I'm going to be a mom!

Maybe it's a 'laura thing' but it has taken 34 weeks for this pregnancy to sink in.  Isn't that a long time?!? It took a couple stretch marks, watching my husband put a crib together, and catching a glimpse of my huge tummy in the mirror!, oh and doing my baby's laundry.  :) It's real though, and I stood in the doorway of my little man's room and wanted to literally jump for joy because I had a picture of him sleeping in his bed. 
I don't know what kind of mother I'll be.  Maybe at first I'll be frazzled and unsure of myself.  I have time before he comes and in that time I want to do a few things.
1.Spend some time in the Bible studying God's word because I need to hear it.
2.Entrust every fear and concern to Christ because there are things out of my control.
3.Soak up each moment with my baby boy as he's still inside of me and love every minute of it.  He's going to grow up too quickly and I don't want to forget to cherish these times.
4.Surround myself with woman that love God and will be an example of the kind of mother I want to be.  I'm putting in a special order for you ladies wherever you're at.  Will God do an express order for me? :)

Darren is leaving again for a few weeks and then will be home right before the due date.  I will miss him of course and even more so with this pregnancy coming to a close. Now is when I need the most help and he'll be gone.  I hope that doesn't sound too selfish! We have spent one incredible month together.  We loved each other well and I grew a deeper respect for that man.  He really is incredible in every way and I was spoiled with all this time having him home for two weeks!
My mom is coming to stay with me though! I can't wait to see her because i've been missing her so much and she keeps me sane.  She really is my best friend next to Darren and I don't know where i'd be without her.  It will be wonderful to have her around and I'm loving the fact that she'll see her grandson when he's born.  That will be special having her there.
To keep myself busy i'm going to scrapbook, finish my cross-stitch, decorate the nursery, and read. I think keeping it pretty low key will be nice. I am blessed to have this life and be married to a man that takes care of me and lets me stay at home with our son.
Last Friday Darren and I had free tickets from our apartments to a local hockey game.  We had fun venturing out and doing something new.  I love spending time with him no matter what we're doing, he makes me laugh and enjoy life.
I talked him into a McDonald's run on the way home because a cheeseburger and fries sounded sooo good at the time.  We're still not ready to eat in the new jeep though.  I had a nice laugh when I told him how messy kids are and he said we'd teach him not to be messy.  The funny thing..the man was not kidding! :) 
Tonight I made chicken pot pie and pretty much danced in the kitchen because it turned out amazing.  I informed Darren that I made the chicken the correct way and everything turned out perfect! While he ate I awaited his response and he looked up to me staring him down and he goes 'MMM it's good!'  I'm not sure what us ladies are looking for? If he worshipped me after every meal i'd find that weird lol. 
Well I have officially pulled out the body pillow again.  Why didn't I do this sooner?  I haven't taken it out for a month and it's been the month I needed it the most.  Thank you Ej for passing it along! I can't wait to snuggle into bed tonight and find comfort once again. :) Darren and I joked about me finding him with it in the morning..the scary part is that this might happen!

I washed out my son's clothes today to give them a fresh-ness and it was honestly an enjoyable process because I was adoring every article of clothing and picturing my baby wearing it.  This will be a one time only thing i'm afraid.  However when I put his clothes away I realized he doesn't have enough! There is a lot of 6 months and up but for when he's first born there's not a whole lot.  He doesn't have enough pants either! But i'm not sure if it's best to wait and see how big he is.  I don't need to go out and buy a lot but there's a few things..like pants! He has enough onesies but it's still a little cold around here for him to just sit around in a onesie.  I'll figure it out :)
Alright well i'm going to end here tonight but here are a few pictures I took of the nursery. It's a mess right now but there's one of the dresser and crib.  I can't wait to decorate and buy his bedding then i'll have to post pictures of the completed nursery.  Hope you had a great day!
 



His crib! I love it :)



Darren did an awesome job assembling everything together!



We bought a Jeep Patriot! Darren and I have driven it a few times now and each time we look over to each other and say 'WE HAVE A JEEP!'. I feel like two little kids with a toy but this is very much NOT a toy! I have never been more nervous in my life to drive anything. I am thankful for God's guidance in buying this vehicle and the peace of mind that has come along with it. I wanted my dad more than anything to be sitting in that room telling me go for it or leave it. Instead I called out to God and was covered. My husband and I were given a moment alone and he took my face in his hands and told me I was handling this so well for not knowing we were coming to buy a car that night. I knew this was coming eventually but have been dragging my feet because it's a big decision. Darren is smart and last night as I sat next to him I thanked God that he blessed me with a man that loves and provides for me at all costs. Because of my stubbornness to go home that night and not being crazy about the color there was a good deal of money that continued to come down. I continued to say we'd go home and think about it and get back to the dealer in the morning but then he'd go away and come back with a lower price.

