Church Baby Shower

I had my first baby shower yesterday.  It was so much fun!  My Aunt Sue and cousin Angie drove over for it.  Angie is also pregnant - which made for some very fun "pregnancy" stories.  Here are some pictures you can enjoy.  I am 34 weeks - only 6 to go!

Oh, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

...Christmas!  We decorated for Christmas two days after Thanksgiving.  Matt's mom was here and she helped me do it all in under 2 hours.  It was so much fun to decorate the tree with her. Definitely more interesting than decorating with Matt - but don't tell him I said so.

An Eventful Day

We usually say we're going to "relax" on Saturday - which rarely happens.  Here's what we did today:

1 - We woke up this morning planning to clean out the garage and put up a new garage door. Both of which actually happened.

What we didn't expect was our car being vandalized!  Because we have a one stall garage and two cars, Matt parks his car in the driveway each night.  Someone decided late last night to throw a beer bottle through his back window.  They must have thrown it pretty hard, because we found the bottle in the front passenger seat, with frozen beer everywhere.  We live in a nice neighborhood, just one block from the police station downtown, and rarely have any trouble with people who are up to no good.  Needless to say, this was a kind of discouraging start to our day.  We bought a nice piece of plexi-glass from Menards and duck taped it in place.  That'll do for now.

But, we have a new garage door and experienced the year's first snow today, so there's something to be excited about!

Cravings or Gluttony?

I can't believe I'm even blogging about this, because I feel so ashamed, but here goes...

So, I've been working really hard on a power point for my boss (aka dad) for a board report he is giving today (as I type in fact).  The board meeting was set to begin at noon, with the kitchen delivering food shortly before.  Noon rolled around and still no lunch.  I had just finished putting the final touches on the power point and ran down to the kitchen to find out where the lunch was. They forgot!  Fortunately, we have a Little Caesar's Pizza right down the road, offering $5 hot and ready large pizzas.  I jumped in my car (literally) and drove down there to grab a few pizzas before the meeting got underway.  During my short jot there, I realized that Matt and I applied for new life insurance and are having our blood drawn at 5pm today, which means I have to fast after 1pm.  That means I had 20 minutes to figure out what's for lunch and eat it!  I decided to grab a bag of Crazy Bread and a Diet Pepsi as a last resort.  With time limited, this seemed like the best and most efficient option.  Here's the shameful part...by the time I got the food set-up for the board, I was starving.  You know that feeling where you go from "yeah, I could eat" to "yeah, I need to eat everything in sight now!"  I retreated to my office, locked the door and dug into the Crazy Bread.  Before I knew it, I had eaten the entire package!  (Yes, it tasted heavenly, but that's besides the point.)  Now I'm wondering - could this have been a craving?  Or maybe pure, sinful gluttony?  Or maybe cravings are gluttony and we just call them cravings because it makes it sound better?  Either way, I feel ashamed of eating the whole bag - which is normally meant for 4 people.  The saddest part, I don't even feel full!

Christmas Comes Early

Take 1

Christmas came early at the Neal house - thanks to Black Friday.  Yes, I got up at 5am and went shopping in order to purchase this new video camera.  Our little girl will be arriving in January and we'd like to be able to video take her for Grandma and Grandpa Neal in Kentucky.  Plus what a better time to purchase an item that can capture the most precious moments in life than when you're expecting your first child.  So, even though this video is very lame, hopefully we'll be able to post more interesting videos of our baby girl in two months and counting!

Thanksgiving

Matt's parents arrived on Wednesday afternoon to spend a long holiday weekend with us.  We so enjoyed having them around for a few days.  Here are some pictures of Thanksgiving Day with the two families combined.

Giving Thanks

I must admit, I read Pam's blog and was inspired to also note what I'm thankful for:

1)  My Father - heavenly that is.  He sustains me, loves me, chastises me and teaches me each day!

2)  My husband - who loves me unconditionally, serves me faithfully, and is committed to being holy as God is holy.

3)  My baby girl - who reminds me of her presence often these days.  Soon, I will hold her in my arms.

