Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Bennett's here!!
Sweet Bennett arrived Monday, May 23rd at 4:26 p.m.! He weighed 8 lbs 8 ounces and is 20 1/2 inches long! Bennett and I are both doing great! We are so in love and so happy! Stay tuned for more posts..... 
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Melt my heart.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Anticipation.
Today I had my last OB appointment! I didn't know at the time it was going to be my last! And I cried. Not because I'm sad, but because I get to meet my sweet Bennett in 6 days!!!!!! I can't believe its time....this is what i've longed for, for 9 whole months! I have mixed emotions. I'm nervous, anxious, excited, and a little scared! Truthfully, I will miss being pregnant, but holding my sweet baby is going to be 10 times better than carrying him in my tummy! My doctor has decided to induce me. My body has already slowly started the labor process. I am dilated 2 cm and almost 90% effaced. He thinks there is no reason to wait till my due date. And I think I'm huge, really hoping he's not going to be to big to push out! Dr. Wheeler assured me he wasn't too big! I am trusting him! And I'm praying that by the time monday rolls around, I'll be 4-5 cm! Hoping to have an easy delivery. I had a pretty good one with Caden so maybe this one will be even better! Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers Monday! I'll try to keep the blog updated...most likely facebook will be updated first, since its easier to access on my phone!
I'm sure you can tell by the picture that I am huge!!!! So I'm ready to have this baby in my arms!!!!
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| 38 weeks and 5 days! |
Another chapter closed...
Last Friday marked the end of a long journey for me! I graduated nursing school. I've worked so hard for that day to come. I've been in school since January of 2008, so Friday was very exciting for me! Nursing school was by far one of the hardest things I've done! It made my classes I took at Auburn look easy....or maybe this time around I actually studied! No, but really it was NOT an easy journey! I couldn't have done it without the help of my friends and family! And I'll brag a little...I graduated magna cum laude! I worked my butt off and it sure feels good to be done! I will be working in the pediatric ER here in Huntsville....I officially go back to work Aug. 9th! I will not miss school, but I will miss the friends I made, they were like a second family! I can't wait to love on people and make them feel better, that's what being a nurse is all about!
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| Me and my Caden... |
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| Best buddies! |
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| Special candlelighting ceremony |
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| My boys! |
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| My supportive parents! |
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Mother's Day
I must say, my boys spoil me rotten! We kind of celebrated all weekend. We went and saw Thor 3D and ate at Red Robin friday night, went to eat at my favorite mexican joint saturday night, and sunday I woke up to breakfast in bed! They got me a giftcard to my favorite little boutique on the square too! We went over to my mom's for lunch and grilled out! I was glad we were able to spend some time with my mom, she's the greatest mother/rolemodel/friend I could ever ask for! I spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping, literally! I've been so worn out, so it was nice to catch up on sleep! I absolutely LOVE being a mother. It has brought some much joy into my life. Caden is the best thing and I feel so blessed and honored to be his mother. I can't think of a better job! And in just a few short weeks, I'll have another little blessing to mother! Can life get much better?!
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| Caden and I on Mother's Day |
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
37 weeks
Today I am 37 +6 weeks...little late posting this! I went to the doctor yesterday and my body is not progressing at all towards going into labor anytime soon! I'm not dilated yet, but he did say my cervix was nice and soft! He is head down, PTL, but I don't feel like i've "dropped" yet! I think Bennett is perfectly content and comfortable! I actually lost 2 lbs, woo hoo! I think my total weight gain is now 18lbs! Now it is just a waiting game. I go back Tuesday and he said we will discuss induction. I'm a huge fan of induction, I know some ppl are opposed, but I love the idea of knowing the exact day! It will be nice to be able to plan someone to watch Caden etc. I was induced with Caden and had no problems, had a great labor and delivery. So if I haven't gone into labor by myself, I'm thinking Bennett will be here the week of the 23rd! I'm feeling great, sleeping good once I fall asleep, and am loving the end of my pregnancy! I had a rough beginning so its nice to have a good ending! I can't wait to hold little bit in my arms! For now, I will leave you with this picture of my HUGE belly! Any estimates on weight, as in baby, not me!???? (haha)
I have my last baby shower tomorrow....sweet friends at work are throwing Bennett and I a shower! Looking forward to seeing all of my co-workers, especially since I'm not working anymore!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Easter 2011
We had a wonderful Easter! Went to early service at church and then had a yummy lunch at Outback! After lunch, we headed over to some friends house for a massive easter egg hunt! We had a blast, I'm hoping to make this a tradition! I get the mom of the year award...I forgot to take pictures of Caden finding what the Easter bunny brought and forgot my camera at the egg hunt:( OH well, there's always next year! I hope everyone had a great Easter.....as Caden would say...Jesus is Alive!!!!!!
