One year ago today....

I was marrying the man God chose and created for me; the man that cares for me, loves me and adores me like no one ever has, the man that completes me, my other half, my best friend, my shoulder to lean on, my companion, my everything.

This past year of marriage has not been easy. But through it all, Giff & I have become even closer. We have learned that we have to rely on one another and we really need each other. I love him more today than I did a year ago when I walked down the aisle, even more than I did yesterday. We are such a good team and we compliment each other so well. His strengths are my weaknesses and his weaknesses are my strengths. God knew what he was doing!

Here are some pictures from our wedding day, February 23rd, 2008:

Giff-

I will always look back on this day with fond memories. It is a day I will never forget! It was the start of our life together, and the day we promised ourselves to each other forever. I love you more than I can put into words! Now, let's start our next journey together: becoming parents!

Happy 1 Year Anniversary!

Forever Yours,

aka: Andi

Valentine's Day

This is the gorgeous ring my sweet, thoughtful and loving husband has been saving up for since our wedding last February! It's more of an anniversary gift, but he wanted to make sure I got something on Valentine's Day as well. (Our anniversary is one week from today!) What I love more than the ring is the amount of thought and time he put into this gift. He didn't wait until a couple of days before our anniversary to start thinking about what he was going to get me. Instead, he has had this planned all year. I am so lucky to have him in my life and I love him so much! What a great Valentine's Day!

Updated Baby Prep "Bucket List"

Since this lil' man is almost here, I thought I would update the progress of my baby bucket list.

1. Find a new place to live that actually has room for baby. *Done! We move this weekend!
2. Buy baby bedding at Pottery Barn. *Done!
3. Get glider/rocker re-upholstered- My sis was babysitting this past Saturday for a family that was having a garage sale and they were selling a glider/rocker that they no longer use. So, Stef called me to see if I wanted it. For $75, I'll take it! It's in great condition, but the fabric is white and that scares me with a new baby. So, I'm going to get it re-upholstered in brown fabric to match Christian's bedding. *Done!
4. Keep paying on the baby furniture and pay it off in January. *We are still paying on the furniture. Hopefully we can pay it off in another week or two.
5. Pick up baby furniture. *This will be done as soon as we pay it off!
6. Take birthing classes- my classes start at the very beginning of January. Can't wait! *Done! We had our last class this past Monday. I'm sad that it's over :(
7. Buy accessories for baby's room- lamp, wall mounted letters, model cars, wall art, etc... *We have a new lamp and lamp shade and the model cars....still working on the wall letters and other art work.
8. Find a pediatrician. *I have narrowed it down to 2. Now I just need to make the final decision.
9. Take maternity pictures. *Done! We took our pictures at Studio Ainsley this past weekend, and it was so much fun! I can't wait to see how they turned out!
10. Plan a weekend get-away with hubby for some relaxation. *Unfortunately, this is not going to happen. We are just too busy and have so many other expenses to worry about. But, maybe after Christian gets here, we can take a small get-away. (I'm sure my sister or my Mom would love to babysit!)
11. Prepare our dog, Hitch, for the arrival of baby. (I'm still not quite sure how we are going to accomplish this?!) *This is no longer necessary since Hitch is no longer with us :(
12. Move. *We're moving this weekend! Yay! Can't wait to get settled in and set up Christian's room!
13. Prepare nursery ASAP so it's ready when Christian decides to make his entrance! *We will be working on this for the next few weeks.
14. Organize our new place and hopefully feel somewhat settled in before baby. *We will be working on this for the next few weeks also. I am very organized, so I don't think it will take us too long to get settled in!
Other things I am working on...
*Packing my bag for the hospital
*Washing all of the baby clothes, blankets and bedding
*Attending one more baby shower, which is next weekend. Then, I will have a ton of other stuff to get organized. But, I'm not complaining! Anything for my baby is welcomed!
*Practicing my labor positions and breathing techniques
*Doing my squats and lunges to get the baby in the best position for birth
*Trying to rest when I can and sleeping as much as possible (I really need to work on this, but with everything going on, it has been tough!)
*Finally got my maternity leave worked out! I work through the end of February, and then my leave will start. That's if Christian waits that long to come!

Other than that, I am trying to remain patient. I am really starting to get uncomfortable at times and I get pooped out fairly easy, so I am ready to have this baby!

Burdens & Blessings

Giff and I have had a lot going on in our lives this past month. Some good, some bad. I feel like God is really trying to teach me something right now with all the trials and tribulations we have been faced with. Let me explain....

First, Giff lost his job right before Christmas. It was a job he truly enjoyed and loved, but the company went bankrupt. So, he has been earnestly looking for another job that will fit our needs, and anyone who understands the job market right now, knows how tough this has been on him. There is a job in the works for him right now that he is very much looking forward to. So, I pray that it works out!

