Giving thanks day 23

I am thankful for when my husband makes dinner and gives the baby a bath without me even suggesting it! Especially when I have not had a good day :(

Giving thanks day 22

I am thankful for my grandparents and the Christian role model that they have to me in my life. They have provided me with so much love and support and it means so much to me to know that they are constantly praying for me! I cherish their relationship and am so grateful to have the in my life.

Giving thanks day 21

I am thankful for a re-newed relationship with my father. It has been a long road but I have learned so much and I am grateful for the change he has caused in both me and my father over time. Thank goodness God can see the bigger picture!

Giving thanks day 20

I am thankful for the power of prayer and the ability we have to speak directly to our heavenly Father regarding our worries and concerns. It is so great to tell Him how we feel and know that we can give our burdens to Him because his yoke is light. Praise God for the power of prayer!

Giving thanks day 19

I am thankful for coupons. They allow me to save money and purchase things for our family without breaking the bank. And I have actually be addicted to couponing. There is a whole world out there of ppl who coupon and actually MAKE money on the monthly shopping trips! I have yet to be in the green, but I am definitely proud to be known as the coupon lady at my local CVS!

Giving thanks day 18

I am thankful for my mom. She has done so much for me and sacrificed more then I probably will ever know. I am so thankful for her, for all does and has done. I am truly blessed and would be lost without her. I love you mom!

Giving thanks day 17

I am thankful for modern medicine that allows my headache to go away and allows my baby to be able to better tolerate teething and shots.

Giving thanks day 16

I am thankful for the wee morning snuggles from Mia. Since she has been teething, she is waking up around 1am and staying awake until about 3 or 4am. even though I am sleep deprived, I cherish these fleeting moments of silence where I am solely focused on her.

Giving thanks day 15

I am thankful for my garage on frosty days. I no longer have to get up early to make sure my car windshield is defrosted before I leave although with a baby I still have to get up early-but at least I don't have to go outside to turn on my car! I love my garage and I feel bad for those who have to suffer through Ohio winters without. ( I know how you feel-I did it for 4 years!)

Giving thanks day 14

I am thankful for the invention of the slow cooker. Even though it takes a long time to cook, that is the beauty of it. I can set it in the morning before work and when I get home...a home cooked meal!

Giving thanks day 13

I am thankful for dishwashers and washing machines! They make the working mom's never ending jobs just a little less time consuming! So thankful we got a dishwasher before Mia came along! What a time saver!

Giving thanks day 12

Today I am thankful for the sun and warm weather less than 2 weeks before Thanksgiving! The sunshine does wonders for the immune system and my state of mind. Such beautiful weather in unheard of this time of year in Ohio and I plan on enjoying the nice weather this weekend as long as it sticks around!

Giving thanks day 11

Today, I am thankful for all the veterans past and present who have sacrificed so much that we may enjoy all of the freedoms and liberties of living in this great nation. I am thankful for the many millions who have dedicated their lives and give up precious time with their families to ensure our safety and freedom. Without their sacrifice, I would not be able to vote, make my own decisions on parenting, openly pray and praise our Heavenly Father, sleep soundly at night, among many other things I take for granted. GOD bless America and all the families who continue to serve our country so that we may continue to be the Land of the free and the Home of the brave!

Giving thanks day 10

Today I am grateful for good friends. God always provides a friend and confidant at the precise time that I need, whether I know it or not. I cherish my friends and need to make those relationships a priority in my life.

Giving thanks day 9

I wasn't feeling very grateful yesturday and I wanted to post something genuine so here it goes:

#9 I am thankful for God forgiveness. Regardless of what we have done he still forgives us. When I mess up, when I am selfish, arrogant, mean, rude, ungrateful God still forgives us and gives us a second chance to try again. I hope that I can become that forgiving of others the way God is so forgiving with me.

