Relaxing Saturday

We spent a nice relaxing Saturday at home today. Natalie had another good night last night giving mommy about 3 hours of sleep at a time. We "slept in" until about 10 and then got up and had some breakfast. Natalie was wide awake for a couple hours before napping again right after lunch. Nick and I watched Kung Fu Panda while she slept. Pretty cute movie. Daddy and I even got in a little nap afterwards. After her nap we got all set to go for our first walk in the stroller. It was a little cool, but she had her hat on a a blankie wrapped around her, so she was good to go. She wasn't real sure about the walk at first, but the soothie pacifier helped her to enjoy it for the most part. :) She doesn't take it very often as she knows it doesn't deliver the goods.
The she played with daddy while I cooked dinner and napped while we ate. We are now watching the Tech/OK game winding down our day. Go Red Raiders!
Not much else to report. A couple days ago we gave Natalie her first sponge bath and she was not a fan. Maybe when she can get submerged in all warm water she will enjoy bath time a little more. :)
Enjoy a couple more pictures!

Learning

Natalie is still doing well. A little more fussy the past night and day, but still doing great. Mommy, Daddy, and Natalie are continuing to learn as we go and are excited about Je Je coming to visit on Sunday. Here are some new pics for your viewing pleasure. :)

Reflections of a New Mother

How someone can go through this experience and
not believe in God is beyond me.

Wow. It’s already been a week since we headed to the hospital to deliver our sweet little girl. The time has flown by so quickly, and all the days seem to have blended into one big long day. I guess that’s what happens when you only sleep for a maximum of three hours at a time. (It’s totally been worth it, though.)

I will spare you the details of labor and delivery. It was the most horrible and wonderful experience of my life and I feel that EVERY woman who has ever birthed a child is a true hero – my “war” was 15 hours with 2 hours of pushing. I was blessed with a wonderful coach – Nick was truly amazing and I don’t know what I would have done without him there (or God [I prayed a lot], or the epidural). I LOVE YOU! You can ask him how many times he had to count to 10. :)

I also want to mention that my prayer was answered, and I did not have to be induced or helped along in any way. Just like her daddy, she waited until a deadline had been set, and then waited until the last possible second. Literally. I had minor contractions all day long on Monday, and they started getting intense around 5pm. We were scheduled to be admitted to the hospital at 6pm.

Anyway, enough about that. I know what you really want to know about is Natalie. She is just wonderful and has been a great baby so far. She doesn’t fuss much at all, and 95% of the time it is because she wants to eat. She has been eating like a champ (keeping mommy very busy) and had already regained 2oz at her first doctor’s visit on Friday! She was so much smaller than I expected her to be. At the beginning of October when we had our last sonogram, they estimated her weight at that time to be 6lb 6oz and guessed that she would be around 8lb by delivery. So, when she came in at 6lb 14oz I could hardly believe it! She is long and skinny - 20 ¾ inches. Long fingers, long legs, long feet, and long monkey toes like her daddy.

Although I was scared out of my mind, what they say has been true so far. It just comes to you. I guess God just gives you exactly what you need when you need it. I just try to be as calm as possible and try to put myself in her shoes when something is the matter.

The hardest thing for me has actually been making myself rest and take it easy. For those of you who know me well I am an achiever by nature and feel like I need to be productive in some form or fashion every day. Napping during the day is something I must make myself do even though it’s so tempting to get something else done.
Nick has proved to be a wonderful daddy just like I knew he would. He is a natural and it is a joy to watch him snuggle with her, kiss her, and talk to her. And he is a pro at swaddling her – much better than I am.

Well, I guess that is about it for now. This post is long enough for one day. Enjoy the new pictures of our little snuggie.

She's Home

Welcome Natalie Shea Moss

I am at Panera using their Wi-Fi before I head home for a shower and back to the hospital. Candace and Natalie are doing great. More will be written in the days to come, but for now- enjoy the pictures.
nick

Not Yet

Hello all- this is Nick writing.
We are heading to the hospital at 6:00p.m. tonight. Natalie has decided that she does not want to come out, so the doctor is going to make her! So.....sometime tomorrow Natalie will join us on the "outside."
We trust that God will work out all things for the good.
Please keep us in your prayers.