4)  My family - who never cease to make me laugh, cry, and pray - and seek God whole-heartedly.

5)  My "new" family - in-laws I mean.  They treat me as their own, love us better than we could ever love them in return and follow hard after the Lord.

6)  My ministry - aka job.  I'm forever reminded that we are all poor in spirit and God has commanded us to help those that are in need.  I'm amazed that I get paid to obey Scripture.

7)  My church - who is committed to the truth of God's word, the building of the family, and reaching out to a community steeped in religion desperately in need of a relationship with God.

8)  My home - where I can rest in the provisions of my Savior.  What a blessing to have heat, a warm bed, groceries in the kitchen and clothes to wear.

9)  My babies - Booga and Bwana.  At times I hate them - their shedding hair, hyperactivity and dirty feet.  But in the end, they love me unconditionally and remind me that children can be far worse.

10)  And last, but CERTAINLY not least, My friends - who make me laugh, encourage me and remind me that life is not all about me!  Those are true friends.

So, thank God today for the blessings he has bestowed upon you - because they are many!  May you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends and lots of turkey.  

As big as a...

1st Trimester

3rd Trimester

Here we are folks - in all our glory.  31 weeks.  Thank God we only have 9 to go.  My stomach is growing ever so quickly, I suppose because the baby is gaining weight rapidly during these last two months.  I can't believe how quickly time flies.  It seems like yesterday I was only a few weeks along and showing.  Now I'm close to the end and SHOWING - if you know what I mean.  So, enjoy these two photos, side by side, showing just how much your body can change in a matter of months.  

Funny Pregnant Things I'm Doing:

1)  Walking with my back arched, so as not to tip forward from the weight of my stomach.

2)  Rolling over on all fours to get off of any piece of furniture: couch, bed, rocking chair.

3)  Holding my back at the waist - I always though pregnant women did this for effect - now I know its so you don't lose your balance every 2 seconds.

4)  Talking to my stomach like the baby is talking back.  If you haven't done this, then maybe I'm crazy.  But, I feel a real bond with her right now.

5)  Taking at least 2 showers a day.  Maybe this is to make up for the days when I won't have time after she arrives.

6)  Going to the bathroom 100 times a day - and a few times at night.

7)  Eating in the middle of the night.  Who does that?

8)  Crying on the drop of a hat.  I even warn Matt sometimes.  "Um, honey, I'm going to start crying now, there's no real reason, I just feel like I need to."  Followed by his snicker.

Needless to say, we can't wait for our baby girl to join us in the world.  Daddy is getting excited to see her, hold her, and kiss her!  

A Trip to the Windy City

Today, we're taking 5 students from Calvary to visit Moody in Chicago.  It should be a fun time - visiting the city again - and helping these students find some direction for life after high school.  Other than visiting the school, we plan to eat at Giordano's Pizza, Ed DeBevic's, shopping on Michigan Avenue and hopefully a quick jot into H&M.  So, don't be too jealous. :)  We'll only be there until tomorrow night.

UPDATE: Birthing Class

Yesterday's birthing class made for a long day.  What is typically a 6-week class was crammed into 9 hours on a Saturday.  But - it went very well!  Despite being exhausted throughout the morning lecture, the videos were very helpful in somewhat preparing Matt and I for the delivery of our baby.  We went out for dinner last night and I asked him if he had learned anything in the class.  He said, "Well, I didn't realize how much I was going to need to support you during labor.  Those women on the video looked like they were in a lot of pain."  He continued by telling me that he wanted to be a good "coach" for me - to help me breathe and work through the contractions.  WHAT A RELIEF!  If nothing else, this birthing class reiterated a lot of what I already knew, but also helped my husband to see how much I need him to be my partner during labor.  So, was it a success?  Well, I would say that even though the 9-hour class could probably have been a half day and just as profitable, it was a total success in our particular marriage and birth of our baby.

