Solids!

The days of sweet smelling diapers are over, as Micah is now eating solids! We had gotten very comfortable giving Micah six liquid feedings a day and sleeping around nine hours at night. But after weeks of waking him up at 9pm for that last feeding, I was beginning to think he could skip it. As many parents will attest, the late evening feeding is a hard one to drop once the baby is sleeping through the night. No one wants a surprise wake-up call at 3am. I finally decided I would drop the 9pm feeding and would offer some rice cereal during the day to fill him up more. I felt a little guilty for doing this, as I am a rule follower and "the books" all say to wait until 4 months to start solids. But I figured 15 weeks was close enough. And my mom always says, "Micah is a person, not a book." He didn't seem to like it at first, so we stopped and continued with our old routine (six feedings).

Well, over the holidays my mom was baby-sitting, and she offered Micah some rice cereal mixed with applesauce. He loved it! I started offering it to him myself, and now he's about to eat us out of house and home! He's been eating 2-3 solid meals a day for the last week (in addition to five liquid feedings) and is now sleeping 10-11 hours at night. Today we introduced pears, and he seems to love those, too.

In a weird way, we're sad that he goes to bed so early now. When Jamie goes back to ECU in a couple of weeks, he won't see Micah much at all on his teaching days. On the other hand, I do enjoy settling in for a warm bath in the evenings and having some time just to spend with Jamie. Our baby is growing up so fast!

Unto Us A Child Was Born

I've noticed something lately that kinda blows my mind. It seems that moms I know who have 2+ children seem to get a lot more done than I do with my one. These other moms I know are throwing holiday parties, making home baked goodies for neighbors, doing really cool activities with their children, etc. Reality is a lot different in the Orr household. I really want to do these things, and I tend to beat myself up when I can't. I'm so scatter brained right now that Jamie had to remind me what I was bringing for Christmas lunch...and it was only one thing! I hardly remembered gifts for all my family this year, let alone friends that we usually exchange with. I feel like I'm just getting by - trying to do it all and coming up miserably short - and this Christmas was no exception.

Christmas is normally a three day affair in our home because Jamie and I have four sets of parents between us. We were really excited about Micah's first Christmas, but I knew that his schedule - which we normally love and live by - might backfire against us during this busy time. We spend Christmas Eve at my dad's house, and as usual, Micah was ready for bed around 7:30. I couldn't calm him down from all the excitement of the evening, and then he wanted nothing to do with his travel crib. And when he cries (which he did, rather loudly, for a rather long time), half the crowd wants me to stick a boob in his mouth, and nearly everyone wants a turn at trying to calm him. Needless to say, Micah got a lot of feedings the last couple of days (some of them were simply to shush everybody up), and I feel exhausted both physically and emotionally. In some ways, this was the best Christmas ever because Micah's here, but in other ways I feel like I missed it. While trying to be the perfect mom raising the perfect baby, I missed the part about it being Somebody's Birthday. I was too busy trying to...well, I don't really know what.

Tonight, Jamie and I were talking about how I set unrealistic expectations for my family, and that only leads to failure. But I do want to achieve that perfect balance in my life, which I perceive is true of so many of my friends. And it's driving me crazy. Maybe this is God's way of humbling me. Me, Mrs. super organized, babysitter to many, reader of parenting books, lover of children, is really just a novice afterall.

Finally!

"Baby Llama, what a tizzy! Sometime's Mama's very busy. Please stop all this llama drama and be patient for your mama." - Llama, Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

This is my fourth effort at writing a post lately. It seems like every time I sit down to do it, we have some "llama drama." Micah is three months old now. I can't believe how quickly time flies. A few updates on him...we don't have a 3-month doctor's appointment, but I would guess he weighs around 12 pounds. He's in 3-6 month clothes, sleeps 9-10 hours straight at night, and eats about every three hours during the day. We still use a lot of props for naps - rocking, swinging, bouncy seat - that are totally my fault. He goes down so well at night, though, that I tend to excuse/tolerate the other stuff.

Micah is so much fun lately! He smiles and squeals, loves to practice rolling over and likes when I grab his hands and help him go from laying to sitting. Gifts are such an afterthought to me this Christmas, as I really treasure the "gift" of my son and spending time with the family. My dad and step-mom are taking everyone to Disney World for Christmas, a trip that Jamie and I had to pass up due to Micah's arrival. But we have an IOU for a trip when he's older, and we can't wait!

Now that I have a child, I've found myself becoming much more mindful about the TV I watch, the music I listen to in the car, etc. There are so many influences that we can control, and I want to make sure Micah's being exposed to the right stuff. I love watching 18 Kids and Counting, and although we don't share all of their convictions (I don't really like skirts), I think they do a great job of championing family values. Popular culture now dubs certain things "family friendly" that clearly are not. Take Carrie Underwood's "family-friendly" holiday special on TV this week. After her first number, Jamie said, "Is she wearing pants or did they just paint her legs black?" Anyway...

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas! God is good, and we look forward to celebrating the birth of His son!

Still Cute!

I feel like I won the lottery with this babe. Not that we don't have our moments. Naps have, unfortunately, been on his terms lately, which makes getting work done (or laundry, or housekeeping, etc.) difficult. Right now he's asleep in the swing...not a habit I wanted to start, but sometimes I just gotta get stuff done! He's just so precious and we're already talking about a second one. My friend Melissa told me shortly after Micah's birth that I would be surprised at how soon I would start to want more children. I didn't believe her, even though she'd had a delivery experience similar to mine. But right she was. It'll probably be a couple years still, but at least I'm game now.

Micah's doing really well at 9 weeks. He loves when people talk to him, especially my mom. She has a really animated voice, and when she talks Micah's eyes get so bright and he grins. He also loves noise. He sleeps and behaves best when surrounded by chaos. He definitely has his preferences...for instance, he prefers "fountain" drinks over bottles. And he likes lots of attention. Lots.

Micah had his first set of shots last week. I felt like such a deceitful mom. He was in such a good mood that day...smiling and cooing at Dr. Erwin...totally unaware of what was coming. When the first shot went in, he did one of those silent cries, silent because you can't catch your breath. Broke my heart! I have to keep reminding myself that catching any one of the illnesses that we're trying to protect him against would be worse than one bad day.

2 month stats:
10 pounds, 13 ounces
24 inches
Eating every 2.5-3.5 hours between 6:30am and 10pm
Still cute!

I Can Breathe Again

So serious!

Seven weeks have gone by so fast! I finally feel like my head is above water.

Our sweet little Micah has had some struggles over the last few weeks. He was screaming through some of his feedings, among other things, so I took him to the doctor after he went almost an entire day crying and not sleeping. Dr. Phillips diagnosed reflux, and the medicine we got finally started working after a week.