Natalie will make her blog debut in just a few short days.

nick

Still living the high life

We just got back from our doctor's appointment, and Miss Natalie Shea is still sitting high. She really hasn't dropped at all. I guess I have made such a good home for her that she has no desire to leave it! She seems to be such a mellow baby, and I hope that remains once she comes into the world.
I still want her to come out on her own, but the doctor went ahead and set up an appointment for me to be induced - he says the risks of letting me go longer are greater than the risks of inducing. I will go in on Monday evening at 6:00pm, and then be induced sometime on Tuesday morning. So, no matter what, it looks like she'll arrive by November 11th.
It still hasn't really hit me. I came to work again today just like every day for the past 9 months. It just doesn't seem real that this is my last day of work in 2008! It will definitely be a nice break from the office, but I already know it will be SO hard to come back. But I know I have to, and the bank account will be begging me to by then anyway. Boo for unpaid maternity leave!
Anywho, that's about all I know. I'll be heading to the grocery store after work since our frig is bare, and then it's home to wait and wait some more!

Lastly, congrats to our friends Greg and Elizabeth on the birth of their first child, a son, Theodore Williams Prauner born November 4th!

Yikes!

Look at my baby countdown!!! Ahhh!

Still nothin' though. I figure she'll be like her daddy and wait until the last possible second. He is a procrastinator deluxe.

I really do hope she comes on her own, though. I really want the satisfaction of seeing the look on Nick's face and/or hearing the panic in his voice when I say "it's time". Aren't I awful? :)

We'll keep you updated!

Living like each day could be your last

It's just a bizarre concept going from day to day wondering...could today be the day? Nick and I have decided that we are still in state of denial that this life altering event is going to happen..and soon. I have still been feeling good, so day to day life keeps going on as usual without the hint of the inevitable rapidly approaching - clean the house and do laundry on Saturday, church and youth on Sunday. Back to the old grindstone on Monday! It's just strange to think that sometime within the next week I will be in the hospital with a baby in my arms and my life changed forever. We do have the bags packed for the hospital, and I did stock up on toilet paper and paper towels yesterday.:)The room and baby paraphernalia have long since been washed, organized, and taken care of, so I guess we aren't completely in denial.
It is also strange (but awesome!) to think that no matter what, this will be my last Monday at work in 2008! My doctor will not let me go over a week past due and told me at my appointment on Friday that if I did not have her this week, he would schedule me to come in on the night of the 10th (next Monday) to prep me to be induced on the 11th. I figure I would take next Monday (if it come to that) and rest before going to the hospital that evening. I would really prefer things to happen on their own accord, so please pray that Natalie would decide to join us before that time. :)
In other news, I neglected to mention that a week ago the ladies that I manage threw me a surprise baby shower at work. It was really nice and they did a fabulous job! I was clueless until the end. It was so much fun....I have never had a surprise anything like that before. They even got Nick in on it, and he came up for it. Instead of a cake, they had made cupcakes and then spelled out Natalie's name on the goodie table. I thought that was such a neat idea! We were blessed primarily with lots of clothes - which we really needed, so that was wonderful.
And, speaking of showers, my good friend from high school who had a sweet little girl in September - Emma Ann - called me and said she and her mom were going to throw a baby shower in Texas, minus me. My mom is going to drive down and open gifts and enjoy the day. I am glad she will get to do that. They are having it on the 15th, so she will be able to take some pictures of her new granddaughter with her to show everyone. :) That was sure sweet of them to do, and I hope my mom has a great time!
It's a big week this week. My Grammie (mom's mom) turns 89 today! And Happiest Anniversary wishes to Gary and Nadine (Nick's mom and dad) on celebrating 30 years of marriage tomorrow! The tile is supposed to come in either today or tomorrow, and then they will come and put it up tomorrow or Wednesday!

Renovations are underway

As if we didn't have anything else going on, yesterday began the renovations of the shower in our bath and tub in the hall bath. Our bath is up first and the shower has been completely removed. I am SO glad to see that wooden beast gone. And, I will certainly be glad to have 2 working bathrooms after who knows when. It always makes me so nervous to spend such a large chunk of money at one time, but I know it's for the best - it has been thought out and planned for a while now. I suppose it is a better investment than putting it into our IRA right about this time. Uncle Sam will be happy anyway....our tax return and economic stimulus check hard at work. We usually put our tax return into our IRA accounts, but this year something told me maybe we shouldn't. Glad I listened to the little voice! :)
It's so amazing to look back and see all that we have done to our house since we first bought it in the summer of 2005. We have certainly made it our own and given it a much needed face lift. Here's a list of things we have done or had done since moving in:

Knowing our limits and paying someone else to do it!:
- Tile and carpet removed and new tile laid in living, dining, kitchen, hallway, and both bathrooms
- New toilets in both bathrooms
- Removal and renovation of old shower in master bath
- Removal and renovation of tub and wall tile in hall bath

