Life While Waiting for Baby

Here's a little of what we have been up to lately as we wait for baby to come:

- Getting the car seat in...correctly. Whew. 

- Cute packages in the mail c/o The Hair Bow Company. 

- Hanging out outside with daddy in the nice weather. 

- Wearing only pajamas because that's all that fits at 40+ weeks pregnant. 

Wanna know what the hubs is most excited about other than meeting Emory? Getting all his t-shirts back from me. : )

Make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram to get the "baby" update! 

Friday's Letters: New Neighbors and All That

Dear New Neighbors: I really love that y'all just moved in behind us and have two dogs that bark all day long. Not really. I really don't. They better stop before the baby comes. Dear Work: I think I'm done with you. You are just too much right now for my back. Dear Bloggers in the Cold: I'm so sorry that y'all are all freezing. I think it's crazy that y'all are all sharing pictures with everything covered in snow...and it's 70 degrees here. It's pretty perfect weather. Don't hate us. Remember we have that awful humidity when it comes summer time. It's like payback for mild winters. Dear House: I wish you would keep yourself clean. Dear Waffles: You really satisfied my craving last night AND I made the syrup from scratch (only because we were out of syrup). I should pat myself on the back. I think I feel round two coming up for breakfast. Dear Nursery: I can't wait to show you off. You are amazing, if I do say so myself. Dear Husband: I hope that we are having a baby SOON! You are going to be the best daddy ever. Dear Emory: Come out and play...everyone wants to meet you!!

Linking up with Ashley for Friday's Letters!

Sweet Baby Bump - 39 Weeks

The highlights:

- Yep, that's right, I'm still pregnant!

- I must answer the question "Wow, when are you due?" about a hundred times a day. 

- E measured 8 pounds, 9 ounces at our appointment this week. Baby girl is a chunk. 

- There was "no medical reason to induce" this week - praise the Lord! 

- Still feeling (surprisingly) really great! Somehow I still sleep through the night.

- Still working...blahhh. My scrubs barely fit. 

- We got my car cleaned this week so that we can finally put the car seat in. 

- I've enjoyed several relaxing days at home with the hubs. We are soaking in these moments. 

- All baby related things are done. It feels weird to have nothing to setup/clean/wash. 

I don't think this belly can get any bigger!

We are ready whenever you are, Emory! We can't wait to meet you! 

Update on Shayleigh #2

I wanted to give a little update on my friend's daughter, Shayleigh, who had brain surgery in December. (Read the first post here) She is chugging along and making progress at the rehab facility. Some of the progress has been slower than her parents (and everyone else) had hoped for, but it is there nonetheless and that is a blessing. God is in control and Shayleigh's recovery is in His hands.

She has gained more use/mobility with her hands, walked a few steps on a treadmill, and laughed/giggled for the first time since the surgery. Praise the Lord!

Please continue to pray for Shayleigh - for her total recovery and healing. Also, pray for her parents, particularly her mommy, Nikki, who is pregnant with a baby brother for Shayleigh! 

I wanted to share this video of Shayleigh enjoying a sucker that Nikki posted on Facebook. They have had a lot of problems with her tongue and she doesn't really enjoy anything in her mouth, but she did enjoy this sucker! Pray that she will begin to eat soon! 

You can follow along on their Facebook page here for more updates. Thank you SO SO much to everyone who volunteered to send them cards and packages. Some of the highlights of Nikki's days have been getting positive, encouraging mail. It is so appreciated!

Also, if you would like to donate to Shayleigh and her family to help cover some of their medical bills, you can go to this website. Every little bit helps, whether it's $5 or $50. Thank you in advance if you decide to donate. 

Time is Fleeting

I was looking back through my baby bump pictures the other day and watching how it grew and grew, just really looking at each picture in amazement. It's a timeline of pictures that shows our baby girl growing, thriving, and developing. It's factual proof of the miracle that God has gifted to us - the ability to grow life. 

I found these two pictures - the very first pictures that I took of my "bump" after finding out. I was really just playing around with the camera, trying to see how I was going to do my weekly bump pictures. I was 6 weeks pregnant in these and couldn't even imagine what was to come. 

I honestly can't even remember being this size. I don't remember what it is like to walk around without a bump, to not have this round spot to rest my hand/plate/candy bar. It made me think how life is so short. It really does pass by so fast, in the blink of an eye. Wasn't it just yesterday that I was in high school? And now here I am, married, pregnant, about to be a brand new mom. 

