THANK YOU!!

I just wanted to post a BIG OLE FAT THANK YOU to all the people that have helped me get ready for this baby!!  God has really blessed Jason and I with great family and friends that have been able to provide necessities to get ready for this little one.  I am SHOCKED with how generous people have been.  I am completely ready for Ebin’s arrival because of how much people have helped us (and I haven’t even had a shower yet!!)

The list of things given to us-

• crib
• mattress
• crib bedding
• changing table
• changing table mattress
• rocking chair
• bassinet
• stroller
• car seat
• bouncy seat
• swing
• high chair
• pack-n-play
• bumbo seat
• baby clothes ranging from 0 to 24 months
• diapers by the cases
• wipes by the cases
• lotion/shampoo
• bath tub
• towels
• book’s
• cd’s
• bottles
• paci’s
• socks, shoes, hats, onesies
• toys
• blankets
• and other things I’m sure I’m forgetting

Everyone I want to thank -

• Mom and Dad
• Pam and Larry
• Leah and Christopher
• Misty and Chad
• Wendy and Nathaniel
• Shannon
• Ashleigh
• Amber

Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my <3!!  Becoming a Mom can be a scary experience, and without everyone’s help I would have been VERY overwhelmed!  It’s wonderful how God has provided!! 

I’m sure I’ll have more thank-you’s as the due date gets closer, but I wanted to go ahead and post this now bc I’ve just been SOO blessed!!

See the closet?  It’s packed!!

written at 33 weeks

History in the making

I am totally into this Presidential election.  I <3 watching all the debates and interviews.  I don’t blog a lot about it bc I don’t really want to stir up any controversy!

2 huge things happened this week in the election:

1. The first African American Presidential Candidate was nominated
2. The first Woman Vice Presidential Candidate was named

Those are HUGE history making things and I just think that’s SOO neat!!

Whatever your beleifs or your political views, please make it a point to vote this year for the President!  This year, more than ever, is a pivotal election year and it’s SO important for ALL voices to be heard.

Fun with the kiddos

Jason’s neice and nephew have been all the ‘practice’ Jason and I needed as far as having kids around.  They come over to our house and spend the night, 12 hours later we give them back.  They are sad or sick their Mom takes care of them.  They want some candy or coke we give it to them, then back to their mom!!  HAHA!!  They are the most precious children and we love them dearly!!  They won’t ever realize it, but they’ve helped us get ready for our own children.

It won’t be long until we get ALL the practice we can stand when Baby Miller gets here …

Until then, here’s some pics of the 3 of us .. Aunt Ker Ker, Maci Dean, and Uncle CJ.

Sleeplessness

So I know I am still not that far along in my pregnancy (I’m writing this at 17 weeks).  I realize I have a LONG road to go and a lot of sleepless nights ahead of me as the baby grows and then after the baby is born … BUT still, it stinks when you can’t sleep. 

Between weeks 8-12 I couldn’t sleep enough!  I slept when I got home from work, I went to bed at 8pm, I slept all day on Saturdays and Sundays … my body craved sleep.  And now, I’m wake up every 2 hours or so because I have to pee.  You’d think the little thing isn’t pressing THAT much on my bladder, I’m barely showing and have only gained a few pounds!  But something’s got my bladder ALL out of wack (later found out this was due to the diabetes)

Anyway, a few nights ago, I woke up for my regular 2 am bathroom break and I laid awake until 4:45!!!  I was tired, I’d had a long week, but my mind wouldn’t turn off!!  What’s the baby doing right now?  What’s it look like?  Is it healthy?  Is childbirth going to kill me?  Will I ever sleep again?  Ect ect ect.  All these thoughts running through my mind and no sleep in sight!  Worst of all, I can’t drink coffee (and when I do drink half a cup or so, I feel guilty all day!) so I’m stuck being sleepy all day.

written at 17 weeks

Several post

There are several new post today, so scroll down!

