I finally got out of this cage!

I have been so wanting to get out of the indoors recently and since my doctor told me I could start walking when I felt like it - I did! And I made an amazing discovery...I can walk and get a good workout without 'over exerting' myself or getting dehydrated or being in pain!! WOOHOO!! So on every nice day that I have a walking buddy, out I'm going to be. We'll see what next week holds sine it's supposed to be rainy all week, but I'll still try! :)

On Evan news...he is moving around again, although not in the same way he did a week or so ago. My theory, since I know he's ok in there, is that he had a growth spurt that left him a little cramped, and so now instead of swinging his arms and kicking his legs around, he's practicing the scrunched version of the chicken dance and throwing his shoulders. So I definitely still feel him, it's just harder and more 'deliberate' movements that I'm feeling instead of all the little kicks and squirms since, in my opinion, he's getting too big to just move about all willy nilly like he used to! All in all, I think we're looking good. But considering he's about 19 inches long head to toe...he's bound to get scrunched a bit!

Doctors appointment update

We just got back from the doctor's office and all in all, everything is great. We had an ultrasound done (it was routine) and he said everything looked good. Measurements were right on target and the heartbeat was where it should be. The head is already down - but not engaged - and the doc did say that I had dropped some already! I asked him about all the braxton hicks and he said that until they happen 4 in an hour, or make my stomach rock hard for a minute, that I'm fine and it just means my body is prepping itself! Praise the Lord!! I am still banned from anything except walking, but I can go whenever I feel up for it as long as I make sure to stay hydrated (duh) and don't over heat. So that's good! Tomorrow's supposed to be beautiful out! :)

The only thing that was 'off' was the Evan's movement. Yesterday morning he did this huge somersault twist thing (what I think got him head-down - he's never moved like that before) and then the movement was to a minimum all day long. I would feel little kicks here and there, but it was definitely not his normal moving routine. The same thing with today. The doctor didn't seem worried though - it could be that he's going through a growth spurt and he's just not as active at the moment or that I hadn't had my mid-afternoon snack yet - it could be a lot of different things, basically. But nonetheless, he put me on the non-stress test machine for 40 minutes to monitor both Evan's heart beat and to see if I would have a contraction while there. Well, no contraction that I could tell, and Evan's heart beat (after some sound shocks and a little snack) made the proper jumps to let everyone know that his nervous system works just fine. I'm going in again in a week to just make sure that the whole no-movement thing is a fluke and nothing more. And I think it was just a fluke b/c since I've been back at work he's been a little more active! Praise the Lord!



Here I am to show you that I've really grown this past week! CRAZY!

I chopped it all off!

Ok, so not ALL of it, but a good portion of it - and I LOVE it!! I got to thinking 'why didn't I do this earlier?!?' and it dawned on me - I was growing my hair out for the wedding, and I guess I just didn't stop. Ha ha! So yesterday, I had that all taken care of and my wonderful friend Rebekah cut it for me and did a fantastic job! (Thanks, Bek!) I have to admit that the 7 or 8 inch chunk of hair she handed me after the first cut was a little unnerving to hold, but i love it! I miss it being short and having the sweepy bangs, and it's so EASY! This morning I did nothing to it but put some friz-ease stuff it in and waala! AND - I can still pull it back if need be - it's perfect! So here is the proof! (I realize I shouldn't have taken the picture against a brown door - sorry!)

Also, I'll post more this afternoon as we're off to the drs and an ultrasound later this morning! We're praying everything looks normal!

I feel like...

...Jack and the Bean Stalk!! You know the story - the kid goes out and plants the magic seeds and then overnight, there's a stalk all the way to the sky and then he gets chased by the giant, but not before he saves the harp lady? Yeah, that about sums up how I feel - minus the chasing giant or the harp lady, or the fact that I couldn't climb up a bean stalk, either. But seriously, I feel like I go to bed and grow exponentially while I sleep! I wake up and I look down and think "you were NOT this big last night!!" IS THIS NORMAL?!? And getting in and out of bed is also getting harder as of last night. Our bed in up a little higher than is normal, so I now have to 'knee up' to get in, and to get out, well, it's quite comical.

