A Time to be Thankful

Although I should be thankful everyday for all the things He provides me, I tend to get busy in my every day life and do not always take the time to think of the things I am truly thankful for.   I do feel that I am overall grateful and thankful for the life I have been given, but there are specific things I would like to point out that I am very grateful for this year.
The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that I am pregnant.  I do thank God every day that He has blessed me with the ability to carry a child.  Unfortunately not every woman has the opportunity to be pregnant.  Before I became pregnant I always had a fear that I would be one of those women.  I see it a lot nowadays, especially since a lot of girls my age are now wanting to be moms.  When I found out I was pregnant I was shocked but definitely thankful.  Being able to feel Lillian move and kick inside my belly is an awesome feeling and one I am truly grateful for!
I am thankful for my health.  I may have a few set backs here and there (headaches, cankles, etc.) but those are nothing in comparison to those fighting for their lives or battling lifelong illnesses.  Being in the healthcare field I see all sorts of sick people, and I am so very thankful for the health I have been given.
I am thankful for my husband.  God knew what he was doing when he brought us together.  We have become very close and matured together in our relationship with the Lord in the short amount of time we have been together, and I can only imagine how much better it will get in the years to come.  We have been through quite some tough times already, but with God leading the way, we have made it through and come out stronger in the end! I love my husband dearly and thank God always for bringing us together!
I am thankful for my job!  It took me quite a while to find a day job, and I am so happy to be working where I am now.   I am actually able to be off for Thanksgiving, allowing me to spend time with family.  What a thing to be thankful for!

And a few "small" things I am thankful for:
-the dishwasher!  There is nothing I despise more than doing the dishes!
-good smelling candles
-the warm sunshine on a cold day
-ice cream
-hand me downs (I actually have quite a few things to wear thanks to my friends' maternity hand me downs)
-compression socks
-gas in the tank (of my car of course)

I am really looking forward to 4 days off from work to be able to spend time with family and friends.  After all, they are the most to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

less than 100 days...

until my due date.  Is it too early to start a count down?
We are 26 weeks this week, which means 14 weeks to go, which is 98 (actually a few less) days.  It's crazy to think of it like that!
We saw the doctor this week and she was very pleased with my blood pressure and the lack of edema.  I do have to give credit to my co-worker, Amber, who was so kind to let me borrow some compression socks.  I have been sporting those bad boys every day, and they work!  I still have some days where my ankles are a little puffy, but no pitting edema! I was instructed to continue to limit my salt intake, including my Thanksgiving meal.  That is going to be tough! We start going to the doctor every 2 weeks now, and at our next appointment I will do the glucose test to check for gestational diabetes.  Most people say the drink is really terrible, and one person has said it was not that bad.  I have my sugary drink already, and I will drink it the morning of the appointment.  Fingers crossed for a blood sugar less than 134 one hour after I finish the drink!
Lillian is still on the move most of the time.  I did experience her having hiccups the other night and that was really weird.  I thought at first she was seizing or something?!  You can really see her move around and see my belly change shape when she does.  I think it's super creepy and way cool all at the same time.
Jon and I went to our second baby class this week.  This one was called "The Happiest Baby on the Block."  It is based on using the 5 S's (swaddle, side or stomach position, swing, shush, and suck) to trigger a baby's calming reflex.  It was interesting for sure, even though the doc who came up with the theory seems a little bit weirdo.  I'm sure Jon and I will definitely put what we learned to practice when Lillian is crying, and hope that it works!
Not much else is new this week, besides the fact that I have been battling a horrible cold.  There is not much a pregnant girl can take, so I have been doing my best to be patient and let my body fight it off.  I am actually starting to feel better, which is so good, because who wants to be sick on Thanksgiving?!
Oh and the latest thing I was told...
A male patient asked me how much weight I have gained, and as I sat and thought about the exact number, he interrupts my thought process with "too much huh?"  so I smiled and replied "yea, probably" in which he responds by laughing hysterically and saying "yea, I thought so"  What a butthead!  People really should think before they speak (or maybe I should not think before I speak and come back with something just as ugly to say)!

LSU vs Miss St

Every year the ENO crew gets together for a LSU game.  I was never able to go because I was working, until this year.   Jon and I planned on going as soon as we knew the date.  I was really looking forward to it.  I had never watched a game from inside the stadium! (I was in Baton Rouge quite a few times in college for games, but never made it in to the stadium for the game) Then Jon got hurt, and we had no idea how we were going to tailgate and make it to the game with him on crutches.  Then he got a wheelchair and decided to call the ticket office to see if they could accommodate.  We ended up being able to sit in the handicapped/wheelchair section with an awesome view!
The morning of the game we got up with the sun (or maybe before) and got ready and headed to the campus.  Fortunately we were following Nathan, Kelli, and Terry's lead because Jon and I were rookie tailgaters.  We found our spot and got things set up.  A little before lunch the rest of the crew made it out.  Terry and Nathan whipped up some wonderful jambalaya in a cast iron pot that is at least a century old!  It was probably some of the best jambalaya I've ever eaten!  We took a walk to pick up our tickets from will call and to see Mike the tiger in his cage.  We went back to our tailgating spot and hung out until game time.  Of course we then made our way to the stadium to watch the tigers defeat the bulldogs.  It was a really great time and I'm so glad we were able to go this year!

