Best 6 months of my life

Well, it's been 6 months since I have blogged and my sweet boy turned 6 months July 18th. You can imagine why I haven't had the time to blog. Oh how life has changed since I last posted. Looking back at my old post it was all pre-Austin days and days that I can hardly remember. Life before Austin hardly exist to me now and I can't imagine a life without that precious boy in it. I can't even catch you up on all the things that have happened in the past 6 months but they have truly been amazing. I feel like I started really living when my baby was born on January 18, 2012. The best day of my life. He has completely changed our lives and we are so in love with Austin.. a love that we never knew existed. 

Austin has grown so much in the last 6 months. He was 9 lbs and 4 oz when he was born. He is now 19 lbs and 12 oz at 6 months. He is off the charts for his height (like his daddy) and 75% on his weight. He is a very healthy boy. He rolls over, which he has been doing for a few months now, he is mastering sitting up, and his favorite thing to say is Da-da. It melts my heart every time but I think it's time that little stinker starts saying mama. He can reach for you if he wants to come to you and he is trying to figure out crawling. He can raise himself with his arms and he can put his knees under himself but he can't do it at the same time yet. He gets frustrated but it's very cute watching it. He is growing and changing everyday and I am so thankful that I have had the summer off to enjoy him. 


I have a week left of summer break with Austin and I am very sad about taking him to daycare. I know he is going to do great but I just know that I am going to miss him like crazy. I am used to spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with him and now I am only going to get 2 full days a week with him. I think he is going to miss mommy, too. 

Life has been amazing and I am so proud of my little family. Franz is an amazing father to Austin and a wonderful husband to me. I have absolutely nothing to complain about. I am so thankful for all that God has blessed me with. One thing that Franz and I want to focus on right now is saving and paying some things off to make a better future for our family. No more eating out or spending on extra things we don't really need. It will be worth it later on. It is something that we need to sacrifice to make sure our son has everything he wants and needs. I think it will be healthier as well. ;)


Well, I could go on and on about things but I need to go check on my sweet little boy. :) Who knows when I will be back on here since school is starting back. 

The waiting game...

I haven't posted in a really long time. Mainly because I haven't had the energy and also because we sold my laptop before Christmas. I am using Franz's school laptop while he gets to use the ipad. I like the ipad but I like to type on a keyboard better. Well, I have one day until Austin's due date. I am really surprised that he hasn't decided to come earlier. I was really hoping he would come during my Christmas break but he wasn't ready. Now here we are two weeks later and he is still in the oven cooking. I had to start back to work last Monday and I must say it was very hard for me. My class is very challenging this year to say it nicely and I am really lacking in patience these days. I had to go back due to not having enough days built up for my maternity leave. I am short 2 weeks without pay. I am hoping for some snow days during that time but its not looking good. Anyway, so week 2 at school has begun and it didn't start good. I won't go into details but let's just say that I need some prayers to get through the week. 


I am so ready for my sweet boy to come and meet his mommy and daddy. It is so hard to focus on the excitement of having him because of the stress at work but I am truly so excited and ready for him to come. I can't wait to hold him in my arms and love on him. I know it will be any moment on any day now and I am so anxious. I have been very tired and swollen which is the norm at this point in a pregnancy. I went to the doctor last Friday and met Dr. Boyapati for the first time. He said I was only dilated about 1 cm and that there was a good chance Austin could be late. I asked him to tell me what I needed to do to speed this process up and he said nothing... just wait until he is ready. I didn't like that answer. ha ha. I do like Dr. Boyapati though. He is the first doctor to come in and sit down and just talk to us. He took his time and was so gentle with me. I would really like him to deliver but at the same time I don't care who does it as long as he comes soon. I have another apt with him on Thursday. Really hoping I don't make it to that one due to Austin's arrival. Oh and I found out that due to being group B positive I will be for sure staying in the hospital for 2 days. I don't really want to do that but its what we have to do to make sure Austin is okay. 


So, I just want to take this time to tell all my friends and family thank you for everything. We have had 5 showers total and have gotten more than we could have imagined. My best friends, my work, Franz's work, my family and Franz's family all gave us a shower. We are so very blessed and appreciate everything and everyone. I think we are set and just ready for our baby. :) I haven't had a lot of time or energy since the last shower on Dec. 27th so I need to get those thank you cards out. I planned on doing them tonight but after the day I had today I am going to need to put them off one more night. I know it's not hard work but I need to rest my mind after being stressed out all day. 