Some gals from the class ahead of Scot had to come back to town for testing this week and it was SO good to see them and catch up! A couple of them even brought some cute baby clothes for me!! How adorable are these? I think I'm officially good on clothes for the first 6 months now!! :) And they're all just as cute as these outfits - I just haven't taken pictures of all of them!

my goatee-less husband

Here's a picture to show you how YOUNG Scot looks without a goatee! Suffice it to say we look about the same age now - and considering everyone still thinks I'm 19...that's saying something! Scot decided yesterday that his goatee needed 'redoing' - whatever that means. So he shaved it all off to start anew. But now I look at him and think 'Who are you and what have you done with my husband?!?' Even he says that he looks in the mirror and doesn't recognize himself. One good thing about this whole episode is that he now KNOWS for sure that he likes himself better with a goatee - haha - I could have told him that! :)

On other baby news - I've been feeling fine. I've been taking it really REALLY easy workout wise until I see the Dr on Monday and hear what he has to say. But everything is going really well. Evan is still kicking up a storm during his normal kicking times (amazing how they have a routine even before they get out) and besides the fact that everything is happening lower, I think all is well. My sunburn, too, is fading into a nice brown and it's much easier to sleep now that my skin is back to normal! :) Also - it's a beautiful day and we have MUCH to be thankful for!!

...ps

So I realized I hadn't told you guys something. 2 things, actually. 1) I started, finally, on the baby scrapbook and it's looking cute so far! I just did the first few 'non-month' page headings ('Evan Blake', 'The First 9 Months', 'My Family Tree', 'I'm Here!') and then the headings to the first 7 month-pages. You can see some pictures, again, in the Picasa album 'Spring 08'. I have to do the rest of the headings and then go ahead and make the 'fill in the blank' section of the pages!! 2) My mom went up to the Townhouse this past weekend and took pictures!! YAY mom!! So there are pictures of it for those who have been asking to see! There's TLC to give still, but these will serve as good 'before' pictures! The Townhouse has its very own album - check it out!

30 weeks already!

I can't believe I'm at 30 weeks already! It seems crazy to me! Here's the 'official' 30 week picture and you'll notice the nice pink sunburn I have going on. It wasn't intentional, believe me!! It's just what happens when you spend 6 glorious hours out doors on a sunny day after not really spending ANY time out in the sun all season!! That, and then add the fact that I RARELY if EVER burn so I wasn't even thinking about it. I guess I didn't take into account the fact that I spend most daylight hours indoors instead of prancing about outside so my skin can slowly get adjusted.

So Scot and I went to Columbia this past weekend and had an absolute blast. It was kind of out last big outing before Evan gets here since I won't be able to leave Kirksville in a few weekends. So we packed a delicious picnic lunch and headed down after church. (For those who don't know, picnics and taking walks were our 'thing' when we were dating and we still love them!) We found this gorgeous park with a little lake and trails all over the place and set up shop there. I have pictures in the Picasa folder "Spring 08" if you want to check them out - just follow the link to the right. After lunch we walked and we walked some more. It was such a beautiful day out and the grass was so green and the buds were budding and there were families out walking and old couples still holding hands...it was one of those days where you just breathe deep and think 'Thank you Lord for this life!' :)

After the park, we decided to split some ice cream, so downtown to went to find the Coldstone and not only did we find it, but there was a festival going on in honor of Earth Day. So we walked around that for a while, listened to some live music, almost got attacked by women who wanted to tell me ALL about home births and then my purse fell off my shoulder and onto my arm and it hurt!! I told Scot I thought I was turning a little pink and his jaw dropped when he looked at me. That's when I knew it was bad. So back to the car we went and off to the mall to cool off a bit. (We also drove by all these cute old homes in the 'established' district of Columbia. SO pretty - all the brick work and the gardens - mmm....it was so nice!) But I was starting to turn from just a little pink to really pink and by the time we got home, red. BUT - there is a bright side here - I'm VERY thankful I'm not bald - I can't imagine what a burnt bald head would feel like right now!


Here we are after our yummy meal and before I got burned!

restricted!

I have been restricted from "any strenuous activities to include working out" says the doctor and all his nurses. So what does that mean exactly? I'm allowed to go on walks, but they must be 'strolls' and I mustn't get my heart rate up either. So what exactly falls under 'strenuous activity'? Cleaning floors? Organizing closets? Packing books away? Grocery shopping? General around the house cleaning? heehee....no no, I won't use this restriction to get away from my other wifely duties or household chores, but I must admit, it IS tempting! But I am bummed that I've been restricted from my workouts!! Granted, I was going to stop the toning/aerobic class in a couple weeks, but still...to ONLY be able to walk. sigh. The Lord is good, I know, I just hope I can continue to be healthy the next 8-10 weeks!!