We've also had some sleep struggles. They probably won't seem like struggles to most parents of newborns, but since Micah usually doesn't wake up more than once a night, we started worrying when he was getting up more often. Naps were also hit or miss. I started to wonder if BabyWise was really working. But now that we're in our 8th week, I can really see it paying off. Micah started sleeping through the night again this weekend - last night he went from 9:30pm-5:30am then went back to sleep until 7:30am. Now it's 9am and he's napping. I'm wondering whose child this is and what they did with Micah. Of course, tomorrow can (and probably will) be totally different. I also can't underestimate the power of the swaddle wrap for calming Micah and helping him fall asleep. My friend, Melissa, introduced us to this, and it's my new favorite gift to give at baby showers. Love. It.

I'm sad that my little baby is getting so big, but as he gets older, we're also enjoying him more. He smiles now and seems a little more interested in his toys. Last week he moved from his bassinet into his "big boy" crib. We're also getting really excited about sharing the holidays with him. I even broke down and paid (almost) full price for a Christmas outfit at Gymboree. Next weekend Jamie's dad (a photographer) will be in town, so look forward to some new pictures of Micah!

A Week of Fabulous Firsts

Micah's first beach trip - October 3, 2009

So guess what Micah did Thursday and Friday night? He slept through the night, yes he did! We are so thrilled! Granted, he eats like he's storing up for the winter during the early evening, but it's so worth it to get a 6-7 hour block of sleep. I don't know how much of it is him (remember, I prayed for a good sleeper) or how much of it is training. We feed him every 2.5-3 hours during the day, even if we have to wake him, and we make sure he has a wake time after feedings before going down for a nap. These are the basic principles of Baby Wise, and although I don't really understand how, they really do help with nighttime sleep!

Another first this week...we introduced a bottle. Micah has had three bottles now and does great. Of course, he'd prefer his beverage from the fountain versus the bottle (who wouldn't?), but we now have a lot more freedom in our schedule. For instance, last night we were able to go out to dinner with my parents, and I didn't have to plan around Micah's feeding time since I was able to take a bottle (I'm not really studdin' breast feeding in a restaurant).

We're still dealing with some evening fussiness. We've decided that we have a pretty cute demanding baby. He's not one to just sit in the swing for 30 minutes so I can fold a load of laundry. He likes to be entertained, and in the evening we have to work extra hard at this as he also has gas. Mylicon drops (medicine for babies with gas) are like putting a band-aid on an arm that's hanging off, but we know this is just a stage :-)

My 1 month stats:
9 pounds, 4 ounces
22 inches long
very cute!

A Few Confessions...

1 month old!

In honor of Micah's 1-month birthday.

- I occasionally plan my baby's feeding schedule around my favorite shows. That way I'm guaranteed to see the first 30 mins. uninterrupted.
- Sometimes we sing lullabies, and sometimes we sing other things. On Sunday night, Micah got several verses from Baby Got Back.
- I've been known to tell people that we have a very good baby. He's then been known to scream all day.
- I love being a mom, but sometimes I miss my independence and my "free" time.
- I insisted I would never put my baby in bed with us, but at 6 a.m., I'll do anything for one more hour of sleep.
- This morning Micah peed on the changing table, creating a stream that went over his head and sprinkled all about his face and mouth. Not exactly the breakfast we had in mind for him.
- I LOVE having a baby boy.
- At this point, I feel our family is complete and don't know for sure that we'll have more children. I also haven't forgotten my labor experience yet. I had a dream nightmare this weekend that the doctors told me they were going to put Micah back inside of me and make me deliver without medicine.

***
IMAGE COMING

Me holding Kendall, circa 1996.
She (and her siblings) were my favorite kids to babysit.

Kendall holding baby Micah, 10/4/09

Half A Second...

...that's about how long I have to write this post.

I thought when I became a SAHM (stay at home mom) that I would be able to take care of Micah and get tons of things done around the house, including updating this blog weekly. I was wrong. I'm so busy that I don't know how I'll be able to work the 8 hours/week I've promised Covenant starting in two weeks! I do have to brag on Micah, though. He is such a good baby! He is struggling lately with gas, but other than that he's pretty content. Whenever we go out, people tell me how small he is, but all I can see is how much he has grown since his birth. We're guessing he's between 8 and 9 pounds now.

Here are a few Micah facts...

He has responded very well to the principles in Baby Wise and Happiest Baby on the Block. Most nights he goes to bed at 10:30, wakes up to eat at 3:30 and wakes up for the day around 6:30. I prayed specifically for a good sleeper, so praise God!

He LOVES to be swaddled.

Some of his favorite activities include watching his mobile, being held, and of course eating, sleeping and pooping.

So far (knock on wood) he has been really good when we've taken him out places (except for one tantrum in Target). He loves noise and he loves movement - shopping cart, stroller, car, etc.

And here are a few things Jamie and I have been up to...

I recently started a new Bible study at church called MotherWise...Micah goes with me, and I'm really enjoying it so far. Just wish I could find the time to do all the homework...

Jamie and I have gone out on several dates so far...once to breakfast and several times to have lunch and run errands. I just got a cute new "dress up" outfit, so hopefully we can have a dinner date soon.

Last week we started back with our couple's group on Thursday nights. This semester we're doing a John Ortberg study on spiritual disciplines. We really enjoy hanging out with the other couples...I missed them so much when we were on our summer/baby hiatus.

***

We were so blessed to receive meals from friends the first three weeks of Micah's life. Now that the food has stopped coming, Jamie and I are considering sending out another sign-up sheet ;-) Seriously, we so appreciated not having to cook these last few weeks.

Micah's First Week

9/11/09 - Micah emailed this picture to his Mimi at work.
It made her cry.

I can't believe my baby is a week old. Ahhhhhh! I wish time would stand still now that he's here. We have been enjoying him so much this week. God not only gave us a beautiful baby but also one whose personality and disposition fits really well with Jamie and me. Micah is content most of the time, and when he's not, it's pretty easy to figure out why. He eats and sleeps well - often in 4 hour stretches at night.

We couldn't have planned Micah's birthday more perfectly, as Jamie was off all week. We have gotten some great family time this week, and thanks to many of our friends, we haven't had to worry about meals. We are all sad that Jamie has to return to work Monday. He is so crazy about that baby! He was really scared leading up to the birth since he had no experience with newborns, but now he holds Micah and changes him with no problems. One day early this week, he peered into Micah's crib and then came and told me, "He's just so precious." I just loved that!

Here are a few stats on Micah's first week:

Eating: He doesn't eat, he dines, normally taking 45 minutes to complete a feeding. My mom calls him "Frenchy" because he takes all day to eat his meals.

Sleeping: He loves being wrapped up in his swaddle blanket. I call him Burrito Baby.

Nicknames: MVP (Daddy bought him an outfit with this logo, so now that's what he calls him) and Squeaky (Mommy calls him this because of how he cries)

Favorite Activities: Nursing, going for walks in the stroller, having Mommy hold me and talk to me, occasionally the bouncy seat and swing

We couldn't have hand picked a more perfect baby for our family.

