Jovie's Birthday in Pictures

here are some pictures from Jovie's day. i'm so glad we were able to capture some of the joy!

me waiting to go back to surgery to meet Miss Jovie!

Ben is all prepped for the OR

she's here!

getting checked out & wiped down!

5 lbs 9 oz!

she loves to have her hands up by her face

our first picture together. i'm looking pretty rough, but this was 10 minutes after surgery!

beautiful baby girl

first picture after her bath

she has the sweetest face!

she is cold & not happy about it!

all bundled up & wearing her first bow!

Jovie & mommy

Daddy & his girl

Ben, Jovie & her Uncle Tripp (ben's older brother)

my mom, me & Jovie

Lolli loves her Jovie girl

what a wonderful & precious day we had together. we are so blessed & so thankful for our girl.

Jovie Claire

our perfectly precious Jovie Claire is finally here!!! here are her birth stats:

Jovie Claire Williams

Monday, January 25, 2010

6:44 p.m.

5 lbs 9 oz

18.5 inches long

we are so completely in love with our girl. its amazing how you love the 2nd baby just as quickly & just as much as you love the 1st baby. i don't know why i thought it might feel weird or competitive with how much we love our Jack. it is completely equal and so much fun.

i will always remember the day she was born, so vividly. i woke up that Monday morning around 6 a.m., i just couldn't sleep any longer. i jumped in the shower & ate breakfast at 7:15. i wasn't allowed any food or drink after 8 am. after breakfast i began packing up our room & all our stuff. Ben woke up, showered & cleaned up the room with me. but he left around 9:30 to meet his mom & Jack at Dr Bubba's office. Jack had some nasty congestion & a gross little cough so we wanted to get him checked out before Jovie arrived & he began breathing all over her! while he was gone, one of the doctors in my group, Dr Healy (she delivered Jack) came in to go over a few last minute things about the surgery. then my nurse, Linda, came in to let me know she was about to start my IV. Linda happened to be the same exact nurse that i had when i was in the hospital with Jack. she started my IV then & i was so grateful she would be the one to start my IV for Jovie. that may sound weird, but at least i knew she was capable of getting it the first time, she's a great nurse.

the IV was quick & painful but it wore off quickly. after the IV i changed into my hospital gown & was hooked up to fluids. i was able to sit, rest & talk with the Lord for about an hour before Ben returned from Jack's doctor appointment. Jack had a sinus infection & Ben was able to get his prescription filled & put Jack down for a nap at the Williams' house. we sat, talked & watched tv together. i remember we talked about how excited we were to be meeting sweet Jovie, to have 2 kids together & how our little family was growing. we talked about how far we'd come since our dating days & how we couldn't believe that we were already at this phase of our life.

around 2:30 pm Ben's mom brought Jack up to the hospital to visit us one last time before Jovie & to meet my mom so that she could take Jack home with her. we had a good visit & they left around 4:00 pm. after that, we continued to relax & just wait for them to come get us to take me back for the c-section. Linda came in & let us know that the surgery had been pushed back by about 30 minutes. at about 5:35 she returned & wheeled me off to the triage room. we met with doctors & nurses to discuss the surgery within 15 minutes, i was being wheeled into the OR & Ben was left to put on his scrubs.

the OR was freezing cold. they sat me up on the table & began the procedure for the spinal. first, comes the numbing shot. no biggie. and the the anesthesiologist tells me "ok, from this point on, you will just be feeling pressure." about 5 seconds later, i feel an intensely sharp pain from the inside of my back. i yelp & say "um, i can feel that on my right side & it hurts really bad" he says "ok, i'll give you more numbing medicine" and then 10 seconds, i feel the intense pain again. i begin to cry & he he tries more numbing medicine. by the end of this, he had to try my spinal 3, that's right, 3 times. and the word pain is a major understatement. 2 nurses had to hold me still & i was sobbing & begging for Ben to come in the room with me. i finally told the nurse that that he had to stop trying, i couldn't take it anymore. and at that moment, he gets it to work. but by this time, i'm shaking uncontrollably, i just couldn't calm down. Ben was finally allowed to come in the room & he asked how my spinal went. i told him. and he was irritated & so sweet about comforting me. i was put on oxygen b/c i kept throwing up & couldn't catch my breath. (this was definitely not as difficult with Jack!)

the surgery went on for what seemed like forever. then at 6:44 pm, i heard the most beautiful sound. sweet Jovie Claire was here & letting us know it. and she didn't stop her crying! she had quite the temper & all the nurses kept talking about how she was so petite & had so much hair. they weighed her, cleaned her up a bit & wrapped her up. then they gave her to Ben for the remainder of the surgery & i was able to see her. at about 7:30 pm, the surgery was finally over & we were wheeled into the ICU room for an hour. i was able to feed Jovie for the first time & Ben was able to call our families to let them know Jovie was here & everyone was doing great. at about 9:15 i was wheeled into a room on the Labor & Delivery floor to begin my joyous journey on Magnesium.

i responded to the Magnesium a lot better this time. i only had to be on it for 12 hours, which was a blessing. my only side effect was that i felt so hot & overheated. but i was allowed to have water & a fan in my room, which helped a whole lot. Jovie Claire was able to come into our room around 11:00 pm, after her bath. i was in so much pain that night but it was so nice to be able to have that time with her. she slept great, we had to wake her to eat. poor Ben was so tired & he was able to get a good bit of sleep. at around 11 am the next morning, my magnesium was done & i was moved up to the 4th floor & into a regular recovery room.

later that day, my mom brought Jack up to meet Jovie for the first time. he did so great with her. he just kept saying "oohhhh didi" (didi is how he says baby!) and he just kissed her face. it was precious & a definite answer to prayer. overall, he didn't seem very jealous. we really just wanted to touch her, a lot. he was so curious, and after about 10 minutes, he was down on the floor playing!

all of our family got to meet Jovie Claire that day. it was such a blessing to have them there & share in our excitement about our new sweet little girl. we were discharged from the hospital on thursday the 28th & we were SO glad to be headed home as a new family of 4!!

Thank you Lord, for the blessing of being a parent. Jack & Jovie are wonderful gifts, may we raise them to love, honor & serve You all of their lives! We love you, Jovie Claire!

(pics from her birthday to follow in another post)

15 Months!

Jack~

you are 15 months old!! i can not believe it. you are a full blown toddler & a barrel of fun. you have learned so many new things this month and you are growing so very fast. we love you so very much. we constantly talk about how thankful we are to have you & how blessed we are to be your parents. you are such a joy to take care of, play with, hug, kiss, tickle, chase & teach. we can't get enough of you. you have such a sweet loving personality, you are always giving kisses, reaching for us and giving hugs. you are also very sensitive & tender hearted. you are persistent & strong willed but easily broken by the sound of our voices as we discipline you. you play hard all day long & willingly crash into bed at night. you take great naps & you absolutely love bath & shower time. you are becoming such a fun little boy & raising you is such a joy.

on your 15th month birthday you became a big brother to Jovie Claire & you already love her so much. you are always trying to kiss her & love on her. we are so excited about watching you two grow up together. we know you will be so close & have so much fun. i can't wait to take tons of pictures of you & Jovie together as you grow up. we love you & Jovie so much, you are such a blessing to us.

you have become much better with your eating habits & you are now willing to try new things, usually. you absolutely LOVE having something to drink. we're pretty sure you would rather have a cup of juice or milk than something to eat. you get that from mom & dad! you eat pizza, chicken nuggets, fish fillets, veggie cheetos, apples, spaghetti, potatoes, muffins, oatmeal, yogurt, oranges, bananas, peanut butter sandwiches, cereal bars, biscuits, bread, pancakes, waffles, potato soup, chicken n dumplins and several other things. you don't care for cheese, most veggies, jelly, macaroni and cheese (i think its the texture) and a few other things.

