24 ... GOD IS GOOD!

24 weeks long and lean like a corn cob.

This week started with the glorious hands of one Rachel Richenbaugh.  I hired Rachel to give me a full body massage.  I knew it would be bliss as I have received a couple previously.  This time was amazing as well.  I highly recommend her for your next Massage as she comes to you, brings her table, music, and cream and pampers you in your own home.  AAAA a little piece of heaven!  Thank You Rachel for your blessed and beautiful hands.  You are AWESOME!  I am thankful to know you well and that I was able to receive your services!  God is Good!

Our Lil guy is now long and lean like a Corn Cob...  

This to me, is a funny image as my Dad is a farmer and thinking about my baby measuring up to Corn Cob makes me giggle.  He gained about 4 ounces and is just over 1 pound and roughly 12 inches long.  It amazes me that God created babies to grow in length long before they grow in weight.  He is growing proportionally and will soon enough add his Baby Fat!  Mmm can't wait to squish his baby fat. We are getting closer to the point in the pregnancy where He will soon be developed enough to survive outside of his womb with LOTS of help.  Granted Brock and I do not want to meet him early but it is encouraging to know that if something were to happen he could survive.  I am thankful for this.  

My Cuddle Buddy! So cute.

Knowing that our son could come early unexpectedly has me moving toward desiring to "nest."  Brock has really assisted with this as we have moved 95% of the storage items out of Lil Lusch's room which has been good.  We had to also rearrange our closet to accommodate the storage items.  This has been an annoying process for me specifically as I previously rather enjoyed how we had it set up.  I am thankful that we were able to move the stuff but it is hard as I feel like I am giving up part of my space and identity.  I know this probably sounds selfish and petty but it is something that has affected me in a minor way.  I am completely willing to make the change necessary to make room for our son but I cannot ignore the emotions within.  I am positive that they are a normal part of the process. 

I have been able to begin displaying some of the pieces that we already have for our son.  Some things like the blanket I have made him, a blanket from when I was a babe, and a toy or two.  It makes this entire process more real to me.  I need those little moments of reality.  Another one of God's graces as we prepare.  

This week also brought Brock's parents to Cincy on Saturday afternoon.  They brought homemade chocolate chip bars, YUM!  This was such a treat for us as we don't get to have family visit very often.  Brock and I cooked lunch and then the adventures began.  We first visited Jungle Jim's where each of us discovered something that we enjoyed.  We then headed downtown to the Red's stadium to find a good deal on some NL champs shirts.  We struck out but had fun taking some pictures and sharing in our mutual love for the Redlegs.  From there we headed to our favorite gourmet pizza - Dewey's.  OH SO GOOD!  We then stopped at Alms park to show off one of the views that Brock an I enjoy on a regular basis to watch the son go down, ride the stone slide and check out Lunken air port from above.  It was a beautiful way to end our time together.  

Brock and I also had a "discussion" about my automatic nesting habits which occur without me realizing it or involving my dearly beloved in the process.  Brock made it known to me that He greatly desires to help and be a part of making our baby's room ready for his homecoming in Feb.  He wants to be included in the decorating aspects and have a say is what goes where.  For this I am ever so thankful because it is just another way that my husband shows me that he cares/loves both me and baby.  I will never ask for a better husband.  

In some personal news.  The Lord has been teaching me to rely more on him.  And I was surprised this week with a Job opportunity in the Counseling field.  I saw the posting on facebook by a professor from CCU Sunday night and I called to inquire Monday morning and was given an interview for Tuesday morning.  I was really amazed by the the opportunity and how quickly everything happened.  I had not planned to look for a new job until after our little guy was born as I know that I do/will not qualify for maternity leave.  My plan was to deliver in Feb. Take a month or so to become more acclimated to having a son and begin looking again with the knowledge that it might take a while to gain some employment in the field.  The Lord surprised me completely by the way he works.  It seems that the past few experiences have been super fast when it comes to employment.  I am attempting to submit my big decisions to the Lord and those around me and it definitely is taking a lot more patience than I realized.  Waiting on the Lord and others is much harder than I am used it.  He is really pouring his grace out on me.  I don't deserve it but I am thankful for it. Stay tuned to see if the Job panned out or if I will be waiting on another opportunity.

