Introducing: The Bean a.k.a.....

Adeline Rose

Photo by Jess Cherico

Born May 13, 5:43 am

7lbs 1oz, 20 1/2 inches long

Happy, healthy, and very loved....

We're home now and doing well. Grandma Denna is here helping. We can't believe she's ours! She's very content so far and loves to be held! I'll post more later! Gotta go love our baby. :)

Dear Baby, I Love You....Please Get Out.

(Photo by Lindsay O.)

Okay, I've decided it's time. Time for her to come. I decided this a long time ago, before it was really healthy for the baby to be outside the womb. But it's perfectly safe now! So, let's get a move on it!

My midwife got my hopes up last week saying she might help move things along to get contractions started. (She doesn't want me to go too long with gestational diabetes.) However, at my last appointment, she checked and said, "Wow, you're not even close. You are not ready to have this baby." Wait, wait....yes, I am! She asked how I was feeling and I said, "I'm ready to be done." She cocked her head to the side and asked, "Why the eagerness to be done?"

Um, seriously????

Does that question really need to be asked of someone who is 9 months pregnant? I think not. But if you'll humor me, I'll give you my list of reasons of why I'm "eager to be done." And please understand that I am thrilled to be having a child. This blessing did not come at the snap of our fingers and we feel honored to be given this gift. I would do it again, because she is already so wanted and loved. She is worth every ache and pain. That being said, instead of seeing this as a list of complaints, please see this as my wish list for post-pregnancy:

10. I want to sleep on my back and stomach! Sweet bliss!

9. I want to be able to hug my husband tightly without bending my body to accommodate for the belly. I feel like I'm unwillingly hugging an awkward acquaintance.

8. I wanna eat carbs!!!! Bread. Noodles. Noodles on bread. Cake. Ice cream. Ice cream cake. Fruit! Juice. Fruit juice....you get the idea.

7. I would like to visit the bathroom less frequently. I feel like I live there.

6. I would like bend-ability back. Easily tying shoes, grabbing things off the floor, putting on pants, and sitting in certain positions would all be luxuries.

5. Not having the "What is going on with my body????!!!!!!" feeling wouldn't be horrible. Being the hypochondriac that I am, pregnancy has been quite the experience. I've had many Should this really be happening???? moments....on an hourly basis.

4. Oddly enough, I'm excited to zip and button my pants again. Maternity pants, though comfortable for a time, are not oh-so-flattering and can make me feel like a toddler with elastic waist pants.

3. I could do with less back and body pain.

2. Keeping it G-rated and avoiding T.M.I overload, I have about 5 unmentionable reasons for being ready. Hey-o!

1. And of course, I want to meet the Bean! I wanna hug and kiss her up. And then I wanna give her a piece of my mind for hurting her mommy for the last 9 months. And then I wanna snuggle her some more.

Any day now.....

Baby Showers Galore!

Oh my! I was blessed with a plethora of baby showers! Our baby will want for nothing, thanks to my wonderful co-workers, friends, and family. I'll share some picture highlights. But I don't yet have pictures from our last shower with Gerrit's family--which was so great. :) My family also came bearing gifts while they were here for Easter and I don't have pictures of that. Gerrit and I feel very loved by all.

My after-school co-workers threw a dinner shower. It was colorful and loud--just like they are! Co-workers who are reading this: You know it's true and you know I love you. :)

Co-hostess Sally made this sign!

Everyone loves a Boppy! (Co-hostess Melissa is in the background)

Me and Co-hostess Kim.

I also had a joint baby shower with a co-worker at school. We are due about a month apart and it's been great to celebrate, complain, and bounce questions off each other (Is this normal? Are you going through this?). We both felt very loved by the faculty and staff at school. One of our co-workers has a gift (and business) for making cakes! She made the one in the picture. It was delicious and diabetic friendly. :)
Finally, my dearly loved Renovation Church house group ladies threw a shower. They've been a wonderful support throughout the pregnancy with their excitement, prayers, and advice. My friend, Lindsay, took the pictures.

Some of the ladies The presents!Melinda, Me, Evie, and Jordan.
After the shower, Evie, took some maternity pictures for Gerrit and I. Head over to her photography blog if you would like to see some of them!

I can't thank everyone enough for the amazing showers. We are so appreciative. Our little girl is set with all the necessities for her arrival. And she definitely has more clothes than I do (better looking ones, I might add! Not gonna lie, I'm a little jealous). Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Updates

I really want to blog about all the wonderful baby showers I had, nesting instincts, and the days to come. But where is the time? I know. I know. There will be even less time when the baby comes. I'll do my best to blog soon. No promises. The Bean could come at anytime now! EEEEEK! I'm still here though and we're still waiting. We'll keep you posted!

Baby Shower #1

My amazing bosom buddies threw me my first baby shower this weekend. I can't believe how great it was (actually, I can believe it. They're pretty crazy good at what they do). I stole pictures from Jess and Mandy. They get the credit.

The Hostesses: Jess and Rachel (who opened their townhouse for the occasion) and Mandy who flew from afar to be here!

The food and decorations...made with love.

I have to tell you about these paper flowers. Jess took vintage childrens' books and folded them into flowers. Then Jess and Rachel grew real wheat grass in glasses and "planted" the flowers in them. Amazing!

These shoes were handmade (!!!) by Jess and Rachel's mom, Deb. Could they be any cuter? What a diva this baby will be!All the "showerers" (minus Mandy's mom, Kay, who took the picture). I love them all!

The "Seven" minus Brittany (who couldn't be there because she is being a missionary in Ukraine. I guess we'll let her off the hook. She was very missed, but she was with us in spirit and in the button decorations!)

With all the preciousness of the day, there had to be a little silliness, too. Here are Mel and Jess modeling the Bumbo chair (hopefully the baby will use it correctly)!

Molly and Tara's present had this extra large bow on it. Mandy said, "You know that's ending up on your belly at some point, right?" And so, it did.

I can't tell you how blessed I felt that day; and how I feel to have these women in my life. I hope the Bean is influenced by every one of them!

Inappropriate Question of the Day

Co-Worker (pushing the hair off MY forehead): Oh...are you breaking out like that because you're pregnant?

.....Yeah....I've never felt so beautiful.....

Sinful

Why...

...are all...

...the wonderful foods in life...

...so very, very...

...naughty?

These foods are on my post-pregnancy wish list. It's an ever-growing list. Forgive me for having such wicked thoughts.