The Story of Micah

Micah James Orr

We have a baby!!! Teeny little Micah James arrived on Saturday, September 5, at 10:56pm. He weighed 7 pounds and measured 20 inches. He is so darn cute, but then again I guess we are biased. Micah's birth was not quick or easy, but he's healthy, beautiful and we're so in love!

In a twist most ironical, I was told at my doctor's appointment Friday that I was not dilated at all and would probably go a week or more overdue. I was so upset. I went home that afternoon and cried several times, but Jamie was so sweet and suggested several fun things for us to do over the weekend to get my spirits up. Then at 12:45am Saturday morning, I woke to discover my water had broken! We headed to the hospital around 9am and were very pleased to get the labor room and the midwife that we wanted.

Since my water had broken and I was more susceptible to infection, I had to take Pitocin to regulate my contractions. That is the worst drug over, and I had a hellish time with it. I was given some IV pain medicine, but it didn't last long. By afternoon, I had only dilated 1cm and was in terrible pain. I had decided that I would get an epidural, but the nurse and midwife were encouraging me to wait until I was further along. Finally I did get it (took two tries before it worked) and it was the best thing ever! I really started to progress and was ready to push by 9pm.

I pushed well, but by that point several things were working against me: almost 24 hours with no food or sleep, and Micah just didn't want to slide under my pelvic bone. I pushed a solid hour when the midwife suggested we get Dr. Avery to come in and try to turn Micah. He did that, but I still had a lot of work to do. For my mental and my physical health, I needed him out soon. I said as much, and Dr. Avery said, "Well, I can use the vacuum and he'll be born in two pushes." It was a very unpleasant 2ish pushes, but he came out at 10:56pm.

I will say that labor tested my physical and mental capacities beyond anything I've ever experienced before. He was so worth it, though. We just can't get enough of him! Jamie and I left half of our camera equipment at home, but as soon as we get it, we'll upload lots of pictures.

The Present Is Still Wrapped

As I'm sitting on my sofa today trying to will this baby to come out, it occurred to me how all my dreams are coming true. I know that sounds sappy and I'm usually not, but God has really been so gracious to me, not holding back any good gifts. Often I wonder, "Well why?" But then I remember that Christianity has nothing to do with what I deserve (thankfully!). I'm even excited about labor because meeting my child is one of those days I've looked forward to since I was a little girl "mothering" my dolls.

Today I cleaned the whole house. I even moved stuff so that I could vacuum in areas that hadn't been touched in weeks. Jamie said, "Mmmm, Micah's coming." Apparently he's heard about nesting. People are starting to throw out their "labor" day predictions, and unfortunately, most of them are after Labor Day. These predictions were promptly rejected.

I have to give a shout-out to my mom. She makes dinner for us several times a week, calls me everyday to see how I'm doing, and had her hospital bag packed before I finished packing my own. She is so excited about Micah and has been such a great support to us. She told me the other day, "It's like Christmas, and you're bringing everybody a present." Hoping that the next post I write will include a picture of said present.

Sitting On "Go"

We were surprised by a really great weekend! Jamie had a race to score Sunday in Raleigh that had been causing us a lot of stress. Micah's imminent arrival was never far from our minds, but with the midwife's blessing, I decided to travel with Jamie. I knew that if I just sat home waiting for the baby to come, I would go crazy.

We got to Cameron Village Saturday morning to help with pre-registration for a couple of hours. We set up in a shady spot, so I was actually able to help without getting tired or over-heated. We had a great lunch in a nearby deli and then spent the afternoon at Crabtree Valley Mall. I felt great...had a lot of energy...and even bought some fall clothes to wear post-baby. Deciding what size to purchase is such a guess at this point, but I felt good just buying something that wasn't maternity.

After shopping, we had dinner at our favorite restaurant, Bonefish Grill. Sunday morning I got up at 6am to eat breakfast with Jamie, then sent him on his way while I went back to bed. We got home Sunday afternoon, did a few things around the house, then had dinner with Jamie's mom at Outback. Of course, I proceeded to overeat, then thought I was in labor (really just gas pains). I refuse to learn even though the same thing happens nearly every night.

Speaking of night, I get up probably 8 times to use the bathroom. I told Jamie this morning that getting up every three hours to feed the baby will be a breeze compared to this. But several of my mommy friends on facebook told me otherwise :-( In any case, now that the weekend is over, we are so ready for Micah to come! I'm 39 weeks today, so it could be anytime. Micah moves and kicks so much now. I keep telling him, "Dude, there's so much more room out here!"

Hello, Fall!

Me: I'm ready to get my old physical self back.
Jamie: I'm ready for you to get your other self back.
Me: What self is that?
Jamie: Your non-irritable self.

Welcome to week 38. If I could use only one word to describe this pregnancy, it would be normal. That's what I hear every time I go see the doctor: "Everything's normal...baby's a normal size...baby should be born right around his due date...he'll weigh a very normal, average weight...heartbeat is normal." We're so thankful for that! And yet, now that I'm just days from the end, I wouldn't mind if he did something just a little bit abnormal and came early. Some of our friends said to us the other day, "You're both very punctual people, so Micah will probably be punctual, too." I hope he's at least that!

We spent some time at the river this past weekend. On the way, we stopped at Wal-Mart in Washington and got Micah his first Halloween costume. I won't divulge anymore...you'll have to wait for pictures on Oct. 31...but it's so cute! Mommy has already committed to take him out visitin' that day - probably to Covenant to see my co-workers and then to see my parents at their jobs.

Jamie started back school this week, so summer is officially over. I'm really excited about fall, though - it's my favorite season. We were a little nervous about Micah coming on the first day of classes...not too good to miss the first day...but now we're really hoping he comes on Friday, September 4. Jamie is off work for six days straight, so that would be ideal. But as much as I want to plan this thing, I know that I can't...sigh.

Is It Time Yet?

I hate to whine because God knows how blessed I am to be pregnant, but I am so ready for my little boy to be born! My co-workers say I've dropped (yay!), and I think they are right judging from the increased pressure on my bladder the last few days. It's hard with the firstborn to know if the birth is imminent or not. Most days I think, 'I cannot do this another three weeks," but watch me. We've been doing lots of things around the house to get ready for Micah's arrival - boiling passies, pruning bushes, washing bath mats, sort of packing for the hospital, etc. As you can tell, I don't expect we'll be able to do much immediately after he comes, but I may be wrong.

A lot of people have been asking me, "Are you nervous?" Well, I wasn't until people started asking...ha. I look at it like this: I have to be there. And there are drugs available if I need them. I think my excitement about him just overshadows what it will take to get him here.