Giving thanks day 8

Today I am thankful that I have a job! The majority of the time, I am thinking of all things I could be doing and the time I am missing out on our precious little baby by going to work.....but alas it must be done and there is no way around it. Therefore I am thankful that I have a job that is in high demand even with a poor economy, job security is a wonderful thing right now. Above that I am thankful for the job I have and the new job that I will be starting next week. I love what I do and the people I work with and that thought alone makes dropping Mia off at daycare only slightly easier.

Giving thanks day 7

I am thankful for my church. We attend New Life Church in Gahanna and are constantly amazed at how God speaks to us and blesses us through our church family. We have also started going to a small group and it has been such a blessing to meet other couples our age and converse with them on a deeper level. I love our church, the music, the pastors, the nursery (I volunteer so I know first hand how wonderful they are!) the people, and the fellowship they provide. I am excited to watch Mia grow up and meet friends from this church. Here is a picture of a cake they brought over after Mia was born...So sweet!

Giving thanks day 6

Today I am grateful for God's creativity when he created the world. I love living in a climate where the season's change and God's beauty and wonder shine through all year round. Fall is one of my favorite with cooler air, wonderful hot drinks and food, and the start of the holidays. I just love it and I am so thankful God gave us the changing season's, other wise life would definitely be a little less exciting.

day 5 of giving thanks

Mia's first picture this side of heaven

I am so thankful that God has given us such a great blessing in our daughter Mia. She is such a happy baby who lives to meet new people and smiles at everyone. She is curious, sweet, and has the chunkiest little cheeks. I never could have fathomed how wonderful it is to be a mother and to have this little one to boot, I am so BLESSED! Thank you Jesus for allowing me the privilege to be the mother of Mia. I pray that I provide her with godly guidance and love that she may grow up to know you personally.

In everything give thanks

So I meant to start this post on Monday, but alas it is now Thursday night and I am just getting to it. My plan is to write each day in November a post of something I am grateful for as we enter the holiday season. I will do four things tonight and hopefully keep up with posting on every day this month and they are by no means in a particular order!

1. I am thankful that I am saved by grace and there is nothing I can do to earn or lose God's love and acceptance of me! I have been redeemed!

2. I am thankful for my house and how God's timing is always perfect! It was a major concern of my bringing a baby into an apt that had mold on the ceilings, was drafty, no AC, and was known to have lead paint. But God provided for us the perfect house at the perfect time for the perfect price!

3. I am thankful for my health and hope that I can start paying better attention to my eating habits and exrs routine. Working in the setting I do, I see ppl everyday with major health concerns/problems that limit their function and participation in daily tasks. I am so grateful to have my health and I hope that I can continue to have good health in the years to come.

4. I am thankful for my husband. He is my soul mate and a perfect match for me. He picks up where I lack and steps into any situation I need him. He may not always be willing to do what I ask when I ask but he does it none the less and I am so grateful for his love, support, passion, and guidance. He is my rock and provides me with stability and peace. He is an amazing Father with such a great love and dedication to his family. We are so blessed!

Wow, I feel better already. I like focusing on the positive rather than the negative all the time. So as November is upon us, I challenge you...what are you thankful for?

and I will leave with a preview of tomorrow's post....

Wordless Wednesday

Mia has found her toes

Rub-a-dub-dub there's a ducky in my tub

Mia's first cereal

Wordless Wednesday

My favorite from the photo shoot

Our pictures are up!

Head over to Jackson artwork photography to see some of our pictures! They did such a wonderful job and were so fun to work with! I hope we can do it again for Mia's 1st birthday!

The heaviness of this day

This day has a two-fold significance for me. Not only did 9/11 happen on this day, but on this day 19 years ago my Sister, Courtney Danielle was born and taken straight to heaven.

