Comparing

Here's Eli at 3 months and his daddy at around 7 months.

But I think he is starting to look a little more like his mommy!! :)

The most busy time of the year...

All of my life December has been the month of the Christmas program. With my dad being a worship pastor in a rather large church most of my life it was a huge production followed by 5 performances. It was something I always looked forward too. I can recall the many late night rehearsals my dad would have and hearing the songs played in our house over and over. It's just not quite Christmas without the hussle and bussle of all the choir practices, costumes, and seating charts. :) And now the crazy Christmas catata tradition is being passed down to Eli. Poor thing has been at the church 5 of the last 7 days which probably account for his first illness :( little man got his first fever yesterday and we went to the doctor today and found out he has hand, foot, and mouth. Thankfully he doesn't have a rash or blisters on his hands and feet but he does abe them in his mouth. But he's being such a good sport about it. Mommy on the other hand hates seeing my baby sick. But it sure has made me thankful for his health. He's almost 8 months old and this is his first fever. Even with shots his fever hasn't ever been over 99.2 so when it hit 102 yesterday this mom was a bit panicky - I think I had every type of juice out we had as about 10 cold clothes trying to cool him off. I might have gone over board a little bit but just trying to help my sweet baby! :) On top of Steve's fest Christmas program at Calvary, our church is trying to start of Mother's Day Out program an I've been asked to coordinate it. Needless to say we are all quite busy around here but we're busy because of great blessings and for that I am thankful! But for the next few days I'm going to spend the next few days nursing my sweet little guy back to health and helping his daddy get ready for our program. I'm also the designated secretary, prop creater, and costume coordinator - those at my side jobs...no big deal! Now if only Santa could deliver a maid a little early I'd be set :) my house is a wreck BUT I'm gonna keep sitting here rocking my little one and and try not to worry about the 3 new piles of laundry that need to be folded. At least supper is in the crockpot and laundry will always be here tomorrow!

Eli's First Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving we had in Ohio this past week. We haven't been able to travel to Brunswick since we moved to Ketucky and had Eli so it was really nice to spend a whole week with family. I'm so lucky to have awesome in-laws that treat me as one of their own - I have the best sister-in-laws and it's never a dull moment with my brother-in-laws and Steve's parents are great!!

Here's a recap of our adventures in OH 

We drove the 7 1/2 hour drive on Monday and Eli did freakin awesome - I have the best baby in the world!! He slept almost 4 hours (2 naps) which was over half the drive. When we got there we stopped at Steve's oldest brothers so I could feed Eli and ok honestly I wanted to meet my new niece Whitney - what a sweetie!! We only stayed a few minutes then off to his parents to get settled in and Steve's other brother and fam came over. It was fun hearing about their reaction to having TWINS and it was cute to see Kaitlynn and Eli together (they are about 6 months apart). 

Tuesday was pretty chill which was nice after our drive but we got to go see the new church which Steve had been exited about for weeks. We had church on Tuesday night and it was good to see some people. Wednesday was a fun day at the outlet mall with Steve's brothers. We shoppe a little (we both got new shows and Eli a few things) and we road the little train with everyone. It was a warm and gorgeous day! Perfect for being outside! That night all the siblings and fam came over for our gift exchange - it was a bit crazy but fun!! Eli loved all te attention - lots of his cousins wanted to hold him even Alaina and part of me thinks she doesn't weigh that much more than him - so cute! We are blessed to e apart of such a loving family! 

Thursday was Thanksgiving day - Eli got to watch hi fort Macy's Day parade and hear about when his mommy was in the parade. We played outside that afternoon because it was beautiful!

Steves grandparents came over that evening for dinner - we had a ton of food!! It was great for Eli to get to meet his other great-grandparents too!!

Santa decided to come a little early and deliver some presents in Ohio for Eli! He got some fun new toys and new clothes!! But he REALLY liked the paper that everything was wrapped in :)

Friday was pretty chill too - we did venture out to Khols but the lines were so long we went back and just ordered things online :) We went over to Steve's sisters new house Friday for pizza and that was fun! Saturday was football day - we went back to Dave and Kara's o watch the Ohio State game - go Buckeyes!! Sat night was chill since Steve and his parents had to get ready for church - Eli enjoyed just watching cartoons since we don't really get many tv channels here. Sunday was church - they have such a nice nursery I know Eli had fun! We had lunch with some of the fam and spent the afternoon watching football. We had one final night with the family Sunday night since we didn't have church. It's always do hard to say goodbye after a great week! Really hoping w can head back up there this spring even though I know we won't e able to stay a week! W sure are thankful for previous time with loved ones!!