Birthing Class & Frustrations

Tomorrow is our birthing class - 8am-5pm.  Yes, you heard me - ALL DAY on Saturday!  Personally, I'm excited about the chance to spend a day learning about the birth of our little girl.  I figure I've carried her for 7 months, its time to learn how to get her out!  But, Matt is less than thrilled.  He even asked me today if he "had to go."  ARE YOU KIDDING ME??  Yes, you have to go!  I told him that he was 50% of making this baby and so far has had to do 0% of the work.  Maybe I was a little harsh.  Before you decide, consider that since we conceived Matt has frequently told me that he plans to be no where near the birthing room when the baby is born.  In fact, he said I could find him in the lounge, feet propped, watching ESPN.  Oh, and he said "Tell them to come get me when she's born."  Needless to say, his comment today irritated me greatly.  Those of you that have had children or are expecting will understand how lonely it can be at times to be carrying a child.  There are days when I feel like my husband can't understand what's happening to my body and my emotions.  I figured a birthing class would be a great way for him to take some ownership of this baby and the process of bringing her into the world.  Instead, he sees it as nothing but an inconvenience.  I could say I'm mad, but mostly just hurt.  I feel like this would be the perfect opportunity for him to show his support of me - and our baby - and it has been anything but that.  I do recognize however that we could wake up tomorrow morning, go to this class and enjoy every minute of it.  Matt could supersede my (extremely low) expectations, and everything will be dandy.  So, pray that happens!  I'll update when we get home.

Cake Smashing

Ok, so the Wedding Cake Question was posted by a friend recently and I thought I'd post a picture of our cake smashing in response. If you know us, you wouldn't expect anything else.

Another Weekend Away

Matt and I went to Saginaw, Michigan this weekend for "my best friend's" wedding. Hannah and I grew up together and were best friends in elementary school. She got married yesterday. It was a beautiful wedding - with all the colors of fall. Very her. We spent the night with my cousin Angie and her family. What fun! Her 2 1/2 year old son Ty is adorable. And they are expecting a new baby in February. It was a lot of fun, but exhausting. So, I'm home today - recovering. Recovering = catching up on laundry, cleaning and groceries. Happy Sunday!

A Weekend Away

What a weekend! Matt and I traveled to Canton, Michigan to visit Ikea on Saturday. We got LOTS of stuff for the baby's room - which is really coming together nicely. We just need the crib and we're all set!




After Ikea, we went to the Melting Pot for dinner and then stayed the night at a hotel. On Sunday, we slept in, ate a late breakfast and then went to the Twelve Oaks Mall to shop. It was a lot of fun! On our way home, we stopped at the Tanger Outlets and did some more shopping - then headed back to reality. Though it was only a 24-hour period - it felt like a week's vacation away! It was just what we needed during a busy, stressful fall.

I PASSED THE TEST!

I just got a call from my doctor telling me that I passed my glucose tolerance test! Then, she told me to do what no other doctor has ever done before - "Go eat some ice cream." YIPPEE!! I'm so excited. Thank you all for praying. It's such a relief to know that I don't have gestational diabetes.

Our First Gift

We received a special surprise tonight on our doorstep. Our first baby registry gift! Thanks to Brent & Brianna - we now have our Graco Baby Monitor. (I couldn't figure out how to flip this picture, but you get the gist.) Thanks Leggs!

At the Hospital

What a pleasant surprise. They have wireless internet access at the hospital! So, I'm here - about halfway through my testing - and actually able to accomplish some work in the meantime. I've already been fasting for 14 hours - difficult when you're used to eating for two. I've also already been poked twice. YOUCH! As easily as I bruise, I'll probably look like a heroine addict before this is all finished. But, despite all of this, I'm in a remarkably great mood. I've designed two power point presentations and plan to work on a prayer card for my husband next. It's helping to pass the time quite nicely. And, since I have my MAC with me, you can actually see me in the waiting room. What a joy! I should have test results tomorrow, so I'll update soon. Keep praying!