Speaking of excited...I'm super excited that Angela Blankenship is going to take Micah's first professional photos! My neighbor and I are both expecting within days of each other, so Angela's going to come out and photograph both boys at the same time. We cannot wait - Angela does incredible work!

I'm also excited about a special gift from my husband. He asked at one point if there was anything that would be especially helpful to me once the baby arrives, and I said, "Yes, somebody to clean the house." So, we got somebody! She's actually a good friend who is going to come a couple of times after Micah's born, just until I'm back up on my feet. If you know me, you know that this is better than any piece of jewelry I could ever get. Thank you, Jamie!

Near Term Randomness

My name is Jennifer, and I'm obsessed with buying baby clothes. (in unison..."Hi Jennifer.") My son already has fall clothes - that is, fall 2010 - and more than enough for all seasons in between. Part of the reason is because I just love to buy him clothes, and part of it is that I love a great deal. Like today, I found OshKosh half-price at Target, so I bought him a couple of polos and some pants for next fall. $15 for three pieces. Now I just hope the sizes match up to his age!

Many of you know that Jamie and I completed Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course this past spring. As we prepare for Micah's arrival, one of Dave's recommendations is that we write a will. Part of the will is deciding who gets Micah if something should happen to both of us. This is a hard decision for us as we have four sets of parents, so we're thinking about just leaving him to Dave. Not only do we agree with his financial wisdom, but we also like how he's parented his own three children. Do you think our parents would be upset about that? We'd love your thoughts ;-)

So I'm ready for the baby to come OUT. We've actually worked out a deal, me and the baby. He can stay in until Monday when he will be considered "term," but after that, it's GAME ON! I've noticed that I take really deep breaths now, probably because my lungs are squished, and most nights I get up 6-8 times to pee. I'm just ready. Aside from being uncomfortable, I'm really ready to see what he looks like and learn his personality. I also bought his passy clip today, so what's holding him back?!?!

35.5 Weeks

I had my 35.5 week doctor's appointment Thursday. Everything looks great! No dilation yet, so we're pretty sure he'll be a September baby. The midwife drew a sketch on my belly of how he's laying, so that was cool to see. Now I know it's a foot that has been jabbing me on my right side lately!

It's HOT and I'm ready to deliver! June and July were kind to pregnant women, but August has come on with a vengeance. T-4 weeks at this point, so I'm trying to be patient.

Update from last post...we were able to work out an arrangement with our race timing partners that will allow us to continue scoring all the events we had planned this year. We are so thankful and know that our prayers (and yours) made the difference. Now we know Micah won't go without diapers ;-)

The Only Ship That Doesn't Sail...A Partnership

Most of our life is pretty predictable, but this week we received some news clear out of left field that has challenged us and also put us right where God wants us: total dependence on and trust in Him. At the end of last year, Jamie and his longtime business partner joined forces with a third person to expand our race timing business. Each partner owned 1/3 of a timing system, and this new partner specialized in developing large racing events throughout NC that we timed. Everybody was a winner! With these larger events, our profit margin went up significantly, and this new partner was now paying a timing company 1/3 less than he used to (because of his partial ownership in the system)! We have enjoyed this partnership so far and the opportunity it has afforded me to work part-time from home once our son is born.

Well, this week the deal started changing. Our newest partner backed out, then backed back in, changed terms and added stipulations. It's been ugly - we've been amazed at how business partners (and supposed friends) have treated each other with such little integrity and respect - but we've been determined to conduct ourselves in a way that honors God, even if we lose money. As part of that, we refused to borrow any money for the business. We don't believe that you can build debt and wealth at the same time (thanks to the wisdom of Dave Ramsey), so we refuse to have debt, even if it means that our business grows a little slower. We just sleep better at night that way. Unfortunately, these principles are not common in today's world, and so we're probably going to lose about 15% of our annual income when the partnership dissolves.

The awesome thing about all this, however, is the incredible peace that Jamie and I have both felt about how we have chosen to manage our resources. We feel that God is very much in the "timing" of this, and He has brought some information to light that has caused us to reconsider how we might have otherwise proceeded with this partnership. Furthermore, while this partnership has been a financial blessing to us these last few months, it did not exist a year ago, and something different, better and currently unknown to us could exist tomorrow. In the meantime, would you pray for us? Please pray that God will continue to provide for us as He has always done and that we would continue to make (sometimes tough) decisions for our family that honor Him.

In other news, we chose a special verse for Micah. I was reading 1 Samuel in my quiet time recently and really connected with something Hannah said when she birthed Samuel: I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord. - 1 Samuel 1:27-28

Whining

I've been sick this week, and it's really kicking my butt! I used to rebound from coughs and colds so easily, but not this time. I'm currently on day 5 of coughing, runny nose and the occasional low grade fever, and I can still hardly muster the energy to fold a load of laundry. And forget about cooking! Wednesday night I used some Christmas money to take us to Outback.

I went to the doctor Wednesday for my 34ish week check-up. Micah is doing great - still head down, moving a lot, weighing around 4.5 pounds. I still have a hard time thinking he's real. He likes to flex his arm in my abdomen, and when I feel that, he becomes more real to me than at any other time. We are so ready to meet our little fella!

I don't know if it's my cold or the culmination of our Expectant Parent's Class, but I'm getting really scared about labor. And weepy. The class really drove home for me how intense this process will be. I knew that, but until the class, I hadn't let myself think about it much. And now that I'm sick, I keep thinking, there is absolutely no way I could've pushed a baby out this week. No way. I'm praying through it and letting go of any ideas I had of doing labor au natural.

Last Hurrah Before Baby

We had a great weekend! Saturday I went to Raleigh with my mom to shop and see the musical, Jersey Boys, which is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. We called it our Last Hurrah Before Baby. We ate lunch at my favorite restaurant, California Pizza Kitchen, and bought some clothes for ourselves and for Micah. The musical was great! I was surprised that I recognized almost all the songs. When we got home and started putting Micah's new things away, my mom declared a clothing freeze for him. Apparently he has more than enough for his first year and she forgot to tell me that my sister had bought him an entire wardrobe, which I would receive the next day. I actually thought he needed more...haha. Mom had to remind me that clothes are re-usable and he'll only be in them for a few months at a time.

I also have to add that while we were gone all day, Jamie did a load of housework. He power washed the house, mowed the grass, installed shelves in our shed, did some stuff to the boat and made dinner! I told him I'm going to skip town about one day a month from now on ;-)

Sunday we had a family shower at a friend's house. We made ice cream sundaes and hung out by the pool. It was the perfect day! My family and friends pretty much cleaned off our registries to the point that we only need 3-4 more things, and we received enough gift cards to cover that. We have been so blessed! Jamie tickles me asking the difference between receiving blankets and swaddle wraps and wanting me to "teach him how Micah works."

