One Month!

So our sweet Beau Elias turned one month old this past Saturday! It is so amazing to think a month has already gone by since our entire lives were changed. Parenthood has been quite an adventure, but one I continue to keep learning from each day. At one month, Beau is staying awake for longer stretches through day and is starting to lengthen his sleeping at night. He focuses on people or objects close to him and can follow them when they move slowly. He also has such a tight grip! When he has one of our fingers, we have to pry him off to get out! He's so strong. Beau's also trying so hard to keep his head up, and is getting closer and closer. Brandon and I have been cleaning his umbilical stub for what seems like forever, and then on Saturday when I went to change him, it had fallen out! We were so excited! Brandon has been ITCHING to give Beau his first real bath, so this was the moment he had been waiting for. That night we gave him his first bath and he did SO good! He started to cry at first because he wasn't sure what we were doing, but once he felt the warm water, he immediately chilled out and enjoyed being washed and doted on! I've included some pictures and a short video from that, although making sure as to keep him looking as modest as possible while taking a bath. :)

I'm starting to recover from a nasty bout of mastitis that ended up also giving me thrush. For about two days I felt like a semi had run me over, ran a 101 fever one minute and was sweating the next, and couldn't even muster up energy to hold Beau, but over the weekend started getting my strength back. I go back to the doctor Thursday to make sure everything's healing properly. Now I'm just praying I don't get that again!

So here are some pictures taken from Beau's one month milestone day. Enjoy!

Getting so big!

So Beau was playing on his mat yesterday and I just happened to take these quick videos of him. We had just practiced our "running" and he kept moving his legs the same way - what a sweet boy! Then, towards the end you can see him follow the toy frog - yes, our eye coordination is getting better!

Here we're enjoying tummy time. He's trying so hard to get back to his back! I'm truly cherishing these sweet moments I have with him. Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day!

Yesterday was Brandon's first Father's Day! Beau and I enjoyed giving him the breakfast he wanted (TOTALLY unhealthy...but it was his day!) , and sitting on our back "porch" reading Acts together and discussing God and his word. Brandon had wanted a mug for work for his coffee, so I created a mug with a picture of Beau looking at Brandon and written underneath the words "Some of the best things in life start under 6 lbs...Happy First Father's Day, Dad!"...needless to say, he was SO pleased! It was neat to get to share Brandon's first (of many, God willing) Father's Days. He's just the best daddy. He's always so anxious to come home and spend time with the boy, whether its watching Beau on his mat, snuggling up with him, or even changing a dirty diaper! He takes on the role of Dad with such spirit and everyday I am so grateful that God placed him to be the father of my child. So here are some pictures from Father's Day and a couple days before...mainly just the two buddies hanging out!

Three Weeks!

Today my sweet little buddy is three weeks old. I can hardly believe how time has flown by! Beau and I celebrated the occassion by taking an extra nap together! I LOVE my nap time with the boy - he's the snuggliest, sweetest thing to fall asleep with! He loves to lay on my chest and curl up right under my chin. It's the most presh thing ever. He's also gotten so good at turning towards me when he hears my voice and can slowly follow me when I move infront of him. He even turned to Brandon this week! Brandon was so excited, I think he was feeling a little left out with Beau already turning to my voice. This week I also purchased Brandon's FIRST Father's Day gift! It's so neat to be able to get things ready for him for that day. I've seen how much he absolutely adores being a dad and he's so good to our buddy.

In other news, this past Sunday we went to church for the first time with Beau. It went fairly well,although towards the end we had to leave early due to feeding time getting close and my child knowing that. :) Tonight Beau also made his debut in Bible class, although poor buddy was struggling to stay awake! He did so good though, and even had his hand traced for a gift to give to Brandon for Father's Day.

Yesterday Beau stayed up the longest stretch thus far. We went from 3:30 to 8:00 which was a HUGE accomplishment! I'm loving having him stay awake for greater stretches, he's so much fun to be with. This weekend we have lots of events planned and tomorrow is a busy day for the both of us as well, as I have a couple places I have to go sans Beau so he'll be hanging with Gran for a bit.

I'll try to get some pictures up as soon as I can so you can see him as he continues to grow! I think I'll end here though, as I have a snuggly buddy on me right now and am anxious to cuddle with him for just a bit. :)

Happy Two Weeks, Buddy!

