are you? Hope you are safe from the storms and that you are feeling well. We are pretty good - still getting better from that allergy/sinus stuff, but we are getting better! Kiddo got allergy shots today, so all is well there. Lil Princess is growing and moving and kicking me - pretty sure that means all is well there, too! :) Feisty little thing - can't wait to meet her in person in a few months and see if her personality is similar to Kiddo's or if she is all her own. On a side note: I adore my niece to pieces, however, I have to admit that she is so active when we have her for a day or two, I'm ready for her to go back home! :) Life is busy with Kiddo, and never boring, but it isn't like he's running all over the place day in and day out. Not sure how I'd cope with that each and every day! :) We are still working on looking for good verses about time management, but I have a new project. I plan to have a family meeting tonight to work on a bu...

Okay, so here goes: I think, as a general rule, that everyone struggles from time to time with a lack of motivation. I think that we also often handle our time ineffectively or inefficiently. Maybe even irresponsibly. In my house, I do know that the three of us - Hubby, Kiddo and I - all do. We put things aside that could be taken care of right away - until they wind up morphing into what I personally perceive as a huge obstacle. Now, as we all have this struggle, it has been becoming increasingly more obvious that this is a huge battle for Kiddo. Not to mention that we are not (* insert blush and shameful expression here *) the best examples for him at this time. This is something that Hubby and I certainly want to improve upon, yet it seems such an insurmountable obstacle that we just don't even know where to start. This is where you come in. God has filled my mind today with some ideas that give me fresh hope. However, as His Word is so filled with wonderful bits of scripture to...

(This is a fall picture of our beautiful Spider Lilies - but my little photographer captured them and I hope that they make you smile just as they do me!) I want to wish you all a very happy Mother's Day! I know that a few of you are not biological mothers. However, my dear friends, I can assure you - this message is meant to honor those women who pour their love out among younger ladies and even young men. For all that you do to show God's love to the younger people in your lives - thank you. For a long time, it was my dear Mother-in-Law that poured her love and her prayers over me. Her guidance has caused a large part of the growth I have had in my faith. I am honored to have been blessed - not only with an amazing husband - but also to have been blessed abundantly by his parents. They are constant, encouraging, faithful...and oh-so-patient. In life, these things are often overlooked and taken for granted. As I look forward to another very special Mother's Day tomorrow, ...

Praise the Lord - Kiddo was able to get his allergy shots this morning! His peak flow was great, but he had taken his medicines early, so we called and they switched us from afternoon to morning. His peak flow is normally around 300 and this morning he even got a 320! The last two weeks it has been around 250-270. If it gets that low, it is time to use his rescue inhaler...this is why we couldn't do his shots. I just wanted to hop on and let you know that all is well with Kiddo's allergy shots again. We had a wonderful weekend and hope you did too...be blessed, friend!