Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Today is hubby's 28th birthday. 

Check this guy out ;) I'm a lucky lady! Celebrating him today! 

Ever since we found out we were pregnant and due May 21st, hubby has been hoping and praying that Baby Christian would make his appearance on his birthday and that they could forever share their special day. 

With only about 7 hours left of May 19th...I don't think it's going to happen....but not for a lack of trying! 

We have tried nearly every natural induction "wives tale" and nothing has happened. I guess we have a stubborn boy on our hands...not much different from his daddy :) 

He is going to be a great daddy!!! 

Hubby was so sure (and hopeful) that we would be in the hospital having a baby today that he didn't want me to plan anything for his birthday. Well, that and nearly anything that we would do to celebrate I'm not really able/allowed to do at this point...no rollerblading, no biking, no kayaking, no waterparks...

We did go to dinner with our small group friends last night and today I am cooking up all of his favs! Blueberry muffins and eggs for breakfast and cheesy enchiladas for dinner. 

We have done some walking and birthday shopping and a trip for coffee. Oh and had some DQ birthday cake! 

So today we celebrate Jim and only Jim. As he has put it, there has just been "some trouble with shipping" for his birthday present :) 

Dear Daddy, 

I know you thought you put in your order request in time for me to get to you for your birthday, but there seems to have been a problem with shipping...I'm going to be late! Hope you still love me just as much! Can't wait to meet you! Hopefully soon :) 

Love, 

Baby CJ

No Baby Yet!

If you don't follow me on facebook or on twitter, you have probably started to wonder by now if baby is here!! I have been a little MIA in blog world this past week. 

Well, no baby yet... 

Like I reported last week, my doctor was thinking I might end up getting induced THIS week. He was thinking I may be developing pre-eclampsia. 

We had a biophysical ultrasound last Wednesday and everything came back normal so I wasn't induced Wednesday. We also had some blood work done at that appointment which came back normal. 

At my appointment on Monday, my blood pressure was still high (especially for me) but not high enough to be considered pre-eclampsia. No protein in my urine either. So since all was looking good, there was no need to induce this week. 

I was a little bummed because I had mentally prepared myself for the possibility after being freaked out by it last week! I'm glad, though, that baby is staying in to cook a little longer until he is ready. Just hoping I don't go late and STILL end up getting induced! 

Life this week has looked a little different than normal. I'm starting to get more uncomfortable and can see the end in site. Soooo....I have been trying to relax and enjoy these last days before I start losing sleep and have a baby filled schedule. 

My days have been filled with lots of walking trying to get labor started. Unfortunately, if I start having contractions, they always stop when I stop walking...so I guess that's false labor or maybe just Braxton Hicks Contractions...Not really sure how all that works. 

I've also been doing a lot of reading and enjoying the weather. 

I planted my garden/plants on Monday after the doctor!

Flower bed

Veggies...Green Pepper and Tomato plants with pea pod seeds planted in back and lettuce in front

More flowers...

Plus more flower pots in the front of the house but I didn't get pictures...

Tuesday hubby took off work to spend the day with me! We did a lot of walking, worked out at the gym and did some swimming and tried everything we could think of to induce labor...still no baby..

On Sunday it was Mother's Day and since I'm technically not a mom yet, as in baby isn't born yet, I didn't really expect to really celebrate Mother's Day. I should have known different with my extra sweet and thoughtful hubby :) 

We were exhausted on Saturday and in bed sleeping before 9pm!!! Needless to say, hubby was up by about 5am tidying up the house and making me breakfast which he brought to me in bed at 6am! Very sweet, but I was also super grateful that we had went to bed early the night before or I may have been slightly less grateful :) ha ha 

Oh! And I got a card from Hubby and Baxter and a cute picture frame that says "Mom" with a picture of Baxter! LOVE IT! 

PLUS another card from Christian. Too cute! 

We then served in children's ministry at church all morning. After church hubby took me shopping and we bought a ton of beautiful flowers and plants for my patio garden along with some new matching pots! I was sooo excited! If I remember right, we ended the day with a long walk. Hubby is so good to me :) I'm a lucky lady and Christian is going to be one lucky boy to call him daddy!