So why, you may be asking, do I have to refrain from anything strenuous? Well, I apologize for keeping you waiting this long, you must forgive my pregnant head - it doesn't think strait sometimes. The reason is that I had some pretty nice little contractions going on yesterday morning for about 40 minutes - they were normal Braxton Hicks, except for the fact that they were 4-5 minutes apart instead of being "very sporadic" like they're supposed to be. Lovely - I know. I wasn't too worried, but as soon as Scot found out he made me phone the doctor's office. Sweet guy.

The good news is that we know everything down there will be nice and primed and working by the time the baby gets here (hopefully) - the downside is my decrease in physical activity - which is slightly depressing for me since I've grown so accustomed to being able to workout every day. But everything is fine now. I was told - not asked - but told - to not do any sort of physical activity yesterday for fear it would put me into pre-term labor. (EEK!! I guess I should have been more concerned!) So, going along with that sentiment, I'm just reading over my lunch break today, too. But otherwise, everything is fine now. After the 40 minutes of contractions, they pretty much stopped. I had about 4 or 5 after that through out the day, but the doctor said not to worry about it unless it was persistent, and since then - no Braxton Hicks!

Well, I'm off now to read and 'relax' - not like I do anything else but sit all day long anyways - haha - but I'll find a comfier chair, that's for sure! :) I hope you all have a good weekend! If the weather stays nice, Scot and I are headed down to Columbia after church for a picnic and hanging out! The forecast says 75 and sunny! We're praying the weather man is right!

be still, and know that I am God

I have been struck recently at how much I struggle with disconnectedness. And what's horrible is that it's one of those 'silent sins' as I like to call it. It's not like a loss of self control or something more visible, it's all in my heart. It's like this - I KNOW, intellectually speaking, that God is sovereign and has me certain places at certain times for HIS purpose, but I constantly want to be somewhere else doing something else. I really need to just sit back and enjoy where I am and let the Lord use me to further His kingdom and HIS glory - not my own. And why do I struggle with this? Seriously?!?! I know better!!! Sometimes it's simple things, like this morning. I was walking from my car to my office building and it's just one of those mornings where it would have been perfect to lay in bed with the windows cracked, the light breeze playing with the curtains and the birds chirping in the distance and then just play all day outside enjoying the nice weather. And here I was, thinking of what i would rather do, instead of praising God for the beautiful weather and having a cheerful attitude when I walked into work!!! How can that be? We serve such an awesome God and if it wasn't for Him, I wouldn't be here right now! Psalm 46:10 (Be still, and know that I am God) popped into my head and I was struck with the conviction that I really need to focus on where the Lord has me RIGHT NOW instead of wishing that I was already in Denver, or already a mom (although I'm really enjoying this stage of the pregnancy) and this or that or the other. Why can't I just 'be still' as the Lord commands? sigh. I think that will be my prayer - to just be still. Am I the only one who struggles with this!?!? How do you guys deal with it or what verses do you turn to when you're confronted with a spirit of disconnectedness?

Also, I just want to say, so noone thinks it, that I'm not discontent in my marriage or anything like that - this is really just an 'i'm sick and tired of working indoors and being in MO and feeling like my time could be SO much better spent elsewhere' bad attitude that needs fixing before it seeps into other areas of life. :)

let's go fly a kite!!!

This past weekend was a wonderful weekend! Not only did I get to leave Kirksville on Saturday with Rebekah and just have fun shopping and hanging down in Columbia, but Sunday morning, Scot woke up wanting to get out of town himself! So after church and a bite to eat, we headed up to Ottumwa! It was about an hour drive, but it was great. It was a great day to get out, too, and it was so 'springy' on the drive up! We passed I don't know how many sheep farms and cow pastures, little Amish communities and rolling green hills - it was all SO beautiful. All this rain has changed the landscape in a much needed way, that's for sure. But as beautiful as it was, it was a little windy, so Scot and I decided to take the kite along and once in Ottumwa, we found a really open field by a school and had some fun. Scot had a blast flying the kite (until we dated, he had never flown a kite before! A crime if you ask me! And if anyone reading this hasn't flown a kite, either - you should go out and buy one right now! It's perfect kite flying weather!!) and I had a blast watching him! Anyways, if you want to see the whole kite flying experience, there are more pictures on Picasa, just follow the link. :) And don't worry, we didn't get all the way up to Ottumwa to just spend 30 minutes flying the kite - there is a Target and a mall (although it's the smallest mall I've ever seen) there and so we did a little shopping, too! :) All in all, a very worth while trip!