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| the infamous "cheese" face! |
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| Caden got some 3D sidewalk chalk from the Easter bunny! |
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| My roses, I'm very proud they are doing so well! |
Surreality.
I'm not even sure thats a word (surreality), but oh well! That is how I felt the past week and a half! Life is slowly getting back to normal. Caden went back to school Thursday and Brandon will go back Monday...he's been off for 7 days now! There is still no power down the street from us where it got hit the hardest. We found out that they upgraded the tornado to an EF-5...still makes me cringe when I think about that day. The national guard has left as well as homeland security. We still have a curfew and there is still so much cleaning up to do. The outpouring of love and support from everyone has been amazing! I've been volunteering passing out food and water and Brandon's been busy with the chainsaw. Even Caden has been able to help! The other night he wanted to empty his piggy bank and give his money to some kids in his class that lost all their toys! Talk about making this mommy's heart smile! We've donated clothes, prom dresses, toys, cleaning supplies, canned goods, etc. It has been good for Caden to see us doing these things!
On a happier note....I have finally hit the 37 week mark! Bennett is full-term! We are now just patiently waiting for his arrival. I went to the dr. last tuesday and I wasn't dilated, but I was about 50% effaced! I go again this tuesday, so we'll see if I've made any progress! Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and healthy delivery! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Happy Mother's Day!
On a happier note....I have finally hit the 37 week mark! Bennett is full-term! We are now just patiently waiting for his arrival. I went to the dr. last tuesday and I wasn't dilated, but I was about 50% effaced! I go again this tuesday, so we'll see if I've made any progress! Please keep us in your prayers for a safe and healthy delivery! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and Happy Mother's Day!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Tornado April 27, 2011
An EF-4 tornado ripped through my little community of East Limestone, Alabama on Wednesday. I will honestly never forget that day. Terrifying experience to say the least. Here's my story:
We woke up around 4:30 a.m. wednesday morning to sirens and terrible weather. I made Brandon go check the internet and make sure a tornado wasn't headed our way and he told me it had already passed! We slept right through some pretty bad weather that morning!! I don't think a real tornado came through that morning, just some strong winds. Brandon headed to work and Caden's school was delayed till 9 so we took our puppy to the vet. (Harley fell the night before and wasn't walking so he needed to go to the dr!) While at the vet, sirens started going off and we were under a tornado warning. We hurried home...as soon as I closed the garage it started hailing! I kept my eye on the news and it didn't look like we were supposed to get anything to terribly bad until later. I sat down to try to study for finals and I noticed it was getting really dark and kind or eerie outside. This was about 11 a.m....the vet called around 11:15 to tell me Harley was ok and that they were going to close due to the weather and I could pick him up tomorrow. It really hadn't registered for me to check the news, I was so focused on studying. About the time I tried to turn on the t.v., the satellite dish went out...I looked online at one of the news stations and all I heard was "tornado spotted in Athens....seek shelter if you live in East Limestone"!! Everything inside of me wanted to panic and scream, but I had to be strong for Caden. I told him to go hide in the closet and I quickly grabbed some pillows, a blanket, and the flashlight. About the time I jumped in the closet with him, my internet quit working. My cell phone also was not working. I sat with my back against a wall and put Caden between my legs with the blankets and pillows on top of us. I was terrified! I can't explain how scary it was sitting there with my house shaking and the most awful sounds coming from outside. I prayed and prayed and prayed for protection. I just wanted to protect Caden and my belly, so I was literally almost on top of them! We sat in there for about 20 minutes because I had no way of knowing it was safe to come out. I peeked out the door and the sky was clear...it was so weird! I still had no cell phone, internet , or tv! My house was spared! I finally got some cell service and called my mom and decided to go to her house because more bad weather was on its way and I did NOT want to be alone with Caden again! My parents live about 15-20 minutes away from us and it took me a good hour and half to get to their house. I could not believe how close the tornado came to my house..all around houses were messed up, trees down, powerlines down, etc. We got to my parents and I still hadn't talked to Brandon at this point. I was getting worried because the tornado had pretty much gone through Huntsville also, and this is where he works! He finally called to tell me he was o.k. and that he would meet me and my parents shortly.