On 09/11/2001, I was sitting in Mrs. Gorman's 4th year Spanish class when the phone rang instructing her not to turn on the t.v. Of course she immediately turned on the t.v. The rest of the day was a blur. No one was allowed to leave school and we watched the news in every class. So on this day I pray:

A Prayer for USA by David Cohen

I pray for the survivors of the attack on September 11, 2001.
I pray for the families who have lost loved ones.
I pray for the rescue workers and police on the scene.
I pray for the doctors and nurses caring for the hurting.
I pray for the reporters who work through intense emotion to bring us the pictures and news of the day.
I pray for the President and other elected leaders who so desperately need wisdom from beyond themselves.
I pray for the pastors in Washington and New York who care first-hand for the spiritual needs of those who have experienced this great tragedy.
I pray for the military and intelligence agencies who seek to find out who would do this so they might be brought to justice.
I pray for our nation -- that this event will bring us together and turn our thoughts toward helping each other to fight and VANISH the terrorism out of the world.
I pray for all those who might be tempted to think that violence accomplishes anything of lasting value. We've seen too much of it in the recent years.
Lastly, I pray for every peace lover in this world.
May God break the cycle of violence to make a difference for His Peace and Grace in this sinful world.
GOD BLESS AMERICA.

In addition, I also reflect on God and his Sovereign mercy and his ultimate plan for us. I reflect on how different my life would be if I had a 19 y/o sister. I received a card from my grandmom today. Inside was this poem that she wrote 19 years ago:

Courtney Danielle

A special gift from GOD given to us

for a brief moment in time

To love and remember all of our lives

and to challenge our faith

The dream of a life given for it's own

special purpose~hidden for this moment

To be revealed fully in eternity

A precious deposit in heaven~now perfect and complete

Safe in the Arms of Jesus

Reflections of Grandmom 09/12/91

So in Love

I am so in love with this cute baby!!!

Mia's 4 month update

I can't believe that my sweet baby is already FOUR months old! She had her four month Dr's appt on Wednesday and here are her stats:

• weight:15# 5oz (75 percentile)
• height: 24 1/2 inches (50 percentile)

A few highlights from the Dr:

• she is very proportionate and will grow into her little chunky rolls
• she is holding her head up and she kept smiling at the Dr. She had no idea what was coming
• she received her 4 month shots and it breaks my heart every time :(
• Dr says she is should start putting herself to sleep so we should start letting her cry it out

So this weekend we are going to try and just let her cry herself to sleep. the Dr said it will be harder on us then her but it should only 3 days so we will start on Friday and go from there. Hopefully we will have quick success! Mia is doing really well, she is such a happy baby and loves to look around at everything and everyone. She is afraid she will miss something :) She is enjoying her exersucer more and is able to sit up for 1-2 seconds before falling over. She is bringing her hands to midline and loves to put her hands in her mouth. She a elephant on her play mat that she has staring contests with and when she loses (she always does) she eats his trunk. Too cute! She also is more vocal, sometime she will just yell (not crying) but yell to remind you that she is here. I will try to post some videos this weekend of her.

In conclusion, we are so in love of our little girl and are so grateful to GOD for giving us such a sweet and miraculous gift!

Meal Plan Monday

Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas

Monday: Pancakes, eggs, and sausage

Tuesday: Round Steak Supreme

Wednesday: Sloppy joes and French fries

Thursday: grilled chicken and veggies on the grill

Friday: Tacos (Shawn, Tyson, and Pierce are coming to visit this weekend so our plans for the weekend are tentative!)

Saturday: BBQ with hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream sundaes!

Sunday: Baked Ziti

God's Blessings!

So we have decided to become debt-free and are in the process of following Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. We are taking baby steps and the first is saving up for an emergency fund. We went to home Depot tonight because Patrick got some gift cards for his birthday and we were going to look into buying a storm door for the front door so that when it cools down we can open the door and turn off the air to save money. The door I really wanted was too much money for us so we were planning on getting a generic on using the gift cards. Well...I think that GOD is all for us getting out of debt because there on the end cap was the storm door I wanted on Clearance! So we were able to get a screen door for the front and one for the garage using our gift cards! God is Good! and to make things better I am making a dessert that I found online to cheer up my co-workers at work and it smells delicious!