Tomorrow is our last Expectant Parent's Class. We'll do the hospital tour. Then Wednesday I have my almost 34-week appointment...Next Friday is Baby Day. I'm taking the day off to finish all things baby...installing the car seats, making sure all his gadgets have batteries, hanging a few more things on his wall, etc. We're down to the wire!

What Is A Jicama Anyway?

My weekly pregnancy email says that Micah is about the size of a jicama (3.75 pounds) this week. I'm continuing to measure a few days early, and he has a strong heartbeat and has been head-down for weeks. We have most things ready to go and one more shower this weekend - an ice cream sundae shower that's mostly for family.

I'm planning to work part-time from home once Micah is born and had anticipated getting 15-20 hours, but so far I've gotten a lousy eight. Things could change, but it's looking like eight is our number, so we re-did our budget yesterday. It wasn't as daunting as we had expected...we'll still eat and take warm showers...but the days of being DINKs (double income, no kids) are nearly over. I think the discipline will be good for us. In the past, our budget was more like a goal or a rough estimate of what we could (or should) spend each month. Now we'll actually have to live by it. This weekend I told my mom, "This will really be hard for Jamie because he's not used to telling himself no." And she came back with, "Well, neither are you." BUSTED. Oh well... Baby M (not to be confused with BM) is worth it. And God has always provided, and I know He'll continue to as we do our part to wisely manage our finances.

In these last eight weeks of pregnancy, I am...spending lots of QT with Jamie, pottying eight-ish times a night, outgrowing all my maternity clothes, taking classes on nursing and childbirth, staying wet (pool, river or beach), doing lots of "adult activities" (the kinds you don't take kids to, like going to see Jersey Boys this Saturday), assembling all of Micah's new trinkets, getting very excited about meeting my little boy!

Rain Showers and Baby Showers

Can we say that the summer is flying by? We started our July 4th weekend Saturday morning in Raleigh with the Great Raleigh Road Race. It was, dare I say it, cool outside when we started setting up at 6 am. We had a great time and got down to our river house by mid-afternoon to enjoy the annual July 4th cookout on Kilby Island. I ate my weight in desserts (not to mention barbecue and other things). We also got some new family pictures of the three of us (see some of the out-takes below), and we killed a water moccasin.

Camera Tricks: my father-in-law used a special lense to distort
this picture and make me appear about 72 weeks pregnant.

Eskimo Kissies

Feeling Micah

Sunday the weather was overcast all day. We sat around waiting for it to rain, and finally around 5, we decided it wasn't going to so we all went out for exercise (me walking, Jamie and his dad running). I heard thunder...I knew better...but I continued on my walk anyway. About that time the Heavens opened up and sent a rainy, thundery, lightning mess down on top of us. We all ran home...again, I know better...and after Jamie beat me home, he came back to get me with the golf cart. I climbed in just as a lightning bolt hit (what felt like) right beside me. It was scary for all involved (including Micah, I'm sure).

***

Yesterday, my office mates threw me a "surprise" baby shower by the pool. I had sorta figured it out, but it was awesome anyway. We got some great things for Micah and some homemade extras that I never expected. Brenda, my office mate who taught me to sew, made Micah a pair of booties. (I think she was concerned that I hadn't made him any myself.) My friend, Stephanie, and I have a running joke about that. She is a graphic designer and has painted tons of nurseries, but her own son's room is still not finished. Likewise, I've made baby booties for many of my friends, but Micah would be barefoot without Brenda! As if the booties weren't enough, Brenda's daughter decorates cakes and made us one featuring the booties that Brenda had sewn (see below). They are a crafty pair! I work with an incredible team, and Jamie and I were so blessed by their thoughtfulness and generosity. I will miss them once I start working at home when Micah's born.

Our cake and booties

Some of our goodies...check out the "M" painted with a
running theme. This was a special present from my good friend JJ with Jamie in mind.

First Baby Shower

We had our first baby shower this weekend hosted by three friends from our couple's group, and it was WONDERFUL! My friends are awesome, generous, creative, thoughtful...I just can't come up with enough adjectives to describe all they did for us and how perfect it all was. I always have this fear when parties are held in my honor that nobody will come. I felt the same way when I had my wedding showers, but people did come and I was very flattered. Thanks to my three hostesses (and good friends), Stephanie, Shannon and Carrie, and to all my friends who came and blessed Micah with so many nice things. And thanks to Carrie and my mom, I have pictures to share! Enjoy!

Me with my hostesses, Stephanie, Shannon and Carrie.
They did an excellent job!

Table setting, which includes some of my favorites like
Edible Arrangements and Stephanie's spinach dip and cupcakes.

Group shot

Party favors

Our loot...we are blessed!

Closeup of all Micah's goodies

I forgot to take off my bedroom shoes for this picture.
I look like such a housewife.

Nursery Tour

Stephanie painted our nursery Friday and put the finishing touches on Monday. She worked really hard to get it finished before my parents came over for Father's Day, and we really appreciated that! I think she did an awesome job. Our neighbor, Karen, made the letters on the wall (the pictures don't do them justice ;-). We get more compliments about these letters, K - great job! I hope that Micah will let me keep his room this way until he's at least 4. By then he'll probably want a "big boy" room, so I'm relishing this opportunity to create a room for him of my own choosing. Enjoy the tour!

Jellyfish Season

If I had a camera with me and took pictures like the rest of you do, then I'd have one posted here of Jamie opening his father-to-be card this morning. He's so ready for Micah to come out and play! I am, too, as I can't seem to get comfortable sleeping now and sometimes wake up with really bad leg cramps and a husband whispering, "Can you settle down please?" We go back to the doctor this Friday to see how everyone's doing.

We are wrapping up a wonderful weekend at the river house. Yesterday a few friends came down for the day. We started out with a boat ride and a swim in Bath Creek. As we were swimming around, I noticed that the water had started to sting. Then I shouted several wirty dords as I made a beeline for the boat. Turns out I had been unknowingly swimming with a jelly fish, but thankfully only my arms got stung and thankfully everybody else was okay. Since we didn't have any meat tenderizer on the boat (a common cure for jelly fish stings), our friends suggested that ammonia via urine was my only option for relief. After we all laughed about this, Jamie peed on my arms and they felt a lot better. When we got back to the river house, I called my doctor to make sure that Micah wasn't in danger (he wasn't) and then we carried on with a wonderful day of lounging in our blow-up pool (an excellent buy!) and fishing. Only much later did I realize I had forgotten to wash my arms off...

Also, as Jamie is reading this over my shoulder, he's begging me to "tell them about my fishes." He caught some fish yesterday - a flounder and a trout - that we'll eat with my parents one night this week. We love fresh fish in the summer time!