Freeze Time

I sure wish I could create a machine that would make time slow down. Eli will be 6 months old on Sunday and I'm a bit emotional about it...I'm gonna be a blubbering basket-case when he turns 1!!! I sure love the stage he is right now....he laughs at everything I say, he babbles and talks to his animal friends all the time, he beams with delight when it's bath time, he loves to cuddle, still not a big napper, likes to roll over A LOT, his  jumper is his new best friend, and he has a new love - solid foods! So far we've tried rice cereal, carrots, and squash. Up next - green beans then bananas. I've been making his food which I really enjoy! He's growing so fast but I'm trying to savor every minute!!

Last year at this time I was just getting over my morning sickness and finally starting to eat food...crazy how that seems so long ago and so brief when in those weeks I felt like they lasted forever! Easy to say. Is that it was totally worth it!! Sure am grateful God chose to give us a beautiful, healthy baby boy! Can't imagine my life without him! Of course there are things I miss from time to time, mainly sleep and weekly date nights, but I wouldn't trade this stage of life for the world! Yes the house is messy with paci's in every corner blankets and bibs on the couch but i like it this way! Nothing better than being a mommy to my precious Eli!

1 Samuel 1:27

Top 5....

Top 5 things this week (and its only Wednesday - might have to change it to top 10 by Saturday but gotta blog when I have the time)....

1. Despite having shingles and not feeling too great I LOVED going on a quick date with my hubby to one of our favorite restaurants - LongHorn!
Its pretty special to us since thats where we had our first date.  It was kinda nice to be able to put on make up and do my hair instead of the normal tshirt with spit-up on it :) We grabbed dinner then went to Best Buy - one of Steveo's favorites.  It was a quick date but a much needed and fun one! Love spending time with him!

2. Little man is starting to sit up by himself - just another sign he is growing up WAY too fast!! I have to say he looks so cute playing with his toys from the sitting position now! What a big boy he is!

3. Its premier week on TV which means all the shows that Steve and I have seen advertised for weeks are finally coming on!  We only have one channel so we've seen the same commercials over and over and over! Let's just say we're glad its premier week! (and I love DWTS!!)

4. Feeding Eli cereal has become one of my new favorite times of the day - besides bath time of course!  He is so stinkin' cute and LOVES eating!  I will post a video and picture soon!  Its way too cute not to share with the world! Yeah, yeah I'm biased but seriously he's cute!

5. My mom came to visit this week (since they now live in Mississippi).  Its been so nice to have some company and Eli loves his "Nae-Nae".  She also has taken care of laundry and dishes while I have shingles - I sure love when the laundry fairy visits - she's awesome!!

Flying By...

