Winning!

Yesterday marked ONE MONTH since our little Jonah man got here!  I can't believe how quickly the first four weeks flew by...and we made it all in one piece!  Well, four individual pieces, I mean.

Jonah is up to about eight pounds according to the scale at home.  He's such a chunk-o!  He's sleeping much better at night thanks to the Fisher Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper that we got on Craigslist.  We had him in the bouncy seat at night, but I was worried because the back is soft on the bouncy, and infants need a hard surface to sleep on in order for proper spine development, and the Rock 'n Play Sleeper has a hard back yet is still angled like the bouncy seat.  It also is lower than the Pack 'n Play, which makes it easier to tend to him at night when he cries, because our bed is super low.  Yeah, we're cheap and never bought a king sized bed frame...lol.  Our bed sits on the floor!  Jonah is eating 4-4.5 ounces per feeding, and is still eating eight times a day.  It's no wonder he's eight pound already!  lol

Today is the first day that Levi has gone in to the office, and today has been better than I expected!  I was able to take care of bottles while Oliver ate this morning, and then we watched a video while I had breakfast.  Then we played and had lunch.  Another feeding for Jonah and then the boys both went down for a nap!  Oliver took a great nap after playing in the crib for about twenty minutes, and Jonah was pretty good, too.  I did have to help him with his paci a couple of times, but it wasn't too bad.  I got to rest, and haven't felt overwhelmed once today! Winning!

Speaking of winning, we are half heartedly trying potty training!  It's not as scary as I thought it would be, and Oliver has gone pee pee in the potty at least once for the past three days!  Hooray!  We are using Gerber arrowroot cookies as rewards, and this boy loves him some cookies...so he's been giving it a good try.  I'm impressed by my big boy!

In a couple of weeks, Stephanie and Robert are coming for a visit to scout apartments.  They'll be moving at the end of May, and want to go ahead and line something up and see the area (and meet Mr. Jonah!).  I'm so stoked to see them...I thought it wouldn't be so hard to be away from our friends, but it's been harder than I imagined.  I have made some new friends, but with a newborn, it's hard to really get out there, you know?  I am looking forward to my Ergo coming in the mail (any day now!) so that I can take the boys out on some playdates.  I'll feel more comfortable if I can chase Oliver and have Jonah right there with me.  Anyway, we're adjusting well, and hope to keep it up!  Hooray!

Whew.

We're two weeks and four days in.  Sleeping has gotten better.  We switched to a lactose sensitive formula and it has helped with his gassiness and fussiness at night.  However, the only way we can get him to sleep well at night is...to put the bouncy seat in the pack 'n play and buckle him in.  =(  I hate that!!  I just can't handle the not sleeping at night.  Mommy has to function the next day.  Hopefully in a couple of weeks we can work something else out.  We're still trying to figure out how he likes to be swaddled.  It seems like he hates having his arms down at his side, but if we swaddle them at his belly he busts out immediately.  Strongest.  Newborn.  Ever.

Oliver is getting more and more interested in Jonah, though, and that makes me happy!  It's hard having them both be so young right now, but I know I will love love love it when they are a little bit older and they are BFFs. And I joke about sending all the boys (Levi included) to Scout Camp in the summer, but honestly, I can't wait to see how Levi is with them when they are older!!  It's so different for me.  I can remember a time in my life where I couldn't even imagine the future.  Now I can't stop thinking about it!  I will definitely have my hands full with a house full of boys, but it will be so much fun.  I feel so blessed.

I'm itching to get out and play with my new Mommy friends and their kids, but I still haven't felt brave enough to take both kids out yet.  I would feel better if I could find my Ergo baby carrier!!  I have been searching for it and Oliver's potty for weeks...to no avail.  The only place left to look is the boxes in my closet.  I'll get to it eventually.  Anyway, Levi's mom, dad, and brother (and maybe his sister?  I don't think she's going back to Japan until after this visit, so hopefully she's coming, too.) will be here next week for Spring Break, so maybe they will have a day with Oliver and I can take Jonah to see the Mommies.  I miss the gals!

Stephanie and Robert will be coming out to visit next month, and I'm super stoked!  They get to meet the baby (actually Robert will probably meet him next week when he's here on business, if he has time), and they're going to be apartment hunting.  It'll be nice to see some familiar faces!

Anyway, things have been going well.  I'm pleased.  =)

Updates!

We were disappointed to miss church on Sunday.  Oliver has been snuffly and coughing, and we didn't want to leave him in the nursery...I know if someone else did that, I wouldn't be pleased.  Anyway, we can listen to the message online.  Hopefully we can do that tonight!

Later today is my baby shower.  Yay!  I'm looking forward to eating at the California Cafe...heh.  I can't help it!  The food looks so good online! I also thoroughly enjoyed my shower and fixing my hair.  I feel like a new woman!  I also got a good bit of rest last night, so that helps, too.  I can't wait to get dressed up and go out with my little family.  =D

We've switched from breastfeeding to me pumping instead.  It's far less stressful for me!  It also puts my mind at ease because I'm able to see exactly how much breast milk he's getting.  We are currently feeding him one full ounce of breast milk per feeding, and 50mL of formula.  Yay!  A whole ounce for one feeding is amazing production for me, because I had a breast reduction in 2008.  So I'm producing a little over eight ounces.  It's not exactly on par with what is expected (of a mother who HASN'T had extensive breast surgery), but it's close!  The expected amount in about twelve and a half ounces.  Not too shabby!  I've been working on pumping extra and pumping longer to build a better supply, but I am SUPER happy with where we are feeding wise.  Yay!

Oliver has been a handful lately.  He is throwing fits regularly and time out is a common occurance in our house these days!  I am hoping that things will level off soon, but we'll stick it out.  Oliver is a good kid.  He just needs time to adjust.  I am hoping we will strike a balance and figure out what we'll do once Levi goes back to work...lol.

Gonna try to fit in another pumping before we leave.  We have some errands to run before the shower...I need stamps for my adorable moving announcements (look for yours in the mail!), I need to pick up a hands free pumping bra, and I have to run by Pottery Barn Kids to get the baskets to go with the personalized basket liners for the kids for Easter.  Good thing I ordered Jonah's, too, seeing as he wasn't to arrive until after Easter!  Anyway, it should be a good time.  I'll be sure to post about it!

Super Successful Saturday, and a taste of things to come!

Um, can I just say that we are geniuses?  Our feeding plan went off without a hitch last night, and I'm proud to report that I got a full five hours of sleep...IN A ROW...last night!  I feel like a normal person today!!

Jonah had his post-discharge pediatrician appointment this morning.  He gained an ounce and a half in two days, and the doctor said that half an ounce to an ounce a day is great progress!  He wants to see Jonah again on Thursday to check to see if he's made it back to his birth weight (6 pounds, 1.4 ounces).  I think he's doing such a great job eating, that ought to be no problem!