Wordless Wednesday

Our fourth of July in pictures

Meal Plan Monday

I have decided to start posting my meal plans again as this helps me stick to a plan and not be so ready to eat out! So here is the plan for this week:

Monday: Grilled chicken, Asparagus and South Beach 'Surprise' Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday: Balsamic Salmon with green beans

Wednesday: Grilled Shrimp and veggies

Thursday: Baked Pesto Chicken and stuffed tomatoes

Friday: Garlic Pork Chops with broccoli and cauliflower

Saturday: Shrimp stir-fry

I am attempting the South beach diet again but this time slightly modified so that I can continue to loose weight and eat healthy. So all of these recipes are from the south beach diet book. If any of them turn out really good I will post the recipe for you to try!

Hidden Truths

This is from an email I received from my husband. It is amazing how spot on some of these things are!

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear
your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you
realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was
younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. Just how in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5, as I'm pretty
sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the
Person died.

9. Bad decisions make good stories.

10. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work
when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for
the rest of the day.

11. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after BlueRay? I
don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

12. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me
if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear
I did not make any changes to.

13. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello?), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to
voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and
run away?

14. I hate leaving my house confident and looking really good and then
not seeing anyone of importance the entire day, What a waste!

15. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to
answer when they call.

16. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

17. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or
Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than with Kay.

18. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

19. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and
suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first
saw it.

20. I would rather try to carry 10 grocery bags in each hand than take 2
trips to bring my groceries from the car into the house.

21. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to
finish a text, change my shoes or flirt.

22. Sometimes I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between
boredom and hunger.

23. How many times do you suppose it is OK to say "What?" before you
just nod and smile because you still didn't hear, understand or you just
weren't paying attention to a word they just said?

24. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up
to prevent a jerk from cutting in to your lane. Stay strong, brothers
and sisters!

25. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get
dirty, and you can wear them forever.

26. Is it just me or do teenagers get dumber & dumber every year?

27. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are
going down after leaning your chair back just a tad too far.

28. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still
not know what time it is.

29. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car
keys in a pocket or purse, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the
Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the
snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, pitch
black, first time, every time!

2 months old

So we have done a lot since my last post. Lindsey, Abe, Mia, and I took an unexpected trip to NJ for the funeral of my (Great) Uncle Dave. The travel itself was weary and exhausting but being able to fellowship and support my family was such a blessing to me. I am so glad that Lindsey went with me so we could make the trek. While we were there we got visit with lots of family that we don't see very often and Mia got lots of snuggles in with lots of people.

On a side note, I would like to make a shout out to my (great) Aunt Grace who I know will be reading this! I am so excited to hear that people actually read my blog! :)

While in NJ we made a short day trip to the beach! It was Mia's first time and while I am certain she will love the beach, she was not so thrilled with her first trip. But she snuggled with grandma and took a dip in the Atlantic Ocean. Abe had a fantastic time in the ocean and eating the sand. Although he had a mishap with a wave right before we left. Hopefully, he won't remember it when he comes back :)







We also got to visit with my Dad, Diane, and Dustin. Pop-pop got to hold and snuggle with little Mia. I know that it was such a blessing for them to meet and really lifted his spirits. He loves her so much!


Since returning to Ohio, we have been quite busy. Pam and Jared came to visit the day after I returned from NJ. We took them to the zoo to see the new polar bears and should them the town including a nice dinner at Brio! Aunt Pammy got in lots of snuggles with the baby.

We lost our power for about 3 days. During that time, I discovered that Mia does not like to sleep in the dark. She kept waking herself up and would be so scared because she could not see anything. It was also so hot that she couldn't be swaddled, but when not swaddled she would startled herself awake. Needless to say we had several sleepless nights and Momma was tired. But we have regained power and have returned back to our regular sleeping routine.

