Beach bound

So basically this is what I've been waiting for the past 4 years. Time to actually read something and NOT have to write a book review. During our time at the beach this week I have thoughtfully chosen 3 books to accompany me on the sand....


The first is fiction, highly recommended by a lady at work (who usually has good judgement on books). It is a story of a family portrayed through the eyes of the family dog....tear jerker i've heard.


The second is a book recommended by Mohler, (not to me personally) but they gave them out at the recent T4G conference. It's by two "cool" guys who would seem to fall under the emergent church movement, but they are reformed.....should be a good solid explanation as to why emergent theology is less than beneficial for believers.


Lastly, I will be diving into the controversy that is childhood vaccines.

And of course I will be taking the standard and trusty US weekly, Intouch, Star...Vogue and Allure magazines. What week could be better.

Mmmm. cake.

When it rains it pours, right? So I know this is my 3rd post today, but I haven't posted in awhile and we had so much to share! This is the awesome cake that Benji had made for me from the The Homemade Ice Cream and Pie Kitchen. It was so yummy!



And here we are at graduation dinner with my mom and Benji's parents. We went to my favorite place in Louisville, Avalon. It's is the great little restaurant on Bardstown Rd. They have cool outside seating, with blankets and heaters for when it gets chilly at night.



We are leaving for the beach tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about traveling so far, but am confident that God will keep Emery put for as long as she needs to be. I looked for a maternity bathing suit for about 3 weeks. I finally found one at Target that will work, but I'd have to say that It was kind of depressing.

As far as pregnancy goes, I am feeling pretty good still. Prevacid basically saved me. The acid reflux was really annoying and it was actually starting to depress me. It was constant, morning to night. My Dr. prescribed the miracle drug, and I haven't had a problem since.

Emery's kicks are getting stronger and a lot of times painful! She doesn't move as much as she did when I first started noticing her,(because she is running out of room) but when she does move it is forceful!

She is probably a little over 3lbs now and is basically just putting on fat and practicing breathing, swallowing and opening her eyes....getting ready to enter the world. I have noticed the funny feeling of her hiccups. It's like she is playing a drum in there.

Something I wasn't expecting was that most of my stomach issues of the 1st trimester have come back. It is definitely better since I started taking prevacid, but lets just say I definitely haven't had the usual constipation that most women complain of in pregnancy. I know this is probably TMI but you know, it is pregancy we are blogging about here.....I want to look back with Emery one day and say "see what you put me through while you were in my belly!"

My skin is pretty itchy and strech marks have made their appearance, BUT no swelling of the hands or feet yet, so I'm thankful about that!

Guess that is enough for now. I'll be posting some pictures from the beach in a few weeks. That is if someone can get my whaleness to fit in the frame of the camera lens......

More pics.

Endings,beginnings, and a new T.V.

The day finally came, and went, like the wind....a cold cold wind. I finally graduated on May 16th. The ceremony was outside and it was typical Louisville weather, completely random and confusing. It was freezing, like 50 degrees, and windy. So windy in fact the plants that were on stage kept blowing over. But I did it and it's official.





Now I can move on the more important things, like staying in bed and watching T.V. Benji's parents gave me an awesome T.V. for our bedroom. See, it's okay to watch T.V. when you are not a student anymore. No more guilty feelings for watching the Bachelor when you should be memorizing Greek vocab. I'm loving the new addition to the bedroom.



This weekend also brought about some exciting progress. While Benji's parents were here for graduation they so graciously helped Benji paint the nursery and put together the crib. I helped prime the walls, (a little) and then my mom and I headed off to Babies R Us to get the mattress.

Having that crib right across the hall has made Emery's arrival all the more real. I'll be posting more pictures of the nursery as we get the final touches completed.

Orange drink, crib, and a yawn.

Today we got a lot of things accomplished.
I went for my glucose screening to see if I have gestational diabetes. I got to drink the sticky sweet orange drink. It actually tasted like something we drank regularly in Argentina, so it took me back.....

We also had another ultrasound.
Emery looks great. She weighs about 2lbs and 12oz. She is taking up my entire belly! Her head is resting near my right hip, (which would explain why my hip hurts all the time.) Her legs are up in my left rib cage, and her butt is resting nicely right under my stomach. My placenta is located on the front wall of my uterus.