Samuel Shermer Miller

Alright everyone, here are pictures of little Samuel and I wish I could see ya'lls faces when you look at them!! NEVER have I seen a baby with such blond hair (and a ton of it to boot!)!! He seriously looks like he's a month or two old, but he's only a few hours old in these pictures! Crazy! And his skin is such a creamy complexion....such a cute little nephew I have! Again, Liz and Samuel are doing great! Liz is at home now recovering and I think Gail is supposed to be there today - so she'll have help!!

I'm an Aunt!!

Liz had her baby!! After being induced yesterday morning at about 8, Liz labored hard with strong contractions every 3-4 minutes for 8 hours strait. She was only able to dilate to a 3 at that point and the baby was going into a distressed state - so the Doc had to do a C-section. But 'little' Samuel was born nice and healthy at 9 lbs 2 oz and 22 inches long!! Seems like he takes after his dad already! Both mom and baby are doing really well. When I get more info - like a middle name - and pictures, I'll post them! Thankfully, this is Seth's Spring Break week, so he'll be able to be home all week. Then Gail is taking up the next 2 weeks, and Audry (Seth's mom) is taking the week after that. Everything worked out perfectly timing wise! We serve an awesome God!

apple pie is best cold - and eaten for breakfast...

...yes, that's what I had for breakfast this morning and my goodness was it good!! I made the pie yesterday to take over to a dinner engagement we had last night and even as I pulled it hot from the oven, I couldn't wait until I could dig into it once it had not only cooled, but chilled. Call me crazy, but I think apple pie is the best cold - and yes, eaten for breakfast.

This weekend was wonderful. It was busy busy busy, but wonderful all the same. I got to hang out with almost all my girls at different times! I had a girl's night full of fun and laughter Friday night with with gals from Bible study and I had another girl's night with my gals from work! It was such fun! And most of Saturday I spent with Rebekah, which was beyond fun - really - it was even enlightening! I am now inspired to start sewing again and make a cute and fun purse. We're going to Columbia on Saturday and I hope to find some cute fabric! I am so glad she is moving to Denver when we are (her husband is going to be doing the same rotation program that Scot is and they have a little boy who will be about a year older than Evan) - the Lord has really blessed me! Sunday was pretty laid back for the most part - the only problem was that I was in a grouchy mood after lunch because of the late nights on Friday and Saturday. I was convicted, though, of my bad attitude. Just because I'm tired does not give me license to be grumpy! So I took a nap before things got out of hand and was much better when I woke up and Scot and I were able to spend some good time together for the rest of the afternoon/evening! What wonders a nap will do!!


Here I am with a few of the gals from Bible study!

scrapbooking...

So anyone who really knows me, KNOWS that I DO NOT scrapbook. I take pictures, sure. And I catalog those pictures in a simple photo album to flip through at my leisure. I've just never seemed to be able to get a hang of all that cutting and pasting and being ultra creative. All the stamps and funny scissors...I know some people really enjoy it and they do a great job at making simple pictures more like art work. I just don't have that knack. So then I'm faced with the ever popular question "Have you started on the baby's scrapbook yet?" - like it's a known fact you make a scrapbook for your baby. OR - the follow up question when I give a blank stare in response to question no 1. "Are you going to do a pre-made scrapbook?" Well, no to both questions for those of you out there wondering. :) To be quite honest, I hadn't really given the whole scrapbook idea a whole lot of thought. I had an idea in my head of what I wanted to do, I just hadn't put much thought into the execution of that idea. And then I realized I had about 10-12 weeks to get whatever I wanted done DONE, because I KNOW that once that baby is here, making a scrapbook will be on the bottom of the to-do list. But, this is my idea, and please feel free to give suggestions/ideas of what you would/have done for your own baby scrapbooks!