And the Photo Bomb for the week... 

Brock was hanging out with Dexter and he said that this was the way that he was practicing for when he will be holding and cuddling and loving our son.  I couldn't resist but snap a few pictures.  

 

23 What a treat

23 weeks have come and gone and pretty much 24 too so here we go.

23 weeks, 11 + inches and over 1 pound.

I have been keeping a few short notes to remind me of what I have wanted to mention as time goes by.  Something that Brock and I do almost every Sunday is enjoy some time with our "house" mates in our church community.  This week, it was our turn to host and provide dinner for all 10 members.  Sometimes this is a challenge as we have 3 kiddos and 1 member with a dairy allergy.  I chose to make an Italian Soup.  I added all of my ingredients to my large croc pot then had to split it to make the recipe properly.  I ended up with 1 large and 1 small croc pot full of yummy soup!  It was a hit with everyone and I am thankful that I was able to find another soup to expand my palette/cook book with.  If you want to try it you can find the recipe here...  http://www.colonelde.com/Recipes/thyme_Italian_sausage_soup.pdf

For my Geology peeps.  Last time I wear
This shirt for a while. 

Or here toward the bottom of the page... http://colonelde.com/thyme/

I always just use the recipe as a guide and add spices/ingredients that I prefer as I go along.  Sometimes I add more meat than called for and leave out other things that I might not like or have in the house. Cooking is an experiment and it is so fun.

In baby news...

We had our monthly appointment and met another of our 7 docs.  She was a mid-aged shorter woman with big blonde hair and We instantly enjoyed her.  She asked us if we had named our son and wanted to know our choice.  She loved it, asked for a spelling, and wrote it in my chart!  (SORRY FOLKS No spoiler here... you will have to wait ;-D)  This was just a belly check month and she only had positive comments for how babe and I were doing.  She addressed Brock as appropriate and answered all of our questions.  I asked about getting a flu shot which is highly recommended and could have given me in office but I had already scheduled both of us to get them at work.  She also recommended that anyone in close contact with babe should have the whooping cough vaccine as well especially since there is a break out here in Hamilton county.  I asked about my sciatic nerve issues which have intensified to being painful from my knee to my hip and into my lower back.  She recommended that I might try a chiropractor, I stated I'm going to attempt the massage route first.  Doc also informed me that I would need to complete a glucose test before my next monthly visit.  I am very happy with my Doc's at For Women Inc.  I highly recommend them to anyone in the Cincy area.  I have yet to have anything negative to occur during my time with them.  

Brock and I were able to complete some shopping on Saturday.   We purchased the first bits of Christmas presents, did some grocery shopping at Jungle Jim's,  then headed to the Reds stadium to buy some NL champs t-shirts for Brock and friends.  The surprise of the afternoon: I got a $60 shirt for $10.  I won't be able to wear it anymore this year but I am sure to fit into it come next season!  By the end of our adventures I was in some major sciatic nerve pain.  We came home where I relaxed and Brock headed to work.  He returned later with a beautiful red rose for me stating that I was a real trooper for making it through the day.  He is such a blessing to me!  We enjoyed 2 movies that night: The Lorax and Snow White and the Huntsman.  I recommend both. 

This week I have noticed my energy coming back and was able to give Dexter a haircut.  Brock was able to feel our lil boy move.  And at a dinner with several friends I accidently let the babe name slip but no one heard me say it except Brock.  He busted my chops for that one.  This lil moment has just made me more diligent in making sure I don't let that happen again. 

