Counting down the days...

Well...I have been counting down the days until I have to return to work and unfortunately it has come very close to the end of that countdown. :( We only have Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before returning to work on Wednesday. Now don't get me wrong- I love my job and I am very thankful that I do have a job, which many people can not say right now. I also love the fact that I do (and always will) have weekends off, have holiday's off (and many days before and after certain holidays- not just one day), and I will always have a spring break and summers off while still getting paid!! So while that count down is coming to end, I am really beginning to focus on another count-down... kick off of Auburn Football! Well, not really- but I know my husband would like that!! :) I am beginning the count-down to meet Janie Ann! According to my counter we only have 101 days- which I know could come in 95 or it might be 101! It is just so surreal that I am nearing the end of this pregnancy and about to meet my daughter for the first time!! She has really become super active here lately and I thoroughly enjoy laying on my back and watching her move around! I even video-taped it last night for my mom since she is still in California- I plan on videoing it more as she becomes bigger and you can see her better!! I'm sure one day I will love to look back and see her. Anyways- while one countdown is ending, another is just beginning!! 

A few prayer requests...

1. Please pray for my Grandfather Stephens. He had some cataracts removed from his left eye over a year ago and he never fully regained sight in his left eye which upset him, so he was referred to a doctor in Montgomery for another type of eye surgery that could correct his vision. He had the surgery on Thursday in Montgomery and we had to go back Friday for a check up- the doctor said everything was looking fine, but it would be a full 3-5 months before he could tell if his sight was going to be back to normal. On our way home from the surgery on Thursday my grandfather told me that he hoped it worked so that he could see his great-granddaughter when she arrives. This broke my heart because I'm not sure if his sight will ever be what it was before, he is 88 years old and doing great, other than his eyes. So my prayer request for  him is that when his great- granddaughter arrives he had enough sight so that he can see her. 

2. Seth and I have to go back to work August 5th and I'm just not ready. I pray daily that God gives me the strenght I need to wake up, go to work and teach my students what they need to know and that I have enough energy to make it through the day! Also that the stress of going back to work in a new classroom setting and the stress of getting everything together for a long-term sub doesn't stress me out too much!! :) 

3. I go back to the OB on Tuesday- please pray that Janie Ann is still growing like she is supposed to and that I will receive a good report from him. I am feeling great, I'm just getting closer and closer to the due date and it makes me nervous!! 

4. Finally, please say a prayer for a friend's father. I'm not going to go into many details, but my friend's father recieved a report that his cancer has spread. He finds out Tuesday what his options currently are and they just really need our prayers right now. This friend has a lot on her plate right with starting a new job, moving and many more EXCITING things that will be coming- but right now this is taking center stage and her family just needs the prayers!! 

Coming soon.... pictures of the completed nursery... once it's complete! HA! We finally have all the furntiure in the room, now we just have to hang a few things on the walls and we will be done. Once we are done, I promise I will post pictures!! 

Sips N Strokes

Yep, I went again!! It is so much fun, even if you have no artistic ability!! I was VERY pleased with my lastest masterpiece, it might even end up in Janie Ann's room once we have everything else hung up!! I went this past Saturday night with Sheena, Shelly, Lisa and Mrs. Vickie- it was a great girls night and everyone enjoyed themselves and we are all ready to go again!! I didn't get a group picture of us on my camera because I will just going to steal one from Facebook, but I can't figure out how to do that on Seth's Apple computer- nor did I get a picture of myself with my painting!! Anyways- I can't get my pictures in the order I want them, so the one at the top is the finished painting and then the 2 below are my work in progress! This time they did have the moon drawn out for you, but that was it!! 

Time is flying by...

I can't believe that I am already 6 months pregnant, it seems like yesterday that this journey began!! School is about to begin, too, which I am looking forward to only because I know that will put me that much closer to meeting Miss Janie Ann!! She has become very active lately and I love to lay on the couch and watch my stomach move when she kicks- it's amazing!!! I just don't understand how some people still don't believe in God after recieving one of His miracles!! I go back to the doctor next Tuesday and then we will have our 4-D ultrasound on August 6th!! I am super excited and hopes she cooperates with the ultrasound lady to get some great pictures!! 

Dr. appointment

Yesterday I went to the endo dr. and everything is still going great with my diabetes. We are at a point where basal rates and bolus carb ratios are having to be changed, but it was something I was expecting to happen. I have gained enough weight, too, and truthfully I can't wait to go back to work so that I will be on a schedule and I won't be at the house and able to snack all day long!! But, I really don't want to work... :| Maybe if we could have a month of teacher-work days before students come, that would be wonderful!! I also can't believe (according to my ticker) that there is only 115 more days until we meet little miss Janie Ann! She has become VERY active, especially around 10:30 at night- hopefully once I do have to go back to work, this will not keep me up!! Well, I go back to the endo doctor in 2 weeks, along with a visit to the OB for a check up. We have the 4-D ultrasound scheduled for August 6th, too!! I'm so excited to actually see what/who she is looking like!!!  Check back on Sunday for a 6 month picture... again, I can't believe how fast time is flying by!

