recommended reading?

for all you preggos and previous preggos out there, what books have you read that have been helpful? i have been reading what to expect when you're expecting and what to eat when you're expecting over the course of my pregnancy, as well as a book that my doctor gave me-not sure the name of it off the top of my head. but anywho, are there other books that you would recommend i read and as i walk through these last 10 weeks (yes, only 10 weeks-if he comes RIGHT on schedule, LOL) and prepare for labor? and, beyond that, are there helpful parenting books you would suggest for ryan and i to read??

sometimes

when i am laying down preparing to go to sleep, i feel just a little bit like a beached whale. it is so hard to get comfortable, and, in attempting to do so, i flop all around. you see, when you get to be 6-7 months along in a pregnancy, your abs just don't work like they used to... so instead of being able to just roll over, i have to use my arms and my legs to throw myself onto my other side. it would be funny, if it didn't happen when i'm pooped out at the end of the day!

confession

in life, every person has that "thing" that they really like that they are a bit ashamed of...or, at the least, embarrassed to admit they like. for some, it's a *trashy* tv show like grey's anatomy, for others...well, just think about what your's is-you all know what i'm talking about! for me, it's something i've heard referred to as "twaddle," meaning books without substance. i love to read fiction, and most days, i prefer it to a good, thought-provoking book. i love to escape into the world of another... to momentarily forget about my own life's problems and jump into the life of someone else. someone who, like me, has problems. but, unlike me, by the time the book ends, all problems have been neatly wrapped up and closed. all the issues in their life have been brought down to trivial status, and usually the finally thought is "life is good." i literally will pour myself into these books, not wanting to do anything but read and read and read. my favorite authors right this moment: francine rivers, lori wick and jodi picoult. great chick lit! 

third trimester!

as of this week, i am officially to my third, and last, trimester of carrying little noah. i cannot wait to meet the little guy, though i will say i am thankful that he is not coming just yet. we have lots to do to prepare for him to get here. we are looking at a house to rent, that seems like it might be straight from the Lord. the price is unbelievable and it's in a great location! if it works out, we will actually be able to have a little nursery for noah (which is not even feasible in our current location). the place we are in now is so small that it's driving us both crazy. there is stuff everywhere and no where to put it...and we have tons and tons of things in storage, not even accessible. despite the small space, it has been wonderful to be near my mom, dale and the girls again and we have been able to save some money, which is always nice! :) anyway, for the past few days, we have spent a lot of time looking for work and planning for noah's arrival. i have spent hours looking online at baby furniture (trying to find the PERFECT plans to send off to my very talented dad) and nursery ideas. i am feeling a little frustrated because i have yet to come across anything for his nursery that i absolutely love (theme wise). oh well, we still have time... :) i will say, though, that there seems to be 10 times as much stuff out there for little girls as there is for little boys, and i'm not sure why that is?

until next time...

tums...

...my new best friend!

27 weeks and counting!

which means only 13 weeks to go (that is if noah comes RIGHT on schedule!)....ahhhhh! where has time gone? ryan and i went to our new doctor here in birmingham today. 4 waiting rooms, 2 finger pricks, a super sugary drink and 1 weight check (in which i'm pretty sure that the clothes i wore today must have weighed AT LEAST 5 lbs alone!) down and everything looks great, they say. while we liked our doctor back in littleton, we both felt really good after meeting with our new doctor here. she was very assertive, which is the opposite of our last. she just seems like someone you could be confident handling the labor and delivery room (which is a GOOD thing to feel about someone!)... so, we are thrilled to start anew with her. i found it humorous when i was leaving. i should interject and say that i am doing a good job at gaining my pregnancy weight (as is noah, it seems-i am measuring a tad big, which means we are going to have a big boy!!)... so, when i was checking in with the receptionist at the end to schedule my next appointment, i told her i needed to be back in three weeks. she asked my name and then looked up and said, "you just confirmed your pregnancy today, right?" i laughed, thinking "is she blind?! does this burgeoning belly look like i just found out i'm pregnant?!" but then, i realized the counter was covering my belly, so i kindly told her that i am a 27 week transfer. people are so funny sometimes... anyway, all that to say, everything looks great! praise the Lord!

why did no one tell me?!?

i was talking with a sweet friend over the weekend who happens to be expecting as well. we were sharing with each other our various aches and pains and she raised a great question-"why didn't anyone ever tell me about this?!" there are some things that are well known about pregnancy and childbirth, things that everyone talks about. but then, there are these pulls and tugs that happen within your body that feel very strange...who even knew? somedays, i feel like my ribs are going to explode because of all the stretching pressure! there are lots of other funny little things that happen to the body, but i'll join women of the past and not share those. no need to scare anyone away from the task at hand! ;) i will say, my friend and i were both saying we feel like big babies sometimes because we are constantly asking older, experienced women "is this normal?...what about this? is it normal?.... surely this cannot be normal?!" 

even so... i have no doubts that this whole pregnancy thing is TOTALLY worth it! i can't wait to meet little noah!!