I have never in my life experienced moments flying by so fast as these last few months and weeks have gone.  I seriously still can't believe its September, and just when I wrap my head around that, I'll turn around and it'll be October and my sweet baby boy will be a 1/2 a year old.  Please, please someone tell me how to slow down the clock!
Everyday I am incredibly grateful that God decided to bless us with a sweet baby - sometimes I'm still in shock that is real.  I couldn't love him any more!  He is such a blessing to me and his daddy.  Some people might think our life is boring, the same routine day after day with the biggest excitement being our family trips to walmart or our  family dinners at the table when we ALL (even Eli) are on the same dinner schedule.  But its what we've both always wanted and what we all love!! There really is nothing better than being a family!  I am so blessed!
Here's a quick peek into our daily routine although not everyday is this perfectly planned and of course with a baby not everything goes according to schedule (which drives this mommy crazy but I'm adjusting).  Especially this week - I have shingles so my mom is here helping us out a day or two but MOST Mondays go as follows:
7:20 (on the dot) - I wake up to the sounds of a little boy talking to himself in his crib and occasionally in our bed if he wakes up a few minutes before and mommy just needs 5 more minutes!
After a little talking and lots of smiles we changed a super wet diaper (since Eli sleeps through the night) and off to breakfast - a little milk followed by cereal (which he just started and LOVES) Eli likes to swing while Mommy eats her breakfast.  Then we play a little on our mat and a few diaper changes here and there.
Before we know it, its morning nap time which usually involves a little cuddling and some napping from mommy every now and then when there's not as much cleaning to be done (which is never but sometimes it can be procrastinated).
By 11:30 Eli is ready for a nice lunch. Soon after Eli eats Daddy comes home for lunch -  we are so blessed that Steve can come have lunch with us and play with Eli for a few minutes!  Its the highlight of our day!
1:15 - afternoon nap! Nap is followed by a snack and lots of play time as we await daddy coming home from work.
Eli takes a quick cat nap while mommy fixes dinner then we all eat - I love having Eli in his high chair with us as we eat dinner - so much fun!
The evening consist of Mommy and Daddy discussing the day as little man plays but of course most nights we are all on the floor playing together.  Its not much of an evening before its bath time - we might as well all get in our swimsuits cause little man LOVES to kick and I usually end up SOAKED from head to toe!  PJ's on, goodnight kisses, and a bedtime snack, a few cuddles (ok a lot of cuddles) then its off to bed and Mommy and Daddy debrief and prep for the next day.
Our life is pretty schedule of course there are PLENTY of days things dont' go according to this plan but our life is still WONDERFUL!  I am SO blessed and LOVE LOVE LOVE being a mommy!! Nothing is the world is better other than being a wifey to a wonderful hubby! :)
But somehow our days seem to go faster and faster!  I can't believe how big Eli is getting...
-He's eating cereal now
-He's sleeping though the night (has been since 3 1/2 months)
-He's rolling over
-He's laughing
-He's talking (baby version of course)
-He's almost sitting up
-He's grabbing toys
I mean the list goes on and on - seems like just yesterday all he was doing was sleeping and pooping haha now our days are full of smiles and laughter and I love it - just wish things would slow down a little!

Much needed update....

Well I am WAY behind on blogging (due to my crazy Samford email having issues, not to mention having a baby :). But I want to catch up so I can look back and remember all these sweet details...let's start with May and I'll try to make it quick...
May...
May consisted of very little sleep for me and my awesome hubby who helped me at night with little man. So with the lack of sleep May is a bit of a blur. But I got to celebrate my first mothers day. Last year I remember worrying about never being able to have kids after receiving my ovary condition so this year was extra special. Steve made me breakfast in bed and him (and Eli) bought me lots of cards (my fav) and a new camera. :) my dad bought me beautiful pink flowers for my first mommy day! Plus my grandparents came in town so it made for a very special weekend!!
Towards the end of May, my sister-in-law came in town for a few days. She cleaned our kitchen, organized our pantry and took the late night shift with Eli. Plus it was nice to have some adult conversation while Steve was at work!
Eli developed a LOVE for bath time but not so much with tummy time. He started sleeping in his crib and did great....still waking up about 3 times but normally sleeps til 9ish so its almost like I got to sleep in haha!
June...
June was eventful. Eli slept through the night right before his 2 month shots but it only got our hopes up...didn't happen again for a while.  But he was SO brave for his shots...I think it was harder on mommy and daddy! He didn't get any fever and wasn't cranky either! Such a good baby! We also had VBS which was a lot of fun. My mom came in town and kept Eli for 2 nights but the other 3 I loaded him in my bjourn and off we went. Steve also took the youth to World Changers in Alabama and we went to stay at my parents where both me and Eli got spoiled!! :)  But it was really nice when our family was back together again!
Eli started really smiling and even gave NaeNae a laugh.  He started to do a little better with tummy time and stretched his eating to every 3 hours and only 2-3 times at night. He also rolled over for the 1st time...what a strong boy!!! He's so smart too and has started grabbing at his toys.
July...
We went on our first family vacation to the beach. It was a ton of fun! Eli met more of my family and even slept through the night one night while we were there. Sadly he got his first cold which was no fun but he was a trooper!
He's become a pro at tummy time and has rolled over a few times. He still grabs on to all his toys and loves to talk to then (especially Freddie the frog on his swing) He is not a drooling champ and tries to put everything in his mouth. He started taking a paci (just at nap and night) and started sleeping through the night on a consistent basis :)
NaeNae and Papa kept him for mommy and daddy to go on our anniversary date which was really nice! We went to LongHorn which was where we had our very first date! :)
August...
Time is flying by! We just had Eli's 4 month check up. He weights 16 pounds, 7 ounces (more than double his birth weight)  He's learned how to roll from his back to his belly now so we really have to keep our eyes on him!  He LOVES to talk and play with daddy.  He enjoys snuggling with  mommy but I'm pretty sure he's a complete daddy's boy! 
I'm still loving every minute of being a mommy...it's better than anything I dreamed and Eli is the sweetest baby in the world. He greets me each morning with a huge smile and loves to snuggle.
He's still sleeping through the night about 10 hours....he wakes up some but mommy just gives him his paci and he normally falls back asleep. Of course mr paci sometimes falls out which results in mommy scanning the crib in the dark for a clean paci. I put about 3 in there now so we always have one ready! Hes still not a great napper but im just glad he sleeps at night....what a blessing!!!
I am thankful everyday for this blessing God has given us! He is such a gift and joy to our lives. I couldn't have dreamed of a cuter or happier baby!!
No one can fathom the love of a mommy until you become one....it's incredible! Thank you Lord for choosing me to be Eli's mommy and letting me stay at home (for now) to teach him and love him! Help me to show him Jesus everyday!