you are such a busy little boy. from the time you wake up until you go to bed at night, you are on the go. we are thankful that you still take great naps! you love to play ball. we have about 10 balls all around our house & you constantly rolling or throwing them to us. you love to play with cars, trucks and anything that makes noise or lights up. i have created a cabinet just for you, in our kitchen, that is filled with tupperware and plastic bowls, cups & lids. you love to get into that cabinet, take out every single thing & spread it all over the kitchen floor. you love to take the bowls & make them spin over & over. you love to get into the other cabinets, that aren't kid proofed, and explore them. you are so curious. but we think your favorite thing to do is to open/shut any door you can. if we open the refrigerator door, you rush to close it. if we open the door to a bedroom, you rush to close it. your favorite game is for us to open a door, you shut it & then we open it again so you can shut it. you would do that all day long if we let you. you have gotten so good at figuring out your toys & different gadgets around our house. you are understanding & processing what we say so well & you even follow simple commands. you are such a smart boy!

you can say "Praise the Lord" (with you hands in the air), clap your hands, touch your nose (when we say "Jack, where is your nose?!) show us your tongue, make a super cheesy grin when we say "show us your cheese face", give us a "5" when we hold out our hands and you are learning how to sign the word "more". you can say the words: momma, dada, bye, baby & uh-oh. but you recognize so many more words when we say them. we love watching your little mind work!

you have also started walking!! hooray!! the day you came back home after i had been at the hospital, you just took off walking & you haven't looked back. its so cute to see you waddle around our house. you are adorable!

what a great month this has been for us as a family. you have blessed our hearts over & over. and we have been blessed to have add your sister to our family. we hope you always know how much we love you, how much you are wanted & appreciated. we pray for you daily because we want to raise you in a way that honors Jesus. you are a precious gift to us & we will never take you for granted.

Happy 15 months, sweet boy! we love you!!

Happy Birthday Jovie!!!

she isn't here yet. only 6 hours to go. i've gotten my IV (OUCH!!), i'm in the very sexy hospital gown & i'm receiving fluids. now, we wait. Jack will be up here around 2 pm with our parents & then we will be taken back around 4 pm to begin the prepping for the c-section. i am still so nervous but i feel so much better now that the IV part is over. its the worst part for me. my nurse, Linda, is amazing. she is actually the same nurse i had when i was here with Jack & she started my IV for my c-section with him. so she knew exactly where to look & got the IV working the first time. PRAISE THE LORD!!! i was hoping she would be my nurse this morning. thank you Lord, for meeting my needs and wants in even the smallest ways!!

i was pretty emotional last night at bed time. i think i was just feeling overwhelmed. being away from Jack, spending a LONG week in the hospital & knowing that i'm about to have another baby are hitting me. my poor husband, i know he thinks i'm crazy!! today, i woke up around 6 am. i just couldn't sleep anymore. i showered & packed up our room. i am feeling calmer than i thought i would. thank you Lord, for your peace.

Jack hasn't been feeling himself the past several days. so this morning, i woke up early & called Dr Bubba's office. i got him an appointment for this morning at 10 b/c i didn't want him to get worse, especially since we're having a new baby today. he didn't get to see Dr Bubba (so sad) but he did get to see Dr Senter. Ben & his mom took Jack to his appointment. We found out he has a sinus infection. poor little boy. Dr Senter said it was a good thing we brought him in, and he started him on an antibiotic. so hopefully, he'll feel better really soon. i've been so worried about him. its hard being away from him when he's sick but i'm so glad he was able to get into the doctor today. thank you Lord, for taking care of my sweet boy.

Happy Birthday Jovie! you are so very loved & wanted. we are so excited to meet you in just a few hours. and we can't wait to show you off to our family & friends. you will be the perfect addition to our little family!!

please pray with us for these things:

* Jovie's health & delivery

* Jack. that he will begin to feel better today and continue to do well as he is staying with his grandparents

* Ben. he's so excited to meet Jovie & also missing Jack so much

* my health & c-section. and please pray that i'll handle the Magnesium as well as possible and only have to be on it for 12 hours.

* our families as they continue to love on our sweet boy. they have blessed us so much with their help & i want the Lord to bless them in return.

thank you for your prayers. we love you! my next post, i'll be a mommy of 2 & hopefully have at least one picture of Jovie girl!

I Love Ya Tomorrow

" tomorrow, tomorrow, i love ya tomorrow. you're only a day away!!" do you recognize those lyrics?! they are from the song "Tomorrow" from the movie "Annie". it was easily one of my favorite movies growing up. the words seem appropriate considering what i have lined up for tomorrow!!!

in less than 24 hours our little Jovie Claire will be here. oh how i can not wait. i'm so excited to hear her first cry & hold her sweet little body. what a glorious moment!

i am growing more & more anxious & a little nervous about the day. i want it to be perfect. i want to enjoy it. i want to remember everything about it. Jack's birthday was crazy & a little hazy for me b/c i was so out of it for so long. i do remember holding him for the first time & that was a precious time. i'll never forget it. but i'm excited for our activities tomorrow.

here is my plan for the day:

* wake up early & shower

* eat breakfast. i can't have anything to eat or drink after 8 am. and then after the surgery i can't have anything but water for a little over 12 hours. so by the time tuesday afternoon rolls around, i'll be starving!!

* receive my IV around 8:30. i am dreading this part of the day more than anything. if you know me at all, you know how hard this part is for me. oh geez. please pray that my nurse is able to start my IV quickly. she will have no second chances. i can't take it.

* ultrasound to see Jovie one more time on the computer screen before we see her face to face!

* visit from Jack & family. everyone who can, is stopping by pre-surgery b/c it will be so late after surgery & no one will able to see her or us until tuesday.

* prep for surgery

* have Jovie!!!! of course there will be some post-op stuff to deal with & then we'll be in the room with our girl. i can't wait for that moment.

* be on magnesium. for hopefully 12 hours. so that by the time everyone meets her on Tuesday, i should be done with it. i hope it goes as planned, so that i'm not miserable when we start having visitors. Please pray this with us

January 25 is about to be one of the best days of my life, besides my wedding day & Jack's birthday. i'm getting excited just thinking about it.

my hospital day has been routine. the ultrasound went great & everything else has been the same as the day before. My aunt Madalyn (we call her May May) uncle Pat & cousin Emily came by for a visit. it was so good to see them. they brought Jovie some super cute stuff & they were even sweet enough to think of Jack. they brought him a little dump truck that lights up & makes noises. it blessed my heart SO much for them to think of Jack. i've been worried that he will be forgotten, by others, in the craziness & excitement of a new baby. he is so special to me & i want him to feel special during this time. Lindsay & Ryan also came by. they brought me some body wash & a loofah. which was much needed. i hate using bars of soap. and they also brought me some yummy starbucks! i was so excited for that little treat.

Jack came to play today. we had so much fun. but he has gotten so congested. he's still eating, playing & sleeping well. but i could tell that he just isn't himself. i'm so worried about him getting worse. and it absolutely kills me to be away from him when he's feeling this way. i've had a really hard time today, with not being with him. it so very hard. i can't wait to see him tomorrow before Jovie comes. before all of this happened, i planned to spend my last days before Jovie, just loving on Jack. i wanted to spend time at home, as a family of 3 for the last time. i wanted to take him to build-a-bear to let him create a bear for Jovie & himself as a way to remember her arrival. its so hard for me to feel like i haven't gotten that time with him. i know that things don't always go as planned. i know the Lord has always known it would play out this way. but its still hard for me. i miss him so much.

ben has gone to get us some dinner & then we're going to relax before an early bed time. we are both so tired & ready for tomorrow. please please pray for us. there are so many emotions for us & we are ready for this phase of our hospital stay to be over.

here are some prayer requests for us. i can't thank you enough for lifting us up. it is a blessing.