I was also able to get out with the family today to run errands.  I'm not supposed to drive for two weeks since I had the c-section, but had some things to pick up.  Levi's company is throwing me a baby shower on Monday, and I had no shoes to match my dress.  Which, by the way, is this super cute maternity dress I picked up on clearance at Old Navy and never got to wear while pregnant.  =(  I think I will wear it anyway on Monday, because I'm not yet back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  Oh well...I've got time to lose it.  I was also able to run by Target to get a few baby related items, which was nice.  Heh.  I had to pick up some "hooter hiders" so that, if I choose to, I can breastfeed in public without flashing everyone.  I dunno how comfortable I will be with that, ever, but I have some hooter hiders in case I want to breastfeed while we're out.  =D

Levi and I also managed to swing by the Krispy Kreme while the fresh hot doughnut sign was on!  No, we didn't eat six in the car...or did we?  I'll never tell!

Tomorrow I'm looking forward to hearing Lee Strobel speak at church.  We've decided to just pack up the whole family and brave it with a newborn.  The church has a "cry room", which is basically just andi enclosed room with a huge window so you can see out, but it's soundproof, so the babies and holler.  One of Jonah's feedings falls right during church, so perhaps my hooter hiders will be of use after all!  LOL  Dunno if I can breastfeed in public, let alone in church!!

And as I mentioned before, Monday is my baby shower.  I'm so excited to get to celebrate this new life!!  I read this blog post and was so touched by the prayers and blessings offered to the baby.  I cried.  lol  I am amazed at how quickly I have bonded with Jonah compared to last time with Oliver.  Not that I don't love Oliver the same...I think the stress and concern with being a new parent prevented any real bonding from happening for a few weeks.  This time it was almost instantaneously.  It's a little scary how I can love these two little boys so much...I didn't know I had room in my heart!  I thank God daily for my little family.  I am blessed beyond measure.

Gotta go feed the littlest boy!

The Second Time Around

Being a Mommy again has been so wonderful!  Since I have been through the stress and craziness the first time, I have gotten to simply bask in the adorableness of my new little man.  Jonah and I have spent the past couple of days bonding, and breastfeeding has helped.

I'm happy to say that breastfeeding has gone more smoothly this time around with the help of the Medela Symphony pump I've rented.  Last time pumping was SUCH a chore, and while it's not exactly fun this time around, at least it only takes 15 minutes!!  My plan as of now is to breastfeed and supplement for at least a month, just like last time (except last time I didn't breastfeed at all because Oliver was so not into it).  We've been doing ten minutes per side (which sounds like it ought to take twenty minutes, but it's more like forty minutes).  We also supplement with the pumped milk from the previous pumping and about an ounce of formula. It's been hard on me at night, so tonight I think we're going to start doing two ounces of formula for the two middle of the night feedings (the one at 12:30am and the one at 3:30am), and I'll pump during the 12:30am feeding and skip the 3:30am pumping...that way I can sleep from about 1am til the 6:30am feeding.  Just the mere thought of five consecutive hours is like a dream come true!  Hopefully it'll help me be more pleasant during the day.  Heh.  Poor Levi.

Oliver and I even got to spend some time together today.  I've missed spending time with my big guy!!  I admit, I'm jealous that Levi gets to spend more time with him than me.  Even though I'm exhausted from breastfeeding and pumping and trying to sleep, I still wish I had the energy to take him to the playground and hang out in the wagon and do all that fun stuff.  Today, I caught the boys watching Wall-E together.  <3  So cute.  Anyway, Oliver and I spent supper time together, and he was being really sweet.  He's been having a little attitude with me the past few weeks (and believe me, it was trying my nerves!!), and I was glad to get a little snuggle time with him.

I'm starting to worry a little about how life will be once Levi's not here to help all day.  We talked about getting a nanny, but YIKES, it's so expensive!  I figure I'll gain more and more confidence (and get cleared for lifting Oliver again!), I'll feel more and more comfortable with the idea.  I have my Mommy group to keep me busy as soon as I feel up to getting out and about.  I might try to take Jonah to the pediatrician tomorrow (I'll have to see if they have an appointment available, I forgot to call today, lol), but if not we'll get him there Monday or Tuesday.  Sunday morning, we're going to visit the church that we found, Cherry Hills Community Church, for the third time.  Lee Strobel is speaking, and Levi and I are both big fans of his.  Though we already know his story, it'll be awesome to hear him speak in person!  Anyway, the upcoming outings are going to be like little test runs of what our new life as a family of four will be like.  I'm excited and nervous at the same time!

Gotta get things ready for the little boy's next feeding, and then sweet, sweet sleep awaits!

We're proud to announce...

...the newest addition to Team Awesome!  This is our little Jonah boy!

There are more pics to come, once I have a chance to deal with that.  For now, the birth story!

So as you might have read, at my 35w4d OB appointment, my amniotic fluid was found to be at the lower level of normal...a 6.5. Five is considered low and 4 is low enough to be hospitalized. My OB had asked if I thought I had been leaking fluid, and honestly I didn't. So he prescribed taking it easy, upping my fluid intake, and hydrotherapy to try to get my levels back up. I did all of the above (with the exception of maybe doing a bit too much on Saturday (but thank goodness it got done!!).

On Sunday, April 3, 2011 after church, I noticed that my undies were a bit wet, and I thought it smelled a bit sweet, which is indicative of amniotic fluid. I was worried, so I decided to call my OB...better to be safe than sorry, right? So I called the answering service, and luckily my regular OB was on call! So he called me back, asked me what was up, and said that I should go to L&D to have a test done to see if I was indeed leaking fluid.

We got to the hospital a little after 2pm (we had to wait for the lovely, wonderful, spectacular Aunt Jan to arrive to keep an eye on Oliver for us...THANK YOU AUNT JAN!! <3) so of course while we waited I did dishes and straightened up and packed a bag just in case. We called the Grandmas and a couple of friends and then headed on out. The ER waiting area was the calmest I've ever seen, and the admitting staff was super nice. I was met by a wheel chair and wheeled up to L&D on the third floor. We were taken to room 316 (on a Sunday! lol) and waited to start the whole rigmarole of being admitted to L&D...tons of questions, monitoring baby, and finally getting to the test to see if the fluid I was leaking (which was a slow trickle) was indeed amniotic fluid.

There are two tests...one is a strip test that turns a dark navy blue instantly when it hits amniotic fluid. This test came back negative for me. There's a second test called Amnio-sure, which is a swab test that takes about ten minutes to develop. While we were waiting on that, my OB came in and did and ultrasound to measure my fluid pockets. The way they measure is they split your belly into four quadrants and measure the largest pockets they can find with no loops of cord in it. I had two quadrants with pockets, one measuring 1.5cm and one measuring 3.5cm. However, the 3.5cm pocket had tons of cord loops in it, meaning it couldn't be counted...so my fluid level was 1.5.  So even though the Amnio-sure eventually came back negative as well, it was decided that we were having a baby!! The funniest part? 04/03/11 happens to be Stephanie...or "Aunt Sappy"... birthday. Divine appointment, I tell ya!

We had eaten lunch around 11am, so the anesthesiologist said we would have to wait until 5:30pm to be on the safe side to do the surgery. We called the Grandmas again and filled them in, texted a few folks, and by then, it was time to rock and roll!

For a repeat c/s, they perform a spinal block instead of an epidural. The spinal was SO much more effective than the epidural was! I could feel it almost immediately, and the entire process was far less traumatic than my epi had been (which was given to me while I was having one on top on another pitocin contractions last time...yikes!!). I was alert for both the c/s and the tubal after. Any time I had a complaint (woozy, groggy, etc.) the anesthesiologist adjusted and took care of me. I'm happy to report I didn't even vomit after the c/s! Hooray! The tubal didn't go quite as planned...because the blood vessels were enlarged, he removed a portion of the tubes instead of the whole things to avoid bleeding issues. However, things went smoothly, and I'm happy to report that we are done growing small humans in my body. Any other children we have will grow in our hearts through adoption.