Introducing Eli David Short

I can't believe that our little bundle of joy has arrived!! He is absolutely PERFECT!  We are almost at the 1 month mark so its about time I record his birth story before the lack of sleep catches up to me and I forget :)

Let's start with Wednesday, April 12th....my mom drove up to help me do a deep clean of the house before our induction that was schedule for the 20th.  But after she left I began feeling terrible.  I got a terrible belly ache and my sinuses when crazy!  I ended up missing church and was in bed all day Thursday thinking I had strep throat.  I had to go to the lab to get some test run but praise the Lord I didn't have strep.  Steve took off Friday to nurse me back to help.  We ended up renting some movies and enjoying the day in our PJ's...looking back it was a blessing that we got to spend this last day with just the two of us.  By Friday evening I started feeling better and even cooked some mexican for dinner.  We then climbed into bed and watched one more movie.  We went to bed about midnight with me feeling fine.  Around 3am I made one of my nightly visits to the restroom...still feeling just fine.  Around 3:50am I woke up again and heard our neighbors outside and seconds later my water broke!  I quickly woke Steve up and told him I "thought" my water was breaking...he asked if I was sure but hey I'd never been in labor before so no I wasn't sure but pretty sure haha!! We both jumped up and got things together. I was SO SO excited!! Its an unreal feeling to know you're about to meet your baby!  Despite being 2 weeks before our due date we pretty much had everything packed.  I had a list on my phone of the last minute things we needed to add.  Steve got a quick shower, I called my parents, and we were off to the hospital.

We got to the hospital about 4:15 and they checked to make sure my water had broken...we called Steve's parents and mine and they both quickly got on the road.  Up until this point I didn't think I was having contractions but shortly after they hooked me up to the monitor my contractions were 4-5 minutes apart, I was dilated 2cm and 80% effaced.  My goal was to go without an epidural so I was anxiously awaiting the next several hours and what they would bring..

My parents arrived around 6am and it was a blessing to have them there! What a huge support!  I was bracing myself for the long hall as my contraction were getting harder and closer together...the whole "breathe through it" wasn't working too well :)  Around 9am I was 6 centimeters and decided I wanted the epidural to make it through the last few hours of labor and pushing.  The epidural was a nice relief despite having it not take full effect on my left side.  The next few minutes seemed to fly by and before I knew it I was 9 1/2 centimeters and they were calling the doctor and getting me prepped to push.  By 11am it was time for the work to begin...bringing our little boy into the world.  When I began pushing, Eli's heart-rate started going down.  The nurse immediately called the doctor and Steve and I prayed....the next push his heart-rate stayed strong and we were good to go!  My contractions started to slow down while I was pushing but praise the Lord after about 20 minutes our little man arrived!  11:29am!