Everything loaded in the car after our shopping spree!

Hope you are all having a great week! 

39 Week Bumpdate coming soon!!! 

As of Sunday we have been in the single digits until Christian's due date! 

As of today, only 6 days to go! Hopefully :) 

 

 

Music Monday - Daddy Songs!

As May 21st gets closer and closer, I can't help but be reminded by how wonderful of a daddy my hubby is going to be for our sweet little boy, Christian! 

Hubby helps with the children's ministry programming at our church, Hosanna! Usually he teaches the 4 and 5 year olds (preschoolers), but yesterday he got to help in the nursery instead! He always comes home with such cute stories about his interactions with the kids and this week was no different. 

His love for the kids is great and he always makes sure to have fun interactions with all of them! 

Whenever I hear Rodney Atkins' "Watching You" I think of how kids, especially boys, watch their dads and want to be like them...I can rest easy knowing that my hubby is going to be a great example for Christian and I hope he grows up to be "just like him!" 

 

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Top 10 Fears of New Dads

As a first time mom to be, there also is a first time dad to be! I'm always giving my perspective and experience of pregnancy, but sometimes its fun to get some perspective from the hubby and daddy to be too! You can check out his last post here. Today, daddy to be shares about some of the 'fears' of new dads! 

As a soon to be dad like some of you may be, I compiled a list of 10 ‘fears’ most new dads face.  Of course this isn’t an all-encompassing list, but I hope you have thought about each of these things, I know I have!  Hopefully, by reading this post and reading through these fears, you will be able to set your mind at ease a little bit!

1) How can I balance my job and my family?

For dads, this can be the biggest challenge for us.  Plain and simple, navigating that balance can be a very scary task.  You will need to practice this. It may not be super easy for you to fully transition and focus on home-life when you are home.  Have a dialogue with your wife after this so she understands that it’s not a super easy switch for you to turn off.  Make time each night for you to talk about your day at work with your wife and bring her along for the journey. This will help her understand the transition you go through from the office to home every day.

2) I wonder if I’ll ever get my wife’s attention back? 

3) And Will having a baby kill my sex life?

Soon after baby comes home, everyone is exhausted, and likely your wife still won’t feel very sexy.  It’s natural to assume the continued lack of sex (especially if the thought of sex was killed during pregnancy!) can take a toll on a guy.  Open communication about this is key.  Don’t let this be the unspoken thing that drives a wedge between you two during this crucial period of your family's life.  For us guys, apparently the sexiest thing we can do is the dishes!!???  Reducing her stress level with some of the household duties and showing her you realize all she has to complete can apparently be a big turn-on! You don’t have to be a third wheel in between your wife and the baby.  Come up with fun ways to do things as a family, like go on walks etc.  You can connect with your partner, and the baby can be along for the ride in the stroller.

4) I am not a nice guy if I don’t get my 8-10 hours a night of sleep…

Have a plan of attack with your partner.  Will one of you handle all weekday nights and the other weekend nights? From 11pm-2am will one partner handle the baby and from 2am-6am the other? Discuss it with your partner and just remember you will make it through this phase, everyone does… you will eventually get amazing nights of sleeps again..... someday! 

5) I know nothing about babies. What if I do something wrong?

Dad’s, remember when you were learning a sport? Practice makes perfect! Get in there and learn and don’t worry about screwing up!  Have you watched any little kids in elementary school play soccer or t-ball or flag football? It’s hilarious the things they will do, but they get better with…. Practice!  Your wife has lived with the little guy in here tummy for ¾ of a year. It will likely be easier for her to pick up everything. It’s important for wives to give daddy a pep talk if needed. Help him learn and them back off and let him try. Give him a shot! 

6) Can I really keep this baby safe?

Boom! You are suddenly responsibility for another human... just like that.  Take time and learn the ropes. Talk to family and friends about your fears and make sure you are educated.  But don’t throw your or your wife’s natural inclinations aside. If you think something is wrong, call the doctor, etc!  Practice holding babies of friends, babysit for a friend, etc.

7) How am I going to be able to pay for our new family?