Overall, I have to say my second c/s was even better than my first. We cracked jokes, laughed, and had a generally good time! My OB sang Jonah happy birthday as he pulled him out, and Levi got to take pics, cut the cord, and I even got to hold him after he was cleaned up! I didn't get to do that with Oliver, and it was really special. <3 My first thought when he cried was, "He sounds so tiny!!" Turns out he had a lot of mucus and such, and once that was cleaned out, he sounded more like a big boy. Jonah was born at 5:56pm, weighed 6lbs. 1oz., measured 19.5 inches long, and had a head circumference of 13.5! That's from my hubby's side.  =D

We are so blessed, and our family is complete for now!  God is so good.

36 Weeks and Adventures in Rec Centers.

Today marks my 36th week of pregnancy!  I'm officially nine months pregnant.  Another week and I'm considered full term.  And another two weeks and four days after that, I'm scheduled to deliver!  Barring any other issues with my placenta and/or fluid levels, we should see our little man in just over three weeks.

I have been taking my doctor's orders very seriously.  I have upped my fluid intake as much as humanly possible (I was drinking a lot before, I promise!!), and have been using hydrotherapy to try to increase my fluids.  From everything I have read on oligohydraminos, I don't have any reason to have this issue...I'm not past my due date, I'm not carrying multiples, I am not leaking fluid, I haven't got a placental abruption, I don't have chronic high blood pressure or preeclampsia or diabetes or lupus...so what gives, uterus?  You just tired of doing your job?  =P  Lame.  Anyway, I've been soaking at least once a day for fifteen minutes or more.  It feels delightful as I've felt huge (though baby is less than six pounds still!)...the floating is wonderful. m As my tub is too small (or my belly too large, depending on how you want to look at it), we decided to take advantage of the rec centers in our area for the use of their pools/spas/therapy pools.

Since we live in Highlands Ranch and I had visited one of their four rec centers on a playdate, we decided to go there first.  The lady gave me a form I needed to fill out as I told her we were renters, and she said I just needed to get the form filled out by the management company.  Only she LIED!!  Folks who rent apartments aren't allowed to join the HR Community Association...only homeowners and folks who rent HOUSES in HR are eligible.  Sad!!  So the man told me that we could try the South Suburban rec centers instead.  Colorado takes recreation very seriously...in about a ten mile radius, I know of seven rec centers!  Anyway, we went to one of the South Suburban rec centers, and it turns out that we aren't in district for them, either.  According to the lady there, we are in a special little part of Douglas County..."unincorporated Douglas County".  So, even though we can use the SS rec centers, we are considered out of district (for ANY rec center) and have to pay more.  Ugh.  At least they allow us to use the centers, though.  I'm allowed to go to the HRCA rec centers as a guest of a member, but have to pay $7 every time.  Anyway, we've visited the SS rec center in Littleton several times already, and it's pretty nice.  We'll probably buy a package there next week, when they are running a sale for 10% off.

Anyway, we took Oliver swimming today, and he had a blast!  After awhile, Levi and Oliver swam alone so I could soak in the therapy pool...it's a five foot deep pool that's heated to about 92 degrees.  Usually, there are a gaggle of octogenarians doing arthritis therapy, but they also do therapy for mentally handicapped folks, too.  It's a little weird, because I'm usually the youngest person there, and no one talks to me.  Oh well.  The soaks are so relaxing for me, but they aren't helping with the pain I've been having.  My hips and pelvis are still ALWAYS achy and sore, and I've been having a lot more sharp pain in my lower abdomen.  I have another appointment on Tuesday for another ultrasound and NST.  We should know more if the floats and all the water I've been drinking has helped!  Until then, I know Jonah has remained super active, so I'm not concerned.

Anyway, that's all for now!  More to come.

35w4d appointment

Today's appointment was...loooong.  Almost two hours!  We had an ultrasound to check fluid levels and see how Jonah was growing.  We got some more cute pics, and the u/s tech said that my fluid levels were on the lower side.  She asked about my water intake (which I'm trying so hard to keep up, it just seems like I'm thirsty ALL the time anyway) and physical activity.  She said that I would probably just need to take it easy and maybe get to the pool every once in awhile.  She said the doctor would talk to me about it during his portion.

So we saw the doc and talked about the fluid.  He said that 5 is acceptable, and that I was at a 6.5.  He wasn't that concerned about it because Jonah had gained more than a pound in the past two weeks (woo!) putting him at 5 pounds 11 ounces.  The u/s tech had also said something about my placenta looking "old" which concerned me...those things only last so long, you know!...but my OB wasn't concerned about it.  He said that as long as Jonah was growing and thriving the placenta was doing it's job.  He ordered a NST (non-stress test) for today and once a week for the rest of the pregnancy.  He also told me a warm bath twice a day for 15 minutes would help relax my uterus.  Our tub at the apartment is kind of shallow, but the rec center has a great "family whirlpool" meaning the temp is kept much lower than normal so the kids can get in.  I do believe I will be visiting the rec center again soon!  I'm not on bedrest, but he did say to be more of a couch potato.  Easier said than done when you're the one who makes things happen around the house, but I've taken it easy today.  I cancelled my more active Mommy Meetups but hopefully will still get to be social.

So while it was a bit disconcerting, everything is fine, and there's nothing to worry about.  My NST was good today, and will most likely be fine next week too.  Fluid levels are still good for now, and will be checked weekly.  Jonah is still growing well and there is no cause for alarm.  It did give me a bit of a fright, though, for a minute.

Other things are more stressful than usual, but I don't particularly care to talk about them here.  Keep us in your prayers...it's going to be a hard few weeks, I have no doubt.

Sunday Funday!

Last night, Levi and I did some more research on local churches.  I found a couple I wanted to visit and handed the laptop over to Levi.  Once he saw that Lee Strobel was going to be at Cherry Hills Community Church, he said, "Hey, let's try this one."  Deal.

The church, like every thing else we could ever want or need, is mere minutes away from where we live.  Seriously, we made four turns to get there.  It's a gorgeous facility, and I was impressed just driving up!  We checked out the visitor's center, and took our seats in the balcony.  Oliver will usually sit through the music portion, and he was enthralled by the lights and the choir!  I never realized at NorthPointe, but I really REALLY missed having a choir.  Something about all those voices raised to the Lord in praise?  Gets me every time.  Very moving!  The music was also the perfect volume...someone at NorthPointe once quipped that the best place to hear NP's music was from your front yard down the road.  Ha!  Oliver was great during the music portion, but after that, we decided to try the nursery.

Now, Levi and I aren't big "drop-your-kid-off-and-leave" kind of folks.  We rarely took Oliver back to the nursery at NorthPointe, but I really wanted to sit and listen to the sermon toddler-free.  So we signed Oliver up, got him situated, and went back to the sermon.  My little man...he didn't even cry!  In fact, I'm pretty sure he didn't even notice we were gone until we came back.  And though I wanted to (so very much) check on him halfway through the sermon, I held out and he was fine.  Whew!  Heh, when we got back to pick him up, Levi said, "Did you have fun, buddy?" and Oliver said, "Coo-coo!"  They gave him a graham cracker.  A "cookie".  =D  It was like he was saying, "Guys, they gave me a cookie...how could I NOT have a good time?!"  Adorable.  I'm happy to say that I feel comfortable enough to try dropping him off at the beginning of the service next week!