* Jovie's health & delivery

* Jack. please pray that his congestion clears up asap. and that he adjusts well to life with a little sister. i don't want him to feel left out or confused. this is weighing heavy on my heart.

* Ben. i know he's anxious about watching me go through so much over the next 36 hours. please pray that the Lord brings him strength & peace

* me. i'm a ball of nerves & emotion. i want so badly to be with Jack tonight. i wish i was putting him to bed. i'm also so nervous about the IV and surgery. i know the Lord's hands are upon us and i'm so grateful for His peace. i'm also so excited about meeting Jovie.

* our families as they care for Jack

* that i'm only on the magnesium for 12 hours so that i'm able to enjoy our families and friends as we introduce them to Jovie Claire on Tuesday.

i might try to slip in a post tomorrow before i go into the c-section but its going to be a busy day, so i don't know if i'll get to it. but i'll definitely post sometime Tuesday with at least one picture of our little girl! can't wait.

oh my word. i'm about to have 2 kids........

48 hours

thats how close i am to meeting my sweet girl. i can not believe that i am about to be a mommy of 2 precious little kids. its a bit overwhelming to think about 2 little lives being so dependent on me, 24 hours a day. but i'm also so excited about it. i absolutely love my son. i love everything about being his mom. i don't even mind the feeling of exhaustion. it makes me feel good, in a weird way, b/c i know that i've spent all of my energy taking care of him. i love pouring out myself day in & day out for the sake of another person. before i became a mom, i worried about being so sacrificial. i would question my capability to lay down my wants & needs for the sake of another person, ALL the time. but i wouldn't trade it for the world. i wouldn't go back to life before Jack for anything in this world. i have only grown from being his mommy.

today, i have been thinking about all the excitement that came with having Jack. the first time i saw him, nursed him, held him & showed him off to friends was so wonderful. i'm so excited to go through all of that again on monday & the rest of this coming week. what a blessing it is to have a baby. i highly recommend it. i can't wait to see Jovie, to smell her sweet newborn smell, to touch her tiny hands & feet and to love on her little body. she will be precious. the Lord is SO good to let us experience the joy of a new baby. there is just nothing like it. i'm getting so very excited!!!!

today has been a normal hospital day. blood work, ultrasound (which went great), fetal monitoring, blood pressure checks and a visit from my sweet little man. my heart just skips a beat when he comes through the door. we had so much fun with him today & i was so sad when he left. i'm trying to tell myself that i'm almost there. almost home with him. it is truly the hardest part of this. and it hasn't gotten easier. in some ways, its gotten harder. but i'm hanging in there. i'm trying. thank goodness i only have one more full day of sitting here. Monday is the big day and it will go by quickly. so Sunday is the last day of waiting. i'm so glad i get to see Jack tomorrow. i can't wait.

as far as we know, the surgery will stay at 6 pm. i'm a little bummed, but it'll be ok. we'll have the day to visit with family, see Jack & get ready for surgery. odds are, we won't see anyone after she is born Monday night. it will just be too late and we will be so tired. but in a way, its kind of nice. we will have all night with her & i'll be on the magnesium overnight & hopefully completely off of it before we see anyone the next day. i'm still praying that it only lasts for 12 hours. PLEASE Lord Jesus, spare me the extra 12 hours of magnesium. it is miserable.

my mind has gone back to us being robbed. it is incredibly frustrating. but there is just nothing we can do about it, other than pray. pray that the people responsible get busted! pray that the Lord restores our peace of mind & pray that it never happens again. other than that, i'm trying to concentrate on the joy of the next few days. i am growing a little nervous of the IV i'm about to receive & the surgery. please pray that the Lord will calm my nerves.

thank you so much for your encouraging words & prayers during our difficult week. it has made a world of difference for us. we love you & appreciate you so much.

prayer requests for today:

* Jovie's health & delivery

* Jack. he has become really congested & i could tell today that he wasn't feeling great. it hurts my heart to not take care of him when he is not feeling well. please pray that he feels better soon. and that i don't allow myself to be eaten with guilt as i'm away from him right now.

* Ben. he is showing incredible strength. he is precious & i'm so thankful for such a wonderful husband.

* my health & emotions. i am so weary but so ready for Jovie Claire.

* our parents as they care for Jack

* that i'll only be on the Magnesium for 12 hours

* that the Lord will begin to bring us peace as we deal with the feeling of our home being invaded.

We Got Robbed, Literally

thats right. we got robbed. our home was invaded & our stuff was stolen. sometime between Wednesday night & Thursday night. Ben left the hospital today around 3:45 to head home, wash clothes, exercise & get some stuff together. i got a call at about 4:45 from him. he said "now when i tell you this, i want you to remain as calm as possible. but we got robbed" of course i start saying things like "what?!!" "are you kidding me?" "how?" "what did they take?" and "who would do this?!" and then i began sobbing. it was just so overwhelming.

turns out, they kicked in our front door. then they stole the tv, wii, & playstation from our living room & the tv & dvd player from our bedroom. we think that they also got our camera. b/c of a few certain things, we do know that it was someone who knew we weren't at home b/c we were here. which is infinitely frustrating. what kind of person steals from you like that? i know the stuff is just stuff. we live without it and be just fine. but its the invasion of my home & loss of peace of mind that is terrible. the fact that someone was walking through my house, going through my stuff & taking from me is terrifying. the fact that i must return there next week with 2 small children is terrifying. the thought of ever being home alone, again, is terrifying. our church is so sweet. they are paying to have new security doors installed & an alarm system. and i am thankful for that. trust me. but it doesn't make me feel safer, yet.

besides feeling vulnerable & scared, i am angry. angry that someone would do what they did. angry that they will probably get away with it. angry that now i feel scared in my own home. ridiculous. and of course, this had to happen while i'm on bed rest at the hospital, with Preeclampsia, away from my son & waiting to have my baby.

thank goodness my hubby has a few quirks. he keeps boxes of the things that we buy. he still has the playstation box, wii box & a couple of the others. on those boxes are the serial numbers. the cops now have them. so whenever the idiot that broke into our house tries to resell or pawn our stuff then the serial number will pop up & they should get busted. hopefully. i am now so glad that Ben kept those boxes, all this time i thought they were just a waste of space!

other than finding out we were robbed, it has been a regular hospital day. Dr Williams came to visit this morning. she apologized for the 6 pm surgery time & said she would try to get it moved up for us. she hated that we have to sit here all day & wait. so sweet of her. so, we're on a waiting list, should anyone deliver early or there is another opening. i really hope this happens. but at least i know that its still on Monday, no matter what. Jovie's ultrasound went great. she is still doing so well. i was able to see her sweet face, a little bit, on 4d ultrasound. it was so cute. she is precious & i can't wait to meet her. my mom's sweet friend, Lois, came to visit this morning. she is too funny & can definitely cheer anyone up! we had a good visit together.

and of course, we loved getting to see Jack today. we love that he gets excited & reaches for us when he comes in our room. it makes my day. he had a great time, trying to touch everything & crawling all over the floor. i love to watch him play. i'm so ready to be home with him. (well i'm ready to be with him again, but i don't know about being at home. it just feels weird to go back there right now knowing we've been robbed.)

we're looking forward to the weekend only b/c we know it brings Monday. please keep praying for us. being robbed has only added to our stress level. we know the Lord is in control & His hand is in all things. we can trust Him to deal with the person or persons who robbed us. and we can trust Him to restore our feeling of security in our own home.

here are a few prayer requests:

* Jovie's health & delivery

* Jack

* Ben. i hate that in the middle of being away from Jack & watching me go through this that now he has the stress of dealing with our home being robbed.