This past weekend, Patrick and I ventured out on own for the first time since Mia was born. Lindsey watched Mia in Athens while Patrick and I went on the canopy zip-lining tour. It was about 3 hours and we zip-lined through the hocking hills. We had so much fun and it was nice to get out and spend time together! We didn't take any pictures because our camera wasn't charged :( We also have started the south beach diet and are on day 3! Here's to hoping and praying that this works. It has really forced me to start eating better and eating less. Patrick and I are both on the diet and it has been good to have a support system in the house so we shall see how it goes!

Mia is such a happy baby and is very interested in smiling these days! She especially loves to smile at her daddy when he sings her silly songs!

Baby Update!

So Mia has made some big changes this week! First off she is SO much more awake this week. She is able to focus on people with her eyes and will track an item or person, she especially loves watching her mobile go around! And the big kicker...last she rolled over! It was so neat because she was laying on the living room floor and Patrick placed her on her belly. She got made and pushed herself up with her arms and just rolled herself over! It was so neat to see especially because we weren't expecting it at all. I will try to get a video of her when she is awake and being super cute, and maybe I can get her rolling over again! And we also discovered that she loves to sleep on her stomach and will fall asleep on anyone that will let her lay on their chest! With that being said she loves her Snugli when we go for walks or just around the house, and it allows Mommy to get things done during the day!

In other news, I am down to 1_9 lbs and hope to be at 1_5 by my 6 week Dr's appt next week. I only have 14 lbs to lose to be back to my per-pregnancy weight, and I have been severly motivated by the cashier in Khols who asked me this week: "When is your baby due?" It took me a second to figure out what she was talking about and then I realized what she was referring to! Oh-my needless to say, it made for a depressing day but has inspired me to really try and lose this weight!

Showers of Blessings

We have been so blessed by those around us lately! I continue to be amazed by God's blessings on our life and the way that he provides for our family!

Last week a friend, who I spent the first 2 years in Ohio babysitting for her children, stopped by. First of all let me just say that the job she provided for me while in school was such a huge blessing and a true testament to the way God provides for his children! Well her 2 little girls aren't quite so little anymore, so she brought a huge lot of little girl clothes ranging from 12mos-4T with a few smaller things as well! Mia will not need to go clothes shopping for several years!
Check out all the boxes she brought over and there were more dresses on hangers that I already hung up! Praise God for this HUGE blessing and for wonderful gracious friends!



Another blessing for our family was the surprise delivery of some wonderful flowers from our church, New Life Church Gahanna. Then yesturday we recieved this wonderful cake made by some of the ladies in our church! How thoughtful and sweet and Oh-so delicious! I pray that Mia comes to know, cherish, and understand just how much Jesus Loves her! We are so thankful for loving friends and church that truly cares for it's members and for God's daily reminders of his love for us!



I hope you each have a Blessed day!

What is your Awesome?

I was watching the CBS Early Show today and they had the author of "The Book of Awesome", Neil Pasricha. The book is a compilation of 1000 little things in your life that make it awesome. For example here are a few of my favorites from the book:

#913 having the whole row to yourself on the plane
#879 the parking lot pull through
#841 when the categories on Jeopardy are right in your wheelhouse
#520 when a baby falls asleep on you,
#543 the separate compartment in your stomach for dessert!.

He posts a new awesome thing each day and is up to #501

So in response to the title question I challenge you to think about what your Awesome is today and check out the website for some sure fire feel good today!

and as for me, my Awesome is: clean linens on the bed fresh from the drier right before bed!

Thursday Thirteen

Outside My Window... is my street. Directly across from my front door is a back alley way that leads to other homes garages. I have fabulous neighbors. To my right is a mom and 2 girls. the oldest girl is so sweet and she gets so excited when she sees us out walking or in the yard! and to my right is a couple with two very large dogs!

I am thankful for… everything in my life! This year GOD has truly blessed us beyond what we ever could have imagined! Most recently, I am SO thankful for my beautiful baby girl. I just can't imagine how anyone can't believe that there is a GOD when you experience the miracle of birth! She is such a blessing and inspiration to me. She challenges me on a daily basis to be a better person and mom!

