Maternity Pictures

Things are finally coming together!

Jack's room is, for the most part, all set up. We have a few pictures left to hang, the rug to finish and some organzing left to do in his closet - but, we are almost done!!

We had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. I was 33 weeks and 4 days. Justin and I were both quite anxious about this appointment. We were nervous about what I was going to measure and whether or not the doc was going to schedule another sonogram to reconside the due date or to guesstimate Jack's weight. Good news is - I am still measuring 37 weeks. Turns out Jackson went through another growth spurt. Get this...I actually lost weight!! Haha...so that brings the weight total to 24 lbs. So far, so good. The doc is still keeping my due date at March 19th. Justin swears I won't make it past the first week in March. He actually won't be surprised if Jackson arrives the last week in Feb. He just looks at me, shakes his head, rubs my belly and says there is no way I can possibly get any bigger!! I'm actually expecting Jack's arrival on March 11th. Thats the full moon. Who knows....what we do know is Jack will be here very soon!!!

I'm excited about this weekend - My girlfriends Jennifer, Robin and Peggy are throwing me a Baby shower. It will be alot of fun. I'll be sure and post pictures next week.

We are having a garage sale Saturday morning...It will be so nice to get rid of all the junk we have been storing. Hopefully we will make a little bit of money too. Garage sales are always alot of work...but they are so worth it!!

Sunday, John's fiance Jill, will be taking maternity photos of me. I'm really excited about it. She's a great photographer. Check out her myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jrosephotographytx

We've got a big weekend planned....I'm anxious for it to get here....as for now, I'm off to get ready for the garage sale.

Thanks for the Reminder that I'm still Preggo!!

Ok, so recently I have gotten "really pregnant". I look like I'm going to go into Labor at any moment. I found these Pregnancy Comebacks online, and I thought they were hilarious. These days, strangers and friends take it upon themselves to remind me that I look like a whale and they seem concerned that I might go into labor in their presence. So, next time one of you approaches me and says something along the lines of, "You still haven't had that baby?"....please be prepared for one of these responses:

-This pregnancy's been great for my hair, so I've decided to hold out until it's about waist length.
-What do you mean? I did have the baby! Do you think I still look fat?

-Not yet, but thanks for the reminder.

-Baby? Who said anything about a baby?

-I'm so glad you asked because you could really help me out here—go get a knitting needle and meet me back here in half an hour.

-Oh, you didn't hear? I'm going for the world record for longest pregnancy.

-I actually changed my mind. ... I decided to wait a few more years before having kids.

-I'm just not ready to let go of the baby belly yet. You'll be the first to know when I am.

2009 - A New Year with lots of Change!!

Wow – So much has happened since my last blog!!

Christmas: It was wonderful. Justin, Elizabeth and I spent Christmas eve and Christmas day in San Angelo with Justin’s family. It was lovely. It was my first Cobb Christmas experience and they certainly welcomed Elizabeth and I with open arms. My in-laws certainly are enjoying having a Granddaughter! It was great to spend time with Justin’s sister Jeni and her husband Chris. I’ve barely met them so it was nice to get a chance to visit more.

The day after Christmas, we once again celebrated the big day. We had a great time with my folks and my grandparents.

Overall, I would chalk this Christmas up as the best ever. We had wonderful visits with our families, and we really raked in the presents, too!!

New Year’s Eve was uneventful. Elizabeth tried so hard to stay up till midnight, all of her girlfriends had plans to do massive texting right as the new year began. Poor Elizabeth couldn’t make it pass 11:15pm. Just as Justin and I were turning in for the night, at about 11:57pm – Elizabeth’s cell phone began to ring off the hook! All of her friends were busy texting her while she was snoozing away the New Year!

My MIL gave me a prenatal massage and pedicure for Christmas, right after the New Year, I scheduled my appointment. It had been 7 years since I had gotten a massage – boy, it sure felt good! Thanks so much Nancy!!

We had a doctor’s appointment on Jan 6th. I had only gained ½ pound over Christmas and New Year’s. I was thrilled. How many non-pregnant women only gain ½ pound over the Holidays!?! At that point, I was 30 weeks pregnant and I was measuring 32 weeks. As always, I was measuring two weeks ahead of schedule.