* my health & emotions. i am feeling tired, weary, sad, frustrated, excited, angry, scared & anxious.

* that i'll only be on the magnesium for 12 hours

* our parents as they care for our sweet little boy.

we love you & we'll try to keep you updated as much as possible.

Hanging in there

another hospital day. another day away from Jack. another day closer to meeting Jovie. another day closer to going home. i can make it. i think.

today was about the same as every other day. i slept, halfway decently, through the night. at 6:15 i was woken up for a blood draw. this is truly the highlight of my day. i couldn't get back to sleep & i was feeling so yucky (i smell like hospital) so i took a long hot shower. it was great. ben left for school around 7:40 & i decided to stay awake since i knew the doctor would be in shortly to see me. i dozed off & Dr Chappell woke up me up around 9:30.

he told me that Dr Williams would not be able to do my c-section Monday morning. so, she scheduled me for a c-section on Monday at 6 p.m. with Dr Tonkin. i was disappointed to hear that Dr Williams wouldn't be able to do the surgery & disappointed that the surgery isn't until 6 pm that day, but what can you do?! at least the surgery is on Monday & not Tuesday. i can be thankful for that. the surgery will take an hour or a little longer. then i will be monitored in an intensive care room for 1 hour & then i'll be moved to a room on the Labor & Delivery floor so that i can have Magnesium. Dr Chappell mentioned that he wasn't sure how long i would have to be on the medicine. he said it was up to Dr Tonkin, i guess its based on my blood pressure or how i do during surgery. so, i'm praying, hard, that its only going to be for 12 hours. but, Dr Williams is stopping by in the morning to see me, so i'll be asking her more about it then. PLEASE PLEASE pray with me that the magnesium won't last any longer than 12 hours. i'm not sure if anyone will even be able to see me or Jovie on Monday after she is born. it will be at least 9 pm before we are ready for visitors & by that time, it will probably just be too late. Jack will meet her Tuesday morning. Jovie did great on her ultrasound. yay!

Nanny came by to visit me today & she brought me a gift, some super nice hand cream. she said she wanted me to have something nice for myself since she figured everyone else would be buying stuff for Jovie. so sweet. i was glad to see her. Jessica & Colton (who is super cute!) also came by to see me this morning. she brought Jovie the cutest little dress, i can't wait for her to wear it. it was so good to visit with Jess, such a sweet friend. she is having baby #3 in June & she finds out what she is having on Monday morning. so it will be a fun day for her too!!!

the best part of the day was when little Jack came to visit us. he is so cute. we had so much fun eating lunch together, playing ball & pushing every button on my bed! i cried when he left, it never gets easier. but i know he's in good hands & i know there's just a few more days until we are all back home together. i can't wait.

thanks for praying for us. we love you. here are a few prayer requests.

* Jovie's health & delivery

* Jack

* my emotions & health as i get ready to meet my sweet girl on Monday

* Ben

* that i'll only have to be on Magnesium for 12 hours or less & that i'll handle it ok

p.s. Happy Birthday to my sweet father-in-law. we all love you so much, especially little Jack!

Steadfast Love

"Because Your steadfast Love is better than life, my lips will praise You"

Psalm 63:3

what a sweet truth from my Lord. His love is steadfast. and it is better than life. how can we not praise Him?! i am trying SO hard to be positive. to praise Him. to trust Him. to be still in Him. it is not easy. my flesh is wicked & my heart is so corrupt. i have learned these past few days just how selfish i am. nothing about me enjoys this waiting hospital bed rest period of time. nothing about me enjoys being away from my son for 90% of his day. and nothing about me enjoys Preeclampsia and chronic headaches. BUT the steadfast love of the Father is sustaining me. keeping me. and drawing me to Himself. just a little tidbit of what i've been thinking about today.

update: i got much more sleep (and by that i only mean 2 hours!!) than i got Monday night. so i woke up feeling better this morning. Ben left for school around 7:30 and i ate breakfast. Dr Williams came in around 8:15. i was so happy to see her. something about her presence is calming to me (i hope that doesn't sound incredibly cheesy!) she asked me some questions, i asked her some questions & she provided much reassurance. she said that my chronic headaches were probably due to my Preeclampsia but she ordered a head CT (cat scan) just to be 100% positive. it came back completely normal. she said that they should go away after i have Jovie. she said that i could have Jovie on Monday morning & there is a good possibility she will be able to do the surgery, if we do it first thing that morning. this is a BIG praise for us. we really want her to be able to do it. if she is already scheduled for surgery, then another doctor in her group will do it that day. i will take it. the only negative thing is that i will have to be on magnesium again. and the reason is b/c i have Preeclampsia, even though its considered mild. i am not at all thrilled about this. but the good news is that i only have to be on it for 12 hours and i'll be allowed to have clear liquids, visitors & my sweet Jovie in the room with me. with Jack, i was on it 24 hours, with no food or drink during that time, i couldn't have visitors & i didn't see Jack until about 9 hours after he was born. it was absolutely terrible.

if you aren't familiar with Magnesium, i'll briefly explain. its a drug that is constantly pumped through you via IV. it works to rid your body of the toxins that Preeclampsia has so graciously placed within you. it is necessary. but it has crazy side effects. for most patients, it pretty much gives you the flu. well, flu symptoms without the actual flu virus. every nurse & every patient who have ever experienced will tell you that its awful. when i had it with Jack, i didn't really feel like i had the flu but i felt extremely overheated & thirsty. i was super duper sweaty & i could not get the feeling of being cooled off. the nurses put 2 fans on me & turned the air all the way down & i was still miserable. it felt like sitting in a hot car, windows rolled up, no air conditioning in the middle of the memphis humid summer. and even that is an understatement. so, you can imagine why i am dreading this so very much. but, i'm trying to look on the bright side. i said trying. Dr Williams said that as long as my BP stays normal, that Jovie can stay in the room with me & i can have visitors. so, this will help me so much. i will remain on the Labor & Delivery floor for 12 hours after the surgery & then be moved up to a regular recovery room. it will be a long day, but i know i will enjoy it as much as i can b/c i will have sweet Jovie, Jack, Ben and all my wonderful family.

Jovie did great on her ultrasound, a perfect 8. what a perfect little girl! Job & Brittany, my sweet friends, came to visit & bring me lunch. i was so happy to see good friends that can take my mind off this craziness. we always have good conversation & a lot of laughs. Jack came by for 2 hours & we had so much fun visiting with him. man do i love that kid. i can't get enough of him. i really can't. i'm not a perfect mom but i've never felt like i've taken him for granted. i know what a gift my son is. but this experience has taught me even more about how blessed i am to be his mother and about how special of a baby he is to me. i am so ready to be back home with him. Ben has gone home for a few hours to wash clothes, check the mail & exercise. i'm glad he has the chance to get out of here when he can. i hate that he has to sleep on the hard hospital couch & be bored here. i know it helps him to go home for a few hours!

overall, today has been much easier than yesterday. thanks to God's grace. i have felt loved today. loved by my sweet boy who got excited to see me & by my sweet husband who sat & talked with me. i have friends who love me and served me today. i have a great mom & great mom-in-law who love me by loving on Jack. and the Lord who is constantly loving me by teaching & disciplining me. i am hanging in there. only 4 more full days before i have sweet Jovie. almost there. i really hope this isn't a cheesy or seemingly over spiritual post, b/c it wasn't meant to be. i'm just trying to be thankful & positive. believe me, there are a few negatives & hard times i've had today, but nothing worth posting about. maybe i'll complain tomorrow. or i'll save that for Monday, when the magnesium is being pumped through my veins!!!

thanks again, so much for your prayers. they are both needed & felt. here are a few prayer requests for today:

* Jovie's health

* Jack

* Ben

* my emotions. that i'll have another good day tomorrow.