Our sweet little Beau Elias is two weeks old today. This morning, Gran and I took our little guy to his two week check up where he weighed in at 6 lbs and half an ounce and was 19 inches long. His doctor said he just looked perfect and we couldn't agree more. Then he told us we had to get his PKU test done. Ha. Well, I wasn't planning on there being any tests done, especially not blood work, so his feeding time was going to run into the blood time. Bad situation #1. Then there was the fact that Mommy forgot to pack the pacifier to get us through until feeding time. Bad situation #2. Then I found out that instead of getting just 5 drops of blood from my baby's heel, they needed to fill 5 dime size spots with his blood. Bad situation #3. Needless to say, my child was NOT the happiest with his mother. Can't say I was too thrilled with her either.

But the appointment and the blood draw went on and Beau is growing so much everyday! It's so neat to see his facial expressions and see him slowly learn to follow my face when we talk together. He's been trying so hard to hold his head up too! We just know he's going to get there soon enough. Another thing Beau has become fond of is being sung to. Whether its just for fun or when he's getting sleepy, Beau just LOVES having Brandon or me sing to him. His favorite for sleepy time is Isaiah 43. As soon as he starts to hear it, his eyes get SO heavy - it's the most presh thing ever! We've also been able to snap quite a few pictures of our little man's first couple weeks, with lots of nap moments with Daddy.

This little boy has brought so much to our lives and it blows me away every time I realize how much we love him. I don't think anyone could've ever fully prepared us for all the challenges that would come with having a newborn (and there are challenges!), but I also think no one fully prepared us for the emotion that would overcome us as parents.

On a side note, I also went to the doctor for my two week check and can say that my incision is healing well and that this breastfeeding business is working for losing the baby weight! I'm so glad I get to feed him; it's again one of those things that I didn't realize would be so technical, but we're really enjoying the bonding and I know all the little kinks will work themselves out soon. So, finally, here are some pictures from our fam of the last couple weeks - Happy Two Weeks, my sweet Beau Elias! (Side note: I accidentally put the pictures in reverse; the first are the most recent and so on, whoops!)

A "Beau"tiful Birth!

Yes, our boy has arrived! Beau Elias Lehrmann arrived at 12:51 AM on Wednesday, May 27, weighing in at 5 lbs 13 oz and measuring 18 3/4 " long. He has beautiful blue gray eyes and has LOTS of sandy blonde hair! Beau means "handsome," which, if you've seen any pictures of him (or even better, gotten to see him in person!), you'll agree with our choosing of the name. (Although I could be partial :) ) Elias means the Lord is my God, which is our prayer for him.

Our day began by having to go to the doctor to check Beau's status Tuesday morning at 11:30. After meeting Brandon there, getting checked in, and finishing our non-stress fetal monitoring test, we were told Dr. Ford had been in a training and that the nurses weren't sure when he would be back, that it could be 30 minutes or even an hour. They wondered if we wanted to wait it out or if we wanted to reschedule for the following day or so. Brandon decided it would be just as easy for us to wait now, since we were already there, and that if it went too far over 30 minutes, that I could just get through the rest of the appointment by myself. Well, Dr. Ford ended up coming in just about 30 minutes later and, after performing a sonogram, stated he was glad we had chosen to stay because we needed to be admitted to the hospital. In the past week, my amniotic fluid levels had diminished to very low levels in each pocket, with one pocket actually being difficult to find any in. While he said we would probably be just fine in continuing the pregnancy, he was more comfortable not taking any chances. He said we had three options, one that we could start inducing; two that we could perform a c-section; and three that we just continue the pregnancy until labor began naturally. When he asked us what we would like, Brandon asked him if this was his wife, what would he choose. After some thought, Dr. Ford rechecked me and said he'd attempt the induction. We checked in and after an hour or so, I was given an insert called Cervadil, which was supposed to ripen my cervix so I could start dilating (at this point, I was still at a zero). Well, an hour or so after that was put in, I started getting uncomfortable and, after the nurse came in and asked how I was feeling, it was confirmed that I had actually begun to have contractions. This was quite a surprise for everyone. That began around 5 and the contractions just continued to get stronger and more frequent as time passed. Something the nurses had noticed, however, was that every time I was coming down from a contraction, that Beau's heartbeat would drop slightly. Around 10:30 that evening, our nurse came in and said that Dr. Ford had suggested we take out the Cervadil and then at 11, start Pitocin. She seemed unsure that our baby would be able to handle the Pitocin, but we went on with removing the Cervadil. For the next hour and a half, I continued to have very intense contractions. During this time, as Brandon later told me (and I'm so glad he waited until after all this was over!), as my contractions would come to an end, Beau's heartbeat would jump to around 200 and then sharply drop to around 80 before regulating itself. This ended up being the tidbit that began everything else. At 12:15, Dr. Ford came in and informed Brandon and me that a vaginal delivery would no longer produce a healthy baby for us and that a C-section was the only viable option we had. Well done deal. No questions asked. I simply said ok, let's go, and I was wheeled into surgery where I was prepped and numbed and within 15 minutes after that, had our baby out. It took them about 30 minutes or so to finish putting me back together and at that point, I was able to finally see my son. Brandon had been with him the entire time since birth (and actually watched how he was born!), and was just the proudest daddy. From that point on, we've been spending as much time as possible with our boy.