After just one service, I can tell this is a place I want to get to know more about.  There are so many activities for the whole family...it just felt like a really good fit.  The sermon was scripturally sound, and that made me feel better.  Some of the places we checked out online played fast and loose with scripture, and we're not into that.  I'm super excited that Lee Strobel will be visiting the church, even though we already know his athiest to believer story (since we own several of his books).  I didn't know Lee Strobel lived in Colorado!  Oh, by the way, during the service, I noticed that you could see the mountains in the background while the Pastor was preaching.  Have I mentioned how much I love it in Colorado?  I love it so much.

Hope your Sunday is as great as mine has been so far!  Hoping to get some lunch soon and there is a great possibility that a nap is in our future. =D  I love Sundays!

Day of Win!

Today was...well, interesting.  There were many blessings, and I wanted to share them with you!

This morning we were supposed to go pick up our moving money check from Levi's work at 10am.  So I got up early and got ready, thinking that after I showered and such I could unpack some more boxes.  Someone wanted to pick some up later today, and I wanted to get rid of as many as I could in one fell swoop.  Anyway, I was right in the middle of my second box at about 9am, when I got a call from the driver who was delivering our vehicles.  By some amazing happenstance, he got here A WHOLE DAY EARLY!!  I was unprepared!  I had to go get some sort of certified funds for the poor man, and he was 3.5 miles from my house.  I quickly left the house to try to procure the elusive certified funds.

See, we banked with Bank of America in Georgia.  Which is all well and good...there are tons of BoA atm machines in Colorado!  However, there are no branch locations.  Anywhere.  This is not good when you need a large amount of cash or certified funds, which can usually only be purchased with cash unless you bank with the establishment providing the certified funds.  OH NOES!  What do I do?!  The man will be here any minute and I NEED MAH CARZ 4REALZ.  We were planning on heading to the local Chase bank and opening an account with our moving check, but that wasn't happening until after the driver left.  Oy!

So I went over to the Chase bank and told them my predicament.  The man told me, as I suspected, that even if I wrote a check from my BoA account to the Chase bank, it would take three days to process.  I told him that we were planning on opening an account there later today anyway, but that I could write a check for a fairly large amount to open the account, and asked if he would give me a check for the certified funds that I needed right then.  What a sweetheart...he offered to do just that!  Hooray!  Problem solved.  Kyle and Ann are my new heroes.  Woo!

So!!  We have our cars.  YAAAY!  Meaning we didn't have to extend our rental for the third time.  DOUBLE YAAAY!  After we dealt with the  driver who was awesome, we left to go pick up our check.  Only while we were en-route, we discovered while the check had been written, there was some mistake with it.  So instead of receiving it as a bonus in a separate check, we would just receive it on our paycheck next week.  Whatev...direct deposit ftw!  So!!  We have our cars AND soon we'll have the moving money.  SUPER YAAAY!

Then we returned the rental car, which was quick and painless.  We got to drive through Downtown Denver, which was nice.  It's so different from Atlanta.  Smaller.  Neater.  More laid back.  Levi dropped me off at the 16th Street Mall, which is a neat little pedestrian mall in downtown Denver.  We met up with an old friend of mine for lunch.  Missy and I went to Middle School together, I'm fairly certain!  We tried to remember, and I could remember us hanging out freshman year, but I'm pretty sure it was before that.  She is one of the kindest people I know, and has remained sweet as pie through the years!  Even though it had been several years (probably close to ten, at least!) since we saw each other, conversation was easy and we had a great lunch at Mellow Mushroom...coincidentally an Atlanta based business!  What can I say...you can take the girls out of Georgia...

Which, speaking of, the waiter told me that he'd been to The Vortex in Atlanta, which everyone knows has the best burgers on Earth.  ONLY HE SAID THERE WAS A BETTER BURGER IN COLORADO!  *GASP*  It's from a place called The Cherry Cricket, which apparently has been featured on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" burgers episode.   I'm excited to try it someday...I see a date night in our future!

After all the running around, I tried to take a nap when we got home.  I'm having a lot of difficulty at night falling asleep.  Jonah either has the hiccups, or I can't get the pillow situated to support my belly, or I get comfy and then my shoulder falls asleep and I have to roll over and then start the whole comfy-making process again.  Can you guess how nap time goes for me?  Yeah, about the same.  I managed to get about forty minutes of rest, which is better than none I suppose.  We did some MORE running around, as our cars were filthy...so we got Levi's car washed, picked up his prescription, and went to Target.  We couldn't find the seat protector for the Pilot, so we had to get a new one (we'll find the other I'm sure, and can use it in Levi's car), and I also broke my awesome rear facing car seat mirror, so we had to pick up another one of those.  Also, I have a mommy play date next week at the rec center to take the kids swimming, but I can't for the LIFE of me find my maternity swimsuit!  I found every other suit I own, but not my adorable $30 maternity suit that I only got to wear twice ever last time, and I am so so sad!  At any rate, I was able to find a top in an XL that will work with a bottom I already own.  It's not an *ideal* fit, but it IS a super cute top and I can wear it post baby, too.  Cute!

So after running all day, we ordered in Chinese for supper and caught up on Community.  Whew!  Such a busy day.  I'm planning on hitting the sack early tonight, but what an amazing day.  Even with the speed bumps we encountered, it was still a great day!  God is good.  =)

Reasons to Celebrate!

So, the vehicle situation has been handled.  Praise God!  The cars were picked up yesterday, and they ought to be here some time between Saturday and Monday, the 26th-28th.  We only rented the car until Friday (because the first driver was to have our vehicles to us at the latest on Friday, but that didn't pan out), so we'll extend the rental one last time when we get a call from the driver letting us know about his estimated drop off date.

In other exciting news, Levi has gotten a promotion at work!  He went from being the Lead Programmer to the Director of Research and Core Technology Development!  I'm so proud of him.

I've joined a Mommy group on Meetup.com and had my first Mommy outing last week!  We went to story time at the library, and lemme tell you...it was the LONGEST thirty minutes of my life!  Oliver has gotten so wiggly and squirmy and wants to do things his own way (hello, almost two!) and it's hard for his pregnant Mommy to keep up with him.  Afterwards, we went to McDonald's for lunch (I got Oliver a fruit cup at Einstein Bros. on the way) and I got to know the other ladies a little better.  One turned out to be from the town we attended church in back in Georgia!  Another was half Korean, like me!  I had such a great time, and I can't wait til our next outing.  There are several throughout the week, but with Oliver being such a handful (and some of them falling during nap time), I'm pretty choosy about which ones I'll attend.  Next week, though, is a Meetup at a nearby rec center and we're taking the kids swimming!  I'm excited to see how Oliver does (he hasn't been swimming since he was a year old when we went to Florida), I'm excited to meet some new folks, and I'm also excited to finally get to wear my adorable maternity swimsuit again!  If...I can find it.  I have to go through some more boxes and see what I can do about that...lol.