* a safe & healthy delivery Monday morning.

* that i'll handle the Magnesium better this time

* my parents & in-laws as they care for Jack

A Hard Day

today has NOT been fun. i had a rough night last night, which led me to a rough day today. i had a weird reaction to a headache medicine they were giving me. it made me extremely dizzy, i could barely stand up straight & even sitting up in bed made me feel strange. my blood pressure was taken 3 times within 10 minutes. the first 2 were elevated, but the third was 172/108. which is crazy high! so, they quit giving me that specific medicine. i barely slept 3 hours last night. my mind was racing, i'm congested & i was so dizzy. my nurse woke me up at 6:15 a.m. to draw blood for lab work. then the dietary staff brought breakfast at 7:15 a.m. & then the doctor stopped by at 7:50 a.m. to check on me.

my conversation with the doctor wasn't very fruitful. which is frustrating, but not his fault. he basically just checked my vitals & told me to hang in there until Monday. ben left early for school this morning, so i was completely alone by 8:00. at this point, i had pretty much had a breakdown. you know, one of those ugly cries. i just couldn't help it. (i'm not writing this to receive pity but b/c i want to remember how i felt each day & how the Lord brought me through it) i knew that at that time, Jack was up, eating breakfast & beginning his day. it was so heart breaking for me to think about not being there with him. not being the first thing he saw in the morning, not giving him his breakfast, not singing songs with him & not chasing him around our house & he tried to get into everything. all i could do was look at his picture on my phone & miss him. i'm really not trying to be dramatic. i have gotten to see him everyday & i am thankful for that. BUT going from taking care of him 24/7 to seeing him for a couple hours each day is killing me.

i worry about what he is thinking. is he missing me? does he notice a difference in his day? does he wonder if i've left him or why i'm not around? thinking about these things is so difficult. and i let the negative & the enemy get the best of me. i do feel guilty that i'm not taking care of him, even though i know its temporary. and i do hate sitting here, being away from him so much. if you're a mom, you understand (or can try to understand) how hard this is for me.

after my ugly cry, i fell asleep. for about 40 minutes. then i went to my ultrasound. Jovie scored a perfect 8, even though she was so stubborn & wouldn't cooperate for about 15 minutes. it was really kind of funny. even though it gave me a glimpse into my future!! after the ultrasound, i came back, climbed in bed & tried to rest. then the mother of all headaches came my way. i mean it was ridiculous. i called my nurse & begged for more tylenol. but it wasn't time yet. so she gave me a warm washcloth to place over my eyes. i turned the tv off & turned off all the lights. on a pain scale of 1-10, this was an 8. easily. the worst i've had, ever. i laid still & rested for 2 hours with no relief. finally, it began to ease up a little. i was able to shower & eat a little bit of lunch before Ben got back from school.

the rest of the day has been typical. i've rested a lot, napped & waited for Jack to come see me. the Lord has done what only He can. provided peace to my heart. encouraging words from friends, family, nurses & even my sweet husband do not compare to the peace of Christ. i do not know how people make it through the day without Him. He used my worst day, in a long time, to show me something. i am Jovie's mom. (ok BIG duh, i know) i have been Jovie's mom for 36 weeks now. and right now, she needs me. she is healthy & doing just fine. but she needs me to be healthy. she needs me to take care of myself & allow others to help me do that. i can not ignore her need. soon, i will be home with both her & Jack. life will be exhausting, but so sweet. Monday is only 5 days away. i know in reality, that is not a long time. but in hospital bed rest years, it is!! the Lord has shown me some other things, but this was the biggest. at least to me.

so, i'm trying to have a positive attitude & look for the best. i get to talk to Dr Williams tomorrow. she will clear up some things & help me to feel better. i get to see my sweet boy again tomorrow. and i'm only days away from meeting this precious girl. i can't wait to hear her first cry. what a sweet sound. i have an amazing husband who is taking good care of me. and i have 2 sets of parents that are taking excellent care of Jack and loving every minute of it! overall, life is good. the days are long, but the years are short. i'm just trying to remember that!!

if you have read this, bless you. i know its long & filled with my rambling emotions. but it is my blog! i appreciate you for taking time to read about what is going on with us. here are a few prayer requests, if you would pick one & pray for us, i would love it.

* Jovie's health

*Jack

* my emotions

* a smooth & healthy c-section on Monday

* that the next 5 days would go quickly for me & that i would keep a positive attitude. not fixating on the hard parts, but trusting the Lord with each day.

* my meeting with Dr Williams tomorrow. that she would schedule a time for the surgery on Monday & that it would be a fruitful conversation

* Ben.

thank you so much.

Waiting for Jovie.....

i'm 36 weeks today & i'm still here. unfortunately!! we've spent 3 nights so far & this is day 4. no change in our status. another doctor in my group came by this morning. his name is Dr King. he was a really sweet man, but didn't really provide any answers. so thats frustrating. basically, he said the plan is for me to stay in the hospital until i hit 37 weeks, and then we would deliver. which is a week from today. now, i know 7 days isn't normally a long time. but it is for us right now. thats 6 more days here away from our boy, no fun.

i had some blood work done early this morning (don't you love when they wake you at 6 a.m. to poke you with a needle?!) and the blood work came back looking good. so far, my BP still looks good. but, i'm still having these darn headaches. its so annoying. i feel so silly b/c i'm on bed rest at the hospital due to a headache. good grief. i mean i do have mild preeclampsia, but the headache is what worries them enough to not let me go home. i wonder if all the staff thinks i'm making this up?!

i asked Dr King if we could run another 24 hour urine test & he said it wasn't necessary b/c i wasn't showing any symptoms other than headache, so that is very frustrating. i also asked when i would be able to talk to Dr Williams & he said on Wednesday morning, when she is here making her rounds. so, we're just trying to make it until then. we are VERY ready to see her & talk about everything.

my IV was taken out today b/c it had been in since Friday afternoon & its only allowed to stay in for 72 hours. so the stinky thing is, i'll have to get another one in a few days before i have Jovie. OUCH! if you know me at all, you know this is a big deal for me. i am pretty much a pansy when it comes to needles & pain. i think the IV is the worst part!! the spinal that you get for surgery is a breeze compared to that dumb IV stick!

my ultrasound this morning went great. Jovie slept through most of it, but she did get another perfect score of 8!!! the highlight of my day is definitely seeing my kids, whether its Jovie on ultrasound or Jack visiting my room. they just brighten my day!

thats about all for now. i'm looking forward to seeing Jack this afternoon. i miss him so much. you can not imagine how grateful i am for my mom & mother-in-law who are loving on my sweet boy during this time. i think they love him as much as i do, well almost! and he just loves all 4 of his grandparents to pieces. i absolutely can not wait for Jovie to meet them. she will just have them wrapped around her finger, just like Jack!!

here are a few more prayer requests:

* Jovie's health. that she would continue to do well & be a healthy weight at birth, with no complications.

* Jack. that he would have so much fun visiting with grandparents & that he would be able to eat, sleep & play as normal.