We had a lactation specialist visit with us yesterday and she was such a blessing to speak with! She stayed with us for over an hour and helped us both learn the best ways for me to feed Beau (and ways Brandon can help). He ate SO much better yesterday and we know its so largely due to her help and willingness to stay, watch, and give insight into how to best nourish our little guy. We've also been so grateful for all the messages, visits, calls, and prayers that we've received! We were overwhelmed with gratefulness and joy at all the messages we were able to read after getting to check our emails and facebook accounts last night. We've also enjoyed every text, phone call, and visit we've received!! I'm so sorry we had to cut visits short the past couple days, I had developed a fever from the surgery a couple nights ago and we had only gotten around two hours of sleep for the night after that (and are just now getting into how to work on that!). I'm happy to say though that we were able to get about 4 hours of sleep last night and are feeling quite well today! That's not to say that I'm not about to take a nap, as the pain medicine I'm on makes me a little drowsy, and it seems if I don't get a 30 minute or so nap in, I start to get nauseous. So, hopefully, after I get my staples removed, we'll be on our way home today. Beau's already been released from the pediatrician here, so he's just waiting on Mommy to get released so he can go home and see his new crib! :)

Welcome to the world, Beau Elias. We love you so much more than we could have ever realized.

Some of the best things in life come in little packages.

Well, we had our appointment yesterday to see how our little guy's holding up. My doctor started out by measuring my fundal height and, afterwards, said I was measuring a little small. He said that could easily be due to the fact that my muscles were a little stronger with this being our first child, but that he'd feel better looking at him on a sonogram (which we had scheduled to get anyway). So we waited in one room while they got the next room ready and were finally shuffled across the hall. There, we got to see our little boy. It was SO nice to see him again since the last time had been at 20 weeks! We saw a very strong heartbeat and were COMPLETELY assured that indeed we are having a boy. :) After though, our doctor measured how much he felt our boy was weighing and his growth. He started to talk to me about how some women can carry larger children and others it seems are designed to carry smaller ones. It appears I'm the latter. At first he said our boy was only measuring at 5 to 5 1/2 lbs and then after taking all his measurements, came back with 5 lbs 15 oz. While he said that's just fine, it can still waver up to a pound either way and we'd prefer it to not lean the pound on the lighter side. He then wanted to have a non-stress fetal monitor put on him for 20 minutes, just to make sure he's doing ok. So off to another room. At first I was set up on my back, but after 10 minutes or so of him not really moving and having a slower heartbeat, they turned me on my side. That must've awoken him because his heartbeat sure got faster and he kicked that monitor a few times in a row! We were reassured after 20 minutes that he seems to be doing well. After, Dr. Ford told us that since I have yet to dilate, we'll schedule to come back in next Tuesday (our original due date) for another sonogram and non-stress test. If he sees that our little one hasn't put on much weight (which doesn't seem very likely), then we'll induce the end of next week. He said it may simply be that our little boy has gotten everything he's going to get from inside me and is ready to be out. We're not sure, but we'll see how he's doing on Tuesday. For right now, we simply have to check his movement throughout the day and let them know if he goes for an extended period without movement. I know God's completely in control of this and is watching over our sweet little guy, but I found myself upset at first that I might've done something wrong. I know this is only Satan playing mind games with me, but it was SO hard to not feel like a bad mother and not worry that I should've/could've done something different. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who continually keeps reassuring me that sometimes the best things in life come in small packages. :) Sounds like he's pretty much on target with our bundle. So right now we just pray Bundle keeps growing, but if not, that we have a safe delivery next week. We'll update again with news as soon as we know, but for now, it looks like Bundle (and Bundle's name!) will be revealed on the 28th or 29th!