I’m done

I wrote here about my struggles with picking a name for this baby.  I’ve really agonized about this over several months!!  I’ve gotten a 1,000,000,004 opinions and just never could decide on a name I ‘loved’.  I actually STILL don’t think I’m 100% in love with this name, but Jason and I KEEP coming back to it, so I think it’s His name.  ‘Baby Miller’ was starting to grow on me though … HAHA!!  JUST KIDDING!!

So what’s the name you ask??

Ebin Daley Miller

Ebin - Hebrew for rock.  This is Jason’s absolute favorite name.  Spare me the remarks of how it sounds like a stutter, I KNOW, I’m over it.  But you know what?  Everyone has some sort of hang-up about their name.  Think about it.  You do too!  It always bothered me when I was a child that people couldn’t spell my name right, but I’m over it now.  Yeah, Ebin sounds like a stutter, and yeah you’ve never heard it before .. BUT that doesn’t mean it’s not a good name.

Daley – English for valley.  Dale is my brother’s middle name (he’s a Jr.)  His name can’t be carried on since he can’t have children and it’s very important to me that we pass Dale on.  We both think ‘Dale’ is a little big red-neck-ee bc of Dale Earn-whatever Jr.  So we changed it to Daley.

D-O-N-E.  Baby named.

Well that threw me off

I work at a Doc’s Office.  When people call to make an appointment, or resched. an appointment or do anything concerning their account I ask what their date of birth is to confirm I’ve got the right person

Here’s how a call today went:

• Patient: I’d like to resched an appt.
• Me: No problem, date of birth?
• Patient: 2nd month, 28th day, 59th year.
• Me: ……………………………………………Long pause as I’m thinking that is the strangest birthday I’ve ever heard … what month is second??!?!  OHHH, ok, got it. 

That threw me off in a MAJOR way!!!

Turns out the patient wasn’t even ours!  GAH

It had to go

I got my hair cut this weekend, about 3 inches off.  It feels a lot healthier, a lot lighter, and just better overall.  I figure I need to keep things simple as far as my look goes.  With the baby getting here soon, I won’t have a lot of time to style long hair.

Here’s a pic.

Yeah!

Little by little, the nursery is almost done

I did a little bit more in the nursery.  I bought some pretty cute Chinese Lanterns and hung them up in the corner over the rocking chair.  I’m not going to use them as lights.  They are just hanging on fish wire over the chair .. kinda looks like they are floating.

So here’s a pic of the ‘inspiration’ from the Target website – see the lanterns -

My ’spin’ on the room

Another view

The lanterns from up close

The only things left to do are 1. get a lamp for the changing table 2. decide on a name so I can paint that over the bed 3. have the baby.  Not really a lot left to do!

Doing our work

I read this verse on another friend’s blog

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“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.”Galatians 6:4-5, translation: The Message

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This sparked my curiousity, so I looked it up with the NIV to see what it had to say …

“4 Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, 5 for each one should carry his own load.” Galatians 6:4-5, translation: NIV

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For some reason this verse really hit home with me!  I get so caught up in works sometimes .. “well I’m doing this, I’m doing that, I’m working SO hard”.  I’m always one to pat myself on the back if I feel I’ve really accomplished something.  But this verse just sort nipped that in the bud, and grounded that thinking.  It reminds me that I’m in my Christian walk alone .. just me and Jesus.

Girls Night Out

We had a GREAT time at Girls Night Out this month!  We went to Bahama Breeze and it was OH so yummy!  Here’s a pic!

Shannon, me, Wendy, Rachel, Amber, and Misty

Is it bad …

…. that I work in a pediatric office and the sound of a baby ‘talking’ is about to make me hurl .. and I’m 6-8 weeks away from having a baby of my own?? 

What’s wrong with me?

Maybe my sugar is just low …

Funny Name of the Day

I saw this name on ‘The Cobert Report’ <- LOVE that show!

Mr. Cookenboo

hahahahahah!!