The following weekend, Mom and Gary came over to help us paint the nursery. We painted a wonderful creamy neutral on the walls with a brown stripe horizontally around the room. Immediately after the paint was dry, Justin and Gary set up the crib and changing table. It felt so good to begin to set up Jackson’s room.

This past weekend was jammed packed. We went to my girlfriend’s 40th Birthday party. She went all out, hired a band and had many kegs waiting for thirsty partiers. We had a great time seeing all of our friends. We don’t get out much these days.

The next day, we attended our Childbirth Class. Vanya Keyser, my dear friend, was our instructor. We are planning on having Vanya as our Doula during Jackson’s labor and delivery. The class was from 9am-4pm. It’s really hard to sit in a classroom setting for that long. By the time the class was over, our brains were mush!! We learned a lot, refreshed my memory about things work and met some other expecting couples. Overall, I’m glad we went. I think Justin has a better handle on what kind of support I need from him during the ordeal.

Then Saturday night, we had yet another party. It was called “Fred’s Party”. It’s a big Bi-Annual charity costume party. We dressed as Babies. Our table was sponsored in honor of the Boys and Girls Club. The theme for our table was ‘Kids’. Folks dressed up as Cinderella and Prince Charming, the Tooth Fairy, etc. So, we fit right in with our Baby costumes. I think we both underestimated how difficult it was going to be to make complete fools out of ourselves sober. We still had a very nice time, we visited with all of our friends and took lots of pictures. I hope we get the opportunity to go again in 2011.

Now for the big news!!
We had our regularly scheduled doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, 20th. I was 31 weeks and 5 days. The nurse came in and checked Jackson’s heartbeat. It was 135-139bpm….as always, it looked good. When the doctor arrived, he did the standard measuring of my belly. Here’s where it gets interesting……He pressed around on my tummy and did a measurement…He kinda looked puzzled….he went back and pushed around some more…and measured again. He looked at me and said, “How far along are we saying you are?” He did the measurement once more and looked at Justin and asked, “How big were you when you were born?’ Justin burst into laughter. I haven’t seen him break down in uncontrollable laughter like that in a long time. The doc then asks me, “How big was your other baby?” At this point, Justin is still laughing. I measured 37 weeks. I freaked. All of my co-workers have been teasing me non-stop about having a 14lb baby. By this time, the shock of measuring 37 weeks must of gotten to Justin because he managed to finally stop laughing. Oh, and I had gained 5 ½ pounds too, I forgot to mention that part. The doctors says he is thinking either the dates are messed up or Jackson’s a nice, healthy, BIG baby!! He said he wanted to see me in two weeks, but then I was supposed to start coming every week after that. He mentioned that Jackson’s size would be closely monitored from now on and I might be getting another sonogram in a few weeks to determine his size. He also mentioned an induction at 38 weeks. Over all, the weight gain is good. I’ve gained 25 pounds so far. Anyone can clearly see, it’s all on my belly. My face has rounded out a bit more, but I’m not carrying any extra weight in my rear or thighs. If I am measuring 37 weeks, which is nearly full term, and I’m at 25lbs weight gain, I am extremely proud of myself. 11 years ago, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I gained 42lbs. This time around, my weight gain is way more controlled. I’m pleased.
I guess that’s really all that has happened in the past month. I have two baby showers coming up. One is scheduled for Feb 7th. And the other one, given by my co-workers, is scheduled for Feb 10th. I’m terribly excited about the upcoming showers. Only a few more weeks left.
Justin and I have turned it into high gear – with the possibility that Jackson could arrive in 4-6 weeks. We are busy finishing up his room, getting our yard ready for spring, and re-organizing our bedroom so we have space for his co-sleeper.
Lots of changes are happening at our house, and we couldn’t be more excited. Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers.

Milestone!!

I feel like we have reached a huge milestone with this pregnancy. We now start going every 2 weeks to the doctor. It really put its into perspective that Jackson will now be here sooner rather than later.