He was a very nice man and of course wanted to sell a car that night and they're given room to lower numbers but I honestly felt safe. Between furniture and car dealers i'm not a big fan! They are trying to sell and are good at what they do and if your a first time buyer they compare to a shark and you are the minnow. It stinks that our world is dishonest and shady but it's a fact which forces me to be on guard constantly. He would have sold the car for thousands more if I'd not have been hesitant though..I didn't even know you're allowed to go in and make an offer! Did you know that if you say you don't like the color of a car and they don't have another one available they'll knock off a HUGE amount of money? Just a tid bit for you to keep in mind if ever you're in that position. I don't want to go through that process for a long long time though! No thanks :)

I was getting ready to write this blog about a really special moment this past week between God and I but i'm finding it to be hard to write now!

It's about my pregnancy and let me start by saying my baby boy has made himself quite comfortable in mommies right rib, his favorite spot!

I was sitting in the car and thinking about only having two more months to be pregnant. Also how I've been super whiny lately (Darren has been sympathetic and so incredible towards me though!) and then I started to hear God out. So this is my special moment between God that has deeply impacted me...

'Laura do you understand that there are a lot of woman that would give anything to feel five hours of your heartburn, or go to the bathroom twenty times a day, or feel tired over lack of sleep in order to have a baby inside of them?'

'I guess I've not really thought of it that way and have had a sour attitude'...

Our conversation goes on but this is the short version. :) God gave me a gift and although along with it comes some minor aches and pains I'm BLESSED to have a healthy growing baby inside of me! Since that time with God I have been soaking up this pregnancy and realizing how special it is, that i've been given a gift. There's nothing more important than having a good attitude in life in any given situation. It dramatically changes your life and God is honored when i'm acting in a way that reflects Him. I really really want that! I'm not perfect friends and have so much to learn but i'm glad God grabbed a hold of my heart before I turned into one big whiny pregnant woman! I wanted to apologize for giving you an image of me that's not so pretty. You have enough negatives in your life and it's been my prayer and desire that this blog is a safe encouraging place for you! Forgive me?

Darren is currently taking his two weeks off and I'm loving the time spent with him! His parents are here for a visit until Wednesday and we've had fun hanging out together and catching up. We are all looking forward to going to Jamestown and doing a couple touristy things.

I know this will pretty much be it for Darren and I before the baby comes and have never in all of my time knowing him soaked him up this much! I wake up and love him more every morning. I catch myself looking at him from across the room and being really happy that we've made it this far. I remember crystal clear a time when I thought we were over but God had different plans. One day I'm going to write our story out but not for awhile. I hope it will bless you and show you how faithful God is.

Last night I was sharing with Darren how I had read to lay on my side during pregnancy and not on my back during the night. The article said if you wake up and your laying on your back to just turn over. SO in the middle of the night I felt my sweet husband rolling me over because I was on my back and he was whispering 'Laura you can't lay on your back you need to be on your side'. He doesn't have to say it all the time or be a mushy gushy guy..I know he loves me. I don't deserve this man let me tell you! He has his flaws all right but as my mom encouraged me to remember a person's good qualities and let the bad go. Please don't get the impression we have a perfect marriage and that our home is always at perfect peace. We drive each other nuts some days! We're both learning grace though among many other things. :)

He has to leave again shortly for a small amount of time right before our baby is due and i'm dreading it but at the same time okay with it. I know God is going to use that time to draw me closer to himself and allow one last time for life to be still and quiet before the rush of motherhood arrives! I'm beyond excited to hold my baby boy and love on him. We are going to pick up the crib and dresser this weekend by the way! I will of course post pictures when we set it up and my mom offered to help me fix up his nursery. Alright well I need to go to bed because I am currently getting a wisdom tooth along with some sinus junk, not fun! I've lost my Tylenol so am relying on a good night sleep to help me feel better in the morning. Thank you for all the messages letting me know you read this! I am always really encouraged by them. Talk to you again soon!

Laura

Hello friends! Thanks for stopping in to take a peak into what's going on in my world.