And because I love this little fellow so much I thought I would share a few Dexter pics.  He is a sweetie and I am praying that He will be best buds with our Boy from day 1!  He was hanging out with Brock in the recliner and using Brock's shoe as a pillow.  Too sweet!  And in the second picture; Dex loves to pull his blanket to the middle of the floor and take a nap in it.  I promise in the picture he is completely asleep.  Yes, with eyes open and tongue out.  Goofy dog.  I love him so.  We are so blessed to have this lil fluff ball as part of our family and he will forever be our first "kid."

New Dad

Hello there faithful readers of our Blog. I have been poked and proded to take sometime to type out my thoughts about this great new miracle that is about to come into our lives in just a few short months.
Yes it is true as to all the things that Corie has been saying about me although if she keeps telling you all the good things about me it is going to be hard to keep up the bar as the years go on. j/k.
So I have no idea where to really start so I guess I will go from the beginning and hopefully not get to wordy.
I got a call from Corie back in June asking if she should pick up a pregnancy test to which I said for what we are not pregnant. But that Saturday while camping and hiking at Red River Gorge I got a phone call early in the morning from my lovely bride telling me that I was going to be a Papa and that I could not tell anyone that day which was really hard being that I was out hiking with our church family.
Flash forward to July when we got to tell our families that happy news and I have a great video of Corie's parents finding out which is hilarious. Mainly because my mother in law is in her bath robe with her hair up in a towel, with bugged out eyes very excited and then realizes I am video taping the whole thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JSE5jICoU8&feature=youtu.be (copy and paste for a good laugh)

I have been able to make it to every single dotors visit that has been scheduled. I was however not able to make it to the impromptu visit where Corie got to hear the heart beat for the first time but since then I have been able to hear his heart beat every visit. Oh about that, so ever since the first pregnancy I have dealt with little fears about what things would be like if we got pregnant again. So when I got to see our little boy the first time I was overwhelmed with joy that he was moving around. We I missed the first hearing of the heart beat I went through about three weeks of weird feels thinking that we could still go through the same thing again before I get to hear the heart beat. So I had a few nights where I did not sleep well because of that but things are better.

The day we found out we were having a boy was so exciting. I was going to be excited at the same level no matter what the sex was. But to have a boy is a little less nerve racking since I feel more comfortable taking on a little boy baby than a little girl baby. Plus as he gets older the maintenance does not get higher.

The name we have picked was a process because we had a boys name picked out from the first pregnancy however I feel the Lord has stepped in and given us the name we are to call our little boy and I am excited to be able to tell everyone when he is born. But Corie and I have great fun in telling random strangers his name just to relieve the pressure sometimes. For everyone else we know we tell people his name is Lazlo Orville Lusch (L.O.L.)!
I really don't have much else to really say right now but I am very calm about everything and I love babies so I don't think I am going to freak out like everyone keeps telling me will happen. I would like to ask all my friends who are mom's and dad's what is one thing that you were surprised about when your buddle of joy made it home and you thought you were prepared for?

Well thanks for reading this and I will hopefully post something again real soon.
Love you all,
Brock

Clothe Diaper Advise... PLEASE!

So I have begun searching somewhat for the brand of diapers to purchase.  I am finding so many more options that I knew were ever available for this option in diapering.

A few of the brands that I have been contemplating:      (in no particular order)

Kushies:  http://www.kushiesonline.com/default.asp
bumGenius: http://www.bumgenius.com/index.php
FuzziBunz: http://www.fuzzibunzworld.com/
BumRite: http://www.bumritediapers.com/

I would love to have some advise from all of you C.D. Mom's and Dad's out there.  Which brand have you used and what would you recommend?  As I'm new to this entire process, I would love some help, advise, direction.  And really I'm counting on you all.

Thank you so much for all your blessings and knowledge.  Brock and I really appreciate it.

22... Lost the Cookies... Registered...