Bad News

So, I went to the doctor today for my "normal" check-up and glucose screening test. Well, I passed the normal check-up, but miserably FAILED my glucose screening test. What does this mean? I'm not exactly sure, other than there is a high possibility that I have gestational diabetes. I'm not completely shocked, because my mom had this condition with all three of her pregnancies. But, I must say I'm a little worried. I don't know much about G.D. but plan to research it before my test on Tuesday.

PLEASE PRAY! I would love to have my test done on Tuesday and have the doctor tell me I do not have G.D. What a blessing that would be! But, if that's not the case, pray that God gives me the strength to deal with all the complications of this condition, including diet, insulin shots, monitoring and of course, labor and delivery.

Also, if any of you have had this condition or know someone that has, I would love some positive feedback. I'm hoping its more common than I think and not as difficult to deal with.

New MacBook Pro

Yeah! I got my new MacBook Pro today for work. It's an awesome machine that will allow me to do quality work from home. Plus, its got really cool features. And now I can take pictures of my prego belly without Matt. What else can we invent that negates the need for husbands!? Haha! That was a joke.

We're Still Here

Ok, so I just realized I haven't blogged in a while. I'm home today taking some time off to relax from a busy couple of weeks at work. Its amazing how hard it is to relax at home. I sit on the couch and stare at the "work" that I could be doing - cleaning, bills, laundry. So far, I've only done one load of laundry and no cleaning. It's been quite relaxing.

The baby is growing and so am I. We are 25 weeks and counting. We're ready for our baby girl to join us in the world!

Another New Baby

Yeah! Our friends Eric & Katie finally had their little baby girl - Evie Sophia Nuelsen! Katie has been waiting somewhat patiently for little Evie to arrive. We're so happy for them and can't wait for our little one to join the world as well! Congrats Neulsen Family!

Insomnia

It's 3:19am and I am awake. Not just awake, but sleepy - oh no - I'm 100%, ready to go to work, awake. I tossed and turned in bed for a while, then decided that was ridiculous. So, here I am, surfing the web and blogging at 3am. Hopefully this will make me tired. We'll see.

More Belly & New Chair

Ok, its been an extremely busy couple of weeks and it seems my belly is growing ever so quickly. Because our schedules have been so hectic, this is my lame attempt at taking some "belly" pictures on my own.

The "Covered" Belly

Happy Mama

The "Bare" BellyThe new chair we got for only $10 at a yard sale!

Home Today

Well, I'm on self-enforced, mandatory rest today. Sound selfish? Maybe, but I was up most of the night with back and abdomenal pain. After about 3-hours of sleep, I thought it would be best to take some time to rest today. And to be honest, it's quite hard to do.

As a sidenote, I received some "congratulatory" flowers for a recent promotion and our expecting a baby girl. Enjoy these pictures - they certainly have brightened a few of my days lately.

19 Pair

I was blessed with an enormous amount of baby stuff today. A friend of mine gave me a beautiful Graco pack 'n play that has a bassinet attachment (in pink of course!), tons of baby girl clothes (17 pants to be exact)...

and the greatest gift of all - 19 pairs of shoes in all styles, colors and sizes. If you know me, you'll understand why this was so exciting. I'm a shoe-lover (my nickname growing up was Imelda Marcos - who at one time owned over 3,000 pair of shoes). Matt was a little scared to see that our little girl will be starting off with more shoes than he's owned in his life. Writing on the wall?

It was such an unexpected gift and I'm so grateful for each item she passed along. I'm just amazed at how generous people are when you're expecting a child. To think, Matt and I were worried that we would have to spend money on things for the baby. So far, we've had to invest practically nothing. Praise God - He provides perfect for us!

Online Registries

I love the internet! Being a first time mom is very exciting. But, there's something extremely intimidating about registering for an event that you've never experienced before. I have no idea what I'm going to need for this baby. Nonetheless, I set-up two online registries that I can manage from home. This is wonderful because the thing I was dreading the most was standing in the aisle at Target, staring at baby items and having no idea what to scan. I can now do research online and add items to my registries without ever having to leave the comfort of my home. I love it! I've saved both registries on my sidebar. Feel free to browse and get ideas for your own children. Much of what I've registered for has been as a result of advice from other experienced mothers. So, I take credit for none of it. Also, nothing is on the Amazon registry at this point. We're hoping to research strollers and carseats and then register for them on Amazon. We'll see what we can find.