DIY Projects - in no particular order:
- Removal of carpet and tack board in all 4 bedrooms
- Removal of wall paper border (I'm convinced that stuff is from the devil!)
- Removal of hardwood paneling - Groovy!
- Laying wood laminate flooring in back 3 bedrooms
- Painting every wall in the house at least once - with the exception of 2 closets
- Scraping falling popcorn ceiling and then re-popcorning and painting (that was a messy job!)
- Removing old cabinets/vanities in both bathrooms
- Installing new vanities, medicine cabinets/light fixtures, counter tops and fixtures in both bathrooms
- New ceiling fans and dining light fixture
- New closet doors in back 3 bedrooms
- Baseboards in living, dining, hall, and back three bedrooms
- New interior doors and hardware (handles)- 5 down four more doors to go
- Replacing all outlets and light switches - Nick still has three rooms left to go

I don't know what in the world we will do with ourselves once the bathrooms have been completed. That's the final thing on our list! We love our house, and are glad we looked past all the cosmetics when we purchased. The important things were in place - good layout, room to grow (The "room to grow" will commence shortly when we bring Natalie Shea home!), brand new roof right before we moved in, new AC 1 year before we moved in, nice neighborhood, and good structure.
We have certainly learn much, survived some heated moments :), and grown together as husband and wife. It's very gratifying to look back and reflect just how far we've come and things we've accomplished we thought we could never do.

Thought of the day

As labor and delivery draws ever closer, I can't help but be apprehensive and a bit fearful. I have said that I am just ready for that to be over with so I don't have to worry about it any longer. As always, God hears my cries and worries and comforts me through His Word. This was the daily devotion I read this morning:
"Many say we fear the unknown. This statement is not always true. Do you open gifts only when you know what is inside? Do you see movies only when you already know the ending? No! Life's newness often brings great joy and excitement. When we can trust the source and the giver, we can enjoy the gift.
We do not know all the details of our eternal future. But through Christ Jesus, God shows us that He can be trusted, and we can rejoice in the future He gives us.
Trust is a gift created and sustained by God Himself (Ephesians 2:8-9). We have true faith and trust in God only because He has proven that He is truly faithful to the sinner. The cross is the fount of faith that flows through the Word and Sacraments in the Church (Romans 10:17). God forgives and renews us, revealing Himself to us as our doting Father, protective big Brother, and Faithful Counselor who graciously gives us every gift - spiritual and physical - out of His great love and to His eternal glory."

I feel better now, don't you? Isn't the Lord amazing? :)Hope this gets your week started off great.

One guess is as good as any.....

Well, since we are almost down to the single digits until the ol' due date I figured it would be fun to take a delivery poll. To help you guys out, here is some information (all true):
1) Went to the doctor yesterday and he told me I "have a cervix of steel" and predicted that I wouldn't deliver before my due date.
2) He also said the first thing he learned in med school was to "never trust a pregnant lady".
3)He will not let me go more than a week past due without inducing.(So don't guess anything after Nov. 12th)
4) My mother was told the same thing at one of her appointments - "Nope. See you next week." She had me the very next day.
5) I arrived one day after my due date, my sister was one week late, and my brother was a week and a half late (I believe).
6) Two weeks ago they estimated her current weight at 6lbs 6oz.

Alright, place your guesses!

Date of Delivery:
Time of Delivery:
Duration of Labor:
Weight:
Legnth:
Hair color or no hair:
Will Nick pass out: Yes or No :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

The Prettiest Gift Ever

Nick and I took a vote and we decided that this was the prettiest gift we received. It was from one of my co-workers and his wife.

Also pictured is a little afghan I made a while back (before I was pregnant) and my one impulse buy for Natalie - the little lamb by the basket of goodies. I couldn't resist. It is SO soft.
Back to the basket. Isn't it lovely? I have to say that I am somewhat jealous of people who have an eye for things like this. I mean sure, I can duplicate it, but to come up with it initially is quite another thing. I hardly wanted to open it, but the urge to get things in their place ultimately won over. :)
We are all still doing well. Natalie is just hanging out waiting for her big day...whenever she decides that may be. I have another Dr. appointment today, and he'll be checking to see if I'm progressing any more. I think she's pretty comfortable, though, and don't think she'll arrive and day soon. But, heck, what do I know?
I'm still working and people keep asking me when my last day will be. I tell them that I don't know...ask her. :) I have been so blessed with a healthy pregnancy and I have never been completely miserable. I mean, uncomfortable, yes, but miserable, no.
My crazy procrastinating husband is still trying to get our bathrooms redone before the baby comes. You know, one day this behavior is going to come back to bite him, but for my sake, I hope it's not this time! I did my duty of picking out the tile yesterday, so the ball is back in his court. It will be great to have two working showers with all the company we will be having over the next couple of months.
We have had such a busy week this week - something every night of the week. Friday night is the only night with nothing going on. What will we do with ourselves? Rest up for Saturday of course! Saturday, we need to install the car seats and get them inspected. Then on Saturday afternoon, we will be going to our friends' house for their "2nd Annual Pumpkin Extravaganza". :)
The coming week, though looks to be pretty uneventful so far. That's what's new with us lately!