The whole process was amazing!! I prayed and prayed for a speedy and healthy vaginal delivery and God answered our prayers...4am-11:29am seemed too good to be true but it was the Lord's strength and blessing that helped everything go so quickly and smoothly!! I could not have asked for a better or easier labor (not that it was easy but it could have been much harder, complicated, and longer).  I was VERY blessed!!

After they cleaned little man up, I got to hold him in my arms! Not a better feeling in the whole wide world!! :) Wish I could relieve it everyday!  Eli's eyes were wide open when they were cleaning him up...he's already so smart and curious about the world around him.

You came home on Monday, April 16th and Granny and Grandpa helped us get everything settled.  Our first week home was tiring but wonderful!! It is so nice to be out of the hospital...it definitely feels a little more real being able to have your in our home.  You are such a sweet baby! You are sleeping A LOT and you hardly ever cry.  We are very lucky!!  After Granny and Grandpa left on Monday night, NaeNae came and stayed Tuesday and Wednesday night and she was a HUGE help!! We really love having you home...its surreal! At our 4 day weight check you had gained an 1 1/2 ounces so you are eating good.  Mommy is really thankful since I am nursing.  What a relief!

 Our 2nd week at home has been just as good!  We are getting a little sleep deprived since you eat every 2 hours but you are still such a sweet and calm baby.  Daddy loves coming home from work and holding you.  I think you really like it too!! You've started to cry a little more when you have a dirty diaper or when you're hungry.  You like to hear daddy sing and you really like cuddling.  Your umbilical cord fell off this week and mommy freaked out but you were ok with it.  It sure has made things a lot easier not having to worry about that! 

You made your first trip to NaeNae and Papa Bear's this week to meet Uncle Adam and Aunt Amy.  It was mommy and daddy's first little road trip with you and you did amazing!  You didn't even make a peep. You love your carseat - Praise the Lord! At your 2 week appointment you weighed 8.09 and were 20 1/4 inches long. 

You are SO healthy and really growing!  The Lord is watching over you and helping you grow big and strong!

Week 3!  We are starting to get into a little bit of a routine...still working on that!  You now go about 2 1/2 hours to eat and sometimes even 3 hours.  You get a little fussy when you're tired but you are still a doll.  I can't believe how fast you are growing.  NaeNae still comes to help us on Mondays and you love when she visits.  You enjoy talking to her and looking around the house.  We started tummy time this week and I think you like it!  You also LOVE bath time now and its SO cute. Its mommy's favorite time of the day!

One last post...

Ok this is it...my last post before our little blessing arrives in T-minus 9 days! Thats right people....after a great check-up Monday, I randomly asked the doctor how late she'd let me go before she induced me. Well, to my surprise she said I can be induced in my 39th week - HALLELUJAH!! Eli was measuring on the large end of things (my precious little football player) and since I've already dilated 2cm she said she'd induced me on the 20th IF I haven't had him by then. I'm praying he comes before but will be so happy to have him whenever he arrives!
Since he's measuring big I've been trying to watch what I eat - pretty sure he's sucking every ounce of nutrition from me since I've only gained a pound in the last 2 weeks but hey I'm ok with that. I might have treated myself to some ice cream yesterday though after hearing such good news...shhh don't tell! :) Last night my mom had a dream Eli weighed 15 pounds - hey thats more than half of what I've gained so that would be impressive HAHA! I don't think he'll be THAT big...my guess is 8'1 and Steve's guess is 7'11. We will see who's closest - loser has to change the first diaper! :)
Night before last we went on one of our many walks and even a jog at one point, pretty proud of myself even if it was less than 30 feet haha! You try jogging with a 29 pound basketball in your belly :) It was so nice to recap on what a blessing this pregnancy has been. I was SO sick my first trimester and it seemed to last forever! I was worried and nervous about every ache and pain but SO thankful when we reached the 15 week mark and our chances of a miscarriage went down. I told Steve one of my goals during these first few weeks after the baby comes is not to complain about being tired or sleepless nights or aches and pains because there are hundreds of woman out there who can't have babies and would give anything for those sleepless nights. So here's to holding myself accountable on that end of things!
My 2nd trimester was awesome! It was during Thanksgiving and Christmas so I ate whatever I wanted - it rocked! :) What better time to be eating for 2! I felt pretty good most days with just a little dizziness and a few aches here and there. My 3rd trimester has been pretty good too. I went for a few weeks with bad back pain from my sciatic nerve but thankfully at week 35 it got SO much better and I began nesting. These last 2 weeks have been WONDERFUL! Of course I feel big but I'm still able to move around, get up and down, and even tie my shoes (well Steve helps sometimes :) I can still sleep pretty good, just about 5 bathroom breaks during the night but then I'm right back to sleep. Apparently my body didn't get the memo that you aren't suppose to sleep good during the 3rd trimester so I'm stocking up :)So now we are in the home stretch - 9 days to go if not less! Praise the Lord! We can not wait to meet our precious baby! I am beyond excited!! The nesting has been fun but I'm probably not quite as put together as some people, I am soaking up the quiet of sitting outside by myself or laying in bed when I wake up in the morning. I think the nesting has hit my mom more than me haha! She has really helped me with Eli's nursery. Both my parents came up last weekend and helped us put the finishing touches on it...