Next on the agenda is getting things in order to get the Georgia house ready for rental, getting our new driver's licenses and the info to get our cars registered and get new tags, finding a new church, and finishing up the nursery.  Whew.  I'm exhausted just typing it!  

Levi's co-workers have also decided to throw me a baby shower, which is so so touching!  Since I'm having another boy within two years of having my first, I have almost everything I need, but it's nice that folks want to celebrate this pregnancy as well.  I'm nervous because I don't know these ladies very well, but hopefully we'll have a good time.  I'm so excited!

My sister in law has been evacuated from the base at Atsugi, Japan, which is just one more thing to celebrate!  She was having a hard time being there alone as her husband was out on a boat, and he has since been sent to Guam.  He seems to be having a great time there based on his Facebook posts, but I know they hate being apart.  For now, she is staying with her parents in Louisiana, which means she'll be coming out when Jonah is born, so she'll get to meet her new nephew!  Last time around, she waited weeks and weeks for Oliver to be born...lol!

So as you can see, we're super blessed!  It helps me feel like we made the right decision in coming out here.  I feel more and more comfortable here every day!

Settling in.

Moving has gone well.  Unpacking is slow because this lady is EXHAUSTED from being super pregnant.  I am happy to report that boxes are getting unpacked gradually, but we are still dodging boxes daily.  Oh well.  We'll get around to it eventually.  =)

Today, I was working on boxes in Jonah's room and decided to get the crib pieces unwrapped.  I noticed a small sliver of wood that had broken off, and kept unwrapping.  It wasn't until I completely unwrapped it that I noticed one of the spindles had been pushed out of the track and the sliver of wood was actually going to be more trouble than I initially thought.  Sad!  We were lucky though, because the crib has been our only casualty thus far in the entire move.  AND it was a crib that was given to us...it had been used for 15 years before we got it two years ago!  It was well loved.

I managed to find a very nice crib and changing table for less than $100 on Craigslist, though, and the sellers were even willing to deliver!  This is a big plus as our vehicles haven't made it from Georgia yet (I'll explain), so we have nothing but the rental, a Chrysler 300, to get around in.  She was even willing to deliver today!  Excellent transaction.  Thanks, Craigslist!

So, the cars.  We hired this company called Direct Express Auto Transport to ship our cars.  They were rated an A+ by the BBB and were by far the cheapest I found online, so I figured they were solid.  They said they'd pick up the cars in 1-7 days from our specified date, which was March 3.  Well, on March 11, we still had not heard from them.  When we called to inquire, they said, "90% of the time, the vehicles are picked up between 1-7 days from the specified date."  Levi was furious!  He asked, "So it could be 1-7 days....or a month?"  She repeated that it was 1-7 days 90% of the time.  We decided to give them 14 days, and if they hadn't picked up the cars by then, we would go with another company.

Guess what?  We had to go with another company.  This time we chose National Transport LLC.  The price was about $500 more, but at this point...who really cares?  We already spent almost that much on the three weeks we've had to rent the car.  Anyway, they promised to pick up the cars in 1-2 days, and they are scheduled to pick them up tomorrow.  It will take between 5-6 days for them to arrive, and I can't wait!  I miss my Pilot.

ALSO!  We packed stuff in the cars.  Important stuff.  Like Oliver's wagon.  Why is his wagon so important, you ask?  Well, we live at the back of the apartment complex, and our apartment is on the back side of the building.  Meaning when we park, we have a bit of a ways to walk just to get to the front door.  Meaning when I make a Sam's run (or buy a crib on Craigslist!), we (read: Levi!  Ha.) have to walk quite a ways home!  I can not WAIT to have that wagon.  Grocery shopping will be much easier on this old pregnant lady!

I've also met my new OB AND Oliver and Jonah's new pediatrician.  I love them both!  Levi had a doctor's appointment as well to get a new script for his blood pressure meds, and he wasn't crazy about her.  We'll be shopping around a bit more on a family doctor.  More importantly, we've scheduled the date that we will meet our little Jonah man!  April 26th at 12:30pm!  I'm not thrilled about waiting all day long for surgery (because I can't eat...grumpy me!), but we scheduled it that way because Levi's parents and his siblings will be in town, but only until the 30th.  This way, they will get to see Jonah more often before they leave town, as our other option was to deliver on the 28th.  My parents (probably just my Mom, actually) will come after they leave.  I'm excited to have my Mom come out!  She's never been to Colorado before, and she has a friend nearby.  And she'll cook me delicious Korean food.  =D

Things are settling in nicely.  I have to say I love it here more and more every day!  I feel super blessed to be here, even without my friends and family (Well, we do have some family here!  Amazing, awesome family!), because I feel like it's bringing my own little family closer together.  We have spent so much time being together as a family these past two weeks and it has really benefited our relationships.  Levi and I have taken Oliver to the playground as often as we can, done our shopping as a family, and spent almost every evening together.  It's a nice change from the rut I think we were in while we were in Georgia.  It's a breath of fresh, mountain air, that's for sure!

And speaking of settling in, it's way past my bed time!  More to come!

Moving day, take two!

So, after arriving in Colorado and hating our new place, we basically lived with Levi's Aunt and Uncle for the past six days.  This morning, however, we get the keys to our new place!  Word cannot express how excited I am to sleep in my own bed today.

Aunt Jan and Uncle Allan have been the best hosts ever.  It has been so laid back here!  We have shopped and cooked and just hung out...so much fun.  I am so glad that even though we're "moving out", they are just down the road.  Love it!

So the timeline for today is as follows.  We'll sign the final paperwork and take possession of the apartment.  We can unload everything from the car (SO.  MUCH.  STUFF.) and then hang out awhile.  I won't be around with the movers come, so we'll have to decide then where some of the bigger stuff will go, like which desk goes where, and where we will put the freezer.  The trailer comes sometime between 9-1, and the movers come sometime between 12-1.  I have an appointment to see little Jonah man at 1, but I have to get there a little early to get my paperwork done, so I may be there for some of the unloading, but not much.

I'm excited to see the new place.  They are putting in new carpet this morning, so I'm probably going to have to vaccum immediately, which is fine.  And then after the movers leave, I'll have to vaccum again since they will be traipsing around my home with their shoes on.  Maybe they'll be Asian movers?  lol 

I'll be sure to post pics later!  Hooray, it's moving day!  For real this time!

Adventures in Moving Cross Country!

We are now officially Coloradans!

We had a nice flight out on Thursday.  Oliver traveled like an old pro though this was his first time in an airport and on an airplane.  He is a great car seat traveler, and I think that helped...first class seats are the perfect size for his car seat!  Levi and Oliver both sat in first class and I sat in coach to save a bit of money, though looking back it would have been worth the extra money to have a bit more room.  Also, poor guy next to me had to get up every dang fifteen minutes for me to use the restroom!  Oh well.

We were able to see Levi's dad, who was flying OUT of Denver the day we flew in, for a little while before he had to go catch his flight.  It was nice for him to be able to see Oliver, as he rarely gets any one on one time with him.  He flies in and out of Denver often for his job, so I am thinking he will be seeing a lot more of the little boy. I'm glad...like I said, he never gets alone time with him!