Pampered Chef Party

Last night I was invited, along with a few other women, to a pamered chef party at Mrs. Stacey's house on Lake Martin. It's a beautiful house and we were having a great time. Around 7:20 the wind began to blow like crazy and it began to pour down rain, but this is a normal afternoon shower if you live on the lake. We were all sitting in the dining room area when all of a sudden a huge tree lands in Mrs. Stacey's front yard. Thank goodness no one was outside and the tree didn't fall on the house- or we could have all been seriously injured, but instead of landing on the house it landed on my mother-in-law's car, the hostesses Kim's car and the front of Scott's work car. Shelly, luckily didn't even get a scratch or a dent on her van, though it was parked in the same area as all of the other cars- the Lord knew that they couldn't all fit in the Altima, I guess!! Anyways- I can't save the pictures on Seth's computer to upload them, but you can go to Facebook and look at the pictures of the event. Hopefully by next week my mother-in-law will have heard back from the insurance agency and she can hopefully get a new car- please keep her, along with all the other's whose stuff was injured in your prayers as they have to go through all the insurance mess right now. Also, keep Mrs. Stacey in your prayers- it didn't damage any of her stuff, but she was very upset because it happened at her house. But like I told her plenty of times- there was nothing that she could have done to prevent it from happening!! Anyways- while we were there before the tree- we had this WONDERFUL taco ring and I can't wait to try to fix it myself, I'm sure it won't look as pretty as Kim's, but if taste the same, that is all that will matter!! I will update you once I fix it and you let you know how I do!! :) 

Nice little kick...and belly picture

Well, Seth finally felt her kick last night, without me having to say- "Yes, that was her". We were laying in bed and I was trying to get comfortable, which takes a while these days, and Seth asked me what was wrong- which nothing was wrong- Janie was just having a fun time in my belly! So, he placed his hand on my belly and she went to kicking, but I didn't say a word. Seth felt her and went, "wow", then for assurance asked me if that was her or not!! It was amazing that he finally felt her kick without me having to tell him that it was her. I'm sure every night from now on Seth will continue to place his hand on my belly and wait for that little kick.

Also with her being so active lately I have finally had my first case of indigestion, which I have NEVER had before in my life. I had been having awful stomach pains after dinner for the past 2 nights and I would it would feel like I could throw-up at the drop of a hat, but everyone knows that I do NOT like to throw-up, AT ALL, anyways, I was complaining to Seth about it and he informed me of what was going on. I now keep TUMS with me at all times- hopefully this will not last long and hopefully I will not get heartburn, Seth says that is worse than indigestion. 

And finally...a belly picture. Yes, I'm getting HUGE  and yes, there is only ONE baby in there!!! This is me at 22 weeks.... only 18 more weeks to go!! 

My new friend, James...

Wow- 2 post in one day, how lucky are my readers?! HA!! 

Anyways... if you have never been to Daviston- let me try to explain this little part of the world to you.... dirt roads, poorly paved county roads, a few stop signs, and oh, did I mention dirt roads? So on with my story. This weekend my mother-in-law and father-in-law, along with 2 other couples are camping down on our bottoms (located on the Tallapoosa River). It's a gorgeous place to camp and we went down to visit and make sure they had everything they needed. Around 10:00 Seth and I were headed out to go home, I had to potty and I DON'T go outside, so we were leaving the bottoms and we come upon our gate (we have gated land so people can't come in and camp whenever they want and we also have cows and it helps keep them inside the pasture!) and at our gate is a little red Saturn backed up to the gate- we see a pair of feet hanging out the back door and guy who, needless to say, was partially dressed...Seth threw the polaris in reverse and told me to go, so here we go backing up down a small dirt road until we get to a place to turn around. Seth didn't want to confront them by himself with just me there- which I greatly appreciate...so back to the bottoms we go, nervously giggling and then bursting into laughter at what we had just seen. We get back and have to explain what we just saw and Mr. Billy (my father-in-law) goes back with us- he is in the lead... so we get back up there and the male introduces himself to Mr. Billy and Seth as, "James" and James tells us that he was just finishing up something and he spins the girl into the backseat so her legs are no longer sticking out the door and shuts her door- picks up some items and throws them in the trunk, gets in the car and heads out like this is his normal Friday night activity (which it might be!). So needless to say- Seth and I booked it back to the house before we ran into more "James"!! 

Slacker

Well, it's official I have been slacking on my blog posting. I don't have any excuse because I literally have nothing that I must do this summer, no meetings, nothing! I also slacked on getting pictures from all the weddings. :( Hopefully someone took some and will post them to Facebook!! Anyways- I have been doing great. I have been going to the doctor regularly and getting great reports. Janie Ann is measuring right on target and the OBGYN had moved my appointments to every 4 weeks. Seth and I have also registered for a Prepared Childbirth class that will begin in September.... needless to say I'm a little nervous about it and everything that we will be seeing/learning, but I  know that will be worth our time. 

This coming up weekend is the 4th of July, we aren't exactly sure what we will be doing- possibly going to see Georgia and Dustin at the lake. We will also have a few people camping down at the river and we will go check on them. The men from the group came by at 10:3o this morning to get the key so they could set up the site... I'm interested to see how much real camping will be going on!!! I know when we would camp we could get out there just in time to get the tents set up and a fire going before the sun went down!! Anyways- I promise I will take pictures this weekend and WILL POST before next Friday! :)