I have Issues

The first is that my right foot and ankle are swollen, but my left looks completely normal. The right has gotten so big that I can't fit into my sandals anymore. I know that edema is a normal part of pregnancy, especially in the summer, but it seems odd that only one side is swelling. I read up online to see if I could do anything to alleviate this discomfort (along with swelling, my right foot also aches and falls asleep sometimes), and the advice I found was: sleep on your left side (check), don't cross legs while sitting (oops), prop up feet while working (oops again), don't eat junk food (oops a third time). On a positive note, I don't have any stretch marks yet :-D

My second issue is really retarded. Prior to getting married, Jamie and I discussed our desire for me to be a sahm (stay at home mom) once the babies came along. Well, that's our plan when Micah arrives - aside from a few hours I'll work each week from home - but as I'm finishing out my last few months at Covenant, I'm noticing that I'm losing some of my responsibilities, I don't feel as important anymore, I'm not invited to as many meetings, etc. Logically, I understand. After all, as Jamie put it, "They're cutting you back because you asked them to." But I also don't feel as valued or needed anymore, and that's a hard pill to swallow. I know once Micah is here, those feelings will go away. I'll have a new purpose then, and truly I'm so thankful to be able to stay home with him. But doggoneit, right now I want to go to those meetings! I laugh just reading that because I HATE meetings.

Tonight we're hosting a baby shower for our friends, Brandon and Carrie, and their baby, Stokes. This shower really is a double blessing: we get to spend time with good friends, and the occasion prompted Jamie to clean some areas of the house that normally get ignored...Tomorrow, Stephanie is coming over to paint the nursery (and hopefully take some pictures...she's a much better photographer than I am). I'll be hanging out with her 1-year-old, Aaron, practicing up for next summer...

Blink and You'll Miss Us!

Weekends zoom by...but then again, weeks do, too. I can't believe I'm already 28 weeks pregnant (picture coming)! We spent the weekend at the beach with my parents. It was awesome! We broke in the new skiff, and Jamie and my stepdad had a great time fishing on Sunday. I spent a lot of time with my mom - walking on the beach, swimming, beating Micah to death in the waves, etc. And much to the dismay of my health nut husband, I went to Dairy Queen and got my one brownie batter blizzard for the summer. It was decadent!

After I made my nursing cover, I had grand intentions of making lots of other things (see previous post). But when? I know that's a question I'll be asking even more when Micah comes, but it's true now since I married a man who doesn't sit still. Now we've become a couple who doesn't sit still. This week, for example, we're going to my mom's house for dinner tonight to eat the fish Jamie and Larry caught, tomorrow night we're going to dinner for Jamie's mom's birthday, Wednesday we're cleaning and mowing the grass, Thursday we're having our couple's group over for a baby shower for Micah's friend, Stokes, and Friday we get the nursery painted and then head to the river for the weekend. Whew! We have a lot of fun, but I hope this baby can keep up!

Blessed Freebies!

I hit the jackpot last week! Two of my co-workers offered up their gently used baby items for me to have...free! We're getting a car seat for Jamie's car, a jumparoo, an exersaucer and a swing! Like most first-time moms, I picked out all this new stuff for my baby. Then I got over it. He has plenty of new things, but I'm so thankful for these used items in particular. You never really know if a baby will like a swing or a jumparoo, so why buy that stuff new only to risk it never getting used? My mom also stumbled upon a half-off baby sale at Belk's this weekend. Thanks to her and my friend, Suzanne, Micah is already well outfitted for the next year. What a blessing!

I had my gestational diabetes test on Friday. I chose the orange drink and didn't think it was all that bad. Maybe that's because I'm used to drinking syrupy sweet tea. The lab tech said she would call me today or tomorrow if I failed. So no news from her is good news. If I do fail, then I'll go back for a 3-hour test to either confirm or reverse my failure. In other OB news, the baby is still doing well and already appears to be head down. This is a great time in my pregnancy; the sickness is long gone, my energy level has perked up, and I'm rounding out but still not so big that I feel like a beached whale. The only new symptom I'm noticing is my sensitivity to heat, which doesn't make for a very pleasant summer ahead. We're going to the beach this weekend and my only request is to find a tide pool to sit in for the afternoon.

I'm back into sewing hardcore. Next on my agenda: sewing machine cover and passy clips. I hear those clips are hard to find, so I was super excited to find this tutorial online.

Update: I passed my diabetes test! I couldn't stand the "no news is good news" approach, so I finally called this afternoon and they gave me the results. Praise!

Bosom Buddy

I work hard all day. I like knowing there's going to be a break. Most days I just sit and wait for the break. - Kevin, The Office

I had a break yesterday, so I got to work on my nursing cover. Things were moving along wonderfully until I got ready to thread the boning (this is the part that bows out at the top and allows me to see the baby better while I'm nursing.). Then I almost lost my religion (ok, not really...). I ended up un-stitching, re-stitching, running out of thread, running to Wal-Mart for new thread and accidentally buying the super thick stuff that was like sewing with shoe string. Ugh! But I finally finished around 9pm and am mostly happy with the outcome. As my fellow sewing friend Shannon says, "Don't look too closely at those seams!" I'm a perfectionist and hate flaws, but I just have to get over that. (Click here for a nursing cover tutorial.)

My nursing cover in all its glory!

If it weren't for the darn boning, I'd take orders,
but I just can't put myself through this again.

Gotta, Wanna, Needa, Getta, Hava Chocolate Pop!

We spent this past weekend at Emerald Isle with my parents and had a great time. The ocean breeze really helped me stay cool. I tried to behave myself with desserts even though my mom is an excellent cook and baker. I gained 7 pounds in 3 weeks recently, and Jamie put it most tactfully when he said, "I think you have a hard time controlling yourself around sweets." So true...I seem to have this gotta have it complex lately when it comes to anything chocolate. In any case, I waved sadly as we passed by three Dairy Queens on our trip, longing for a truffle blizzard. On a positive note, I discovered low fat "chocolate pops" as my step-dad calls them (they are really fudge popsicles). They make a great afternoon snack and still give me my chocolate fix.

I have sewn lots of things for friends who've had babies over the last year - booties, burp cloths and blankets mostly - but I've hardly made a thing for my own child. I made him an ECU tag blanket several months ago when I was really into tag blankets, but then I gave it away :-( He does have one Mommy-made blanket, but this week I'm going to start making my nursing cover. I ordered some cute Michael Miller fabric (see below) and look forward to dusting off my sewing machine again.


I go this Friday for my glucose test. I'm really hoping that I pass! I know I don't have the self control to avoid almost all sugar if I don't. I'll also sign-up for several childbirth classes at this appointment, so I'm excited about that. I can't believe I'm only 14 weeks away from meeting my little boy!