Doctor Visits and Showers

That pretty much sums up what's been going on with me for the last couple weeks. A week and a half ago, a group of super sweet ladies threw Bundle and me a shower (Bundle much more than me...I just got to open up all the fun stuff!). It was so beautiful! Once we get our computer back in working condition, I'll be sure to post some pictures from it. Needless to say, Bundle was quite blessed by SO many people and we are now ready more than ever for him to arrive! We had wonderful gifts ranging from adorable little onesies, to a special Batman costume, cute little socks that look like sneakers, special cards, I really could go on and on... When Brandon and I were finally sitting in our living room, just looking around at all the special items people had purchased for our little one, we couldn't help but comment on how good God is. It just amazes us that there are so many people that are looking forward to getting to meet this little guy; that there are so many people praying for his safe arrival.

The following Wednesday I went to see our doctor and had our first major "check" to see how Bundle's progressing. Well...we're starting to thin out, but we're pretty sure Bundle's needing some more baking time, which was fine by us, while we're excited to have him here, we want him to take all the time he needs to get ready and be in the best shape possible! While I was there, I also asked Dr. Ford about getting sick, since at that point Brandon had been sick for about a week and a half. He assured me I was doing really well, to just rest and if anything should start, to let him know. Mind you, I had made it all the way to that visit not being sick at all through my pregnancy (that includes morning sickness as well!), so I was feeling really good about getting to the finish line minus any sickness. And then Thursday came. While putting some last finishing touches on Bundle's room, I noticed I had started to have some female problems that were getting worse by the hour. So after calling Dr. Ford's office, they had me come in and proceeded to give me antibiotics and over the counter medicine to take for a week. I started the regimen Thursday night feeling pretty optimistic. Friday I was still feeling very uncomfortable with my first infection, and was noticing I was getting another infection. I must've caught what Brandon had! I couldn't believe the irony; I was just telling Brandon how amazing it was to have made it this far without being sick at all. Next time I'll remember to keep quiet about that. :) As of yesterday, my first infection was still not going away, so I called back my doctor and they told me to come in this morning at ten. There I was checked and told to refill my antibiotic and start a shorter regimen, this only being the next four days. I'm praying this will resolve itself! In reference to my second infection (Or whatnot), I ended up self-doctoring myself through last night, when I woke up coughing and hacking up phlegm like crazy! (Gross I know, but this is what cued me to not self-doctor anymore from here on out) I mentioned that as well this morning after my doctor asked me if I felt ok. I'm now on a couple other OTC meds and am fervently praying to be 100% by the end of the weekend!

I was able to get out of my doctor's appointment today just in time to go to my noon budget meeting at work. I've been trying hard to make sure everything's in order for when I go on maternity, so that when I get back, it's smooth sailing on into the start of school! I was about 5 minutes late walking in and, after being told Janet (my boss) was in the back of the building that we usually don't meet in, was met by a surprise baby shower! My face must've conveyed everything I was thinking, because every single lady laughed and commented on how surprised I looked! There was tons of food, a precious baby cake, games, and gifts! I was honestly so overwhelmed by people's sweet thoughts that I was tearing up on my way home from work today. God is so good to us to have placed so many amazing people in my and Brandon's lives. The back of my car is now refilled with gifts that Brandon and I will get to go through again once he gets home from work, yay!

So now we're pretty much at the point of just waiting. I want this little guy to take the time he needs to get strong and ready to face the outside world, so I'm preparing for the distinct possibility that we will probably go past our due date. Brandon and I have been talking the last few nights over all the changes we've been through in our relationship and how becoming a parent is just one more blessing and challenge that we're so excited to meet head-on together. I truly don't think I would be as excited about all the little things I am if I didn't have Brandon to share them with. God has truly shown me unconditional love through him. Sometimes we laugh at how good it is we got married to each other, because no one else quite gets us the way we get each other and I realize how true that is. I'm more comfortable, at ease, and myself with him than with any other person. And how amazing we get to meet a little bundle that's part him and part me. :)

Well, I guess I better go start on some thank you's; I had finished my last one yesterday from church, so it's off to the work ones!

