Thankfulness

Since Thanksgiving is tomorrow I thought I would take a moment to thank the women that have been a particular blessing in my life most recently. I think the people in your life that make each day a little brighter are the little blessings from God. For that I am grateful.

I am going to describe these amazing friends and they will know who they are... no need for names...

I am thankful for growing friendships. I have a close friend who is also an old college roommate. Recently, she has been able to be there for me in the most amazing way. She has let me vent the good and bad and has really shared in my excitement of Madilynn. She has taken time out of her busy schedule to spend with me getting coffee or carpooling with me so that we can catch up. She has made these last couple months some of the most peaceful and encouraging and I love that I can call her one of my very best friends.

A helpful new mom... This young woman is a new mom of a beautiful baby girl and she is been above and beyond a source of encouragement. She has made meals for my husband and I, lent me baby products and books, and has been an excellent source of advice and information on being a mom. I have felt so encouraged and taken care of by her. She has really made me feel special. I am overwhelmed by her generosity :)

My surrogate mom has always been there and I know always will. She takes the time to shoot encouraging texts my way just letting me know she is thinking of me and takes time out of her buys work day to get lunch with me. Every time I spend time with her I am reminded of how loved I am. That is a priceless feeling.

There were five amazing women who put on the most AMAZING baby shower for me. I felt so blessed and I could really feel the love from each of them. It was a wonderful and joyful occasion, that would not have been the same if it were not for the love and effort of those five women.

Lastly, I am thankful for my baby girl. She has been soooo good to me. She allows me to still sleep through the night and responds to my touch and my voice. I feel so connected to her and so filled with love for her, that I almost don't know how to handle it all. She is my pride and joy. I am already grateful for her, even though I have not yet seen her little face.

I love all of these wonderful ladies with an unconditional love and I am hoping they have a wonderful holiday. Thanks to all of you for making such an effort to make my days that much better. Happy Thanksgiving!

She's Almost Here

I am so consumed and excited with our upcoming due date that I can't seem to focus on anything else. I am finishing my last major school assignment, but it is taking a lot longer because I am busy counting down the last 22 days. I can't lie, I will be sad if we go over our due date. I feel fine physically, I am just eager to meet her. I can't take the wait anymore. I am ready to take this on. I want to wake up all night long to meet her needs. I want to rock, hold, and kiss her constantly. She has made me the happiest I have ever been and I have not even officially met her. I can't imagine the profound impact she is about to have on our lives. Come what may, next month we will have our baby girl... CAN'T WAIT!!!

Winner Gets a Prize!

As I get more and more excited about Madi's arrival, I can't help but imagine all the details. With that said, I thought it would be fun to have a small competition. I think it just makes it more fun and gives something even more to look forward to. Below in the comment section, you can guess the labor date, weight, and length of Madi. The closest guesser overall will get a prize. I don't know what it will be yet, but after her birth and we get settled I really will send a prize.

My guess...
Labor Date: December 11, 2010
Weight: 7lbs, 6 oz.
Length: 19 inches.

This is a random guess! If I win I don't have to get a prize so that would be nice ;) he he.Good luck everyone.

The most remarkable feeling!

This weekend was my baby shower. The people that I love so dearly all gathered to encourage me and my new baby girl that is on her way. I felt so loved and special. I now have all of these gorgeous things that are being set up beautifully in Madi's room. It just reminds me of how lucky I am. I have 5 weeks until her due date and I feel so ready. I am not scared, nervous, or anxious. I am content and feel a calm joy and that feeling is priceless. I am going to try my best to hold on to and remember this feeling because like all emotions they do pass. But so far... this feeling of peaceful anticipation takes the cake!

Madi Bear

Madi Bear...that is what we call you. I am not sure how it came to be, but it has already stuck. For all we know you won't look like a bear at all. We started taking our birthing class in the hopes of having the best birth possible to bring you into the world as peacefully as possible. The book they gave us suggested writing you letters and so I thought I would give it a try.