* Ben. that he would be patient as we wait. i feel terrible that he is sitting up here day in & day out with me. i know its incredibly boring for him. i know he looks forward to getting out each day as he runs errands or goes home for a few hours. i have such an amazing husband and i appreciate how much he does for me & our kids.

* me. other than a constant dull annoying headache & mild Preeclampsia, i am feeling good. this is definitely hard for me though. i absolutely LOVE being a mom & taking care of Jack, so not being able to do so, is killing me. i won't tell you how many times i've cried b/c i can't be with him, but i know its only for a short period of time. please pray for my mommy heart!!

* Wednesday. this is when we will FINALLY get to talk to Dr Williams. its crazy how excited i am to see her. please pray that she will be able to provide us with more clear answers, shed some light & give us the day we can have Jovie. see, the plan is for Monday, the 25th. but Dr Williams wouldn't be able to deliver her that day b/c she would be doing rounds at Methodist. and it has been both her desire & ours to deliver Jovie. so, we're hoping she'll be the doctor making rounds here this weekend or that she will allow us to have her on Friday, when she is here at the hospital. she is a very understanding & wonderful doctor. she has said from the get go that if a situation arises, as long as i am 36 weeks, she would allow me to have Jovie. so we are desperately praying that it will happen on Friday. PLEASE pray this with us. that would mean we would go home on Sunday and back with our sweet boy. if we don't have her until Monday, then we won't be at home until that following Wednesday. and we just don't want it to be that long.

thank you again for praying for us. it is truly the only thing getting us through this waiting period. we love you all & we can't wait to show Jovie off to all of our family & friends!!!

i'm not going anywhere

so. i'm still here. day 3 in the hospital, day 3 away from Jack. Dr Chappell came in today & said that since i'm still having consistent headaches, he's going to keep me in the hospital b/c he's afraid that my mild Preeclampsia could become severe Preeclampsia very quickly. so far, my blood pressure is ok. he hasn't ordered another 24 hour urine test, but i wish he would so that we would know if my protein levels have increased. he said the plan is for me to be in the hospital as long as i'm having headaches.

Dr Williams will be back in the office tomorrow, but she will be seeing patients at Methodist Germantown. so, i'll be seeing whichever doctor is here from her group. i'm praying that she will find out what is going on so that she can start making all the calls. otherwise, i won't be hearing from her until Tuesday, when she sees patients & makes rounds at this hospital. i'm hoping at that point that she will order another 24 hour urine test so that we can see if my protein levels have gone up.

i had another ultrasound this morning. Jovie scored another perfect 8. Praise the Lord for that. they don't seem to be worried about her at this point. but they are continuing to put me on a fetal monitor every few hours to listen to her heartbeat.

i honestly want what is best for Jovie. i want her to be healthy & strong. but i do not want to sit in this hospital for another full week before she is born, especially if she is healthy & at a good weight right now. i'm ready to meet her, ready to feel better & ready to be back at home with Jack. i can't imagine spending the next 7 or 8 days here away from him. i do get to see him once a day for a couple hours, but its just not enough for me. i hate sitting in this hospital bed, watching tv, knowing that he is somewhere else playing, growing & being so cute!! i really miss him. i almost wish that my BP would creep up a little bit so that they would order another urine test or deliver Jovie. please don't think i'm crazy for wanting that. i don't wish to be sick or for Jovie to be unhealthy, i just wish for this to not be a long drawn out process. i feel like we're just sitting, waiting for me to get worse. and that is a hard reality.

please continue to pray for us. please pray that my doctor (Dr Williams) finds out today or tomorrow what is going on with me. please pray that this doesn't become a waiting game for the next 8 days. please pray that Jovie is delivered before full blown Preeclampsia shows up so that i don't have to be on magnesium. please pray that Jovie is born healthy. please pray that i am patient and strong as i sit in this bed, waiting on something to happen either way. please pray that ben has a peace. please pray that Jack will continue to do well in another environment besides home & on a different schedule. please pray for my emotions as i spend so much time away from my sweet boy & so much time praying that Jovie comes out alright.

Thank you Lord, for loving us and meeting our needs. help us to continue to trust you. Please give wisdom to the doctors & help us to honor you during this time. we believe that you are the great physician!!

thanks for your prayers & concern.

p.s. hospital food is funny.

Same Song, Second Verse

talk about deja vu!! my goodness. i thought i would use this post as a way to remember the last days before Jovie arrived & a way for everyone to keep up with what is going on with us right now.

we are spending night #2 at Baptist Women's hospital. let me back up to friday morning & i will explain what is going on & what we know at this point. i will try to make this the condensed version!

Friday, January 15, 2010.

i went in for my regular weekly doctor appointment at 11:15 a.m. my BP (blood pressure) looked pretty normal. my doctor asked me how i had been feeling that week. i told her that i had been experiencing headaches since Sunday & that Thursday i felt very nauseated & even vomited. She said that she wanted to send me over to the Labor & Delivery triage unit to have some blood work & urine work done. she said that even though my BP was looking alright, headaches & nausea are warning signs of Preeclampsia & since i had it with Jack, she wanted to be cautious. i went over to the L&D floor & was admitted. my blood work came back looking relatively normal but my urine showed proteins. my blood pressure was fluctuating. (which it did with Jack). so she decided to keep me overnight in the hospital & run a 24 hour urine analysis, do more blood work & monitor my BP. i began the 24 hour urine test at 1 pm. i was also given an IV (ouch!!) b/c my urine results showed that i was dehydrated.

Saturday, January 16, 2010

around 8:30 a.m. i was taken back for an ultrasound. Jovie was scored on 4 different things, with the highest possible score being 2 in each category. so the overall high score is an 8. well, our little Jovie girl got a perfect 8!! which is the best she could have done. they did not get her weight, but every thing about her is perfectly healthy right now. they could even tell that she has a lot of hair. her guesstimated weight (based on her gestational age) is 5-5/12 pounds. my BP has looked pretty good today, but my headaches & nausea have continued. i have been hooked up to the fetal monitor & Jovie is doing beautifully. and so far, no contractions.

my urine test & blood work were completed around 1:20 p.m. today. the results showed 320 grams of protein, which is considered mild Preeclampsia. with Jack, my proteins reached somewhere in the 400's when they decided to go ahead & deliver him. my doctor, Dr Williams, is not on-call this weekend. so one of the doctors from her group, Dr Chappell, has seen me today & made the decisions. when my results came back he decided that he would keep me overnight to keep a closer watch on my condition. i have a feeling he will hold me in the hospital until Monday when Dr Williams can see me & make some decisions.

there are a number of scenarios that could play out. i won't take the time to list all the possibilities!! we are praying that Jovie will be born before i reach full blown Preeclampsia so that i can avoid a more painful delivery & recovery. which includes being on Magnesium for 24 hours. i was on this after i had Jack & it was terrible.

we are trusting the Lord & we know that He is in control. we are seeking Him & asking Him to give wisdom to the doctors.

here are a few prayer requests. we would greatly appreciate it if you would pick any of these & pray for us.

*Jovie's health. that she will continue to grow strong & healthy. that she will be born with no complications & avoid any time in the NICU

* my health. that i would be able to deliver Jovie before full blown Preeclampsia develops & i have to be on magnesium for 24 hours to rid my body of toxins in my blood

* my emotions. it is VERY hard to go through this process. so far, it isn't as painful (physically) as it was with Jack. but it is a lot harder emotionally. being at the hospital on bed rest means i can't be home taking care of my sweet boy. this is the worst part for me. this is his 3rd night away from home & us. it hurts my heart to not be able to take care of him but i know i'm where i need to be for Jovie.