From the kitchen… is a pile of dirty dishes and bottles. I should probably be doing those instead of writing this post!

I am wearing… pink PJ pants and a nike t-shirt.

I am creating... homemade burp cloths (when I am done I will try and post some pics!) I am really proud of my creations and I am very surprised at how they are turning out!

I am going… to try and do the laundry, dishes, and some vacuuming today. Along with changing the babies diaper multiple times, feeding the baby, and giving her a bath, go for a walk, and hopefully take a nap today! Let's see how much of that I actually accomplish.

I am reading… "Shepherding A Child's Heart" by Tedd Tripp and "He Chose the Nails" by Max Lucado

I am hoping... to reach my pre-pregnancy weight by walking everyday and watching what I am eating and limiting my portion intake.

I am hearing… the cooing and giggles of my baby girl while she dreams in her sleep. She makes me smile!

Around the house… there is an overwhelming amount of baby items taking over my living room. How can such a tiny baby require so much stuff!

One of my favorite things… is watching my baby's facial expressions and seeing how much she has grown and changed over the last 3 weeks

Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… I would like to go to the library tomorrow, along with a Dr's appt for the baby on Friday. Saturday I have no definite plans but hopeing my brother and his family come for a visit so we can grill out on our new grill! And we will probably go to church Saturday night and the possibly the zoo on Sunday to celebrate my 1st Mother's Day!

And a picture to leave you with...



This picture makes me laugh every time I look at it! My husband told them he was going to take some candid photos and this is what my grandmother does! hahaha! I love it!

2 week check-up

Last Friday, which was April 30th, Mia had her 2 week check-up. It was determined at this appt that she does in fact have a cold but it has not progressed into her lungs. She has a left blocked tear-duct that could take up to 6 months to open! And the big whammy of the day...She is NOT gaining enough weight! (If you read my other post, you would know that I have the exact opposite problem) So therefore, we have to keep precise track of how much formula she is consuming and ensure that she gets at least 21 oz in a 24 hour period. So far we have been barely making the minimum requirements! She prefers to sleep rather then eat! So we shall see how much she has gained this week! I am hoping it is enough but we go back on Friday to find out. Other then that she is doing great!

On a side note...Mia is 3 weeks old today and I can't believe that today was her appointed due date!

Walk-a-thon

So the weight that I have gained from the pregnancy is sticking around much longer then I had hoped! So in response to all the access weight I have decided to do my own walk-a-thon until it is gone! I started on Monday and my goal is to complete 10 miles this week and increase from there. My overall goal is to at least get back to my pre-pregnancy weight which is 1_4. My current weight is 1_3. I am too embarrassed to post the full number but maybe I will once the weight is gone.

So far this week:
Monday I completed 1 mile
Tuesday I completed 1.7 miles
I will let you know how the rest of the week goes!

Our lives will never be the same

Introducing Mia Marie Kelso!!! born April 14th, 2010 at 10:00pm, 7lbs 2oz, 18 inches long

Here is her birth story: On Wednesday April 14th, 2010, I woke and spent the next 6 hours on my feet at work. I left work early, went home to see the progress my sis-in-law had made on the baby's mural (pics to come later). Then I headed off to the Dr for my weekly appt to make sure the baby was in position and to check my cervix. She determined that I was 90% effaced and 4 centimeters dialated. She said not to get excited since ppl can go weeks at 4 cent. especially since this was my first baby. But she did say that she didn't think I would last until my due date. Since my sis-in-law was visiting from NJ we went out to dinner at On the Border, a mexican restaurant, with our friends Brad and Sherri. We then came back home to prepare to take Pam (SIL) to the airport. At 7:20pm, as we were heading to the car, my water broke! Patrick sprung into panic mode and Pam sprung into action immediately gathering the things I would need. After the initial shock of what was happening, Pat took Pam to the airport, I called the Dr and got my things together to go to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at 8pm, went to triage while they assessed how far along I was. They determined I was still 4 centimeters and I immediately asked for the epidural since that had been my plan all along. the Dr preferred that I wait before getting the epidural to make sure that I was in true labor! So they moved me to the labor and delivery room where the nurse attempt to start an IV. She had difficulty and tried again in the other arm. In the 20 min it took her to start the IV my pain had become excruciating! I asked for the epidural again along with water! I felt like I was going to pass out and vomit at the same time.