Your daddy and I already love you more than we can stand. Every morning when he leaves for work and I am still in bed, he gives me a kiss and then kisses and rubs my belly and tells you he loves you and hopes you have a great day. You will be completely still and then as soon as daddy rubs my belly you start pushing against his hand and rolling around. As crazy as it sounds, I think you know who he is. Sometimes you push so hard it feels as if you are trying to get out to get to him. You do the exact same thing at the end of the day when I get home from work and your daddy asks how your day was. It is such a special thing. I hope you adore him just as much when you actually arrive.

Last night we used a flash light to play with you. Now that you can see light through the belly you just go crazy when we shine a light on you. It is so fun. The doctor tells me that you are supposed to start moving a lot less because you are running out of room, but I think you are moving more. You are stronger now, so sometimes you kick so hard it actually startles me. Already, you are working to keep me on my toes.

We have less than seven weeks to go, but we are getting anxious to meet you. We have all sorts of predictions about what type of baby you will be. We think you will be really energetic and possibly a little high maintenance. You seem to already make all of the decisions :) Sometimes you stick your foot behind one of my hips making it impossible for me to stand up until you move, you decide when I have to pee, and if and when I get a good night sleep. Still... I am never annoyed, just overjoyed it is you causing all of that trouble. I am excited to meet you and excited to see how our life will change. There are so many fun things to learn about you. Will you be a good eater? Will you be a good sleeper? Will you be social and love people like we do?All of these are fun things that we get to figure out. No matter what, we already love you and know that we will love you even more with every day. Thank you for working your way to us and being patient with me on days when I am on the go 10 plus hours at a time. You have truly been a great sport! I promise we will have more mellow days to come and will relax lots when you get here.

See you soon.
Love always,
your mommy.

I'm ready

I am over the hump of feeling sad to give up being pregnant and now I am just excited to meet Madi. I have enjoyed her so much and she really has been easy on my body which I really appreciate. I love watching and feeling her move in my belly. The hiccups are my favorite, but I am sure they are annoying to her ;) he he. Sometimes I will be trying to get homework done, run errands, do laundry, clean and vacuum, make meals, etc and everything takes twice as long because Madilynn is sometimes less than cooperative. Those times are when she wants to stretch out and push like she is trying to break right out of my belly or she will stick a foot in my hip making it more difficult to walk. Still, I am not the least bit annoyed. Instead I am so grateful I get to have a little one even if it means I can't do what I used to. At the end of the day, anything I don't get done is worth knowing my little one is healthy and moving all around. A few weeks ago I was able to hear her hiccups on the doppler at my OB appointment and it literally took my breath away.

I am excited to see what she looks like. Will she have hair? What color will it be? How much will she weight? How long will she be? Will she be a good sleeper? Will she be a good eater? Will she be filled with energy or more of a mellow baby? I am so excited to find out all of these things about her. Strangely, I am even excited to experience labor. It is something I have never done and I really do love new experiences despite the negative connotation that labor can have. I know it will all be worth it. I feel ready for her. There are still some things that we need for her, but emotionally, I now I can hack this. I am ready to show her how much I love her. I am ready for her to meet her daddy (though I know she can hear him, because she always goes crazy at night when he gets home from work). I only need her to stay in here another 3 - 4 weeks to ensure her lungs are ready to go and then it is up to her. We are ready when she is. :)

Overwhelmed but hopeful

I have sooooooo much to do! Somehow, I always manage to over extend myself and then proceed to have emotional breakdowns when the load gets too heavy. Oh man do I have some bad habits. Last week was an insane week of school and work and this week does not look to be any better. I have midterms, am fighting some sort of sickness, am working extra hours, and have extra jobs that need to get done before my mother in law gets here for my baby shower. Still, as stressed as I am I know that in just a couple of weeks this crazy will have passed and I will be on my way to the last few weeks of this pregnancy. :)