**GREAT BUY - Just thought I'd share with you that I found a Boppy nursing pillow at a thrift store this weekend (in excellent condition) for only $2.50! You can't beat that.

Update on Matt's Dad

Thank you all for praying! Here is an update on Matt's dad...

The Real Story: We found out that he did in fact have a massive heart attack last Thursday night. He had been playing basketball with the kids at a local park and before they left, decided to play "tag." He started to feel chest pains on his way home from the park. Running around like that must have put him over the edge. He got home and went straight to lay on the couch. Jamal was playing next door at the neighbor's house and wanted to go inside. The neighbor lady told him that she wanted to go to his house to ask his parents if that was ok. When she arrived at the house, she saw Jim laying on the couch, clutching his chest. She is an EMT and knew immediately that Matt's dad was having a heart attack. She called 911, which ultimately saved his life.

An Update: We found out this weekend that Jim had 100% blockage in the main artery to his heart and a branch of that artery was also block 90%. The type of heart attack he suffered is nicknamed the "widowmaker" by those in the medical field. This tells you how serious the situation was. He was immediately given a stent in the main artery and doctors performed an angioplasty on the branch that was blocked. Overall, his dad is feeling much better, but has to remain in the hospital for further observation and testing. Tests performed yesterday revealed that his heart is beating on its own, but not as strong as doctors had hoped. They have referred him to specialist to talk about ways they can rebuild the heart muscle and improve his diet/exercise over time.

Thank You for your prayers and encouragement during this time. It's difficult to be six hours away when tragedies like this occur. But, we know that our families reside in the Lord's hands, which is the safest place they can be.

Prayer

Please be in prayer for Matt's dad, Jim Neal. We don't have all of the details yet, but he was admitted to the hospital last night with severe chest pains. We do know that he was in the beginning stages of a heart attack. They found one artery that was 100% blocked and performed an angioplasty immediately. We're waiting on an update this morning. Matt's dad is a Senior Pastor of a small church in Northern Kentucky. Please pray that God would draw up many people around him and Matt's mom, Lora, during this time.

Getting Bigger

I must say I've really started to pack on the pounds. Not a very fun thing - but its all for a good cause. Or at least that's the politically correct thing to say, right? I mean, who's really happy about gaining weight for their baby? Ha! Not me.

On another note, the baby has decided that she wants to stretch and dig her way out of my stomach, though she's not even close to being "fully-cooked." There are times when I think she has a circus of friends in there. Because, how can she be kicking me in my ribs and fluttering her legs in my pelvic bone, all at once? It's crazy!

Busy

I'm horrible about updating this blog. Its been over a week and I haven't put anything new on here. Maybe its because nothing new is going on. I'm still in my second trimester, so things are going pretty smoothly - I like to call it the mountain in between two valleys. I know that second valley is coming, I just don't like to think about it. Matt is trudging along with school. His second year has proved to be MUCH easier, which is a blessing. I really thought I was going to have to say "goodbye" to my husband again as the school year came near, but we've been able to spend ample amount of time together. It's been a nice surprise.

We recently changed around the nursery and office so I'll post pictures soon. And of course, I'll be posting new pictures of the ever growing belly.

Visit to Tennessee & First Day of School

Matt and I just returned from a much needed weekend away in Tennessee. Our very close friends from college, Aaron & Emily, live in Knoxville. Aaron works at a mental health hospital there and Emily attends University of Tennessee. They have a 7-month old baby boy named Miles - the most adorable baby I have seen in a while - no offense all of you with babies! :) They have a wonderful life in TN - I'm just not sure how they do it! Emily is not only involved in the graduate program, but she also teaches at the undergraduate level. Aaron worked 2nd shift, but has been working double shifts off and on to earn extra cash. They are the most laid back couple we know and its always so relaxing to go for a visit.