The nurse anesthetist arrived within minutes and they checked me again and found that I was 8 centimeters and I felt like I was ready to push! The CRNA said I was too far along to recieve an epidural and I almost died! I begged her to give me one but to no avail. The nurses instructed me not to push because the Dr hadn't arrived yet. I said I couldn't wait and they asked if I wanted a resident to step in and deliver the baby. I said "I don't care who is here I am pushing!" At this point the room was a flurry of ppl rushing in and out to prep the room for the fast approaching baby.

On a side note: we were scheduled to take a child birth class the next day, so we had no clue what we were doing! Two of the nurses kept telling to breathe and control my breathing as opposed to yelling at the top of my lungs! The nurses were AWESOME and I had a very good experience there thanks to them and their caring and understanding given the situation! On nurse even said I was the hero of the floor since I gave birth so quickly without any pain meds! Everyone was talking about it! It made me feel like a celebrity :)

I pushed for approx 20 min and Mia Marie was born at 10:00 pm! I had a total of maybe 20 contractions before I was pushing her out. The Dr arrived just in time to help the baby out. And since I had no epidural or pain meds the care by the Dr after the birth was possibly more painful then the actual birth! And he was very thorough and took his time! Although time stood still at that point b/c all I wanted to do was hold my baby!

So all-in-all it was a great delivery and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. I happened so quickly and happened so fast that I didn't have time to think or process what was happening which made natural child birth very doable for me. And I must add that Patrick did a phenomenal job! I was so proud of him, and he even cut the cord! She was the greatest blessing I could have ever imagined and she is just so perfect!

We have truly been blessed!


Welcome to the world!

Daddy holds Mia for the first time!


Mommy meets Mia for the first time! Instant Love!


Our sweet blessing from God!

Par for the course.....

so I know all of these things are par for the course when carrying a growing baby inside your uterus but I just need to vent some of my complaints. So if you don't want to read about me complaining I won't be offended if you stop now. But alas, I will continue:

1)my feet are SO swollen I think half of my pregnancy weight is stuck in my feet. They look like elephant feet and my ankles have officially disappeared.

2)my fingers have also swollen to the point that I can no longer wear my wedding ring (which gets curious stares from bystanders) so I have resorted to wearing them around my neck to avoid such looks.

3)HEARTBURN-I have NEVER had heartburn before but I have it constantly now and let me just say it SUCKS!

4)Urinary frequency, for those of you who know me really well, you know that I go to the bathroom more then anyone else I know! so imagine how much worse it is with a 36 week old fetus sitting on your bladder!

5)lack of sleep, let me just say plain as day....I need my sleep, however, my future child does not seem to grasp this concept and continually interrupts my sleep (I guess she is trying to prepare me for my very near future)

6)increased time to take a shower d/t the obvious reason that I can no longer easily reach my toes!

7)shortness of breath and difficulty breathing...

8)lower back pain, I want nothing more then to crack my lower back but it just doesn't seem possible at this point in the ball game

I could continue but I don't want to discourage those of you who are contemplating having a child. But in the end it will all be worth it when I get to hold my precious little baby in my arms! As I excitedly await her arrival, I will reminisce about the first time I saw my little jellybean:

Easter Weekend

It seems as though our holiday get together's are absorbed in our nephew Abe. He is always the life of the party! We got to spend the day in Athens, Ohio with DJ, Lindsey, Abe, and Travis. We took Abe to the park, read books, and played with all of his toys! We might have had more fun then him!



Abe loves the slide!! He gave Pat a run for his money :)


Abe loves his Uncle T and sticking his finger in his nose ;)




Abe was not interested in Mia at all but he sure does love reading books

Springtime!!