I think as humans we probably can't even really grasp how short our time on this earth is - it's something that we just can't come to terms with. We can try to understand it to some degree, but I think it gets lost in the day to day happenings of life. Yes, we can live to be 100 and 100 years sounds SO long, but when you get there, I bet you look back and feel like it all passed by in seconds. 

Oh how I want to cherish every single moment, every single day. Before I know it, I will be sitting on the porch with my husband, watching our grandchildren play. Will I have taken any of my days for granted? Will I have lived every single day to the fullest? My prayer is that I will look back and know that I lived my life for the Lord and enjoyed every moment of it, even when it wasn't so great in my eyes. His plan is perfect. His plan is divine. 

I can't believe that this pregnancy is almost over and that this new little life is going to join our family. She's already so much a part of it, but now she will be here, with us, doing things with us, showing us the beauty of life through her eyes. 

From the Mouths of Patients #4

Nurse: "What brings you to the ER today?"

Patient: "Well 3 years ago, I fell at The Wendy's and they were supposed to pay me, but they never did. So I want to get my neck and back checked again so I can make them pay me."

Patient: "I want to get checked for STDs."

Nurse: "Okay. Are you having any symptoms?"

Patient: "No."

Nurse: "Well this is the ER, not an STD clinic. We don't routinely treat STDs. The ER is for emergencies."

Patient: "It is an emergency. I got a date tonight."

Patient: "My back is hurting so bad. I need something for pain."

Nurse: "Are you allergic to anything?"

Patient: "Yes, Tylenol, Motrin, Aleve, Tramadol, and all muscle relaxers."

Nurse: "Wow, that's a lot. What do you usually take for pain then?"

Patient: "Really the only thing that works is Morphine."

(Morphine is a super strong narcotic)

Patient: "Why haven't you called my name? All these people are going back before me and I signed in first."

Nurse: "I did call you - three times. You didn't answer."

Patient: "Oh, well I had gone down to the cafeteria."

Nurse: "Okay, well sit down and I'll call you in a little bit."

Patient: "But I'm having chest pain." (said while eating a hot dog)

Patient: "Can y'all just give me a shot instead of a prescription? I don't have any money."

Doctor: "No, you have to take this medicine for ten days."

Patient: "Well who's going to pay for it?"

Doctor: "Who pays for stuff normally?"

Patient: "I get a check every month to pay for things."

Doctor: "Okay, well use that money."

Patient: "I can't. I just bought this iPhone."

Doctor: "And why can't you work?"

Patient: "I have anxiety. It won't let me work."

See more ER conversations here. 

Sweet Baby Bump - 38 Weeks

The highlights:

- Baby girl is slowly dropping down and getting ready. 

- 2 cm dilated so far. We have an ultrasound next week to check her size!

- I'm really hoping to go into labor naturally rather than getting induced. 

- This is my last "scheduled" week of work, but I will probably end up working a little next week. 

- These hot flashes are getting out of hand! I am so hot all day long, even in this cold weather.

- E has seemed so much more active lately. She moves around all the time. 

- My hair is growing so fast! I got a highlight one month ago and it's already grown out. 

- We set up the pack n play this week and it's ready to go by our bed. 

- We still haven't put the car-seat in yet. Gotta get on that. 

- I (or really the hubs) have three more things to hang in the nursery and then it. is. DONE. 

Comparison time:

18 weeks - 28 weeks - 38 weeks

I'm so anxious to meet our sweet little girl! 

On Not Blogging

When I first started "really" blogging, I posted every single weekday, Monday through Friday, and sometimes on the weekend. I was excited about blogging and it was all so new to me, but I also felt like I had to post every day to some degree. It was what everyone did. You weren't supposed to miss a day or you were a bad blogger. Or you at least better have a guest post. ; )

Through my last pregnancy and this one, there have been days where I didn't feel like blogging. I wasn't always feeling great and the last thing that I wanted to do was think about something to post. So there were a lot of days where I just didn't. I had blogger's guilt a little bit at first. You know, that guilt where we all apologize for being gone for a few days or for not being around as much as normal. But really, I was just choosing to focus on life and what my body needed at the time, which was lots of rest. Growing a baby is hard work! 

At some point I realized that it's not about the quantity of blog posts that I was putting up here, but about the quality. Some of my favorite blogs don't post every day - sometimes they only post once or twice a week. But the quality of those posts is so beautiful and intriguing that it keeps me coming back. I can tell that they poured their hearts into their posts. 

We all enjoy a fluff post every now and then, but what I really love about blogging has to do with posts that are about honesty, depth, being real, connecting, and making each other think. That's what I want to write. I want y'all to be inspired when you leave this page. So maybe that means I won't have something to say every single day. And I'm okay with that. It doesn't mean that I won't post something that maybe to someone else is trivial, but I don't want to stare at a blank page, forcing words to come because I "have" to blog. 