Natalie Shea's Nursery!

Well, it's as ready as it's going to be, and I am very pleased with the outcome of it. The room has under gone a pretty amazing transformation considering all we have done to it since we have been pregnant. Carpet has been removed, furniture has been moved to other rooms, walls have been painted, new outlets have been installed, new flooring has been laid (saga told in past posts :)), baseboards have been nailed in, a new door has been hung, gifts have been given, items have been purchased, clothes have been washed and organized, and decorations have been placed. I give you the fruit of our labor:

Looking in the door way.


Glider, closet, & crib


Inside the crib...baby to come soon!


Wall decor courtsey of yours truly - I worked on it hard last weekend! I'm so pleased with how it came out.



Changing station.


Wall opposite crib and looking out the door.


I made a video tour, but Nick will have to figure out how to load that....it will be forth coming.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Holy Belly Batman!

With just about 2 weeks left to go, this may be the final picture of Natalie Shea in the womb. This is just shy of 38 weeks.

Another Week Gone Already!

I can't believe another week has passed so quickly! I suppose that is a good thing.
This past weekend we made a trip to Brandon and spent all our money. :) We have all of our essentials now, though. The nursery is finished and we will post pictures and a video tour very soon, I promise!
I went to Michael's and got supplies to make her name - painted wood letters hung by ribbon - to go above her crib. It turned out really cute if I do say so myself.
The bed is made now that we have a mattress, and the diaper bag is now packed now that we have a diaper bag! This weekend I guess I will pack the hospital bag for me, although sometimes it still feels like we have all the time in the world. However, 20 days can go by so quickly, and technically, it could be any day now - she is now considered full term! That is terribly frightening in some ways, but exciting in others.
I am ALMOST finished with the crocheted blanket I have been working on for what seems like forever, but it has turned out lovely. Wouldn't you know I ran out of yarn with only 1 1/2 rounds of the border left to do! Oh well, it will be done soon. In the meantime, I am working on pair of knitted little pink slippers. One down, one to go! I hope to finish those this weekend.

On the job front, I had a "team building" day yesterday. I worked really hard planning the scavenger hunt of sorts, and it seemed to be successful. Yea! They all surprised me with some beautiful flowers today for "Boss' Day". I am SO bad about things like that. I had totally forgotten, but luckily was able to pick something up on the way back from my Dr. appointment today for MY boss. When I got back, there was the lovely surprise waiting for me! But seriously. About holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, you name it, I stink at it. I always forget if I don't make myself a reminder, and if I do happen to forget I feel like a total heel. It's not that I don't love the people, I guess it's just not my love language or something. However, I know it's important to let people know you remember, and that's why I am trying harder and doing things to help my cause. :)

Anywho, I am off for today heading home to figure out something to make with chicken breast for dinner, and watch our favorite TV show - The Office!

Armadillo Hunter

I (Nick)have not posted in a while. Sorry. Some of you may or may not know about our armadillo problem in our backyard. For the past few months there has been at least 2 armadillos living under our shed. Now, before I go any further, I must state that I love God's creatures. But I must also point out that God put us in control over the animals. So, armadillos are somewhat interesting creatures and most of my experiences with them has been seeing them on the side of the road in Missouri. I now have much more personal experiences. These armadillos have been tearing up our backyard. They are grubbers, so they root around in the yard, killing the grass! I tried many ways to get rid of them (not in order): called a trapper- wanted $250 to put up a trap for a week with no guarantee of catching one. thought about borrowing a .22- but live to close to other people tried to catch it, flooded its hole under the shed- did not work. As you can see, it was taking up my time. So, last Monday I spotted the horrible creature. I stalked it with a 50 gal. trash can, I was able to put the trash can over it and trap it. Now....do not read the next part if you like armadillos: Finally I cut a hole in the bottom of the trash can and pored some gasoline in on the armadillo. After squirming around for a few minutes, it finally died. I buried it the back yard. Nick- 1 Armadillo- 0