34 Weeks...Whoa!

Here I am at 34 weeks, sipping on my raspberry flavored water. Brandon was just to the point that he needed to have a full profile shot before our little guy came. I think it's funny our bathroom is in the background, considering it and I have become great friends the last few weeks!

So, enjoy!

Big Enough

I've been thinking and praying quite a bit today, and just felt like writing out some thoughts and feelings I've been having. Maybe then they'll seem to make sense. Then again, perhaps not. ;)

Last night my sister and I were having a casual conversation. You know, one of those where its friendly, but not really...deep. We had talked a little about school, about the coming summer and her classes, and a little about her boyfriend. Through the course of us discussing her relationship and the struggles she and her friend face due to struggles my sister is still dealing with, faith was brought up. She had said how she and this young man had differing views on faith and when I implored as to those differences, she simply said that he believed in a god, but didn't know much more than that. When I asked her how she felt about God, and really, did she believe in him, she said that she didn't understand him and was so angry with him. This statement spurred me on to have her expand on what she meant. I had a feeling I knew some of what she was talking about, but wanted her to expand in her own words and through her own feelings. She said she couldn't understand how a loving and merciful God could allow what had happened to us, that he should've stopped it all. She felt as though he blew off her affection for him through that, and that he must hate her.

At this point, I quickly let her know that God did NOT hate her. In fact, he loves her more than anyone else ever could. I also let her know that it was ok to be angry where she's at, that our God is big enough to take on all the anger and frustration she could ever muster up. We discussed how God did NOT delight in what had happened, that it broke his heart and angered him as well. We went through several different scriptures discussing God's sadness and anger at his creation doing things he did not want and went a little into how God gives us free will in this world to do great good...and unfortunately, to do great evil. I told her that our God loves us so much that he's willing to step back and allow us to freely choose him...and to risk watching us freely walk away. He desires a relationship with us, he pursues us, and desires to be pursued. I let her know that our God loves an honest question, especially when it spurs us to probe deeper into our relationship and love with him. She mentioned how it seemed there were so many people in OT that questioned God's workings, but then we went over how God still provided and proved himself, even though being God he never has to. He does continually for our benefit, and ours alone.

All of this transpired in maybe forty-five minutes of communication and we ended with her saying she appreciated me talking with her. I'm so strongly praying this will be the first of many discussions we'll have about God. In talking with Brandon last night and this morning about this, he reminded me how neat it must be to be in the position he was in with me when I started to question who God was and what he wanted to do with me. I was reminded how wonderful it is when you get to discuss God and his desires for us, his relationship for us, and the sacrifices he makes to be with us. Talking with her moves me to go over different parts of the Bible I haven't (sadly) looked at in awhile with fresh eyes, and reminds me that God's constantly pursuing me in ways I don't always notice.

Please pray for this situation. Pray I'm able to openly and honestly take on any question my sister may have with sincerity and the words of the Spirit. Pray my sister will even ask again. I have no timeline and no expectations, but I trust in our Lord and am so joyous in seeing how he's working. I know he's big enough to handle all the critiques, criticisms, and questions that may come his way.

The Guy's Room

Bouncer (stuffed animal WILL be removed before the boy sits :) )


Close-up of the changing table


Verse we decided on and that I painted and fixed onto some ply board we bought

Lamp

Changing table and dirty clothes bin

This will be hung on the wall (with a picture inside!)

Curtains

Bedding and first bear (Brandon picked him out)

Crib all set and ready to be slept in!

So there ya go! Enjoy!