Make a ‘baby’ budget. Plan out a rough estimate of costs you think you will incur and look at your current expenses.  Of course, with life and especially with babies, there may be unplanned expenses that you couldn’t have even dreamed of when you made the budget, but planning for what you know will help you get one step closer and will relieve some of the stress. It’s a lot easier to make sacrifices when it's for the benefit of your kid and you can see the direct correlation as to why.

8) Will I be a good dad? I don’t want to be a like my dad or my wife’s dad…

This can be another big fear.  You likely recently made the transition into married life and had to make  sacrifices, and now you have more to make.  You have a duty now to impart wisdom on this little bundle of joy.  Plain and simple, if you spend time with your child and learn as you go you will be a good father.  Know that you don’t need to be an expert overnight.  Spend quality time with your kids. If needed, do it alone. Let your wife go out for a night and face the challenge head on.  Discuss with your wife fears about fatherhood based on your experience with your dad.

9) Will my wife love the baby more than me?

It’s important to remember that so much of your wife’s time, energy and body is spent focusing on the baby and takes up a ton of her time. Of course she will still love you, but don’t compare her love for the baby to her love for you.  Working together as a team will just build your relationship and love together as a team.

10) What if our parents and family are so overbearing with giving advice?

Talk about this with your wife early on, pre-baby. Have a dialogue with your family and set expectations as well. It will be a lot easier to do on the front end versus post-baby. You will have your hands full already!  One great piece of advice is to have dedicated time specific for our parents or family members where they are the only ones with the baby, giving them their own specific time, separate from a big family function/event, etc.

Throwback Thursday! Baby Pics

As my due date nears, I can't help but wonder more and more what our little guy is going to look like! I know he will look a lot cuter and more like himself a few days after he is born, rather than first thing out, but I still just can't wait! 

We did have a 3D/4D ultrasound done in Chicago at Goldenview Ultrasound where got a sneak peak at his cute little self! 

I can't help but see his daddy in his face whenever I look at these pictures! 

Just to show you, here is Christian's daddy when he was a little tyke! See some similarities!?

He was pretty cute, wasn't he! 

I wanted to share some of my baby pictures, too. Unfortunately, I am more of a hoarder than my hubby, which means he has ALL of his stuff from his entire life at our house...in ONE tote. I, on the other hand, have an entire closet and a few basement shelves at my mom's house with all of my childhood memories...Meaning that I don't have immediate access to my baby pictures and I forgot to dig them out when we were home for Easter. 

BUT! I did use this crazy baby morphing tool on the bump (kinda creepy actually). It merged my face and hubby's face and gave me a pic of what our baby should look like. In my opinion, it looks like a baby with a toddler or young child's face and crazy hair! Not all that close to what Christian looks like in his 3D ultrasound pics...but here it is just for fun! 

This pic does look mostly like daddy too. We will just have to wait and see what our little guy is going to look like I guess! Only 26 more days til our due date! 

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Music Monday

After sharing some songs last week, I've decided to start a 'Music Monday' post! Check back every Monday for an inspirational song. 

Check out this oldie, but goodie! It was my theme song my senior year of college in 2009. 

Robbie Seay Band - Song of Hope 

I was really involved in a Christian Organization called 'Intervarsity Christian Fellowship' during college. The semester that I graduated, I was recognized at a Large Group gathering along with all of the other graduating seniors. We all got to pick our favorite worship song to be played during the worship time. This was the song I picked. 

Just a few weeks ago, it was my prayer that God would make himself known to me and how he has been present in my life. 

I help with the high school youth group at my church called Catalyst. It was during the worship time at Catalyst a few weeks ago that this song was played. It's not exactly one of the 'regulars' and I haven't heard it since! 

It was such a great reminder to me that during my time of hopelessness as I was graduating and entering the real world  and my plans weren't playing out as expected, that God was near me and at work. He came down and put the desires of my heart into a plan, but in His timing and it was perfect. 

I had always thought that I would graduate and get married and start a family right away. I just wanted to be a wife and a mom. But God had other plans for me. He had some work to do in my and my future hubby before we were ready for each other. 

About 2 years after I graduated, I met my future husband. He had moved to Minnesota from New York and I had moved to Minnesota from Wisconsin. We both had gone through a lot of refining and were ready for each other. God had come done and had been with me through all of that...through every season and is with me now. 