Say what you need to say

So here’s the deal.  I have always HATED John Mayer.  I’m sorry if any of my readers are fans of his.  But seriously ‘Body is a Wonderland’ put me over the cheesy-ness line about 8 years ago and I haven’t really liked much of his stuff since.  That song is just, it’s just … well it’s WRONG!! 

But something’s been happening over the last few years.  He’s been wearing on me and I can’t beleive I’m admitting this but, I’m actually starting to like him.  It’s crazy!  I’m a little stunned that he has grown on me like he has.  I still CRINGE when I hear ‘Body is a Wonderland’ and I switch the station as fast as I can.  But, I’m beginning to think maybe the guys talented .. MAYBE.

Why the sudden change of hate for John Mayer?  Well, it’s because of the below song.  Read the lyrics.  This song was on the soundtrack of ‘Bucket List’ which I’ve written about before.

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Say – John Mayer

Take all of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all of your so-called problems,
Better put ‘em in quotationsSay what you need to say [x8]

Walking like a one man army
Fighting with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you’d be better off instead,
If you could only …

Say what you need to say [x8]

Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You’d better know that in the end
Its better to say too much
Then never say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open

Say what you need to say

 

 

 

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Something about that song is SO inspirational to me!!  It’s so important in life to say what you need to say.  Obviously, don’t hurt anyone’s feelings and be gentle with your words.  But stand up for what you beleive in, get things off your chest, tell people close to you that you love and care for them

Roxie playing

I wrote here that Roxie -our dog- is maturing in her old age and now has a new friend.  Here’s a pic of them playing.

L – Roxie, R- Oscar

See, she has a guilty look on her face like “what .. I don’t like him, I swear!!”

Joke of the Day .. and reflection

A man’s goes out on his boat on the ocean for his annual fishing trip.  While he’s out on his boat a huge storm comes and sinks his ship.  While he’s floating along he prayers that God will come and save him.

A ship passes by and they say ”Hey man, do you need some help??”  .. “No thanks” he replies “God is going to save me!”

A speedboat passes by and stops and says “You look like your in a jam, can we help you out?”  he replies “No thanks, God is going to help me.”

A Helicopter passes overhead and over the intercom the pilot says “We are lowering a line down to pull you up out of the water”  But again the main refuses the help.

After a few days come and go, sadly, the gentleman dies. 

He gets to heaven and says “God, why didn’t you save me?  I waited patiently!”  God replies “Well, I sent a ship and you turned it down, then a speedboat and you turned it down, then I sent a helicopter and you turned it away.  I was trying to help you, you just didn’t see the signs!!”

Sometimes God sends us EXACTLY what we need, we just aren’t looking hard enough for it … something to think about!

How do I name this child?

There are a lot of difficult things about pregnancy.  Being sick, being tired, watching your body change seemingly overnight, food aversions, early lactation, being swollen from head to toe, aching from head to toe, diabetes, throwing up .. OH I could go ON AND ON. 

But all of those things are fleeting.  You blink and they are over with (well at least that’s what I hear … I don’t believe that bc it feels like I’ve been pregnant for YEARS)  All of my aches and pains will fade and with time will just be a memory.  But the baby’s name is FOREVER.  That’s a lot of pressure!  What if I pick the wrong name?  What if I love the name today but hate it after he is born?  What if he’s made fun of bc I tried to be a tad bit creative?  What if he hates his name and then thinks I’m a weirdo for loving it?  UGH, it makes me tired.

I know this is not an uncommon hurdle to cross in life, everyone goes thru it, I just wish I could see 6 months down the road to know what name I finally chose and if I was happy with it.

And everyone, I mean EVERYONE, has an opinion about the names you have on your ‘list’.  I’ve heard it all … ‘oh I don’t like the way that is spelled’, ‘that one is hard to say’, ‘that’s a stretch – isn’t it keren?’, ‘are you sure about this one?’, ‘the first name doesn’t go with the middle name’, ’that’s an odd name, he’ll get made fun of’ … ect ect ect.