Today marks week 32 and lets be honest friends..the third trimester stinks! As my body adjusts to new changes on top of the simple stress of moving to a new area i'm overwhelmed some days! I have formed a close bond with fatigue, heartburn, and frequent trip to the bathroom. Our baby boy (still nameless, sorry!) has found my ribs and it must be a comfy place for him because I have spent many painful moments stretching out, turning side to side, and gently pushing to see if I can squeeze him out. It doesn't work and eventually he moves when he's ready. :) I'm sure all mothers can relate to this uncomfortable but all too familiarly pain.
I think that around this time it must be when the reality of motherhood begins to settle in and then a list of fears begin to form. Or it's just me? Anyway I was having a terrible day yesterday handling the pains of pregnancy and being away from family. I picked up the phone and called Ej and while she was laying in bed sick still managed to be a great friend and listen to my 'verbal diarrhea' and then offer encouraging words. I really do love my sister in laws and the fact that I'm just as close to them as my own two sisters. I'm blessed!

There are great things about the end of pregnancy though. I actually look pregnant now and there's no hesitancy when someone asks me when i'm due. Isn't that fun? I always felt bad when someone would be afraid to ask. I love sharing this pregnancy with my husband and...buying baby things! It's now acceptable to go out and pick up the last remaining things and we are about ready to start fixing up the nursery! I am all about the third trimester for that reason. :) Around where we live there is a best buy and babies r us right next door to each other so today we went our separate ways and I was in new mommy heaven! I've never gone there to shop until today. We bought a few essential things and a couple fun baby items too. I was most excited about buying his pack n play that will double as a bassinet. My sweet husband seemed to actually not mind walking part of the store with me and he picked up a cute shirt for his son. I can't even begin to tell you how great it will be to see Darren with his baby boy. He's already a proud dad.

Lately I have been relaxing and it looks something like this....



I refuse to feel sorry because i'm pregnant and rest is acceptable. I make sure to take care of the home (laundry, cooking meals, cleaning, grocery shopping, etc) but when i'm finished it's nice to not have too much to do. I have stopped all exercise now because when I would it hurt and i'm pretty sure it's a good thing to listen to your body when it says stop. I miss running though but don't remind me I said that after this baby is born please! ;)

I frequently read a devotional by Chuck Swindol and love it! It's not long but the message is always powerful. Today mr. swindol was talking about the character of Christ. He was added a verse that struck a nerve in me.

Mark 10:45
45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His 1life a ransom for many.”

This is my king and savior...Jesus came not as a celebrity but as a servant. I'm called to be like Christ and according to this verse Christ served others. This year I'd like to continue seeking God and loving Him. Anyways I did want to share that with you as it was challenging to me maybe it will be for you too? I hope you have a great night!

Laura

These past few weeks living in our new home has been really nice. I love relaxing and not having too much responsibilities besides bills, cleaning, cooking, and laundry. The downside is that i'm feeling super lazy! I can hardly gather the energy to wash the dishes today. :) But don't worry they'll get done along with the laundry.
Last night I realized the need to soak up this time in my life because before we know it our baby boy will be here and there won't be enough time in the day to sit and relax!
On a side note the other day I was reading in one of my baby books about labor and delivery and i've decided that I have been blocking this part out. SO as I read and became more familiar with the delivery process I freaked out. Is there any way to bypass this step and jump straight to holding my baby? Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Darren and I ordered the nursery furniture yesterday and I'm one happy girl! I really love what we picked out and am excited about the price we're paying for everything. The mattress comes with the crib too! (What a deal!)

My husband has been home for a week now and I LOVE it. On top of that I really love him and the man that he is. I'm dreading the month he has to be away but we have some time before he has to go. It just stinks that he has to leave again but he'll come home shortly before the baby is due. I am praying hard that our son decides to wait until his dad can be there! I know God will provide no matter what happens.
Lately i've wanted to press the pause button and soak up the sweet moments Darren and I have shared. We both agree this 'honeymoon phase' has been wonderful! I think it's great how God blessed me with Darren to walk through life with. I can't believe how much our marriage has changed for the better. Before I fell asleep last night I was thinking about our relationship and how much we've been through together already in the four years we've known each other. I was thinking about how happy he makes me and how much i appreciate the husband he is.
Last night we went out for a nice dinner date and then to best buy to spend Darren's gift card money. It was fun to help him pick out a new ipod. He picked out the new ipod touch and i'm only a little jealous :). We had fun talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company.
He is an incredible guy and very protective of his wife and son. We were taking the trash out and there was a ton of ice and he made me stop and took the trash I had so i wouldn't walk over the ice. It's the little things like this that cause a wife's heart to swell with pride over her man.
Throughout this pregnancy he has been a huge blessing. He is excited and into this pregnancy and frequently asks how i'm doing or how the baby is doing that day. He'll put his hand on my belly randomly or say the funniest things to the baby. I am able to enjoy our son with him and that is fun to share! We're both looking forward to the change in our lives and knowing that Darren is on board this ship with me is a blessing.
I am loving the extra time we've been able to spend together but am being spoiled at the same time! I'm soon going to have to accept the balance of him going back to work with normal hours and our time together being cut down. I still believe we'll find time to enjoy each other and that the time we do spend with each other will be special. If the navy has given me one thing its been a sense of appreciation for time with him..and to not take it for granted.