Great Day and Little Scares

So today Brandon and I went in for our most recent Dr. appointment. We've been anxious to go, as Bundle's debut is getting closer and closer, and we just love getting to hear that sweet guy's heartbeat (especially since Brandon missed the last one). We also had some questions we had thought up since our last visit, since between that time we'd been to our childbirthing class and had experienced some minor (and new) discomforts in this journey through pregnancy. Dr. Ford said my glucose test came back good and that my measurements and weight were terrific, so that was super exciting to hear. We got to hear the guy's heartbeat and afterwards, Dr. Ford asked about his movements. Now, in the last month or two, Bundle's been quite active, throwing some hard kicks and punches just to remind me he's hanging in there and growing like a weed! However, since Monday his activity level has dropped quite a bit, and Monday evening we were a little nervous that something might be wrong, as it was over 5 hours between times of me feeling any movements from him. When we explained this to him today, he hooked me up to a fetal monitor and let it monitor Bundle for 20 minutes while I laid on my left side. I was to press a black button any time I felt movement from him in any way. While he went to go check on other patients as we let the 20 minutes go by, Brandon and I just watched and prayed in anticipation that everything would go right and that our tough little guy was doing alright. After the 20 minutes, he came in and looked over our results and said that he was doing ok right now, but that if we have more decreased activity to either call him or go to Labor and Delivery to be checked out (after hours). So right now our prayer is that this decreased movement is just a growth spurt for our guy and that he's just beginning to run out of room to punch! I'm so glad Brandon was with me today as well, as I tend to overly worry (this whole first time mom thing is tricky!) and he helps remind me that God is in control and that no matter what, we'll be ok. As far as the rest of our appointment, we see that we're right on schedule and that our boy's just continuing to grow! Praise God!

We've also been realizing what a special day May 26th will be. Not only is our precious guy due, but our friends Adam and Alisha are set to be due the same day with their third little boy, Brandon's cousin Rachel is set to leave for the Mayo Clinic where she will hopefully find some answers to help with her illness, and sweet Mayre Stewart is scheduled for her last chemo treatment. What a wonderful day!! We're praying this day brings forth so much goodness (2 babies, although we're quite aware probably not, ha; answers to a debilitating illness, and an end to nasty chemo treatments!), and we're so sure that God will provide!

Today I've been lifting up prayers for our friends Chris and Kristin, who went in this morning to deliver their sweet boy Sutton via C-Section. We know this isn't the course they had planned, but we know through the doctors and all that surround them, that God will have his hand in this and that we'll soon have word that sweet Sutton has arrived safely and that Kristin is recovering without any problems.

Brandon and I have pretty much finished most of Bundle's room and while I don't have pictures to post just yet, I can tell you going in there is so exciting! It's so neat to realize in just a matter of weeks that a little boy will be in there! As soon as I can, I'll be sure to post some images to enjoy!

Well, I think that about sums up our last week or so, I know it's been far longer since I last posted, but the guy's letting me know it's time to eat some lunch, so...I think I'll follow his direction. :)

Getting Closer

We're getting closer to Bundle's debut! I'm now at almost 29 weeks (tomorrow), so we have approximately 11 weeks until the Big Day. Brandon and I are getting so excited knowing our boy will be here with us so soon; it seems like time is flying by! We recently got some baby items (i.e. his bedding, diaper holder, and high chair) and thought we'd post them along with a very recent snapshot of me (well, me and my ever growing tummy!). It's hard to believe how God allows my body to change to allow Bundle to grow, but how amazing! He lets me know every day that he's there though, and his kicks are getting quite strong. I think he's going to be just like his daddy, a bundle of muscle when he's born. It's so neat though, every time he really gets revved up and is kicking like crazy, a simple touch and talk with Dad seems to calm him.

We've also been busy seeing different friends over the last couple weeks, both of whom are pregnant also! Lizzie and Justin are due in August and Kristin and Chris are due in 28 days! It was so nice for Brandon and me to get to spend some time with these good friends, it reminded us of how important relationships with others are.

So without further ado, here are some pictures to enjoy!

Me at 28 weeks

Bundle's comforter

Brandon LOVES this. :)

Diaper holder (to go on changing table later)

Highchair and bowls

Happy Valentine's Day!

So today is Valentine's Day! The hubs and I decided that we'd make pizza and vegetarian nachos for dinner together and then have marble brownie sundaes for dessert...yum! It was SO much fun cooking together in the kitchen, and Brandon was so good at making the pizza dough, even our sweet boy kicked with glee after I ate it! :)

This last week we had another doctor's appointment where we got to hear our little guy's heartbeat and were told at our next visit that I would have my blood sugar tested. We were also informed that I have a kidney infection. I was set to leave for a business trip to Austin in just a few hours and asked my doctor if that would still be ok. After reassuring me it would be alright, he sent me with a prescription to fill just in case my pain didn't decrease or subside after increasing my hydration. Well, come Thursday I was in rather awful pain and after calling Brandon and Brandon calling our doctor, I was told to fill my prescription and call him Monday. My pain's feeling much better (it's now completely tolerable!), so hopefully this infection will clear up soon. (Side note: the worst pain was actually in my back, where my kidneys are; boy can that pain be sharp!)