So, needless to say, I’m tired of looking, I’m tired of comparing, I’m sick of it all.  Anyone want to name my baby?

written at 24 weeks, but still feeling this at 31 weeks .. I think I’m going to be one of ‘those mom’s’ that has to see their baby … UGH

Charlie Horses and Strange Coincidences

So I’ve been having these HORRIBLE Charlie Horses / Leg Cramps that wake me up in the middle of the night.  They come out of NO-WHERE and they KILL for about 45secs – 2min, then they vanish.

I get to talking to my Mom and turns out she had the exact same thing while she was pregnant with me!  She said she doesn’t really remember it happening when she was pregnant with my sister or my brother, but def. with me.  We keep talking and we realize we both get them in our right leg.  SPOOKY!

written at 31 weeks

He’s ALL boy

If you read below, you saw that I was very sick while we were in Florida on vacation.  So I don’t have a WHOLE lot of stories to tell about the trip .. but here’s a cute story I read on my sister-in-law blog about Jason and I’s nephew CJ…

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“OK, so CJ loves boobs.  One morning we were all sitting out on the balcony looking at the ocean and visiting.   Keren and her big pregnant boobs came outside and she picked up CJ.  CJ immediately grabbed on to her boobs and said “booooooobie” and had the biggest smile on his face!!  Two seconds later, Chad got on to him and told him not touch Ker-Ker’s boobies.  CJ looked at him like he had absolutly lost his mind, giving him a look like “daddy, we are SUPPOSED to like this, what’s wrong with you??!”  Then he baby cussed his Daddy, but we aren’t exactly sure what he said thru his paci.  The look and cussing was priceless!!  Anyway, then he turned and looked at my Aunt Donette, then my Mom, and then me and seemed a little disappointed.  So CJ’s ALL boy!”

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I took this picture while we were in Florida, then I read my sister-in-law’s blog and re-looked at my pics and realized that ANY time I was holding CJ he always had one hand firmly planted on my boob. 

Ode to Dietitian’s

One of my best friend’s Deanna is a Clinical Dietitian.  She’s a pretty smart lady!  She knows all kinds of info about food.  So, in honor of her, I would like to post this finding about sugar in your diet: I found this article at www.aol.com

This article hits close to home for me, since I’ve had to cut out basically all carbs/sugars due gestational diabetes.  It’s pretty much like I’m on Atkins.  That’s hard people!!

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You should limit your sugar intake to 40 grams of sugar or less a day, but you can consume that quickly if you’re not aware of foods that contain a surprising amount of the sweet stuff. From condiments to deli meats, that sneaky son of a gun is lurking everywhere. A roundup of unusual suspects:

Lender’s Fresh Blueberry Bagels 9 grams per bagel

Campbell’s Microwaveable Bowl of Tomato Soup 18 grams

 

Wheat Thins 4 grams per serving (16 crackers)

 

Hunt’s Ketchup 4 grams per tablespoon

 

Vanilla Silk Soy Milk 11 grams per serving (1.3 cups)

 

Spaghetti Sauces, such as Newman’s Own Marinara 11 grams per 1/2 cup

 

Canned Sweet Peas 4 grams per serving

 

Wish-Bone Red Wine Vinaigrette Salad Dressing 8 grams per 2 tablespoons

 

Deli meats, such as Kraft Louis Rich Oven Roasted Fat-Free Turkey Breast 0.48 grams per serving (about 3 slices)

 

Frozen pizza, such as Tombstone Light Veggie Pizza 5 grams per serving (2 slices)

 

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 Hats off to D, it’s a tough profession!

Oh my gosh!! It isn’t!! It couldn’t be!!

Crap, I think it is.

I might have the first signs of what could be stretch marks.  How could this happen?!?  I cocoa-butter 2-3 times a day, I’ve gained 11 pounds in 7 months (a minimal amount – I can’t keep weight on bc of the diabetes, so don’t freak people) and my mother doesn’t have them (apparently they can be hereditary – but as my Dad reminds me “You aren’t all your mom Keren, you are me too. ”  THANKS Dad!)  I could just be over-reacting .. I don’t have the tell-tell signs … no purple or red marks .. just some suspicious white squiggly marks under the skin.