Memorial Weekend Recap

We had a great time in Ocracoke, although the ocean was calmer and warmer this time last year. Here's what we did: hung out on the beach, kayaked, rode our bikes, slept late, ate dessert every night with no guilt, read a book each, and just enjoyed each other's company. Next year we'll probably break our Memorial Weekend tradition and go to Emerald Isle with my parents. I know they will be a great help to us with baby Micah, plus we love their company :-)


We took a total of three pictures the entire time. As I mentioned in a previous post, we aren't big picture people but hope to become better once Micah is here. We have good intentions. We always have our camera nearby! For me, the problem is multi-tasking. When I'm scrambling to capture the moment in pictures, I feel like I'm missing out on the actual moment. However, there is an exception...whenever this happens, a certain somebody takes loads of pictures. Hmmmm.


Speaking of Jon and Kate plus 8 (so we weren't, but I didn't have a good transition to that topic). I think it's time for them to turn off the cameras and deal with each other. I sometimes think about how much more aware of myself I would be if cameras were following me around all the time. For instance, if I berated Jamie all the time (I don't, by the way), I think it would become painfully obvious to me, most of all, if it was captured on tape. Then I'd want to change. Not so much with Mrs. Kate. After watching the season premiere of their show Monday night, I just felt compelled to pray for their family. I also felt compelled to stop watching. Don't feel like all the attention/press they're getting is really healthy right now.

Truth

I say lots of prayers for my unborn baby. I pray for his health, that he's a good sleeper when he's born (wink), but the most important thing I pray is that Jesus will know him by name, that Micah will have a personal relationship with his Heavenly Father. Our pastor is doing a sermon series on religious relativism - the prevailing idea in our culture that no absolute truth exists when it comes to religion - and I've felt the burden even more to make sure that Micah knows and understands Truth. (Click here to listen to the sermons from the Whatever series. I especially recommend Whatever...all paths lead to God.)

It seems like teaching him God's Truth should be an easy job for us. Jamie and I both have a personal relationship with Jesus, we love our church and attend regularly, and we have lots of Christian friends who share our values. But I don't want Micah to have his Christian beliefs challenged one day and then realize he only believes the way he does because his parents told him to, or because he never knew anything different. Simply put, I want him to have a very firm faith foundation and to be ready with answers when his faith is challenged.

Our pastor recommended a book this past weekend called More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell. Jamie has read the book (I haven't), but I think the author (who wasn't a Christian at the time) basically did an in-depth investigation to determine, "Who is this Jesus?" He ultimately determined that Jesus is the Real Deal!

We're excited to introduce Micah to Jesus, but we're also painfully aware of the other messages that will be competing with our own. If you are praying for Micah, please pray for his relationship with Jesus. Yes, we want him to be healthy, smart, happy, etc., but we're much more interested in his eternity.

Micah and Parents...On the Move!

Thank goodness we stayed home this weekend! The weather was awful, and we got so much done around the house! We assembled all of Micah's nursery furniture, so his room is starting to come together. We still don't have his bed made yet - we're waiting to sell our sailboat before we buy him a mattress - but I won two auctions on ebay so that he could have curtains that match his bedding. My very crafty neighbor and friend, Karen, also finished making some letters for his wall. They are soooooo cute! I'll put the curtains and letters up in June, after my other super crafty friend, Stephanie, paints his walls. I'm so excited to see how it all comes together!

People keep telling me I'm small for 24 weeks. While I appreciate the compliment, I want to make sure he's growing like he's supposed to. I don't go back to the doctor for two more weeks, but he's very active, which is encouraging.

This weekend we are going to Ocracoke for several days. We are taking our kayak this time and look forward to hanging out on the beach, riding our bikes, reading, sleeping late and eating yummy food. I guess this is our last "big" trip before Micah is born, but I don't expect that we'll slow down much once he's here - we'll just start taking him with us (or letting Mimi babysit ;-).

Squirmy Baby

Last week I remarked in a post that I couldn't wait for Micah to start moving so that Jamie could feel him. Well, that same afternoon, he was doing acrobatics in my tummy! I called Jamie over to feel, hoping that Micah would cooperate, and he did! Since then we've both felt him quite a lot. He always gives good kicks when I lay flat on my back. Sometimes I tickle my stomach to try to "wake him up," but Jamie says that's mean and I should let him sleep. Haha.

I had my 22 week doctor's appointment last week, and everything was great. I'm 2 pounds over my weight goal. No biggie, I'm actually pleased to only be 2 pounds over.

We have three weeks off from races now, so we will be spending time at the river and beach, including our annual Memorial Day weekend trip to Ocracoke. My plan for the summer is to stay cool and wet ;-)

Mother's Day "Dress Rehearsal"

I had a wonderful (quasi) first Mother's Day! When I arrived at work on Friday, there was a Mother's Day card on my desk signed by all the ladies I work with at Covenant. Each of them had written a personal message - it was so sweet! Friday afternoon we went to Chapel Hill to score a "tree hugger" race on Saturday morning :-) Seriously, I have nothing against environmentalists - in fact, we practice a lot of what they preach in our own home - but it's the anything goes/free spirit that gets to me. Jamie and I run a very organized production when we do races, and some of these people didn't seem too concerned when they forgot to tell the runners to pick up their timing chips (hello!!). They were like, "Oh...yeah...sorry about that." I think one of them was high.

We got back Saturday afternoon and had dinner with my dad and stepmom. We really enjoyed spending time with them, and Micah got a cute fabric barnyard with stuffed animals that "talk" for Mother's Day (yes, Micah got all the Mother's Day presents, but I didn't mind ;-) It's really cute, and I hope it still works when he arrives because Jamie and my stepmom enjoy playing with it as much as any baby would.

Sunday night we had my mom, stepdad and Jamie's mom over for dinner. I have to admit that my mom spoils me (and "her baby" Micah) rotten. Last week Jamie and I had dinner with William and Amy Bell and their newborn daughter, Cora, and I fell in love with Amy's diaper bag. I told my mom about it, and last night, she presented me with one of my own! It's very girly (see below), but I figured the diaper bag should fit me more than the baby since I'm the one carrying it, and it will also double as my purse when we go out. We also got a picture frame with Micah's name spelled out in magnets, and Jamie's mom brought him a blanket, a stuffed animal and a couple of books. We are so blessed to have such awesome moms! I only hope I can be as good of a mom as mine has been to me.

22 Weeks

I'm a week late posting my bump picture. We had a few camera malfunctions :-) My nausea has more or less passed now. I feel lots of flutters and "popcorn" in my belly. The movements have become more pronounced this week - they feel more like jabs. I'm really looking forward to when Jamie can feel the baby move. Sleeping is a challenge, as I'm a belly sleeper, but I'm slowly adjusting to snoozing on my side. I have my next doctor's appointment on Thursday. I have a specific weight goal set by my midwife, so I'm hoping I didn't go over that too much. I feel I'm finally starting to "look" pregnant and not just like someone who ate too many donuts.