Well, I am going to get off here. I am sure the next time I blog Mr. Austin will be here and I will get to post pictures and tell you all how much I am in love with him. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! Hope you have a good week. :)

Busy...busy...busy

The past few weeks have been really busy but it is only going to get busier for us. I had a wonderful work shower on November 14th. I work with some wonderful people at Arlington Elementary and I realize how blessed I am to work there. We got lots of gift cards, clothes, diapers, and baby monitors. Two showers down.. 1 to go! :)


On the 19th, we celebrated sweet Barrett's 1st birthday and then went to an ulltrasound at 4d Sneak Peek with my dad and brothers. Of course Austin was squishing his head into me and putting his hands all in his face. She said we could come back and try for better pictures but it was still a special moment to get to see him for the first time since he has gotten so big. Franz says he has his nose and I think he is right. :) I just wonder what features he has of mine. We won't know until he decides it's time to come into the world. We scheduled to go back on the 26th and hopefully get better pictures but before that we had Thanksgiving break. A break I was desperately needing away from work. We had a nice lunch with my dad, Tyler, Candace, and Drew. We got out late Friday and got a few things at Kohls and Target. I found two night gowns for the hospital and got some outfits for Austin. I feel a lot better now that I am getting my hospital bag together. We also put our Christmas tree up. After Thanksgiving and Black Friday we finally got to go see baby Austin again. He was still in the same position but turned for us a little more and didn't put his hands in his face quite as much. I loved laying there watching him. He has his head on my left side and his legs were straight up crossed under my belly button. We got a video of the whole session and I can't tell you how many times I have looked at it. I can't wait until he is here. I am getting a little anxiety about having everything ready for him. I know I am driving Franz crazy. I can't help it.. lol  Our 3D pics are shown above. 2 from the first session and 2 from the second session.


We finally got his hand painted letters from The Letter Boutique in North Carolina. It took 8 weeks for them to paint them and send them but it was worth the wait. Karen Metcalf, a teacher and friend I work with bought them for us. She is like a mother to me and I very thankful God brought her into my life. We also ordered some sailboat pictures that have a sentence on each one creating a poem. We are painting the frames ourselves and then I will post pictures. We still need an accent table by his glider, a hamper, and organizing shelves for his closet and then I think his room will be just about finished. I am washing his bedding and some clothes today. The one big thing we need is his pack and play that he will be sleeping in for a while. We had one picked out at Target but then we found one we liked better at Walmart. They don't have it in store but we will probably just order it here in a few weeks. 

In the next month, we have so much going on. Next Saturday, I have Breakfast with Santa at school which I wish I had not signed up for. lol I just hate not helping out with school functions. Then, the next Saturday Franz graduates from Bethel. On Sunday the 11th, I have my last and final shower given by Lauren and Rebecca. The next weekend will be the only weekend open and we are supposed to be going to Nashville to stay with my cousin Katie and her fiance' Chris. Then it will be Christmas and who knows when this little boy will be born. I also have my brother's birthday on the 23rd and I don't know when he plans on having a bday party. SO MUCH GOING ON!!! 


Here is what I have for my hospital bag so far: 
2 night gowns
pack of undies
flip flops
travel size shampoo, conditioner, etc...
1 outfit for Austin (waiting on the other) 
Socks, mittens, and hat for Austin
blankets for Austin
                                                                       
Things I need to get: robe, slippers, going home outfit for me, boppy pillow,what else am I missing?  I honestly am not sure what all I need.. 


6 MORE weeks!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

9 more weeks!!! ahhhhhh! :)

I cannot believe how time is starting to fly by. I have only dreamed about how I would feel when we were close to having a baby. I have never felt so excited/happy and scared/nervous at the same time in my whole life. I love this little boy so much already and he is already loved by so many. We had our first shower yesterday that was given by my best friends Ashlie, Lindsey, and Becky. We are so blessed to have such wonderful people in our lives that wanted to share this special time and shower us with gifts for Austin. We got so many wonderful things that we needed and adorable clothes that I can't wait to see him in!!!!! I am truly so very happy and very anxious to see what God has in store for us. 

On a pregnancy note, I go back to the doctor next week just for a monthly checkup. I am not sure when I start going every two weeks but I know I am getting close to that time. My last appointment I was up 20 lbs overall but had gained 7 in a month. HAHA I am scared to see how much I have put on since then. Everything has been good. They say I am measuring right on target and my blood pressure is good. I still have some swelling but I am trying very hard to not eat as much salt and drink more water. It seems to be helping a little. Besides being tired all the time, I can only really complain about this "pregnancy brain" I have heard about. I never really understood how bad it can be until the past couple of weeks. I have been doing some crazy stuff. I have literally sat and stared into space trying to figure out what I should be doing. I completely forget what I am going to do or forget things that I always do in my daily routine. I say things backwards constantly and the people around me just laugh because it happens so often. I am lucky to remember my name. LOL Overall, I am so blessed to have had a good pregnancy so far and I just pray that everything continues to go good. I can't wait to meet my sweet boy. 

                                       30 weeks and 5 days

So my last thing I want to talk about is my to-do list. I feel like I am becoming my step mom that I have made fun of for years with all of her sticky notes. It's not just that she would have so many but it would also be what she would write to remind herself to do. Something as minor as take out the trash! LOL Well, I am hoping I stop it as soon as he comes. But not only do I have to remind myself of simple every day things but I still need to go register at the hospital, have a consultation with the pediatrician, wash baby clothes, pack my hospital bag, complete my maternity leave paperwork, prepare for my sub, and get this house baby ready! Franz's list is pretty big too and there is no way we will get it all done. We are so busy with other things that I don't think it is possible. Oh and we are hopefully getting our maternity pics done next week. I can't wait to get them done!!! There is just so much to do and so little time to do it. Say some prayers! :)

Well, it's time to get off here. I will update in a couple of weeks I am sure. Hope everyone has a great week!!!!! 