With that, here is my final farewell - not too sure how good at blogging I will be once E-man arrives but I'm hoping to use to it capture the wonderful adventure that awaits us! :)

One precious little face...

Here you are my precious little boy at 32 1/2 weeks. Some sweet friends from our church gave us a gift certificate to have a 3D ultrasound and we got to see your adorable little face! You have quite the chunky cheeks...mommy can't wait to kiss them! :)
At my 33 week check up we found out that you already weigh over 5 pounds...you are a growing boy! I think you're going to be a football player! We will have another ultrasound at 35 weeks to see if you are still growing by leaps and bounds or if you just hit a growth spurt last week. Mommy is trying to lay off the sweets till then - easier said then done when daddy eats ice cream every night. I still have about 8-9 pounds left in my weight gaining allowance so I'm holding out to those last few days when I'm sure we'll both pack on the pounds!
Mommy and Daddy have never been more ready to meet you after seeing your little face, your fingers and toes on the ultrasound. The whole ultrasound you slept with your hands and feet by your face - it was so cute! You even tried to put your thumb in your mouth. And you when you move your head certain ways you have the cutest double chin I have EVER seen!! You are such a precious gift from God. We can't wait to hold you in our arms!!!! We hope to meet you SOON!!! :)

8 weeks - ahhh!! :)

We have passed the two month mark - WOW! Mommy and Daddy have so much to do before your arrival! We are setting up your crib, putting your room together, washing your cute little clothes. It is a little overwhelming but SO exciting that soon we will get to hold you in our arms!

February 27, 2012
Exactly 2 months from your due date! :)

Baby Bump - can call it a bump when its this BIG? :)

With the move and all I have fallen WAY behind in updating picture of my beautiful baby boy growing inside me. They say he will gain about a half a pound every week from here on out...lets just say I am bigger than every with 8 weeks to grow. Brace yourselves...next time you see me I am sure to be even bigger :)

Here we are at 27 weeks! You are getting bigger - 2 pounds to be exact - well give or take some ounces here and there! You are moving all around in my belly! Its SO much fun to feel you move and kick! Sometimes you will be moving so much and as soon as I call daddy over to come feel you stop...you little trick-ster you! :) Dad likes to talk to you a lot! It probably sounds pretty muffled in there but we enjoy it anyways! You gave mommy a little scare this week when you stopped moving for almost 2 days. We tried everything, singing to you, talking, orange juice, cookies, and you didn't budge. We ended up going to the doctor where they checked your heart beat. Never heard a more precious sound in my whole life. I had been so worried. Once again God was trying to teach me to trust him that He is sovereign and has a plan.
Keep growing little Eli - we love you and can't wait to meet you soon!