Round 2:
Around 4 p.m., another round of bad weather was headed towards us. We were still at my parents and I honestly felt a little safer with my husband there too! They still had t.v. so we were monitoring the weather pretty closely. The weather man was talking about this horrible tornado that had touched down just west in a town called Phil Campbell. Little did we know, this tornado was the same one that was about to destroy my community. Thank God we were at my parents! The path of this tornado came through my community around 4:30 and barely missed my house! The tornado was due to hit madison, which is where my parents live, about 5ish. I grabbed Caden and we got in my parents closet under the stairs. No one else wanted to get in. They all stood on the back porch watching the weather. All the sudden, my dad screamed for everyone to get in the closet. The tornado went through my parents back yard and around the house. It only lasted for seconds! I couldn't believe how close it came! At this point I was sick of all this bad weather. My stomach and nerves were torn up! About 6:00 there was a break in the weather so we decided to head back to our house...BIG MISTAKE. We got about half-way there and got turned around...I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Neighborhoods all around were leveled. People were walking up and down the street in the rain carrying pets. Power lines were down everywhere. Huge oak trees laying across the road. We had to find another route back to our house. We turned down capshaw rd. and about the time we did I kept hearing on the radio "another tornado spotted in limestone county"! And that is right where we were! Brandon was in front of me and he pulled over and told me to hurry and go back to my parents. He was going to try to find a way home...at this point I was really freaking out!!! I could see the wall clouds behind me in my rearview mirrow. I was literally trying to beat the storm! Caden was in the back seat in his carseat with a towel over his head praying! Storm was headed straight to madison and so was I. I just kept thinking if I had to pull over, where would we go! All the businesses had closed and there weren't any good ditches to go lay in! I finally decided to just drive as fast as I could and not look back! We finally made it to my parents after what seemed like the longest drive! I was crying and shaking! I didn't know if Brandon had made it safely home and he had no idea if I had made it back to my parents. No cell phones were working. Back to the closet we went! About 8ish, I finally talked to Brandon and he was safe at his Nanny's. All the bad weather had seemed to pass so he told me it was probably safe to drive back home. At this point, we didn't know if we still even had a home! He met me so I could follow him. It took 2 hours to get home. Roads were flooded and power lines were down so it was like a maze getting home! Our house had NO damage! We are so blessed and thankful to be safe and unharmed! My heart goes out to all who lost homes and loved ones! Wednesday, April 27, 2011 will be a day I will always remember! Everytime I see the destruction, my heart just breaks. These are my neighbors who have lost everything! The whole community has been affected, but everyone has joined together and are helping everyone out. It is so humbling to see people driving around delivering meals and water and offering to help! God really protected us that day and I'm so thankful!