After picking up our rental car (our vehicles haven't even left GA yet...they should be on their way within the week, I think), we headed over to see the apartment.  We chose the community because of it's proximity to Levi's office (two miles!), and also because they offered a 30 day guarantee...if you aren't fully satisfied with the apartment, you can break your lease in the first thirty days and just pay for the days you stayed (and all the other fees that come with renting an apartment at first).  So we had a bit of a hiccup...we hated the apartment.  A lot.  It was super noisy due to a shared hall that was enclosed...I could hear clacking of shoes and it was super annoying.  There were also some issues with the apartment not being clean, despite the fact that we "took ownership" of the apartment on Feb. 25, but didn't arrive until Mar. 3...it's not like they didn't have time, right?  There were also some other things that Levi felt indicated a lack of attention to detail on management's part, and he felt really uncomfortable with that.  The apartment was also painted this weird pink/beige color throughout (I know, I know, it's just paint, but really?  Pink?) and the weirdest thing of all?  The bedrooms didn't have light fixtures.  Apparently it's a Colorado thing...I guess they like lamps?

Anyway, we are fortunate enough to have family in Colorado, and they were kind enough to offer us beds for however long we needed.  Friday, we spent the day looking at other housing options, and found a really nice complex a bit further away (not much, I think it's about six miles from Levi's office) that we really liked.  It's a different sort of set up...it's like they built a three story apartment building, and then on the ends, they extended the first floor apartments and built three bedroom houses on the end.  None of the bedrooms share a wall with the other apartments and there are no upstairs neighbors AND you're on the ground floor, meaning it's quieter than most of the other apartments.  Plus, our unit will back to open area...even less noise!  Basically it's all the ease of apartment living...no lawn, less to clean, etc. with none of the peskiness...mostly the noise.  Score.

The new apartment is managed by the same company as the sucky one, so we were able to transfer our applications and such and avoid paying that fee again, which was nice.  We aren't able to move in until Wednesday (which, coincidentally, is the day of my first OB appointment in Colorado), but Levi's Aunt and Uncle have sort of adopted the three of us until we are able to move.  It is super sweet of them, and they are treating us just like their own children!  We are super blessed to have them here to help us out during this stressful time.  God is so good to have given us family members like these.  <3

We had to do some juggling with our stuff coming, as we were supposed to have the movers come and move our stuff in to the sucky apartment today.  However, we were able to cancel and have our stuff stored at the Denver terminal for no cost...I just have to call and schedule the unloaders to come on the 9th.  Easy peasy!  The cars will still be delivered to the sucky apartment, which isn't a big deal...we'll just go pick them up when they get here.  Although, now that I think about it I may be able to change the address on that as well since the new apartment is pretty close to the old one.  That's a task for another day.

So!  So far it has been an adventure, but we are doing okay.  I am pleased that we found a place to live with NO meltdowns from me!  It's amazing, but I feel much more relaxed here.  There aren't any pressures...even with the housing situation, because Levi's Aunt and Uncle made it abundantly clear that we were welcome to stay as long as we needed to!  It's so so generous of them, especially since we basically gave them no notice at all that we were coming  because we had planned on staying in the apartment for the two nights before our stuff  got there.  The only hard part has been keeping Oliver entertained.  We had some toys with us, but we have also been in the car a lot the past two days, so he has been kind of whiny and such.  He did get to play on the playground today, and we are definitely taking him to one tomorrow, so he did get to run around, which was nice.  I know he is super OVER sleeping in the pack n play, so I can't wait to get him in his regular crib next week.  We'll all sleep better!  Until then, I am enjoying this time with our family and trying to iron out all the details as we go.  Next on my tackle list is to find out about driver's license changes and car tags and emissions testing and what have you.  Monday will be a busy running around day for me, I think!  I also have to find a family practice and a pediatrician, but I think I will wait until after my OB appointment and get recommendations from the folks there.  I figure the medical community knows the medical community better than anyone.  =)

Okay, it's waaaaay past my bedtime.  Night!

Last Day in Georgia.

The past week and a half has been super busy, super stressful, and super trying.  However, it's the day before we fly out, and miraculously everything that needed to be done either got done, will get done today, or will be taken care of by someone we love after we go.  God is indeed good.

I have to say that, while being the most frugal thing to do, packing and loading the trailer was definitely not the smartest thing to do for us...lol.  The stress has caused many little fights over the past week.  Of course we always made up, but I always hate the little fights.  It makes you waste the whole day being grumpy at each other, and then you feel stupid every night when it's time to get in the bed and talk.  At least I do.  I know the hormones from pregnancy are part of it (32 weeks this Friday!), but just the stress of moving in general is overwhelming.

Today there is lots of cleaning to be done.  I have some moving supplies to return (I didn't need $90 worth of bubble wrap, after all!) and I want to spend some more time with my family.  My family has been so supportive during the whole moving process.  Whenever I get stressed, my dad just tells me to calm down and not to worry and that he'll take care of it.  He has kind of stepped back and let me come to him when I needed something, and then jumped to my aid when I needed it.  I love my dad so hard this week!  My mom also helped out by watching Oliver, and that was super helpful, too.  While it's exciting to embark on this new adventure with my husband and my little family, I will miss my parents.  However, they are just a plane ride away.  It's nice to know that.

Anyway, tomorrow is the big day!  We leave the house at 5am to get to the airport sometime around 6ish.  Our flight leaves at 8:40am EST, and we land around 11MST. We have to pick up our rental and get our apartment keys and go straight to Wal-Mart to pick up a few essentials (an air mattress for us to sleep on until Saturday, milk, food, etc.).  Hopefully we'll get to see Aunt Jan and Uncle Allan sometime this weekend, which I'm super excited about!  Aunt Jan hasn't seen Oliver since he was teeny (I think around nine months old), and Uncle Allan hasn't met him at all!  I'm so thrilled to have family close by.  It's a small comfort.

While I have enjoyed my last 29 years (minus a few out of state stints) in Georgia, I'm glad to be leaving...just before pollen season!  =D  Heh.  I will not miss itchy eyes and sneezy face Springs, that's for sure!

Success!

Today was so busy.  The trailer came and the boys kicked tushie and got almost everything loaded!  We still have a bit of packing to do (probably another day or two and that will be done), but I am happy with our progress.

I finally heard back from Furkids, the rescue organization who I had contacted to take in my cats.  It was super sad to drop them off today, but we made it with minimal crying.  =(  I keep hearing noises and think it's them...but it's not.  Sad.

We also managed to handle a lot of errands.  I had an OB appointment (baby is fine and I'm cleared for travel next week!), I was able to handle getting medical records for both me AND the cats (Furkids needed them), and I got more boxes to continue the packing adventure.  Tomorrow I have to actually pick UP my medical records so that I have them for my first OB appointment in Colorado on the 9th.  I also am having lunch with a friend.  After that?  You guessed it...more packing!

This week has been super stressful.  I've already cried four times this week.  In the midst of all this packing craziness, there are other things going on that are adding to the stress level and it's just the worst timing imaginable.  I'm looking forward to getting to Colorado and getting settled so that we can start planning for the arrival of our little one.  Planning always makes me feel better.

Anyway, keep us in your prayers, as we have much left to do!  I am confident that we will have everything done in time...it's just a matter of making it til next Thursday!  I am so excited to begin the next chapter of our lives!

The move is a go!