As for my trip to Austin, I went with my boss to a 3 day conference hosted by the Texas Homeless Education Office. The conference itself was really informative and I was even able to bring back some neat classroom tools my mother-in-law can possibly use in her class. We ate at some really neat and eclectic places that were Austin locals and I ate a lot of vegetarian meals which were quite delicious! I made it through the car rides, but Friday afternoon, was very ready to be home. There's just something about home that makes me so ready to get back to it after a long trip (or day!).

Tuesday we were so pleased to hear that Brandon's cousin Rachel and her husband George welcomed their sweet baby girl, Haley Clarke Price, into the world. From the pictures I've seen so far, Haley is so beautiful and I'm sure she'll be even more so when I get to meet her in person! We're praying so very hard for Rachel though, as she's having a hard time recovering and sadly had to watch Haley and George go home today while she stays in the hospital for a few more to get some treatment. Please pray she's able to get home to her husband and little girl soon!

Brandon and I are really starting to work on what we need to do to our boy's room. I finished the letters for his nursery last week and we're deciding on the scripture verse we want written on the wall. We've picked out his bedding, we just have to purchase it, and then I can go get his curtains. It's so neat to think our little one will be here in 3 months and Brandon and I keep praying for a healthy remainder of pregnancy for both the boy and myself. We've been so blessed thus far and can only hope it continues.

I know I need to post a picture on here of how I look at almost 26 weeks now, as I've officially "popped," but our camera's giving us issues, so that's out for the meantime. No worries though, I'll get one on here soon. :) Trust me though, there's no denying the little one I'm carrying around!

Pictures to be posted soon and please keep Rachel, George, and baby Haley in your prayers!

Growin' Up is Hard to Do!

Ha, well some days anyway. Since finding out we were expecting a precious little bundle, Brandon's been hard at work reworking our budget and figuring out all we need to do now that we've bought a house and are going to have a child (a son!). Let me tell you, that involves some work. We've been busy discussing our wills, talking through who would take care of our son in the event something happens to both of us, going through our finances, meeting with financial planners to discuss life insurance so either one of us and our son is covered if something should happen to the other, etc, etc, etc...whew! And that's not even all of it! It's also figuring out how to afford to take care of all these expenses and sitting down and truly praying over what's important and what's a luxury disguised in necessity's clothing. Today we met with a financial planner and started going over our assets and liabilities, what our financial and personal goals are for the future, and our wishes should something happen to us. We went over how we want to finance our child's college education, and our wishes for our child in his early education. We went over disability insurance, long-term care, and at least a dozen other terms that I didn't totally understand, but am luckily married to a CPA who was able to comprehend with ease. We see how we will have to give up luxuries that we've been blinded into seeing as necessities for some time, and I'm reworking our food budget to make it stretch while still making nutritious and healthy meals for my family. And from all this...we are seeking God and his goodness and are being filled by all the wonderful solutions we're finding.

My husband and I have sat many nights on our couch, discussing our future and the way we want to rear our son. A very good friend recommended "Shepherding a Child's Heart" and I can't tell you how blessed and CONVICTED we've been by its message. We're viewing childrearing in a somewhat completely different light and are realizing our true call to our son. There's an excerpt from the book that I keep replaying in my mind that says, "Children do respond. They are not neutral. They are not simply the sum total of what you and I put into them; They interact with life either out of a true covenant of faith or out of an idolatrous covenant of unbelief." To have this be boldly stated has convicted me of the fact that my child will NOT be undeciding; he will choose either to follow the Lord, or he will choose to follow the world. This realization is very sobering and makes me so excited at all Brandon and I are choosing to do and teach our child. We are seeing how we are God's agents to exercise authority with our child and how we cannot afford to direct him for our own agenda or convenience; we are authorities who direct and require obedience because God requires us to obey. However, our authority is not to be seen as cruel, but as one who loves them utterly and profoundly.