* that this would not be a long drawn out process with days of waiting for a decision. please pray that my doctor will make the best decision in a timely manner. it only gets harder with each day that we don't know & each day that we must be away from Jack.

* Jack. pray that he will continue to do well as he is being cared for by both set of grandparents. ben & i know he is in great hands & that does make this easier for us. he is doing great with them, but nothing is the same as being at home with mom & dad!

* wisdom for Dr Chappell as he makes decisions until Dr Williams is back on monday

* Dr Williams as she makes the call on what is best for me & Jovie

* Ben. i know this is just as hard for him as it is for me. he wants answers. he doesn't want this to be a drawn out process where my health continues to decline into full blown preeclampsia. he is ready for Jovie to be here so that i can begin healing & we can go home together. pray for the Lord to give him peace.

* our parents as they care for Jack. of course, they are 100% capable of keeping him. but i know Jack has a ton of energy & that requires sleep, patience & energy on their part!!!

* that no matter what, Jesus receives ALL honor & glory from this situation. may we be found faithful in Him. may we seek Him, love Him & share Him with those we can during this time.

thank you all for your concern. we appreciate your prayers more than you know. we will do the best we can to keep you updated as much as possible. we can't wait for Jovie to be here so she can meet all the people who love her so much! we love you!

Nesting

this has been the word of the week for me. i have been going crazy trying to get our house ready for a new baby. its funny how much i had forgotten what all we needed to have done for a newborn. i've adjusted to life with a 1 year old by now, so i had to alter my thinking a little bit. but thats ok, i was actually excited to organize & clean things up for Jovie girl. Ben has been SO wonderful in helping me out with everything. we have gotten so much done this week & we both feel really good about the hard work & time we've put into making our house more toddler/newborn friendly! its funny how life changes, you gotta roll with the punches. we have come to realize that we are "that" family. we have (almost) 2 kids, a dog, a budget and a house taken over by toys & diapers!! but we are loving every single second of it. we are learning to get used to toys all over the floor & tupperware strewn about our house!

here are a few things we have done to prepare for Jovie & to declutter (is that a word?!) our home:

* we completely rearranged our living room. we have switched out the couches & pushed them back up against the wall. we have moved the tv back into the corner to give us more floor space. & we have moved the coffee table completely out of the room so that Jack can have all the floor space to play. we've moved the end tables & placed Jovie's swing in the corner, safely tucked away from all the action!

* we have moved the pack n play & cleaned it out. we have stocked it with newborn diapers & wipes & laid out a blanket & wedge for Jovie to use. this will become her bed in the living room, safe from Jack & Lola!

* we went to target yesterday & bought a TON of stuff to help us get organized. we bought a huge nice toy hamper to hold Jack & Jovie's toys & a basket for the living room to hold diapers & wipes. we bought a basket & a rolling rubbermaid 3 drawer bin to hold our many dvds. we have now tucked those away in a closet. we bought 5 rubbermaid 20 gallon bins to load up a bunch of clothes & junk to put up in the attic. we got a long rubbermaid bin to hold shoes for under the bed & we even bought some space bags for seasonal clothing.

* we purchased a new desk for ben to put in the kitchen. he has to move out of the office b/c Jack will using that as his big boy room in a few months. so ben set up the desk & cleaned out all of his stuff from the guest room. he now has a little corner in the kitchen that is just for him to use as office space.

* we cleaned, dusted & vacuumed the living room. i even cleaned the curtains.

* i went through Jack's toys & clothes & some of our stuff to make a pile for goodwill.

* Jack & Jovie's room is cleaned out & the closet & dresser are organized, waiting for Jovie. they will be sharing closet & dresser space for the first few months. just until we move Jack into his new room.

* i've cleaned Jovie's car seat & packed her diaper bag for the hospital. i've even washed all her clothes & put them away.

* i used some baskets to hold our bed sheets & linens for our big hall closet. it looks so much more organized. thank goodness!

we have been so busy trying to nest our little home, so that it is completely toddler & baby friendly. we love how everything has turned out & we feel so good about all of our hard work. we still have a couple closets to clean out & the laundry room needs to be reorganized BUT we are ready for a new baby. spring cleaning has hit our house a little early this year, but we are thrilled about it!

we can't wait to bring little Jovie home from the hospital & settle into life as a family of four!!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

i could eat soup every single day. i love it. there's just something about sitting down with a big bowl of hot soup on a cold night. mmmmmm. so when i stumbled upon this recipe, i had to give it a whirl. i got the original recipe from allrecipes.com but after reading some of the reviews & instructions, i have altered it to fit our tastes & to make it easier to throw together. when you first read this recipe, it may sound like a lot of work, a lot of time & a lot of ingredients. but its really not bad at all. i was surprised with how easy this was & how yummy it turned out. plus, it makes plenty so you could freeze some or have plenty of leftovers for later. ok, enough info, here ya go:

Ingredients:

*12 cups chicken broth (96oz) i use (3) 32 oz cartons & 1/2 of a 14 oz can of broth. so a little more than 12 cups.

*1 rotisserie chicken

* 1 cup chopped celery

* 1 cup chopped onion

* i small bag frozen cut carrots (i didn't have a bag this time so i just 1 1/2 cans of cooked carrots)

* 1/3 cup cornstarch

* water

* 2 1/2 to 3 cups wide egg noodles. raw. do not cook them first.

* salt, pepper, garlic powder, season all (or poultry seasoning), oregano. you will just use these to season to taste. i don't ever measure them out

* a large pot. it doesn't have to be as big as mine, just use the biggest one you can

Directions:

pour all of the broth into the pot. add the bag of frozen carrots (or canned work just as well) to the broth. chop up the celery & onion & add to the broth as well. take the entire rotisserie chicken and the drippings from the container & add to the broth mixture. sprinkle in your seasonings. bring all of this to a boil then reduce the heat & cover. allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

after 15 minutes, remove the entire chicken. it will probably have fallen apart in the pot, but thats ok. just use a pair of tongs & remove any bones or skin that are floating in the broth. allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes before you try to pull the meat from the bone. while the chicken is cooling, pour 1/3 cup cornstarch into a bowl. add just enough water to turn the cornstarch to liquid. you will need to stir constantly as you are adding the water, if the cornstarch feels like paste as you are stirring then you need to add more water. once the cornstarch has reached liquid form, pour it slowly into the broth mixture. stir very well.

after adding the cornstarch to the broth, add the raw noodles. i use 3 cups, it seems to be just enough.

(your chicken may look like this after the chicken has simmered in the pot!!)

while the chicken is still hot, use a fork to separate the chicken from the bone. you may cube the chicken before placing it in the pot. but i like to shred it and then sort of smush it before i put it in the broth. if you do it that way, there will be chicken all throughout the broth, super yummy!

after you place the cornstarch, noodles & chicken into the broth allow it to simmer for 15 minutes. stir frequently. this gives the noodles time to cook.you don't have to cover it. at this point you may also want to taste the broth. i usually add a little bit more seasonings at this point.

after 15 minutes of simmering, the soup is done!!! you will love this recipe. its really yummy. please let me know if you try it & like it. or if you try it & add other things to it that make it even yummier!

here are a few helpful tips:

* i use 2 cartons of regular chicken broth & 1 that is low sodium. i do this so the soup doesn't taste too salty & it makes me feel like its a little healthier!!

* usually, after adding the 3 cartons of chicken broth, i'll use 1/2 of another 14 oz can of chicken broth. i do this so that after the soup has sat in the fridge overnight, the noodles don't soak up all of the broth. and i just love a good brothy soup.