The next few days are going to be super hectic.  Today is a busy day for me, as I have to figure out what to do with the cats (I contacted a no kill shelter and they never responded...I have to call her today.  If nothing else, it's to the shelter they go.  Sad.).  I also have to call both the local UPack terminal to set up a time for the trailer to be delivered to our house, and the Denver terminal to arrange to receive our parking permit, which takes three days to process.  I have to set up a doctor's appointment at the OB in Littleton, CO, and I have to pack.  I am forever packing.

I also have to get in some quality time with my family.  Tomorrow I am pretty sure I have more errands to run (off the top of my head I know I have to get some cloth diapers back from a friend, give her some baby food that I can't ship because it's in glass jars, and get mattress protectors for the move), and pack.  Forever packing.

Wednesday is the day the trailer arrives for us to begin loading.  We have three business day to load it, meaning we get to keep it over the weekend.  Heavy stuff gets loaded first, so all you strong men (and women!) let me know if you are free Wednesday.  ;o)

The travel arrangements worked out a bit differently than we thought they would.  We decided it was best for us to all travel together, so we are flying out early Thursday morning, March 3.  Levi and Oliver will be flying first class, as Mommy will have to take many a bathroom break and someone has to watch the tot...lol.  I'll be in the back, economy classin' it with the rest of America.  We'll arrive there on Thursday in order to take possession of the apartment, and then we have to shop for things we'll need until our stuff gets there Saturday.  There is an issue with parking the trailer overnight for the unloaders to come the next day, so we have to receive our goods on Saturday instead.  THANK GOD it all worked out, because I had already booked plane tickets.  =D  So we have to buy things like an air mattress (I told Levi I was NOT sleeping on the floor while pregnant), a humidifier (Oliver likes white noise when he sleeps), pillows, etc...basics that we just have to have.  We will be roughing it for a couple of nights, but it's the best way we could work things out without imposing on anyone.

So.  Ten days!  I have TEN DAYS to finish packing this house.  I know I can do it, but man.  I just wanted to sleep an extra hour this morning.  lol  Even still, I feel like we have a soild plan, and that calms my nerves a bit.  Keep us in your prayers, please!

...Still waiting.

Meeting hasn't gone down yet.  We'll see what happens in the next few days...

Big news...almost. But probably. Probably definitely. LOL

So, tomorrow is the final board meeting to vote on the stipulations we've set forth in order to negotiate our move to Colorado.  In anticipation of a big fat yes (we are about 99% sure it's happening), I've already started packing the house...like, I started last week.  I have been going slow and just packing up things that we wouldn't need between now and the move (which will happen quickly, as I'm in my 29th week of pregnancy), and pairing down our clutter into more apartment-sized bits.

So here is the tentative plan.

Tomorrow, I am calling to put a holding deposit down on an apartment.  It's a nice three bedroom, 1300+ square feet, and better yet it's TWO MILES from Levi's office.  It's going for a very reasonable price (reasonable by Colorado standards, as housing is about 30% more there than it is here), and I am excited to have found such a nice community online.  We would be renting the place sight unseen, but they have a 100% guarantee policy...if in 30 days you decide you hate it, you can break the lease with no consequences.  Sounds like a pretty good deal to me!  I hate that we are downgrading to a smaller place, especially with another baby on the way, but the idea of no yard work, no maintenance, and a free fitness center?  I'm on board.

After that, I have to call and schedule the movers.  We have decided to pack and load the trailer ourselves to save money, but opted to have the movers unload us into the apartment once we get to Colorado.  The reasoning behind this is we figure we can trick/bribe/guilt our friends into helping us load everything in GA.  We won't have any help in CO (this is probably an untrue statement, as we have family and friends there, but we don't want to impose), and I'll be too pregnant to be any help.  And we kind of need it unloaded in one day.  The complex won't let us park the trailer and unload in the three days we'd have to do it before having to return the trailer.

So, it'll all go down fairly quickly.  The trailer will arrive here on Feb. 23.  We have three business days to load it, which means it will ship to CO on Feb. 28.  It will take three days, but we will most likely have it delivered Friday the 4th, as the movers can have it there and unloaded at 9-11am (like the cable company, lol), and we can be sure to get there before then.  We will fly out on March 3, actually take possession of the apartment, and stay there over night.  We'll check Oliver's Pack 'N Play (perhaps the best $150 we spent when having a baby) so he can sleep in that.  Levi and I talked about buying an air mattress so his pregnant wife didn't have to sleep on the floor...lol.  Either way, it's just one night.

We'll also be shipping our cars, meaning we might be transportation-less for awhile.  I found a great deal on a rental car for about $115 a week, so we might end up doing that.  We'll have Oliver's car seat from the plane ride, so that's great.

All in all, I think it's a pretty good plan.  I feel like I've done a really good job of being frugal, and getting price quotes from several places made me feel really good about the choices we've made concerning the move, at least money-wise.  We are excited about the move...the anticipation is almost killing me, because in addition to wanting to get the best prices on the move, I also have to get thee to an OB immediately after arriving in Colorado.  Luckily, a friend of mine from way back in the day (MIDDLE SCHOOL!!) is a CNM in Colorado Springs, which is about an hour from where we'll be, and her physician recommended a great OB in Littleton.  I've researched both the doctor and the hospital he delivers at.  I'm quite pleased with the information I've read.  Seems like a good fit, as much as one can glean from the internet, anyway.

So!  Keep us in your prayers because tomorrow is the big news day!  I can't wait to hear one way or the other so that I can either A: Curse Levi for letting me pack all this stuff, but then be grateful because we de-cluttered anyway, or B: Get past the mental block that we might not go and get into the packing zone and pack the entire house immediately.  Heh.  Nesting really helps you out when you're packing.  And all I want to do is work on more and more boxes.  Our third bedroom is getting pretty full of boxes already!  I'm telling you.  Nesting, man.

Oliver's trip to the ER

Today was a very eventful day.  But everyone is okay.

Stephanie wanted to take me out for a pedicure since my birthday was last Thursday.  We had some other errands to run, so Levi and Oliver and I headed down to visit with the White family today.  Steph and I did some shopping, and then we went to get our pedis.

About halfway through the pedicures, I called to check and see if Oliver went down for his nap okay.  Robert said that we needed to come home as soon as possible because we needed to take Oliver to the hospital.

Wait, what?

Needless to say, I was freaking out a little.  Mostly because Robert didn't tell me what was wrong.  I called back after we rushed out of the nail place, and Levi said that Oliver had thrown up a lot and was very lethargic.  I have a mild break down, and we rush the two miles back to Steph's house.  Meanwhile, I called the pediatrician's office.  On the weekends, the peds office has an answering service that has the folks at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta call you back and advise you on what to do.  I called and told them what was going on, and they said someone would call me back.

We made it back to Steph's and Levi was outside holding Oliver.  Oliver looked SO SO SO pitiful.  He was flopped on Levi's chest and his eyes were barely open.  He was breathing, but he just looked so bad.  I broke down because he looked so pitiful, and Levi kept telling me, "He's fine, sweetie...he's breathing...we just have to get to the hospital.  Do you want to drive?"  Of course I didn't want to drive, so Robert offered to drive our car and I rode in the front while Levi held Oliver in the back.  On the way to the hospital, Children's Hospital called and we talked about what was going on.  Robert and Stephanie only live a couple of miles from the hospital, so we were on our way when the nurse called.  After a few questions, she asked if Oliver could make eye contact, and when I said no, that he could barely keep his eyes open, she said that we needed to pull over and call 911.  So I hung up, called 911, and told the dispatcher where we were and asked if we should just keep going to the hospital.  He said it was up to me, so we decided to go on.