The technician said she had nice long legs, a full bladder (like her mom), and we saw her yawn twice! We also saw her practicing her breathing techniques. It was a special time.....it made Benji and I both anxious to get ready for her debut.

Our crib came in yesterday, so we went and picked it up after the Dr. appt. It is currently in the garage in a box, but will soon be moved to its temporary location in the second bedroom.

I pick up my cap and gown on Friday. Which is pretty exciting.

I've now gained close to 30lbs. My Dr. reassured me that I am completely fine and within range for my height and starting weight.

My mom however thinks I look a "little swollen", and that "I'd better watch it....."

The only thing I'll be watching is Emery kick my belly...... and my D cup turn into DD's! s This is the only time in life that a woman can embrace weight gain as a sign of a healthy, viable, life being created inside her.

So I'm embracing it...in one hand, and a milkshake(calcium people) in the other.




Here is a picture of typical homework time in our house. Vance is way jealous of the computer. He fights for our laps EVERY time we try to use the lap top.

Can't wait to see how he deals with his sister.

26 weeks....and thankful

I'm fat. no seriously. I am FAT! This picture is well.....pretty much the truth. I feel like I'm a little bigger than 26 weeks, but that's what they say!

I finished my Hebrew class last week. Now I'm just waiting for May 16.

They say that the cicada's are going to be out in the 100,000s this year. starting in may. Graduation is outside. Yeah. That is my luck.

When I graduated from college I had the flu and a 103 degree fever, doped up on codeine cough syrup.

Graduating from seminary and the plague of the century hits the front lawn. Graduation is outside if I didn't mention that before.

But other than the plague I have a lot to be thankful for and I have been thinking about it all lately.

1. I graduate in 14 days. 4 years of sweat, tears, a lot of coffee and sleepless nights are behind me....okay so having a child will involve all of the above things as well. But Babies are cuter than Hebrew professors......so I'll deal with it.

I have loved seminary. I wouldn't change any second of it. Sure there were days when I wanted to drive my car off a bridge. There were days when I wondered how I ever graduated from high school. But looking back the hardest times were when I learned the best lessons.

My Greek classes were hated the most when I was in the midst of them. But I learned the most about God, myself, my ability, and the amazing power of scripture in these classes.

2. I am almost 27 weeks preggo. All in all I have had a great time being pregnant. Acid reflux, nausea, and weight gain....oh yeah and back pain, hip pain, leg pain, pain aside, I've had an amazingly gracious time thus far..... I pray that my last trimester is just as blessed as the first two.

3. Benji turned in his 2 week notice this week. Crazy I know. Men don't usually QUIT jobs when babies are just around the corner. But he has a much better job that he works in the summer. Makes twice as much and is way happier.

Him giving 2 week notice only means that we are that much closer to starting our "grown up life." I am so thankful that God has provided for us graciously and abundantly for four years while we have been here. Benji has 3 classes left and then he is finished! Which also means I'll be finished with the bux!

4. This one may be a shocker..... But I have basically had any one's dream job for 4 years. That... is paying for my pregnancy, birth and 12 weeks of maternity leave. I get great, great benefits, have an amazing boss, mostly amazing co-workers, and get paid way to much for what I do.... and all the free coffee I could ever need.
(I'll have to remind myself of this one tomorrow when I get up at 4:15a.m to go work this dream job.)

5. I Have the best, most amazing husband in the world. I know that some of you will say that your husband is the best, but you are all mistaken. Benji is far more than I ever deserved in life. He has worked twice as hard as I have over the past 4 years, and yet he has complained half as much as I have.

I have experienced the best seven years of my life being his wife. We have had an amazing adventure together and are so excited to finally add Emery to the family.

He has been so patient with me during my pregnancy. I could not ask for more.....

Well there is definitely more to be thankful for. My mama, my amazingly brave sister, my loyal and loving friends, my awesome in-laws, VANCE!, our perfect first home that will soon be on the market, our consistent and healthy church.

Most of all my amazingly gracious and merciful God. Who has blessed me beyond measure. I owe all that I have, know, and am to His glorious presence in my life. Throughout these past 4 years the one constant in my life was the redemptive power of Christ. I am nothing, He is everything. I pray that God's glory will be as evident in the next four years....