Each chapter Brandon and I read, the harder we dive into God's word, seeing how he directs our childrearing and how he guides our hands in our direction. If anything, this book has motivated us to see how living by the Word is of utmost importance not only for childrearing, but for living our lives for the Lord.

Going back to our budget, Brandon asked me if there was any way I could lower our monthly grocery bill. Luckily, we have this wonderful book called "Good Food for Hard Times" and it is full of recipes using basic ingredients. You can tailor them to be more healthful (as I often do), but it shows you the value that basic staples have. I'm looking at planting a garden which I have NEVER done (!), but am very prayful will be a success and something that I can do to provide for my family. I've already started making several recipes from the book and serving them as dinner and Brandon's been very pleased, so it seems we're well on our way!

Oh, and in case anyone's wondering, yes, we're keeping Bundle's name a secret. We're doing this for a couple of reasons: 1) Brandon and I get all the time we need to solidify the name we want for our sweet boy 2)We get to share in having something sweet and private with our boy for a few months 3)Being the oldest of four girls, I never knew what my sisters' names would be and always found it to be such fun the day of their birth when I'd get to not only meet this new sister of mine, but find out her sweet name! It was like Christmas! Luckily, Brandon shares in the desire to keep our baby's name a secret, so you'll have to wait another 17 1/2 weeks to find out! :)

Whew, I've been going on for awhile and haven't even touched on so many other things that have been going on in our lives! I guess that'll just have to wait for another post!

Babies and Anniversaries

What a wonderful start I've had to the new year! On the 2nd, Brandon and I celebrated one year of wedded bliss. It was so fun to remember how wonderful our wedding was! Brandon suggested we look at our wedding photos while we ate our breakfast of yummy cinnamon rolls. Then he gave me my anniversary gift (which he said the first year is the paper year, so he heard) which was our wedding vows, written in calligraphy on sturdy sheets of paper all ready for me to frame. It was so neat to read over the words we wrote to each other and see how they still impact us today and God willing for many years to come. My sweet in-laws said they'd watch Huck and Annie all day and night for us, so we went to Burleson and Fort Worth and ate lunch at TGI Friday's, which would normally not be any big deal, but was because it was where we stopped on our way to the airport after we got married. My husband is SUCH a romantic! Then I took him to get a new pair of pants for work and a couple new ties. He looked so nice and was so excited, since pants were something he'd been needing recently. Did I mention that he even got all dressed up for me? He had a dress shirt, sweater, and tie on and if ANY of you know my husband, you know this is a big deal. He looked so handsome, I was so proud to be on his arm. We walked around Hulen Mall next, and were planning on going to P.F. Chang's for dinner, but I got a little sick, so Brandon suggested we go home, get in our pj's, and order in take-out and watch a movie. Again, what a selfless and adoring husband I have. The day was so wonderful and I feel so blessed to be with such an amazing man.

Moving on to today. Brandon and I have been counting down to this day since our last Dr.'s appt 4 weeks ago. Literally. We had a countdown on the fridge. We've been so anxious to learn whether or not we can call this sweet bundle a "he" or a "she." We got to the doctor's office a little early and were taken right back. Unfortunately, we waited for a little while, but I think it was more of our anticipation built up than the actual time. Finally, our wonderful doctor came in and the sonogram began. He showed us our sweet baby's brain, its arms, chest, legs, and feet. We even got to hear its sweet heartbeat again and I tell you, there is ujst something about hearing your child's heartbeat that makes you want to melt. Finally, he looked at Brandon and me and said, "Now I'm sure there's one question you have for me before you leave, right?" Brandon and I just smiled. He looked down below and said, "Well, looks like you're having a boy." A BOY!! When he showed us our baby's "area," there was NO denying we are in fact having a boy. Brandon just beamed. I think I was just so excited, I couldn't find words. We left walking out on clouds.

So yes people, we're having a sweet little boy. We are so excited and see how great our God is. To be able to see our boy's growing body and know that (so far) everything is going perfectly is such a blessing. We also, however, have assurance in him that even if something DOES go wrong, our God will be right there, carrying us (and our son...wow, I'm going to have a son!) through.

So praise God! Sweet "Boy" Lehrmann will be here before we know it!