Quality over quantity. I like the sound of that. 

Pregnancy Emotions

So there's this thing that happens during pregnancy. It's called "I act crazy but I'm not really crazy, I'm just emotional" and it can all be attributed to a mix of hormones and pregnancy. 

I have had it for awhile now. 38 weeks to be exact. It comes and goes in phases and it seems to have gotten worse in the last few days. On top of the hormones, of course, there's the anxiety/nervousness/excitement about being just a few days/weeks away from bringing a baby into the world. 

Let's just say that I have it bad right now and my husband deserves an award and a week long vacation for putting up with me. I go from laughing to crying back to laughing in about three seconds. Usually I know that I'm being crazy so then I start laughing at myself, as I'm crying, so it's all just a big mess. A funny mess, but a mess nonetheless. And it can be related to anything - a commercial, dinner, the dogs pooping, etc.

I literally teared up the other day when Sonic said they were out of sprite zero. It was a really sad moment and I felt a little lost for a few minutes. Yes, that's how bad it is. 

Bless my husband. He's amazing. 

Sweet Baby Bump - 37 Weeks

It was hard to get bump pictures this week because it has rained every. single. day. 

The highlights:

- No change this week at our appointment. Waiting on baby to drop!

- The nursery is done. Well, basically done. I have a few last little things, but it's almost done. 

- I finally found a cute/not crazy expensive swimsuit for E for our family beach trip in May!

- 12 hour shifts are getting hard, I'm not gonna lie. I can barely walk by the end of them. 

- Our bags are officially packed. Finally. 

- Still feeling pretty good, other than back pain. 

- I'm so thirsty for water now...all the time. 

- My best friend had her baby this week! A beautiful (big) baby boy! He's precious. 

- E still moves around a lot and I love it so much. I am going to miss that feeling!

Two weeks left! I can't even believe it!!

When Friends are Sisters

I am the most blessed person in the world when it comes to friends. 

I made four of the best best friends in college and our friendships have stood the tests of time, life changes, marriage, babies, and distance. It has been 5 years since graduation (how am I so old?!) and yet our friendships are still going strong. We may not get to see each other for weeks or sometimes months, but it never matters. There's never an awkward moment or a lull in conversation. 

These four girls are my friend soulmates. God made them to be my best friends. He gave them to me to share life with, the good and the bad. I am so blessed. 

Our college days. 

December 2012...we're a growing group!

Loving on baby Emory. 

I think it's so important to cultivate and grow friendships, especially when they are those great friendships that last. Even though we can go long periods of time without hanging out and then catch up like normal, it's important for us to make an effort to be actively involved in each other's lives. I think that we should also pray for friendships, in the same way that we pray for our other relationships, like our marriage. God created these special bonds because we need them...they are good, healing, learning, growing. 

PS: Say a prayer for my friend Kay...she's having a baby today!! 

Peace and Blessings

Feeling this today...peaceful, thankful, blessed. 

I'm trying to focus more on blessings this year, on seeing the good side of things, on the little things in life that really make a difference. It goes beyond the whole "seeing the glass half full" thing. It's more about seeing God through it all, whether the glass is half full or half empty. 

Because let's be honest, sometimes the glass really is half empty. But that just means that there is so much room for God to fill it up...to fill us up. 

And now I'm off to celebrate my grandma's 80+ birthday. A lady never reveals her age, she says. 

I Confess That...

- Yesterday I had donuts, pizza, and Raising Cane's to eat all day. No wonder baby girl is so big!

- I didn't get out of my pajamas on Saturday. It was perfect. 

- 95% of my Instagram pictures are baby or food related. That makes me laugh. 

- I can't remember what it's like to be the size I was pre-pregnancy. It seems so long ago. 

- I watched a new Lifetime movie last night and had a nightmare about it. But I'll keep watching. 

- I have to ask my husband at least once a week, "Now how do you take that gun off safety and shoot it again in case someone breaks in while you're gone?" I cannot for the life of me ever remember. 

- I haven't been on Pinterest in awhile. And I don't miss it. 

- I still haven't packed our hospital bags. I mean, I have it all pretty much laid out, but it's not actually packed and in the bag. I should probably get on that. 

- I think E's nursery is the cutest thing I've ever seen. I may be biased. Or it might be true. ; )

- The fact that bloggers that I've never met send my little girl presents melts my heart. 

- I miss the days when my puppies were actually puppies...instead of 80 pound beasts. 

Their first week with me...so tiny!