Idea: To have a scrapbook that I make, but have it also somewhat 'fill in the blanks'. How: I have sitting at home 20 blank 12x12 scrapbook pages. Before he gets here, I want to take 12 of the pages and make each one of them a "month" page that will, essentially, have the same info on it. A place for a picture, height, weight, favorite things, milestones...the normal stuff you have to fill out on a 'Fill-it-in' scrapbook. And that way, all 12 months will be ready to be filled out before he even pops out! Then, I'll have about a page (or however many I want, really) in between the months to catalog anything else I want. I've really enjoyed journaling during the pregnancy and I wanted to continue that in the baby book. So I'll paste in a few pictures with little blurbs and journal entries all around it about what we did that month. People who visited, swim lessons, picnics and hikes...stuff like that. I want to be able to catalog what we've done in a special way without stressing about HOW. Also, I want it to be a feat I can actually accomplish that won't take too much extra time. So this is my middle ground. I went out and bought colored pencils, an alphabet stencil and a fun 'boy things' stencil, photo safe glue and the actual scrapbook last night and I'm doing well! I was a little overwhelmed looking at all the stickers and stamps and typical scrapbooking supplies, but then I reminded myself that while this scrapbook won't be fancy and such, it'll be fun to look back on and see and read about what was going on as well as keep track of the important 'monthly' stuff! I'm planning to start creating the pages this weekend and I'll probably put a few pages at the beginning about the pregnancy and stuff like that and have a whole page or 2 dedicated to the actual delivery. So maybe I'll need to go out and get another 'refill pack'! haha. I just want to be able to have fun with this project and not stress about it - and I hope this is the balance that will allow that. :)

On a side note, for those who are wondering, no, Liz has not had her baby yet. We're still just waiting patiently for that phone call to tell us that we're an Aunt and Uncle and that little Samuel arrived safely! I'll keep you updated!

tagged!

I was tagged….here goes,

TEN YEARS AGO I WAS:
1. A very awkward, home schooled, 7^th grader in Tacoma, WA who didn’t know how to dress or do her hair. I had big glasses AND braces and yet I still thought I had a chance with the boys. HA.
2. Swimming and dabbling in gymnastic. Dreaming about boys. Hanging out with friends.

THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST TODAY
1. Finish the “Secretary position description” so someone else can have my job in 3 months
2. Go to the gym
3. Write ITAC Minutes
4. Make dinner
5. Get into bed early

THINGS I WOULD DO IF I WAS SUDDENLY A BILLIONARE
1. Build my dream home on a few acres with a nice garden, a HUGE kitchen, a wide open porch, a sun room, a fully stocked library and a gym in the basement.
2. Pay off loans
3. Travel
4. I’m sure there’s more…like, I don’t know, getting a good wardrobe – ha ha

BAD HABITS
1. Letting bad grammar get under my skin
2. Not being able to ask for help when I need it.
3. Wasting time on facebook/blogging - ha

PLACES I HAVE LIVED
1. Alabama (3 different times)
2. Maine
3. New York
4. Colorado (3 different times)
5. California
6. Washington
7. Virginia
8. Missouri

JOBS I HAVE NOW OR HAVE HAD
1. Secretary at Truman
2. Contracted Nanny at the Broadmoor Hotel
3. RA in college
4. Front Desk assistant in college dorms
5. Private Nanny
6. Convention Service worker
7. Book store floor assistant, cashier and customer service specialist

THINGS PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME (quirky things about me)
1. I have to have things even. Not things like cake pieces, but things like the tightness of my shoelaces, the length of my nails, the length of my sleeves…weird, I know.
2. I’ve had 3 pet frogs in my life
3. I cut my hair when I was about 3 and hid the hair behind my parents bed and then adamantly denied the fact even though I suddenly had bangs. The pictures are great.
4. I used to hate the idea that I would turn into my mother – now, I quite like the idea
5. I’m still afraid of dying in an ocean or in a fire.

THINGS THAT MAKE MY LIFE SUPERFABULOUS RIGHT NOW
1. Besides our amazingly gracious Lord….I’m going to be a mom – seriously – it’s my dream job.
2. We’re moving back to CO – which means family, friends and mountains!
3. The weather is starting to turn nicer which means more time outside on the weekends!

I think I'm supposed to tag 3 people - so if you guys see this I guess I'll tag Dana, Kjerste and Karen.