Second, our lease is up on our townhouse in mid February. Which means, in the next few weeks, we have to move. This has been particularly difficult, because we need Giff to be able to show proof of income on a new leasing contract. We have spent endless weekends looking for a new apartment, with 2 bedrooms I might add, and have seen only a couple that we are interested in. Once Giff has a job nailed down, we will immediately sign a new lease, but until then, we are stuck.

Third, I am 8 months pregnant with our first baby. That, in itself, is stressful. But, with job and money issues and trying to find a new place to live, has just added to the stress level.

And, last but not least, our dog, Hitch, had to be put down this past Tuesday. He became very sick with parvo, and there was nothing we could do. Hitch was only 9 months old. This has been a rough week.

This picture is of Hitch when we first got him at 6 weeks old. He was so cute. We will miss him.

But, through all of these things, there have been many blessings...

-God has continued to provide for Giff and I in many different ways. We somehow have kept up with all of our bills, including the hospital and doctor bills for this baby. We have always had plenty of food at our house. Family and friends have given us so many great things for our new baby.

-We have started attending a new church that we really love and hope to get involved in.

-The birthing class we are taking has been such a fantastic reminder of what God's role should be in our lives. It has helped me focus on what we do have, and be thankful for it. It has also helped remind me that God will not leave our side and he is in control.

-Baby Christian is doing awesome! My midwives confirmed that he is in a head down position! He is very active and I got to see him sucking his thumb at my ultrasound on Wednesday! It was the sweetest thing!

-I had a baby shower at work this past week, and got so many things I needed for baby Christian! It was a great time and I thank God so much for providing these things to us. Honestly, I didn't know how we were going to afford to get everything we needed before Christian's arrival. But, I feel like we have almost all of the necessities. I also have another baby shower coming up in February. =)

Here are a few pics from the shower:

Life can be so challenging at times, but I realize how much I really do have. I have the love of awonderful man! It seems these hard times just bring us closer. I have this beautiful baby boy growing inside me! And, I can't wait to meet him for the first time! I have a family who is always there for me, and is willing to help in whatever way they can. What more can you really ask for?

I heard a song on ksbj this morning that always keeps me going through stressful times. The song is "I Will Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns.

"I will praise you in this storm,

and I will lift my hands.

You are who you are,

no matter where I am.

And, every tear I've cried,

you hold in your hand.

You've never left my side.

And though my heart is torn,

I will praise you in this storm."

I will keep singing this song over and over again until this storm has passed....

The new and improved rocker!

Before:

After:

This is the rocker that my sis picked up for Giff & I at a garage sale a few months ago for $75! We had it re-upholstered in chocolate brown micro suede. We also had it cut down so that it looks more modern. I think it turned out great! In the stores, this chair would go for over $500, but after the original cost and the re-upholstering, we only spent $275 on it! Yay! One more thing that I can check off the list! :)

First Birth Ministries

The past 2 Monday nights, Giff and I have attended our birthing class. We still have 5 more classes to go, but I feel like I have learned so much already! We are taking our classes through First Birth Ministries. It's a Christian based organization dedicated to the preparation of couples approaching childbirth using biblical principles. It's an alternative to Lamaze or Bradley classes. So far, we have been reading a lot of scripture. God tells women in the Bible that childbirth is supposed to be painful. But, maybe not as painful as the world tells us it is. Through faith, we can prepare, plan and work towards a labor that is manageable, beautiful and spiritual. As Christians, we have to rely on God through time of pain, and he will not leave our side. In fact, we can grow even closer to God as a result of ultimate submission to him during labor. God designed our bodies to give birth. The more we learn, prepare and pray, the less fear we will have during labor, as we know that our bodies are doing what they were meant to do.

The class also emphasizes a natural childbirth approach. They don't expect that every woman will be able to go without pain medication or that c-sections aren't possibilities, but they are teaching us everything we need to know to have as natural a childbirth as we feel is right for us. We have learned several breathing techniques so far that will help us control our breathing when contractions become unbearable. We are in the process of learning how to completely relax our bodies from head to toe, so that we can rest comfortably in between contractions, and so that we can let our bodies work efficiently during contractions. In our upcoming classes, we will be learning different positions we can get into during labor to help bring the baby down and hopefully shorten the amount of time we are in labor.

I am becoming so excited to have this baby, although I know labor will be difficult. I feel that these classes are truly preparing Giff and I to have the best possible birthing experience. Christian, we are ready and waiting for you to join us!

31 weeks

So, although I'm not too fond of how this picture looks, I decided it's about time to show my baby bump. I am 31 weeks along and still feeling great!