I think it's time to do those dishes now! Have a wonderful day :)

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to write yesterday but I had a small dose of the stomach flu..I mean small in the amount of time. It was that 24 hour one but boy oh boy does that wipe a girl out! I managed to bake a cherry pie and make cherry coke jello yesterday evening though. It's funny how sometimes sickness creeps up out of nowhere and then BAM you're leaning over the toilet crying and thinking I HATE THROWING UP!! haha

Darren was on duty yesterday and had to spend the night so he was not around to take care of me physically but was able to email with me all day to see how I was doing, what a sweet man!

I ended up watching all my favorite christmas movies that's been a tradition to watch since i was a tiny girl. I had a wonderful christmas season and hope you did too!

Darren is currently sleeping, he called it a Christmas nap and I admit that he talked me into one as well. We were like two little kids on Christmas morning today and had a blast opening all our gifts. He bought me a stand-mixer! I am now an official baker...in my opinion it's the badge of entrance into a whole new world of baking. No longer will I have to fuss with my hand mixer to bake! woohoo :)

He bought me a few Cd's, the twilight series!, but mostly I loved having him home for Christmas. It was the best gift he could give me. We had a lot of fun and ate cinnamon rolls for a brunch. Tonight we're having a nice meal together around our coffee table because our new table isn't here yet. lol that will be a lot of fun though.

I was dreaming of a white Christmas like back home..but am afraid this area doesn't get too much snow. They are calling for a snow shower tonight though?! I hope so! It is a very strange thing to me not having any snow on Christmas. Snow goes hand in hand with Christmas, right? :)

Four Christmas' ago (2007) Darren took me hiking in Arizona and when we reached the top he pulled me aside and asked me to be his bride. Christmas is even more special because of that and I will never forget feeling on top of the world and dreaming of our future together. We are much more in love since that day and i'm blessed to call Darren my husband.

So i've started to collect the Willow Tree statues. I only have a few but this Christmas I was given TWO more! Thanks to my mother and mother in law. They are really simple statues but they say so much in how sweet they are. I had the first one of the couple but was given the pregnant one and family one for Christmas. I love them!

Darren came home and woke the little guy and I up. Well i was awake writing in my journal so he actually just woke up the baby. It was fun to talk about how this is our last Christmas just together for a long time. I can't wait for our son to be a part of Christmas with us and to teach him why we celebrate Christmas and start new traditions with him. He is going to change our family for the better and i'm really thankful for that. Well my husband is stirring and I'm going to talk him into playing a game :) maybe..

Merry Christmas everyone! and to leave you with a devotional I read this morning by one of my favorite pastors, chuck swindol. I hope it blesses you too.

December 25, 2010

A Christmas Masterpiece
by Charles R. Swindoll


Before time began, God had in His mind's eye a masterpiece—a beautiful picture of grace that His beloved Son, the second person of the Trinity, would illustrate with His life.

Even before the breathtaking splendor of creation, God sketched out His plan for His perfect fellowship with humanity. But not long after He had splashed color on the landscape, the deep, dark shadows of man's rebellious choice to live independently of His grace obscured the beauty of God's work. Coal black, pitch darkness enveloped the scene, and all creation hung in suspense of what God would do.

How could God redeem His masterpiece? What could rescue us, the pitiful portraits in whom breathed God's breath?

Then, with a heart weeping for His people, God dipped His brush in Calvary's scarlet ink, wrote His message on a rough wooden banner, and pinned it against an empty sky for all the world to read. Bold, crimson words: "I love you."

This is the message of Christmas: Because He loves us, God has come to redeem us—to bring life and color back to our lives, to expel the darkness of our hearts and from our world.

On a rescue mission designed by His Father before time began, Jesus silently slipped into our world, breathed our air, felt our pain, became acquainted with our sorrows, suffered and died for our sins . . . to show us the way out of our darkness and into His glorious light.

This Christmas, may you know the warmth of the Savior's love spreading over you as you never have before. May the beauty of the season remind you of His intense concern for every detail of your life and His great, sacrificial love for you.

Merry Christmas from all of us at Insight for Living.

Can I tell you how wonderful these past few days have been? I have had a lot of fun but wish time would slow down! It seems like yesterday that I was sitting in this apartment alone begging God to turn the clock forward a few days so I could be with Darren.