Terry & Nathan aka The Cooks

Kelli & me

tailgating with the hubby

view from our seats

LSU vs Miss St game

Wheelchair Adventures

Not too long after Jon had been hopping along on crutches we realized that a wheelchair would really be helpful. He talked to the doctor and they wrote him a prescription for a wheelchair. One afternoon we went to the medical supply company and picked out a wheelchair to rent. As funny as it sounds, it has really been helpful for him. It gets pretty tough using crutches for long periods of time.
Our first wheelchair adventure was out shopping for furniture. It was a little tough maneuvering the chair around all the furniture in the stores, but we made do.

The next time it really came in handy was registering for Lillian at Target. Although once it got busy at the store, it was a little more difficult because the aisles are not very wide and a lot of people are inconsiderate.
We also went on an adventure to the state fair in the wheelchair. The hardest part of that was the fact that it was really hot outside and the sun was beaming down. I must say it is good exercise!

Speaking of exercise, we did take the wheelchair to the park. The doctor told me to start walking more so that's what I've been doing.  Walking the park as I pushed my husband in his wheelchair.  I'm sure it was a sight to see, but it worked for us!
Our last adventure in the wheelchair was to Death Valley to cheer on the tigers as they played Mississippi State.  We had been planning to go to the game for quite some time, and then Jon got hurt, so that threw a kink in the plans.  He decided to call the ticket office and see what was available since he would be in a wheelchair.  Well my friends, we scored big time!  We got to sit in the handicapped/wheelchair section, and those were some great seats!

We turned the wheelchair back in to the company this past week.  It was a little bittersweet...joking...it was actually a joyous event! Jon is now in a walking boot and getting around without crutches!  So very thankful! 

I have learned a few unfortunate things since Jon was using a wheelchair....

1- there are numerous places that are not handicapped accessible or friendly

2- so many people are really inconsiderate

3- wheelchairs are hard to drive

I now have a better understanding for those that are wheelchair bound and I will make a conscious effort from here on out to really help them when I can!

25 weeks

Some days I feel like this pregnancy is flying by and others I feel like I have been pregnant forever! This week I am feeling like I have been pregnant for years. I don't feel bad at all, just pregnant. The cankles are back! We went to Baton Rouge this past weekend and after sitting around tailgating the edema reared it's ugly head. I had to call the doctor to let her know and of course I have to go in so she can see me and check things out. This girl can not, and I repeat, CAN NOT go on bed rest! I vow to walk more and be very strict on my salt intake! We have to get a handle on this now!
On another note, Lillian remains an active girl! She moves and kicks and punches all throughout the day now! It really is a cool feeling! Each day I am more anxious about meeting her and seeing what she looks like, but of course I can, and will, definitely wait 15 more weeks.
Tonight Jon and I are attending our first class to help us prepare for our sweet baby girl. We are excited to go to these classes and hear and learn everything they have to teach us! People always say you are never truly prepared for a baby, but we are surely trying!

Continuing to Recover

Jon is still on the road to recovery. He has been sporting this blue cast for a little over 2 weeks now.

Less than a week with it to go, then it is back to the walking cast. I know he is so ready for that day (and I am too)! He is really tired of using crutches or being pushed in a wheelchair.
When they removed the splint cast and put the hard cast on, he was able to see the incision. He snapped a few pics for me because I couldn't be there. They did remove all the sutures, but here is what it looked like before they did.

I was surprised at how long the incision is! Hopefully it won't leave too nasty of a scar!
At his next appointment (in about a week) he will get the cast off and be put back in the walking boot. At that time he will also find out when he will start physical therapy and how long that will last. We imagine PT to be pretty tough at the beginning because he has not used that foot/ankle at all in over a month. I know he will do great though, he's very determined to have a perfect recovery!

24 weeks = 6 months

We have made it to 24 weeks! Its crazy to think I have been pregnant for 6 months! Before I was pregnant I never understood keeping up with your pregnancy in weeks, but now I see why. Each new week brings on a whole new chapter for baby! They say 24 weeks is when the fetus is viable. That's a big accomplishment!
Lillian is still an active girl, and now Jon is able to feel her kick and move. It's so sweet to see his face light up every time he feels her move! We started putting earphones to my belly and playing music for her. I think we may have a dancer on our hands because she moves more when the music is playing. It is so cool!
My cankles are pretty much all gone. I still have days here and there when my ankles swell a tiny bit, but nothing like before! I am so very thankful! My reflux has been more annoying lately despite continuing to take Protonix every day. Not sure what that's all about. At least I have Tums to turn to!  My belly is sure growing, and my belly button is starting to look like it is squinting!
We registered for goodies for Lillian at Ladies in Waiting and Target. It was a lot of fun! The salesperson at LIW was very helpful and had us laughing a lot! Jon enjoyed registering at Target because he was able to use the scanner gun. Registering and looking in to all the things available for babies these days was interesting. They make all sorts of things that seem really helpful and then there are things that seem really pointless. One thing I do know is baby stuff can be really expensive!
The outfit I ordered for Lillian finally came in and it is super cute!

I'm not usually an animal print or pink kind of girl,
but Lillian is changing me!

Jon and I are trying to start preparing more for her arrival. In the coming weeks we will be going to all sorts of classes to help us learn about her and what to do when she arrives. I am anxious to start on her nursery, but we will be waiting until Jon is fully recovered before we start all that. My parents bought Lillian an antique dresser that I am going to refinish and use for her changing table. I'm really excited about that project! It will definitely be a post of its own.