We'll Just have to Wait

Much to my disappointment, Miss Natalie Shea did not cooperate for the sonogram yesterday. She was stuck down in her favorite spot fast asleep and would not wake up or move for anything. The sonogram tech said she was stubborn, but I like to think she is just a heavy sleeper (just like her daddy)! :) Would you believe we couldn't even get a good shot of her foot?! She had managed to wedge it between the uterus and placenta. We did see her big toe, though, and a few wisps of hair so we know she's going to have a little fuzz at least initially. :) I was really looking forward to getting a sneak peek, but no such luck. I guess I'll just have to wait my 3 or 4 more weeks. Poo.

Other good news is that my placenta moved up just fine (if you recall at the last sonogram in June it was slightly low), and is in a great position. No complications for delivery in that area.

The doctor said that her approximate weight right now is 6lbs 6oz - almost perfect he said, in the 54th percentile. He said she will probably be around 8lbs when she is born so we anticipate a very normal and healthy sized baby. He also said I was beginning to progress some, and at this point if anything happens, he'll just let it happen. He said she'll be considered full term next week.

I just can't believe it's getting so close. It is still somewhat surreal. We will be heading to Babies R Us this weekend for the "essentials" run. They are having a big sale this weekend, so hopefully we can find some of the items we need at a discount. I am really looking forward to the weekend. Work has been kind of a bear this week and is going to end on a stressful note. (Yuck. Sometimes being a manager is NOT fun.) I guess some weeks are just like that. That's why they call it work and pay you to be there. Even though maternity leave is no vacation, I am looking forward to the break from the office and time away from the day to day grind.

Here's wishing you a blessed and relaxing weekend!

35 week Belly Shot

I have decided that 9 months is a very long time! Although I have been blessed with a relatively uneventful pregnancy, I've definitely arrived at the point where I'm ready to not be pregnant any more. I'm ready to see my sweet little girl and my feet again. :) Look how big we are both getting! Only 4 weeks to go.


In other news, this past weekend Nick and I went to our all day long childbirth preparedness class. We got some good information and got to tour the labor and delivery wing and mother-baby wing. The facilities look very nice!
The rest of our weekend, however, wasn't too fun. Nick and I both woke up Sunday sick, but with different symptoms. I have a good old fashioned head cold, and Nick is more sore throat and runny nose. He is convinced we must have picked up something at the hospital, but who knows. I don't know how anything could live there as cold as they keep it! I am starting to feel better today after lots of OJ and rest since that's the only thing I can do for it right now.
We are both looking forward to Thursday when we will get to "see" Natalie again. I have a sonogram scheduled then! We haven't had one since June when we found out she was a "she", so we are both looking forward to it! Dr. says that he will be able to approximate her weight. He will also be checking me to see if I have started to progress at all. It will be a big day for us.

The stroller and glider chair & ottoman have both arrived! (I ended up saving about $100 on the chair and ottoman, too!) They are both brand new and arrived in perfect condition. Yea! Slowly but surly we are getting there.

Lastly, it is note worthy that my husband, not I, seems to be doing a little nesting. We have a really gross shower that we haven't used in over a year (it's wooden, no lie. I've never seen anything like it before! Here's proof. Horrific, I know.). (This was taken before we replaced the toilet and vanity.)
Well, Mr. Moss has decided that we need to get that taken care of before Natalie arrives! A lady came out yesterday to measure, so we should be receiving an estimate sometime soon. I will admit that it will be very nice to have two working showers since we will be having lots of company in the near future! It should be an interesting few weeks. I know the economy is slow and that construction companies are desperate for work, but can all of this be finished in just 4 weeks? We shall see....My oh my. We must love excitement. :)

Shower Pictures!

As promised, here are a few pictures of dinner with my Tampa relatives, and the baby shower my friends at church had for Natalie a couple weeks ago. (I was about 33 weeks pregnant here.)

Dinner with my Aunt Elaine and cousins Krystle and Loren.

Here's one of the toys Natalie got from the Jones women. I'm sure she'll have many hours of fun playing with that!

St. Paul Shower


Our Sr. Pastor's wife is an amazing baker, and she made two cookie cakes for the occasion. They were AWESOME!


Opening a gift.


My wonderful friends who hosted the shower. From left to right:
Lilly with daughter Isabel, Jennifer, Niki, Me, Kris, and Jodi with son Aiden
Thanks again Ladies!! :)