We woke up around 4:30 a.m. wednesday morning to sirens and terrible weather. I made Brandon go check the internet and make sure a tornado wasn't headed our way and he told me it had already passed! We slept right through some pretty bad weather that morning!! I don't think a real tornado came through that morning, just some strong winds. Brandon headed to work and Caden's school was delayed till 9 so we took our puppy to the vet. (Harley fell the night before and wasn't walking so he needed to go to the dr!) While at the vet, sirens started going off and we were under a tornado warning. We hurried home...as soon as I closed the garage it started hailing! I kept my eye on the news and it didn't look like we were supposed to get anything to terribly bad until later. I sat down to try to study for finals and I noticed it was getting really dark and kind or eerie outside. This was about 11 a.m....the vet called around 11:15 to tell me Harley was ok and that they were going to close due to the weather and I could pick him up tomorrow. It really hadn't registered for me to check the news, I was so focused on studying. About the time I tried to turn on the t.v., the satellite dish went out...I looked online at one of the news stations and all I heard was "tornado spotted in Athens....seek shelter if you live in East Limestone"!! Everything inside of me wanted to panic and scream, but I had to be strong for Caden. I told him to go hide in the closet and I quickly grabbed some pillows, a blanket, and the flashlight. About the time I jumped in the closet with him, my internet quit working. My cell phone also was not working. I sat with my back against a wall and put Caden between my legs with the blankets and pillows on top of us. I was terrified! I can't explain how scary it was sitting there with my house shaking and the most awful sounds coming from outside. I prayed and prayed and prayed for protection. I just wanted to protect Caden and my belly, so I was literally almost on top of them! We sat in there for about 20 minutes because I had no way of knowing it was safe to come out. I peeked out the door and the sky was clear...it was so weird! I still had no cell phone, internet , or tv! My house was spared! I finally got some cell service and called my mom and decided to go to her house because more bad weather was on its way and I did NOT want to be alone with Caden again! My parents live about 15-20 minutes away from us and it took me a good hour and half to get to their house. I could not believe how close the tornado came to my house..all around houses were messed up, trees down, powerlines down, etc. We got to my parents and I still hadn't talked to Brandon at this point. I was getting worried because the tornado had pretty much gone through Huntsville also, and this is where he works! He finally called to tell me he was o.k. and that he would meet me and my parents shortly.
Round 2:
Around 4 p.m., another round of bad weather was headed towards us. We were still at my parents and I honestly felt a little safer with my husband there too! They still had t.v. so we were monitoring the weather pretty closely. The weather man was talking about this horrible tornado that had touched down just west in a town called Phil Campbell. Little did we know, this tornado was the same one that was about to destroy my community. Thank God we were at my parents! The path of this tornado came through my community around 4:30 and barely missed my house! The tornado was due to hit madison, which is where my parents live, about 5ish. I grabbed Caden and we got in my parents closet under the stairs. No one else wanted to get in. They all stood on the back porch watching the weather. All the sudden, my dad screamed for everyone to get in the closet. The tornado went through my parents back yard and around the house. It only lasted for seconds! I couldn't believe how close it came! At this point I was sick of all this bad weather. My stomach and nerves were torn up! About 6:00 there was a break in the weather so we decided to head back to our house...BIG MISTAKE. We got about half-way there and got turned around...I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Neighborhoods all around were leveled. People were walking up and down the street in the rain carrying pets. Power lines were down everywhere. Huge oak trees laying across the road. We had to find another route back to our house. We turned down capshaw rd. and about the time we did I kept hearing on the radio "another tornado spotted in limestone county"! And that is right where we were! Brandon was in front of me and he pulled over and told me to hurry and go back to my parents. He was going to try to find a way home...at this point I was really freaking out!!! I could see the wall clouds behind me in my rearview mirrow. I was literally trying to beat the storm! Caden was in the back seat in his carseat with a towel over his head praying! Storm was headed straight to madison and so was I. I just kept thinking if I had to pull over, where would we go! All the businesses had closed and there weren't any good ditches to go lay in! I finally decided to just drive as fast as I could and not look back! We finally made it to my parents after what seemed like the longest drive! I was crying and shaking! I didn't know if Brandon had made it safely home and he had no idea if I had made it back to my parents. No cell phones were working. Back to the closet we went! About 8ish, I finally talked to Brandon and he was safe at his Nanny's. All the bad weather had seemed to pass so he told me it was probably safe to drive back home. At this point, we didn't know if we still even had a home! He met me so I could follow him. It took 2 hours to get home. Roads were flooded and power lines were down so it was like a maze getting home! Our house had NO damage! We are so blessed and thankful to be safe and unharmed! My heart goes out to all who lost homes and loved ones! Wednesday, April 27, 2011 will be a day I will always remember! Everytime I see the destruction, my heart just breaks. These are my neighbors who have lost everything! The whole community has been affected, but everyone has joined together and are helping everyone out. It is so humbling to see people driving around delivering meals and water and offering to help! God really protected us that day and I'm so thankful!
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| Some of the pictures I've taken.... |
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