We also got to see Matt's family while traveling. We had a 3-hour layover on the way down to TN and back in Cincinnati. Since Matt's parents live just a few miles from the airport, it was just enough time for us to meet up for lunch on Friday and dinner on Monday. We really enjoyed our time with them!

Matt started back to school today. This is going to be a much better year than last year. Keep praying for God to use him in the lives of our teenagers.

It's a GIRL!

The Big Ultrasound - What Is It?

We had our anatomy ultrasound today to find out the gender of our little one. "What is it?" you ask. Well, you'll have to wait and see! We're giving the news to our family tonight and then we'll post more information. So stay tuned...

In the meantime, you can enjoy these new pictures. The top one shows the baby laying really straight - the black hole in the center of the abdomen is the fast beating heart. The second picture of is the baby waving "hi". It was so fun to watch the baby move on screen and feel it in my stomach at the same time. What a miracle.

Senior Retreat

This past weekend, Matt and I took the seniors on their first ever FastForward Senior Retreat. It was a fun couple of days. Matt did a great job planning it too!

A New Belly Picture

Here's a new belly picture. It probably doesn't look like I've grown that much, but it sure feels like I have.

New Baby

Congrats to Lee & Candace Nordine on their brand new baby girl, Isabel Lorraine Nordine. She was born August 19th at 11:51am weighing in at 7 pounds 8 ounces and 20.5 inches long. Lee and Candace have been good friends of our for a few years. Matt and Lee were on the same floor at college, roomed together in Kentucky before we got married, and both of us got married two weeks apart. We spent a lot of time together through small group, church and of course at Chipotle!

We love you guys and can't wait to meet your daughter in person. Congrats Mom and Dad Nordine! Look at that hair...

Rainy Days

The rain is pouring down here in Holland, Michigan and its quite a refreshing change from our hot, humid summer! The weather has been cool lately - which reminds me of fall and excites me for the months ahead. Although, I know that once fall comes that means winter is inevitable.

The seasons changing always causes me to reflect on how awesome our God is - how creative - the way he has formed the clouds to drop rain when they are too full. And how the rain gives us green grass and fresh flowers. I'm in awe of our God and can't wait to meet him face to face someday!

I Gave In

I know, I know. Call me weak, spineless...I prefer to be called submissive, gracious (although my husband would rebuff that statement)! I gave in to Matt's spelling of the name. Definitely not because I was persuaded to believe him. Moreso because I was tired of arguing about it - and quite frankly, I could tell victory wasn't in the near future. So, to save my marriage (boy, that sounds extreme!) and my sanity, I gave in. The good news? I like the name.

Baby Name Game

I went to the doctor today for another check-up and she listened to the baby's heart. We won't have an ultrasound for two more weeks, but she said the heartbeat sounds like a boy. I'm not sure what that means, but I was excited. We'll find out in two weeks if she's correct or not.

So, this doctor's visit prompted a series of events that led to Matthew and I "talking" about baby names. Most couples have a hard time agreeing on names - not us. We're more concerned about sweating the small stuff - like the spelling of the names. Oh yes - you're not mistaken. As if we haven't had enough to argue about over the years, we chose to argue about the spelling of the names we chose. And to make matters worse, both spellings of the name we like are used - so neither one is necessarily "wrong" - although Matthew would fight to the death that mine is the wrong one and his is the right one. Has anyone else had this issue?

And lest you think that I am unwilling to comprise - know first that I married into this name that was chosen. My husband has adored this name for YEARS (literally!) and all but demanded that it would be used for our first child of this gender. My only comment was that maybe we could alter the spelling to better reflect the correct pronunciation. You would have thought I started World War III or something.

Anyways...any thoughts about this dilemma? I'd really love to solve this.

My Brother's Wedding

Congratulations to Matt and Emily! They exchanged marriage vows on the lawn of a golf course and held the reception indoors under a glass dome. It was a gorgeous wedding - very symbollic of their relationship. We're thrilled to welcome Emily into our family. May God bless them with many years of wedded bliss!

More Wedding Pictures