Here's daddy wanting to take a picture of his preggo belly - not as big as mommy's though :)

Happy 30 weeks Eli! Can't believe we are just 10 weeks away from seeing you precious little face. We now live in what will be your very first home! Daddy and Papa Bear painted your room a beautiful blue last weekend. It looks great! I can't wait for you to see it! You have definitely grown these last few weeks and mommy has too. I know we are on the countdown! You are not about 3 pounds - so small and so cute!! You even get the hickups some times and I love it! I know you probably aren't a fan but it makes me giggle a little. You seems to always get them at night or early in the morning.
You are really loving chocolate these days - well Mommy mainly is but I think you like it too! :)
We are enjoying seeing my tummy move and jiggle as you roll around. Enjoy it because space will be very limited from here on out my little fellow :)

Here we are before our first doctor visit in Kentucky. Your heart rate was 164 - a little higher than last time but that's because you we doing your exercises before she checked on you. Its always good to hear that sweet noise.
Next visit we will get to see you on a ultrasound....we can't wait!! :)

Life in Kentucky...

WOW - have we really been in Kentucky for over a month?? It has really flown by!! Since internet time is limited (we don't have internet at the house yet...good ole AT&T who refuse to answer my sweet husband's phone calls)...I've decided to make a quick list of the last 5 weeks in Bowling Green to sum it up...
1. The people at Calvary are seriously the sweetest church family you could ask for! I missed a Sunday due to nerve pain in my back and I bet I had 30 people ask me how I was feeling and tell me how much I was missed - seriously one Sunday and these people want to bake you a cake or something...it is awesome!! :) We have LOVED getting to know so many families!
2. POT LUCK - we've had at least 4 since we've been here....good thing I'm pregnant and have an excuse to go back to the serving table 2, ok maybe 3, times. They are the BEST cooks!! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
3. I learned to sew - thats right just call me Martha Stewart! A group of older ladies from our church were getting together to sew pillowcase dresses to send with our pastor on his trip to Hati. One of the sweet woman let me use her machine and showed me how to sew all by myself....I was pretty proud of my accomplishment and one sweet little orphan in Hati has a new dress :)
4. Our house is great - I've even mastered climbing the stairs with a belly - I can almost make it up them without losing my breath - if you've ever been pregnant you know what an accomplishment this is! Just don't make me go up them two times in a row and we're good! We still have some boxes to unpack that are in the garage but we'll get to them eventually - we finally have a free weekend coming up so maybe we will tackle it then!
5. Valentine's Day ROCKED!!! My husband is SO creative and thoughtful - we agreed not to do big exchanges this year as we are saving for a washer and dryer but that didn't stop him from being creative...I woke up to find a card on the kitchen counter that had a cute clue inside that led me to find double stuffed oreos and another card...it took me to a while to figure out the next clue, but when I did I found a dozen roses hiding in our guest bath - they smelled GREAT and their was another clue that led me to our fridge where I found chocolate covered strawberries! YUM!! He knows how to make his wife feel special thats for sure! We went to Olive Garden which is my favorite restaurant and we haven't been since I got pregnant...couldn't handle Italian food till now. After dinner we headed to the mall and bought me LOTS of jelly beans to fix my pregnancy craving then went to the movies! It was a WONDERFUL night!! :) I am so blessed to share my life with such an incredible man. Guess next year we will be hiring a babysitter for our Valentines Night out :)
6. BABY SHOWER - last weekend my parents drove up and we set off for Ohio for my baby shower. Poor Steve didn't get to go but he enjoyed leading his first youth trip to Indiana for a short ski trip. They had a great time and he came home to LOTS of baby stuff. It was a wonderful shower and it was great seeing my in-laws! Pictures to come!
7. OUR BABY IS GROWING!! Our little man is getting bigger and so am I :) although there has definitely been a few discomforts this last trimester I am incredibly grateful that God has allowed me to carry him this far...only 9 weeks to go! I can't believe it! I have my 1st doctor's appointment in Kentucky tomorrow. I'm anxious to meet our new doctor...please pray it goes well. Eli seems to be moving around all the time in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, and then again at night. He LOVES when I eat chocolate or drink orange juice...he goes crazy :) And Sunday mornings are his favorite time to do his exercises...last Sunday his foot stuck out the whole service :) can't wait to see his little toesies soon :) We are thrilled that God has answered our prayers and given us a baby - I try to remember that when I'm having a hard time sleeping or have to get up 3 times to go the bathroom during the night but its worth it. Its a priveledge and blessing and i dont' want to forget how much we prayed that we could get pregnant and here we are counting down to his arrival. Isn't God good!!!!!!

Hopefully I will be able to upload pictures VERY soon of my baby belly and our new apartment! And soon I will be uploading pics of a precious baby boy!! Stay tuned....

New adventures....

So I was sitting here reading an update from everyone else's blog I realized I never blogged about our Christmas. It was great but not our traditional Christmas (which will change next year when the baby comes along). Since Steve had to be at church for both the Christmas Eve and Christmas morning services we decided to pretend Christmas was on Tuesday. We spent actual Christmas Eve and morning with our Memphis family - the Roberts.

Here we are at the Roberts showing off our bellies :)

They were so sweet to welcome us into their home and share their traditions with us. After a yummy Christmas morning breakfast we headed to church then another delicious meal with the Roberts. After eating for two :) we loaded up and headed to my grandparents. I was SO happy to be with my family. We enjoyed a relaxing night with yummy foods and finished up some gift wrapping.

Christmas Eve - 5 months pregnant!

On Christmas Eve we woke up bright and early and enjoyed another relaxing day in the woods and of course ate lots of yummies! Soon we started to smell the aroma of our Christmas dinner and the rest of the family started to arrive. We had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner and played dirty Santa. Christmas morning was filled with lots wonderful gifts followed by our traditional homemade biscuits and bacon - have I mentioned I LOVE eating for two during the holidays! :) Christmas afternoon is one of my favorite days cause we sit around and play cards ALL day and eat of course! It is such a blessing to spend time with my family - but we did miss Adam and Amy - they were in Virginia this year. Hopefully next year we will all be together for Eli's first Christmas! :)

Since Christmas we've had a whirl-wind of events. Steve announced to the youth that Wednesday the the Lord was leading us to a church in Bowling Green, KY for him to be the music and youth pastor. It is always hard to say goodbye but we are VERY excited about this new opportunity of ministry. There are of course lots of anxious thoughts with me being almost 6 months pregnant and trying to find a doctor, a place to live, and countless other things before the baby comes but we are packing up and moving out. I taught for a week in January before taking off to start the packing process. It has been a HUGE undertaking trying to pack while pregnant. Steve has been so patient as he is getting the rough end of the deal - I think I call him about every 5 minutes to come pick something up for me or move some boxes. But we are starting to see a small light at the end of the tunnel as we finish rooms and tape more boxes...we still have a lot to do but we will get there - eventually haha! Well actually we will get there by Friday because the movers will be here bright and early at 8am to load us up and move us out.

And this isn't what our apartment looks like YET but I have a feeling it will soon! HAHA!

So here's to the new adventures of 2012. Please be praying for us as we embark on this new ministry and a new stage of life with our little one arriving in a couple months. Lots of exciting adventures ahead! :)

Here we are on moving day - looking a little rough and a little sad to be leaving our very first home as husband and wife...

Whatcha got cookin?

I am FINALLY cooking real meals again - still simple as always but SO thankful to be feeling

good enough to be cooking for us! Although Steve did a great job for SEVERAL weeks I have officially taken back over the kitchen!!

Here are some of the super simple meals we've had the past few days! I love how easy they are but Steve seems like them! Anything I can cook quick is great for me - especially while I'm working and when the baby comes! :)

One of my favorite is my cheesy bacon chicken....I put some veggies and rice with it call it yummy - plus it only takes 30 minutes and its so flavorful.

Salt and pepper chicken, wrap in bacon and cook for about 25 minutes on 350 then add some swiss or motzerella cheese and cook for 5 more minutes - easy and good!

We enjoyed the family favorite of pigs in a blanket last night - couldn't get easier than that and we both love it!

Tonight we had good ole BBQ chicken, cubed potatoes, green beans, garlic cheese bread, and mexi-corn cause the pregnant momma was craving it.

Obviously this is not a picture of our actual food but it was close!

Lost of yummies on the list for the rest of the week...

Beef Strogonoff, Poppyseed Chicken and my hubby's favorite sloppy joes!

We are simple around here but it works for us and I'm just glad to be able to cook again even if its uber simple - hubby and baby like it and thats all that matters! :)