It's neat to realize how much God has reconstructed my heart while Darren was gone. I'm not claiming to have a perfect flawless marriage because we're two sinful beings but it is awesome to be able to say there is much love in our marriage right now. I truly believe when God is at the center of the hearts of a wife and husband he will bless that relationship greatly. That doesn't mean arguments won't come or tough times won't be there..but he'll give you the grace and strength to walk through those moments together in a way that glorifies Him.
Darren has been an incredible husband and best friend. This past week I have cherished introducing him to this pregnancy and his son. It's fun when he places his hand on my belly and talks to our little guy. He is going to be a great dad and i know our little man will adore him.
I was praying last night and asking God what makes our marriage so different at this point then a year ago? Because i'm crazy about this man and find myself walking down a really great road with Darren. While I was spilling my heart out to God I realized that loving Darren the way God loves me is the key. I respect my husband because he's a man of God and is worthy of my respect. This world is a mess and I desire my husband to have a safe place in me...he needs that. That's what's changed..my attitude and view of Darren. A year ago i'm not sure that I respected him or put him before me. I was always asking what can he do for me and after I did something for him I was expecting a favor back. I'm a selfish young woman unfortunately and for the rest of my life i'll be fighting to put Darren first ahead of me. I have been blessed with a really great husband who loves me and makes life more full.

The first few years of our marriage haven't been easy but i'm thankful that we're standing on solid ground (Christ) today and very much in love. I have to thank God for bringing us into to navy and using that as a tool to rebuild our marriage and make us stronger. We've been really blessed.

Alright well I am going to finish some laundry and hang up the ornaments i found yesterday! I hope that you are having a great day. I'll probably be back tomorrow to share with you about this awesome year and my excitement over Christmas!

Laura

Was that a dream?

Good morning! I woke up this morning and turned to find Darren :) I definitely did a double take because for the last 5+ months I have woken up to a cat laying near me not a man. Once I realized that yesterday DID happen and he is actually here I started smiling really big. It took EVERYTHING in me not to hug him and wake him up and tell him how happy I was. haha I'm trying to be considerate of the fact that he can finally sleep in!
So it wasn't a dream and i'm thankful that Darren is home.

It's been fun to watch him adjust back into civilization. When you spend half a year on a ship you lose touch with driving, the real world, foods, etc. But he's doing very well now.
I've really enjoyed catching up with him and we've found ourselves laughing a lot which has been great.

I'd love to recap what happened yesterday :)
The night before I couldn't fall asleep..it was terrible! So I prayed and prayed talking to God about everything under the sun and when I finally did fall asleep I woke back up to a clock that said 4 am! The bad part was those few hours of sleep seemed to be enough at the time because my mind went right back to 'i can't believe he's coming home!'. So..i stayed up and when the clock hit 6 I jumped out of bed and started getting ready.
When I went to the pier I saw a handful of huge carriers and I started crying. Everyone waited in the bitter cold for what seemed like forever. As the sailors made their way off the ship it was really neat to watch husbands and wives reunite and little children see their mom or dad. I was once again crying! I don't think I can explain the height of emotions everyone feels after long deployments..it was special though.
I almost grabbed the wrong guy..twice :). I decided that to stand in one place until he found me would be better. Even though it felt like forever eventually I turned and saw my darren walking towards me with a huge grin on his face. I can't even tell you how sweet that moment was. With a little belly in the way it made an even better reunion! He was so funny about how much my belly has grown but it was awesome to see his reactions to feeling his first kicks yesterday and when he'd move around.
We went on a date yesterday and to a few stores to look for a kitchen table because we're going to have a few people over for Christmas dinner and not having a table wouldn't be good! I dragged Darren to the baby section and although he willingly went he wasn't as enthusiastic as I am about baby things ha.
We had a lot of fun yesterday and it felt like a second honeymoon! We soaked each other up the entire day just getting back to Darren and Laura. I love that he's been my best friend this year, and even though we had to be apart it didn't change, God has blessed us so much.
Today my sweet man agreed to come to the doctor with me! Can you believe that? That meant a lot and i'm looking forward to going with him. Wish us luck as we venture back into the military healthcare system! It's confusing and weird but we're blessed to be provided for in this area.

I'm going to go make my list for groceries this week. I finally have mr. muscles here to help me carry things up the stairs :). I hope you are having a great week so far! Thanks for letting me share with you today.
Laura

here are a few pictures from yesterday...

I love him so much! He brought me flowers:)

setting up the xbox!

After our date we went to starbucks to get christmas coffee treats..mmm