Shopped Til We Dropped

Jamie and I might as well have gone to Disney World this past weekend. We wouldn't have had any more fun! Our trip started Friday with a stop at Southpoint mall. I rarely buy myself clothes anymore - friends have loaned me so much, and I'd honestly rather spend the money on the baby. But I needed new undies (can't exactly borrow those) and a new top, so we picked up those things, had a nice dinner, then continued on to Burlington for a Saturday morning race (it was necessary to work hard before we played hard).

After the race, it was on. I was so excited about going to Ikea that I could hardly eat my lunch. Once there, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. If you've never experienced Ikea, it's a large home store/warehouse that features high quality at very low prices. We got Micah's crib, dresser, bookcase and a few other odds and ends for under $500. After our Ikea experience, it was time to reward Jamie with a trip to Concord Mills and Bass Pro Shop. He spent almost three hours there while I shopped the children's outlets. I really wanted to get Micah a Gymboree blanket, and I found one on the clearance rack at the outlet (that's what I call bargain shopping, folks) for $9! He also got a few other fall clothes.

We had to drag ourselves out of Concord Mills because we were so hungry. Otherwise we could have shopped on into the night. We went to Carrabas and ate at the pasta bar so we wouldn't have to wait. What an experience! We were so well entertained watching the chefs work, and we even got free samples!

What a fun day! I woke up Sunday and wanted to do it all again, but Jamie said we were broke :-(

Trying to Avoid Swine Flu

I love warm weather! So I may not love it as much this year as summer's past, but nearly all my maternity clothes are for warm weather, so I'm excited to "debut" a new wardrobe. We had a busy race weekend, as usual. Saturday morning we scored a kayak-alon at Camp Bonner in Chocowinity. I've continued to have morning nausea and was really worried how I'd do standing out in the hot sun, but by the grace of God, I woke up Saturday feeling great and had no problems with the heat. I must be showing pretty well, because strangers are starting to ask when my baby is due. After the race, we went to our river house at Kilby Island for the weekend. Our life is pretty boring and awesome at the river - we go out in the boat, nap, ride the golf cart, and usually end up taking at least one trip to the Washington Wal-Mart because we forgot something. We also eat a lot. Speaking of which, I can now out-eat Jamie...pretty scary.

Little Micah is moving around a lot, which is so neat. I can't feel discernible kicks yet, but lots of little flutters. Sometimes he likes to move around at 5am. I try to gently tell him that we only do one thing at 5am...better to learn it now, son! This coming weekend, we are going to Ikea in Charlotte to shop for his furniture (with a stop at Concord Mills for my husband). In fact, if you ask Jamie what we're doing this weekend, he will say, "Going to Bass Pro Shop." We can't get the furniture that I had originally selected at Ikea because it's out of stock indefinitely, but I found some other pieces that I really like. I can't wait to show off his nursery once it's finished!

Attack Rabbits!

Often on Mondays, I feel like I need a weekend after my weekend. We had a great (but busy!) time in Wilmington scoring a race at the aquarium. We got there late Saturday afternoon and took a breezy walk on the beach before having dinner at the Oceanic. Sunday we woke at 5:30 to start preparations for the race. We had no idea that the aquarium was located next to a salt marsh and that the mosquitoes would be out in full force. I was so thankful that baby Micah wasn't born yet - I don't know what I would have done if we had taken him there. I'm becoming more and more aware of how my participation in races will have to change once he's born. I really love going and helping out, but it will be difficult to juggle my scoring responsibilities and a newborn. In any case, our clients were very happy and want to hire us back next year...praise!

We had our last Financial Peace University (FPU) class last night, and the final topic was giving. This is something Jamie and I feel very passionate about. God has always provided very generously for us, and we love to use our extra resources to bless others when we can. One of the major points of last night's lesson was that none of us really have any money; we're all stewards (managers) of what belongs to God. And if you think about it, it's much easier to give away somebody else's money! We've really enjoyed FPU and the financial freedom that has come from getting our finances in order. In fact, our church is offering a live feed with Dave Ramsey this Thursday, and we're attending with our couple's group. We're excited to hear what new information Dave has in light of our country's current economic situation. Please come if you live in Greenville - it's free and open to the public!

I'm 20 weeks today...yay! I still get some morning sickness. I had almost a two-week break, but then it came back. Someone told me that unpleasant pregnancies mean pleasant labors. I hope they are right!..."Aunt Hilda," my good friend and co-worker, went to Chapel Hill this past weekend and bought Micah his first UNC outfit! It's sooooo cute - pictures to come...My mom spent the weekend in Asheville visiting my aunt. When I called to say hi on Sunday, she told me that she bought Micah a sleeper with rabbits (read the post titled The Ferocious Nature of Lions, Bears and Alligators to see how this violates our clothing policies) but she said we could call them "attack rabbits." Ha.

A Wee Little Arghhhhhhh!

The Orrs had a wonderful Easter weekend! We spent Saturday at the river and then came back for church on Sunday. The music and drama were so good! After church we began the "family tour." Sunday afternoon we had a "traditional" Easter lunch of barbecue chicken with my dad's family. It was really good! Then we visited my mom and had dinner with Jamie's mom.

Our office was closed Easter Monday, so I went to Target and Babies R Us to begin our registry. I had a lot of fun, but it was also exhausting! I'm so thankful to have so many mommy friends who helped me decide what to get (how else would you know what kind of breast bump to purchase?). I tried to be good and not buy anything, but I couldn't resist one special outfit that I hope to dress Micah in for his homecoming (see below). With all the pirate drama in the news, I hope that pirates don't stop being cool. He already has several outfits with pirate motifs.

Front of outfit and beenie

Back of outfit

Speaking of outfits, my mom and I are going a little crazy and need to stop. Jamie and I went to visit her on Easter, and she presented us with three shopping bags of clothes for the baby! We were so excited - she got some really cute stuff (and no duckies!). Most of what I buy him is for when he's a little older. Last week at Gymboree, I found some overalls for around $5 and three other winter pieces that altogether totaled just under $20! I love Gymboree, but I would go broke if I didn't restrict myself to just the sale rack.

Next weekend we are off to Wilmington for another race. I'm so glad that my nausea has passed - it makes going and doing so much easier! I hope we have good weather - I'm ready to break out the summer maternity clothes!

18 Week Update

I was so prepared for a baby girl with clothes, bedding, etc. I had bought some of those things for a boy, but I have a much harder time finding boy things that I like. I've been searching online for crib bedding, and yesterday I stumbled upon a set at Target that I remembered liking when it first came out. It's now on clearance - 50% off - so I bought the bedding plus a few matching accessories such as a rug and blanket.


My good friend Stephanie is going to paint his walls to match this bedding - we have some great ideas! I cannot wait to see what Stephanie comes up with and to share those final nursery pictures with you all!

Micah James @ 17.5 Weeks

My Profile

Another profile shot...I might have my hand up in this picture.

I'm a Tarheel!

Showing off my foot...will I be a runner like daddy?

No questions about whether I'm a boy...the ultrasound technician was 99.9% sure!