So we have been busily working away preparing our new place for the little to come and I thought I would share a few photos of what we have done so far! And for those you counting we only have 30 more days til she arrives! First I will start with Mia's Room!


We are all ready for baby to arrive...well almost :) She can hang out for a few more weeks!

But we will be ready for her when she decides to come out and meet us!



and here a few of the rest of the house:

Notice the nice flower beds that Patrick and Travis worked so hard on! :)



and our lovely bedroom that I absolutely LOVE!!

Homeowners!!!

So we are all moved in to our very first home! I has been quite an adventure so far! We spent the first week painting and moving small boxes to the new place. On Saturday Patrick and Brad moved in all the big furniture. Thank goodness my mother-in-law was able to come out and help us! What a HUGE blessing! And to top it all off, I had a severe toothache throughout the week that developed into an infection that resulted in an emergency Root Canal! Go figure! and for future reference Vicodin and pregnancy do not mix. My OB said it was ok to take but it made me SO incredibly sick so I had to suffer through the pain or feel like death! Since I had to go to work I chose to feel like death! But now the swelling and pain have subsided and I am back to unpacking and organizing my new house!

In other news, I have been paranoid lately that I will go into labor early and we won't be ready! So Pat is painting the baby's room this weekend along with putting up the crib! Also, I have decided to enroll us in a childbirth class and hospital tour just to be sure that we are prepared! Pat is SUPER excited! :) And now back to unpacking!

Panic mode!

So I know I haven't really updated my blog for a awhile and I think with good reason. this year so far has been amazing, wonderful, stressful, and challenging all at the same time.
To start things off, I have been to visit my Dad in Philadelphia where he is receiving rehab for his Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). It is such a blessing to see the relationship that has formed and developed between me and my dad but it is still very difficult to see him suffering, knowing the road to recovery will be long. But all in all he is in fairly good spirits and I cherish the time I get to spend with him. This most recent visit was especially difficult because I am no longer able to visit him d/t our little bundle of joy arriving in a mere 10 weeks and I wont be able see him again until we fly out in August so he can meet his new grand baby. But I know that GOD is watching over him and he is good hands with his therapist! Here is a picture of me and my dad on my most recent visit:

While in NJ I also was blessed to have a fantastic baby shower in honor of Baby Mia given by my cousins and Aunt. It was so fabulous and such a huge blessing! Mia will be the best dressed baby on the block! We got lots of great items and lots of clothes! and it was so GREAT to spend time with family and friends that I don't get to see very often!

My wonderful cake that my mother-in-law got for me

Opening gifts with my little helpers! I wasn't opening the gifts fast enough!



And most recently we got to celebrate with my BEST friend Alexis as she tied the knot on February 20th to Vincent LaVella! The wedding was so beautiful and she was such a gorgeous bride! The only downside...I was 6 months pregnant and I didn't realize how difficult it would be to dance! Needless to say I spent the reception enjoying watching everyone else on the dance slightly envious of everyone else! :) I wish both of them a lifetime of love and happiness! They are wonderfully people and a great
couple!
Me and the beautiful bride!


baby Mia's first wedding!

The happy couple!

In addition to all of the traveling we have been doing this year we have also purchased a house! We will be closing on the house March 8th and have til March 15th to be out of our current apt. Of course I have all these fantastic decorating ideas that MUST be done before we move! ha! My husband thinks I am completely irrational :) And since I am now only 10 weeks away from baby Mia's due date I have reached panic mode with everything going on and still to do before baby makes her arrival. I just pray that she comes in due time and allows me to get done everything that needs to be done prior to her arrival! In the midst of moving, we also have a one year old birthday party, a baby shower for a friend, Easter, and my 26th birthday, not to mention finding a day care center, preparing my job for my maternity leave and preparing for the actual delivery! Panic mode has arrived! But I have FAITH that it will all pan out smoothly....:)