Such an encouraging thought for me this week as I think about all that is to come for our little family! 

I know God is with you this week too! What are you trusting Him for? 

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Our Honeymoon to the Bahamas

As of yesterday, hubby and I have been married for 8 months! And I'm just finally finishing our honeymoon photo book!! I thought I would share the finished product with you all :) Enjoy!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create a gorgeous, high quality wedding photo album at Shutterfly.com.

Thankful Thursday - Hubby Love!

Just last week I came across this image shared on Facebook: 

As I read it, and of course shared it, it hit me how much I really take advantage of my husband. 

When we first started dating, I soaked in all of his sweetness and care for me and constantly showed him appreciation for how he valued and treated me. Now, just 8 months into marriage, I can see the ways that I no longer show appreciation but instead have come to expect this behavior from him. It is such a blessing and should not go unnoticed. 

I am currently 34 weeks pregnant and more cranky, irrational, and hormonal than ever. Does my hubby get annoyed and cranky back at me? NO! He caters to my every need and shows me continual unconditional love. 

How did I get so lucky?? 

Well, I like to think that he was a long awaited answer to prayer. 

In the summer of 2008, I began to pray for my future husband. I knew that I wanted to be married someday and wanted to be able to give all of my heart to my future husband, so I started a journal where I would write letters to my future husband. I would write about what was going on in my life and wonder about what was going on in his. I would also pray for him and that God would not only be preparing him for me, but preparing me for him. 

I gave this journal to my husband when we were first engaged. Believe me, it was somewhat embarrassing to hand over something so personal and vulnerable. But my husband loved it. And coming together with someone in marriage is a personal and vulnerable act. Two truly do become one while still maintaining all of your individuality. 

God sent my hubby just for me. And me for him, even if during pregnancy I seem to often feel like hubby would be much better off without me and all of my craziness. 

So today, and every day, I am thankful for the blessing of my amazing husband and this post is a thank you to him. 

I am thankful to my hubby for.... 

Continually loving on me even when I'm unlovable

Doing his best to make me comfortable even when the only thing that will truly make me comfortable is getting his child out of me! 

Helping out so much around the house when I'm not feeling well...from dishes to laundry, cooking and cleaning he is always willing to pitch in and never complains

Telling me he thinks I am more beautiful than ever even while I feel like I just look more fat than ever 

Listening to me when I'm emotional and irrational...laughing and crying at the same time.....for no reason at all. Yep. Gotta love hormones! 

Helping me tie my tennis shoes...because I can no longer do it myself. I have returned to being a helpless child...

Being there for me to lean on with all the ups and downs that this pregnancy has given me

Being so supportive of me in all the adventures that our life together has given us

Making me laugh when I'm feeling down

Working so hard to provide for our growing family. He is such a hard worker and I know he will always do whatever is needed to provide for us

Helping me grow to be a better person and the best me I can be

Always pushing us to grow in our faith and leading our family to pursue God and give glory to Him

Praying for me in my darkest of moments

Being a big kid at heart which will make him the best daddy I could have asked for for our kids!

I could honestly go on all day...but I'll spare you :) 

Thank you Jesus for blessing me with this amazing man and answering my prayers more perfectly than I could have ever expected! 

I LOVE YOU HUBBY! 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

"Two are better off than one, for they can help the other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken."

 

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Thankful Thursday: Puppy Love!

Sooo much to be thankful for, today and every day. 

A hubby who STILL works for Best Buy Corporate in a job he loves. Feeling blessed that he wasn't part of the lay offs this time around. 

A church that pushes me to grow in ways I would never be able to on my own. 

The Small Group that comes along side me as we grow. Love these friends! 

The ability to decorate a cute nursery for our baby boy...final touches were added yesterday! 

A cuddly cute puppy that I get to be just a puppy mama to until Baby Christian comes. Love this little guy! Never thought I would be a small dog person, but can't imagine not having him!

Such a character! 

What are you thankful for this week? 

Stay tuned for a surprise reveal coming soon, a giveaway, and a 'guest post' tomorrow!