In other doctor news, I had an appointment today. I am officially 27w 4d. I am measuring 29 weeks....and the worst news is that I have gained another 7 lbs!! Holy Moly - that's 19 lbs so far!! Of course, my doctor had a few words with me and told me that I really need to slow down the weight gain. I chuckled in my head...yeah right....it's Christmas doc!?!!? Baby Jack's heartbeat was near 160bpm. We had a really hard time leaving the house this morning...Bailey was not being very cooperative...she was pushing my buttons and had managed to get me all upset. So, I think that's why Jack's heartbeat was elevated just a little. It really made me realize how vulnerable he is to all his outside influences. Even thought he is protected by his little womb - he is terribly reliant on how I feel. If I'm stressed....he stresses...if I'm upset...he's upset. Noticing his elevated heartbeat really made me notice that I need to chill out!!
Oh, and Bailey came with us to the appointment. She was able to hear her brother's heartbeat for the first time. She was sooo excited!

Jack's bedding arrived on Friday - I just love it!! I can't wait to begin decorating!!
I'm looking forward to Christmas. We will be spending Christmas Eve and Christmas day in San Angelo with Justin's family. On the 26th, we will be having Christmas at our house and my folks will be coming over. It should be a great week.

This weekend, my mother, grandmother, daughter and I began to hug a rug for baby Jack. It's a Texas flag rug that will be put right in front of his crib. It's so special that all 4 generations can work on a project for this little baby. I'm also really happy that now I have something to do in the evenings...we don't have TV right now, and I don't really enjoy spending my entire evening at home cleaning and doing laundry.

The Invisible Mother

I ran across this short story somewhere on the internet. I thought it really explains how I feel sometimes.....I'm sure all mothers can relate to it at some point.


Invisible Mother.....

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the
way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and
ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm
on the phone?'

Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or
sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because
no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie
this? Can you open this??

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a
clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What
number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30,
please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the
eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude
-but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen
again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of
a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous
trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was
sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well.
It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling
pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped
package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great
cathedrals of EuropeC2. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me
until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the
greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would
discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after
which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great
cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave
their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made
great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building
was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the
cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny
bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why
are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will
be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman
replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was
almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see
the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake
you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are
building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will
become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a
disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my
own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As
one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see
finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The
writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever
be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to
sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell th e friend
he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4
in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a
turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That
would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him
to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his
friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if
we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world
will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has
been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Twas the week before Christmas

Here we are a week and a half until Christmas. All of the presents have been purchased...but none of them wrapped. As a matter of fact, most presents have already been given.



My dear, sweet husband is sooo bad about Christmas surprises. Two weeks ago, on Dec 1st, my major Christmas present from him arrived. He was sooo excited about it that he gave it to me within 5 minutes of having it in his possession. It was a beautiful Coach handbag that will hopefully double as a diaper bag!! On Saturday, I went to San Antonio to do my Christmas shopping. When I arrived home later that night, Justin was just beside himself knowing that I had presents for him, hidden in the house somewhere. After little convincing, I decided to give him his presents. He was thrilled with his new kayak seat, hiking backpack and pocket rocket camp stove. On Sunday, when Bailey arrive home from a weekend away with her father, Justin figured it was only fair to give her her main present from us. We hid it in the tree, she hunted around the house not knowing what she was looking for. Finally, I called her new cell phone and she discovered it in the Christmas tree. She was totally excited and for now, we are the best parents in the world.



Yesterday, was a good day for baby Jack. It certainly was his most active to date. Justin and I were lying in bed, and Jack decided it was time to be awake and play. For a good 5 minutes, Justin was able to feel his son kick. It was sooo cute, Justin would poke my belly and Jackson would poke right back.



This morning I went in for my glucose testing. The orange concoction was not nearly as bad as I remembered. After my first blood sample, I was able to leave the hospital with a promise to return an hour later. As I was heading back to the hospital lab, I recieved a call from my doctor's office saying that they had recieved my lab report and that I was anemic. It's now been 3 hours since my glucose blood sample, and I haven't heard from my doctor yet, so I'm assuming I passed that with flying colors!! Yippee!!



I have a huge weight lifted off my shoulders because last Friday I finally decided on and ordered baby Jack's crib bedding. I had long given up on Justin and I mutually loving the same set, so I proceeded on the assumption that he really loved Jack, but he really didn't care what kind of sheets he layed his precious little head on. I am so excited to finally be able to plan a nursery. We have the crib, dresser and changing table that I used when Bailey was a baby, so now all we need to do is paint and decorate!! The picture above is not what our nursery looks like yet, its the picture that I ordered from.


I guess that's all I have to blog about. Next Monday is our 27 week appointment. I will update then.