Once we got to the hospital, we went to the Pediatric ER and were seen right away.  After they checked his vitals, we noticed he had a fever of 101.2 (under his arm).  The nurse gave him some Motrin, and told us she thought he had had a febrile seizure.  I knew what that was (but of course didn't put two and two together when I was freaking out), so I calmed down.  In about an hour, Oliver was fine, moving around more, talking, and asking to eat.  The doctor came in right around that time and checked out our little boy.  He said that febrile seizures are not dangerous, that 4% of children have them, and then of that 4%, 75% never have another one.  He told us to keep an eye on the fever tonight (if he was to have another seizure in the next 24 hours, we'd need to take him back to the ER) and if he was okay to call the pediatrician on Monday.  His throat was a little red and scratchy, so he did a strep test, but it was negative.  Looks like our boy has a virus, and the fever spiking is what caused the lethargy.  The vomiting is not usually a symptom, so he was prescribed a drug for that if it happened again.  We are alternating Tylenol and Motrin tonight, and hopefully all will be well with Oliver.

He was very much himself after that first hour, so I'm not concerned.

If anything, I am thankful.  I know it's weird to say that after something like this happens, but really...this could not have unfolded in a more perfect way.

First of all, Levi almost stayed home with Oliver.  Which means I would have been half an hour away, with the carseat, and would have had to drive back home distraught at the news that my 19 month old son was in the ER.

Secondly, we were two miles from the hospital.  Where there was a Pediatric ER.  The hospital where we live doesn't have one of those.

Third, we had a friend RIGHT THERE who could drive us to the hospital.  I could not have driven, I don't think.

Fourth, it happened on a weekend, when Levi was home (yes, Levi works from home a lot, but still)...meaning the calm, level-headed, good-in-a-crisis parent was there to calm down the hormonal, pregnant parent.

It was so scary.  And the doctor said, "Aside from really bad croup in the middle of the night, a febrile seizure is the scariest thing for a parent to see."  It was scary.  But I am thankful.  God had us in the right place with the right folks at the right time.  I am praising Him tonight for His protection today!  And every day.  But especially today.

Keep us in your prayers, as the next 24 hours are going to leave me a bit worried.  He could have another seizure in the next 48 hours, but if not we should be good to go...however we will be checking on him frequently throughout the night.  Thank God for video monitors, while we're at it!  =)

Same old, same old.

The pregnancy is progressing well.  There are days I am pretty certain that I am carrying Chuck Norris' baby, because this kid is ROUGH!!  Levi and I speculate that he has more room to roll and kick and punch and such because my uterus has done this once before, and probably stretched more readily than it did with Oliver.  Still...ouch.

We are moving on the the negotiation stage of the relocating to Colorado process.  We'll see what happens.  For now, we aren't stressing about it (Levi and I barely talk about it anymore).  We're just going to see what happens...no reason to stress about it, right?

My birthday is quickly approaching...I'm going to be 29!  I can't believe how OOOOOLD I feel, lol.  And to think that I'm almost thirty!  I never could quite picture life after like, 22.  I have no idea how I ended up here.  I have to say, though...it's a sweet life.  I have so much to be thankful for!  My sweet husband, my adorable little boy.  I have some really great folks in my life that I can depend on for anything.  I have learned to prune my life to exclude the things that bring me down and the include the things that help me grow.  This has been a pruning time in my life...cutting back branches to let God cultivate growth in those areas.  I sense the time has just begun.  With a new baby on the way, I will have much less time for nonsense.  I am almost relieved!  Makes it a bit easier to cut out the stagnant parts of my life.

I have been reading the Sonoma Diet book, and am liking what I've read so far.  Some parts scare me (like no butter, sugar, or junk, basically, lol), but Lauren is right...it seems to be the most liberal diet around.  Very little is restricted, and the stuff that is restricted is restricted because it's just straight up crap.  It's bad for you! Sugar, processed foods...it's bad for you.  I haven't even seen Food, Inc. and I know that.  ;o)  Anyway, I have been living it up bad foods wise the past few days.  I'll think, "Oh man, I can't have bacon when I start the SD!  I'll have some now.  Oooh, cake!  Can't eat that after April, better have a slice now!"  Haha, it probably will throw off my pregnancy weight gain, but man.  I am loving it right now.  ;o)  I am excited to get one of the cookbooks when it is re-released.  Hooray!

Time flies!

We are now at 24 weeks! I'm in my seventh month, and boy am I feeling it. I have been so run down that I nap every day. Levi lets me sleep in every morning, and two hours later I am ready for a nap! I am pitiful.

We haven't done much with the nursery, as we aren't sure what is going on with the move situation. We should have more details in the next few weeks. Hopefully we will be able to make a decision on the move to Colorado situation before the baby gets here! If not, we'll make a decision after, no big deal. I just think it will be easier to handle everything pre-baby rather than after-baby.

We've decided on a name. Jonah Avery will be joining us at the end of April! After choosing the name, I decided we HAD to have whales for our nursery! This is the set I chose:

I couldn't help myself!!  Levi said, "Wouldn't someone named Jonah be terrified of whales?"  Shh, Levi.  It's too cute to say no!  I spent more than I wanted to, but it's our last baby...might as well go for it.  =)

Like I said, we haven't done much nursery wise, but we do have all the furniture and the bedding is on the way.  I want to paint, but we're still not sure what we are going to do with rooms...our third bedroom is off the foyer, near the living room, meaning that whichever child is in that room (we were going to put Oliver there) will be disturbed by us in the Living Room after bedtime.  We still have until the end of April (plus another three months, because Jonah will be in our room until he sleeps through the night, which happened at 11 weeks last time), to make a final decision.  We also may or may not move in that time, so the point is a bit moot.  We'll roll with the punches and see what happens.

Baby is great!  Very, very (very, very!) active.  I think he must be fattening up, because his movements are becoming less painful.  Must have less room to move!  Might be all the cupcakes and such from Levi's birthday party this weekend.  Whew.

In other news, my birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks.  I'll be the big 2-9!  I probably won't do anything this year, as I sort of went all out for Levi's 30th birthday this year.  I asked for a new vacuum for my birthday, but Levi said a vacuum wasn't an appropriate birthday gift.  So we'll see what he comes up with.  I'm curious!

Levi and I decided that this year, we would do a devotional every night.  So far so good, though we did hit a speed bump last night (after a small fight), but if this football game would ever be over, we could move on to tonight's.  =)  I love that we have put aside this time for each other and for our relationships with God.  I can tell it will bring only good things to our marriage!

I'm also excited about something I read on a family member's blog...my husband has several cousins, but she's my fave!...Strawberry Buttercream says that she and her husband are LOVING the Sonoma Diet!  From everything I've read sounds amazing...so Levi and I have decided after the baby gets here, we will check out what this diet can do for us.  I'm excited!  We don't drink wine, but we do love good food.  Who doesn't?  ;o)

Alrighty.  Time to tuck it in, finish up this football game, and get to our devotion time.  G'night!