I was still holding on to a little bit of hope that I would get by body back after the baby was born.  If I get stretch marks I guess I’ll just get over the idea that my body will bounce back after the birth.  UGH.

*written at 26 weeks – since I wrote this,  I’ve realized I don’t have one single sign of stretch marks YET, I was just freaking out.

More phases of the baby’s room

The new blue chair!  $50 on Craigslist!

Isn’t it precious.

If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it a million times .. it’s the cutest nursery ever!!

My mom also found a super cool light fixture that I am hanging tonight or tomorrow .. pics to follow.

7 Months Pregnant + Beach = Hell

Jason and I got the chance to go to the beach last week with his family.  We hadn’t been to the beach in over 2 years, and the beach has always been a special place for us!  Jason proposed on the beach, so it always brings back sweet memories.

Fast forward and we arrive at the condo.  The whole ride down I felt like I was coming down with something.  But, since I’m preggers, I just thought the discomfort was one of the many random aches and pains that I’ve gotten used to.  I tried to ignore it .. but sure enough, Monday night, I get a fever.  Awesome.  This continued all Monday night, and into Tuesday.  Tuesday was our first full day to get on the beach, so I took it easy, stayed hydrated and cooled off every chance I had, and tried to soak up the sun. 

As Tuesday progressed, it was clear to me that I was definitely sick.  I went out for a ‘nice’ dinner with the girls, while the boys went golfing.  I say ‘nice’ in quotations, bc for me it was HORRID.  The food was good, I hear, the company was great as always, but I was so nauseous I couldn’t make it through the whole meal without throwing up.  Luckily I only ordered the $7 soup, instead of a $20 entree.

The nausea/vomiting/fever/aches ect continued all thru the night Tuesday and into Wednesday.  I stayed in bed all Wednesday and I was SOO very sad bc it was a beautiful beach day.  Jason stayed by my side the entire time taking care of me!  Wednesday I tried my hardest to go out and visit with friends and family, and just ended up near passing out 2 or 3 times, so that wasn’t a good idea, I should have stayed in the bed!! 

Wednesday night my Doctor’s office told me to go to the ER bc I was very dehydrated and needed some fluids.  The combo of fever, nausea, throwing up, not eating, not drinking and heat was taking it’s toll on me.  But, for some reason I decided I could take care of this on my own and I would get better.  It was just a virus, right?? 

Well, as a side note, each day I had these shooting pains in my stomach and back.  I’ve had pains similar to this before so I just figure, again, I’m just uncomfortable from the baby.  Well, I started getting worried bc the pains were coming about every 15 minutes … mmmm, sounds suspish.  Anyway, again, dumb me, I decide I’m fine.  I’d know if I was having contractions, right?  I mean, it was a stabbing pain, but no water breaking or anything like that. 

Fast forward and it’s 2 am Wednesday morning and I’m still in pain and miserable.  Jason turns to me and says very stern voice says “If you aren’t better in the morning we are going to the ER!”  Around 4 that morning my fever breaks and, thank the LORD, I’m able to keep some fluids down, and the stabbing pains in my back and stomach are moving farther apart and seem to be fading.

By the end of Wednesday I could eat solid food and I was regaining my strength, but I still felt like CRAP.  Jason and I had a few days left and were hoping to get on the beach.  BUT it rained the remainder of our trip!!  Can you believe it??!

I ended up going to the doctor later, and I spoke to my obgyn about all my symptoms and she told me that the stabbing/shooting pains I was having were actually contractions.   She went on to say if I had stayed dehydrated and with a fever for 2-3 more days I would have begun labor.  Thankfully I didn’t, the fever and dehydration went away as did the contractions.  GEES.

* MORAL * Don’t do the following:

1. Go anywhere hot on vaca while in third trimester
2. Get a virus
3. Refuse to go to the Dr.