28 weeks.. 12 to go

It has been a little while since I have posted anything. Things are going good! I had a doctors appointment on Tuesday and had to do my 3 hour glucose test again. Luckily, I passed it! I saw Dr. Gray this time and I really like him. He said I am measuring right where I need to be. Everything else is looking good. Austin's heart rate was 156 and he was very active that day. I think that sugar drink really got him going. He also doesn't like when I am hungry so he moves around a lot to let me know to get some food in me. hehe  


We went to Illinois this weekend and had a great time seeing my family. My cousin katie got Austin a cute little outfit and heartbeat monitor that has earphones. We tried it out and heard his heart beat for a minute. My cousin Dana got Austin a little outfit and some burp cloths. It is so much fun getting things for him and just trying to imagine him wearing them. I try so hard to picture what our son will look like but I won't know until he decides to come. :) Dad got to feel Austin kick this weekend. He was so excited and every time I saw him he would say "Is little A kicking?". It makes me so happy that he has a grandpa that is so excited about him and is going to love him so much. Katie also got to feel him move around and kick. It is such a wonderful feeling sharing these moments with my family. I am so lucky to have them, they are always so supportive and loving. 


This week is fall break and I have really enjoyed being off. Started the break with our trip to Illinois and then traveled home on Monday. We stopped and visited my mother's grave. It makes me feel better when I get to visit her grave. She is buried in IL so I only get to see her once or twice a year. We traveled all day and all I could do was lounge when we got home on Monday afternoon. Tuesday, I had my doctors apt. and got to spend the day with Lindsey. Wednesday, I had to make up for all the sleep I have missed. Yesterday, I got up early and got my oil changed and then met a friend for lunch. Then, I met a friend who lives out of town and we went baby shopping. She is having a baby too and it was a lot of fun to go shopping and catch up on things. Today I plan on cleaning up around the house and doing some laundry. I haven't done one thing for school this week and I don't know if I will this weekend. It is really hard to focus on work right now. I am just ready for Austin to be here and get the time off work to spend with him. I know it will be hard to go back to work. 


So, Franz finished painting Austin's room. We still have some things we need to do like decorate the walls but overall the big things are done.  Here are the pictures.

I plan on getting Franz to take my 28 week picture today. So be waiting... :) I am pretty big!

Okay here it is.... Big momma at 28 weeks

procrastinating and sleepy is not a good combo

The title of my post today is regarding my lesson plans. I really don't feel like doing them after dealing with my students all day long. I am just plum exhausted when I get home. Well, actually I am plum exhausted when I am at school too. So basically what I am dealing with these days is just being very very very very very tired. So tired that I can barely keep my eyes open past 8:30-9. If I don't get them done now I won't do them later tonight. They are for next week but I plan to have them completed by Thursday at the latest. Pray that I have the energy to get them done. :/ 


On a positive note,  Franz felt Austin move for the first time on Friday. I was so excited because I have been making him feel my belly for a while now but he never has felt him but on Friday he felt a really hard kick. He was like "WHOA" because Austin kicked sooooooo hard. lol He is really active when I get home and actually relax. It is my favorite part of the day. I am so in love with this little fellow already. He already brightens my day every day. I can't even imagine how much he will when he is here. We are also excited that my dad bought Austin's crib for us and our bedding just came in yesterday. We need to paint, get the changing table, and glider chair  and then we will be close to done.  Franz plans on painting hopefully this weekend. I thought time would go by so slow but now that I am super busy with work time is going by a lot faster. I just keep picturing what my life will be like come January and I can't even describe my feelings. I am so excited but also nervous. I know it is to be expected. Life is great and I am so thankful for what God has blessed me with. Now, if I can only get my students to cooperate at school my life would be near perfect. ;)  Here are some pictures of Austin's bedding! Can't wait until the walls are painted!

My mom....

I have been thinking about my mother so much especially since I got pregnant. Tomorrow is her birthday and she would have been 52. I missed her so much when I got married and cried many many times but I definitely think I am missing her more now. All of my friends have amazing mothers who have been there for them with helping with their babies and it breaks my heart that I don't and won't ever have that. I have such wonderful friends and their mothers treat me like their own but I still wish I had mine. Everyone says that they can't imagine how they would have made it without their mothers coming to stay with them for a couple of weeks after the baby is born. Well, that isn't an option for me so I guess its me and Franz all the way. LOL I am pretty sure my mother made it just fine without anyone and I will do the same. I guess I am just very jealous of my friends and their relationships with their moms. I also have a hard time thinking about Austin never getting the chance to meet his grandmother. He will only see the few videos and pictures we have of her. He will be able to see that she was a wonderful person and probably be able to tell how much his mommy is like her mommy. She was such a wonderful mom to me and Tyler the short time we had her but I am very blessed to have had the 6 years I did with her. I think about you every day, Mom and know that I will one day be with you again. Love you forever and always. 

A picture of my mom and me when I was born along with our dog Bandit. I can just imagine me holding Austin on the couch with Murphy on my legs just like this picture.  :)