On a side note, thanks for the amazing response to my post about Shayleigh. I will be emailing those that want to help today. Y'all are amazing and truly demonstrate the love of Christ. Thank y'all!

Sweet Baby Bump - 36 Weeks

The highlights:

- Emory is going to be a chunk! She measured 7 pounds at our appointment this week. 

- My body is starting the countdown to labor (1 cm dilated and 25% effaced).

- She was SO stinking cute during the ultrasound. She kept pursing her lips and furrowing her brow when we tried to see her face. It was so adorable. She's a drama queen already. 

- Weekly appointments from here on out. 

- We hung picture frames in the nursery this week and started on the over the crib project.

- My back pain is SO much better this week, but everyone says I officially have "the waddle." 

- We rang in the New Year and fell asleep by 12:05. Party animals. 

- We are really cherishing these last few moments with just the two of us. 

- Still sleeping through the night. Thank you, Jesus!

- Overall I'm feeling SO good and it is such a blessing.

I absolutely cannot wait to meet our little girl and hold her in my arms, but at the same time, I'm loving these last few weeks of her in my belly. I love knowing that she's safe and warm inside. Every movement and every kick reminds me of the miracle that my body is doing...growing a life. Praise the Lord! I cannot say thank you enough to my Savior for giving me this ability. 

Update on Shayleigh

A few weeks ago, I posted about one of my best friends, Nikki, and her little girl, Shayleigh. They had just found out that she had a brain tumor and were trying to figure out where to go from there. (Read that post here). 

Two weeks ago, she had surgery to remove the tumor. The great great news is that the tumor is NOT cancerous! Praise the Lord! The not so great news is that Shayleigh is having trouble recovering from the surgery and her progress has been a lot slower than they had planned for. She is having trouble using her tongue and is unable to eat or talk right now. She does understand things, but she can't vocalize anything and it's obviously very frustrating for her and for her parents. 

They are leaving the hospital today to head to a pediatric rehab facility that is about three hours away from home. They were accepted at an amazing facility and are excited to get to work on helping her make a complete recovery. They know that God is in control of all of this and is leading them and holding them, but it's still a very scary and emotional time for them right now as they worry about their daughter's recovery. 

And now here's where I need y'all to come in. First and foremost, they need prayer. Please please add them to your prayer list and commit to praying for them daily. I would also LOVE it if any of y'all would be willing to send them mail while they are at the rehab facility, whether it's a card, a care package, or a drawing that your child does. I really just want them to know that people from all over care about them and are praying for them.

If you would be willing to send them something in the mail, please leave a comment on this post or email me {Mackeymadness(at)gmail(dot)com}. 

A family friend has also made "Team Shayleigh" bracelets for everyone here to wear in support. If you would like to wear one in honor of her, please let me know and I'd be happy to get you one. 

Thanks in advance for all the prayers and love for them. 

This Year - 2013

This year is bringing a lot of changes to our little family. 

First and foremost, obviously, we are being blessed with a sweet baby girl THIS month. (Well, maybe this month, unless I end up being overdue). I can't even imagine how much our lives will change. I know that it will be amazing...and hard...and challenging, but we can't wait. 

I'm not really one to make resolutions, but I definitely have a few things that I want to focus on for this year. I really want this year to be all about my faith and my family. God has blessed us with this little baby and I want to make sure that we raise her to know and love the Lord from an early age. 

Honestly, so many sad things have happened recently to friends/family of mine that I am really realizing how short and precious life is. We aren't promised another day or another minute. We only have this short time on Earth to really make a difference...to make something of this life that we have been given. 

That's what I want this year to be about. Loving fully, living gratefully, letting the little things go, savoring the Lord's word, cherishing family and friends, and sharing the love of my Savior. 

photo via Lindsey Caroon Photography

Hi there, 2013. I like you already. 

Giveaway - Pick Your Plum

Have y'all heard of Pick Your Plum? They post one super amazing deal every morning with items ranging from home decor and baking to crafting and clothing. Each day an item is listed at a majorly discounted price and you have the rest of the day (or until it sells out!) to buy it. The next day a new item is up. 

I have bought a few things from Pick Your Plum and I have always been impressed. The customer service is amazing and my items have been just as great as I expected them to be. 

Today, the great people at Pick Your Plum are offering one reader a $25 Plum Box that will be full of all kinds of goodies. Here's a few examples of what could be in your box:

Note: these pictures only show examples of what things will be in the winner's box. 

Y'all definitely want to check out their Facebook page because they post the daily deals there first! I have to say that I'm pretty addicted to checking every morning to see what the deal is each day. 

Enter the giveaway using the tool below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway