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....