* you certainly do not have to use a rotisserie chicken. but i have found that its easier & when you place the whole chicken, including the fat drippings, in the pot, the broth soaks up all the flavors from the skin & seasonings. i've tried it different ways & the soup just isn't as flavorful.

* you can find coupons for broth on shortcuts.com that you can load to your kroger card & you can use paper coupons in addition to them. that way, you can stock up on broth inexpensively.

* the longer you allow the soup to simmer, the better it tastes. just make sure you stir it often so that the noodles to stick to the bottom of the pan!

happy eating!! i hope you love it as much as we do!!!

NO rest for the weary

(this is going to be lengthy!)

ok. my last few posts have been incredibly cheery. i mean, its (was) the holiday season & i do love my hubby & sweet boy so much. but i am also human & go through a whirlwind of pregnancy related emotions. (just ask my poor husband!) so i decided i would be super honest about the most frustrating (at least to me) aspect of pregnancy! this would be: NO SLEEP!!!!!!

i have given up on sleeping, ever again. i know, you non-pregnant people (aka everyone who reads this) probably think i'm being dramatic. especially you i-haven't-been-pregnant-yet people. but its true. carrying a 4 1/2 to 5 pound baby is exhausting. in every way. and when you lay down at night, you just want to rest & allow your body to sleep to catch up from a day of being pregnant!

in the first trimester, you are nauseated. or at least i was. if you weren't, don't tell me. so i would wake up in the night, a lot, to pee. i would instantly feel sea sick & want to puke. fast forward to the 2nd trimester. my heart burn begins now. if you didn't have heart burn, don't tell me that either. i mean i must sit up in bed & pop a pepcid every night & still no sweet relief. and now that i'm in the third trimester, (which P.S. the last 8 weeks are rough), my baby is so large (ok not really, she's average but she feels huge) that i have baby spanning the entire length of my belly. she is breech. or was, i think she still is. and her head feels like its in my lungs & her feet are happily positioned, one in each hip. her arms span the width of my tummy and she is the busiest kid ever. i just thought Jack was active. oh my word. Jovie has far surpassed him. she literally moves 80% of the day. sometimes i feel like she is doing a scissor kick or toe touch (the kind those dumb cheerleaders do in the air). other times it feels like she is fencing, swimming or just generally break dancing. now, during the day, i don't mind so much. i mean, it is really neat to feel your sweet baby moving around & knowing that there is precious life growing inside you. Praise the Lord that i can experience this. BUT at night, when i'm trying to catch that coveted sleep, not so fun. she literally wakes me at night with her insanity. and as soon as i lay down its like a cue card for her to get busy. it cracks ben up. you can see my belly jumping & moving in waves. oh my girl.

here is how my night went last night. (and this is pretty typical)

9 pm: get in bed. ben & i are currently watching season 2 of House (if you've never seen this show, do indulge yourself. you will not regret it!)

9:02 pm: Jovie begins aerobics.

9: 15 pm: Jovie takes a water break. but i must pee.

9:45 pm: Jovie begins break dancing

10:05 pm: Jovie sleeps. at least i think. but i must pee.

10:30 pm: ben is asleep. once he decides to go to sleep, it happens at lighting speed. seriously. he can fall asleep in less than 2 minutes. this has become annoying!

11:00 pm: Jovie has been still for 55 minutes. its a miracle. i'm beginning to drift off. but then i realize, i gotta pee!

11:10 pm: Jovie's late night gymnastics. she is rolling non stop.

11:30 pm: i'm still watching House. i'm sitting up b/c i can not breathe & i have heartburn. laying down just is not comfortable. and, of course, Jovie is moving.

11:45 pm: Jovie takes a break. but my heartburn is ridiculous. i'm still sitting straight up in bed. wide awake. but so tired. and now i have to pee.

12:45 am: Jovie has woken me up (i had only been asleep about 20 minutes). apparently, she doesn't like it when i somewhat lay down on my right side. and of course, since i'm awake, i should pee.

2 am: i've been asleep since 1 am. Jovie is still. but Jack wakes himself up coughing. he's fussing so i go in to lay him back down & comfort him. he goes back to sleep. i slouch down, just a bit, in bed & begin to rest my eyes.

4 am: i gotta pee!!! and Jovie decides since i'm up, to move it move it. but thank goodness, its only for about 10 minutes. i was able to go back to sleep by about 4:20.

5:45 am: Jack is coughing again. i get up & comfort him. and of course, pee. i check the house & turn up the heat. its 13 degrees outside! i find a bottle of water & hop back in bed. it takes me about 45 minutes to get comfortable, my mind is racing about all i have to get done today.

7:50 am: i wake up b/c i hear Jack stirring over the monitor. i get up to pee. my hubby is oh so peacefully sleeping. i lay back down in bed & Jack starts chatting around 8:10 am.

8:15 am: i get up with Jack.

and now here i am at 9:21 am. i've been up pretty much all night. Jack has been changed & had breakfast. i'm sitting on the couch with heavy eyes & exhausted body. i'm ready for Jovie to be here. i know i will be up at random hours to nurse her, but i don't care. at least when i sleep, i won't have heartburn or a baby in my lungs!!

i hope you made it through all of that. thank you for allowing me to vent. it really is somewhat comical. all of you non preggos better appreciate the gift of sleep! but i must say, all of the heartburn, sleeping sitting up & endless potty breaks are 100% worth it. i would do it all over again for my kids any day. i am thankful, trust me. i am. i am blessed & i know it. but i am also 8.5 months pregnant with a 14 month old! you should try it. i figure its ok for me to complain, every now & then! this will be over soon & i will have my sweet little girl to love on. thank you Lord!! being pregnant is a gift from the Lord, and i definitely think he enjoys watching us squirm a little bit!!

my big new year's resolution: do NOT get pregnant this year!! once Jovie is here, no more babies. at least for awhile. my body needs a break. my sweet friend Brittany, likes to tease me that i'll get pregnant this fall. but she is SO wrong. i will not. if i walk into Dr Williams office in August for my 6 month check up & she tells me i'm with child, then i will fall apart! not because a child is a burden, but b/c my body will probably disown me! i know i'm dramatic right now, but its my blog! the Lord is always in control & always able to see me through any situation. so i will deal. but i'm not worried. b/c i'm not getting pregnant this year. i'm not. brittany, stop laughing!

ok. i'm done. honestly, i just wanted to document a little bit of the craziness. it really is funny. at least i can nap during the day. sometimes. and coffee has become my friend. Thank goodness Dr Williams said i can have coffee. in moderation. i'm becoming addicted!

only 4.5 weeks to go!!! hurry up Jovie girl. hurry up! now, Mrs. Someone Else, i pass the baton on to you. get pregnant. i would love to read your posts about all of this!! plus, i need a pregnant friend or friend with a baby that lives here!!

New Year's Resolutions

i'm not sure i have one exact resolution for 2010. but then again, i don't think i've ever had a real new year's resolution. i do, however, have a few reasonable goals for this year. i believe they are pretty attainable, with some grace from the Lord. so here they are, in (mostly) random order:

1. be a more attentive wife, with more of a servant's heart

2. be a patient, sacrificial & godly mom to Jack & Jovie

3. be a prayer warrior for my friends

4. spend more time with the girls in our youth group

5. dive deeper into God's word & memorize scripture

6. when that baby weight (from Jovie) starts coming off, KEEP IT OFF!!!

7. get outside, away from the tv, in the summer & play with my kids

8. beginning now, start saving each month, for a reasonable Christmas budget

9. save money every month for a house (for whenever we need to buy one)

10. try to take a little time for myself, each week, to relax or rest so that i can be a better wife & mom

what are your goals for this year? may the Lord bless you & give you strength to reach them. happy new year!