This week's news includes a new symptom... my sciatic nerve has been causing more pain in my right knee all the way up to my hip and into my back.  This has made getting around a bit more tough.  I am pressing through as I know this is yet another normal occurrence of pregnancy.  I'm sure that my doc will tell me there is nothing that I will be able to do about it but then we will see on Wednesday when we head back for our monthly check up.

I made it all the way to 22 weeks without getting sick once.  And then my lil cute fuzzy pooch lost his cookies.  Normally, I am fairly decent about holding my own when I have to clean up after Dex.  This time, however, I followed suit.  I am thankful that I was able to make it into the bathroom before mine breakfast apple decided to revisit.  I was then able to get everything settled enough to clean up Dex's mess.

Brock and many other's have told me that while my senses are heightened, I'm not allowed to blame this one on the lil dude incubating inside.  I really don't blame him as I'm sure there would have been countless others who would have had the same reaction.  Oh well.

In other news, Brock and I are officially REGISTERD!  We chose 2 places:

Target: http://www.target.com/np/baby-registry/-/N-564tn#?lnk=gnav_baby|&intc=736562|null

Babies R Us: http://www.toysrus.com/registry/index.jsp?ab=BRU_Header:Utility2:Baby-Registry:Home-Page

We really did not go over board with this but rather added some things that we thought would be great for our lil guy and what we were thinking for the decor.  It is amazing how long that process takes.  We have also decided to purchase clothe diapers for our lil one as we know there are far more benefits to clothe as opposed to disposable.  So please do not buy us any diapers except new born size.  We are still researching what brand to purchase and the system that we are going to use.  

We also scheduled our tour at the hospital so that we can be somewhat familiar with the building come D-day.  I have been attempting to not really think about D-day as this can get me in some emotional turmoil.  One day at a time is my philosophy for the time being.  Brock is the planner and the more organized one and I am ever so Okay with that. 

We are excited for this lil guy to get here but alas there are still about 18 weeks left.  Sometime soon, I am going to need to clean out his room and figure out where all the "storage" stuff is going to go.  

I think I may need to enlist the help of others.  

And for all those bump hungry... Pics...

22 weeks, 11 Inches, 

&

Almost 1 Pound

Next week we have our regular check up.  

21... 8 Years and A date...

Week 21 has been a more relaxing experience as Brock and I have been able to just enjoy the week.  We spent Sunday out and about picking up a couple baby needs that Brock found on craig's list for us.  We then headed to check out the new Jungle Jim's, purchased a few things and then headed toward Cracker Barrel for dinner with our small group.  It was a lovely day but boy was I pooped at the end.  Nothing really happened during the week that I can remember anyway.

On Saturday, we got to enjoy the company of our dear friends the Hatfields.  Nikki and Caleb came to visit the Eastside, we shopped for some candles at Yankee Candle where the guys made me giggle as they held different lids up to each other's noses and said "smell this one."  He he.  They are wonderful husbands.  We then headed off to Maggiano's Italian Restaurant for some dinner.  MMMM so good.  Nikki was brave and tried and enjoyed some foods that she doesn't normally eat.  I loved the appetizer that I ordered, and each of us had a hard time finishing our dinners.  :-)

We were also celebrating the coming arrival of our lil dude, 8 years of Brock and I being together, just spending some good time with good friends and Caleb's first visit to the restaurant.  The waitress then blessed us with some amazing lemon cookies free of charge.  We had a little fun with our cookies.   Maggiano's never lets us down!

Sorry folks.  No belly picture this week.  Stay tuned though as there is always more to come. 

20 ... Getting Bigger and Celebrating a Marriage!

One of the few pics of us.

I do.

Gosh, I'm behind on my updates.  Brock and I have been so busy these past couple of weeks and both of us have been dealing with sinus/cold issues as the weather changes (as I am sure so many others are as well).  Anyway, this does not help the desire to sit down and blog each week.

Right after the ceremony.

20  weeks involved Brock as the Best Man in our dear friends Wedding; Mr. and Mrs. David Borton.  I tagged along for the weekend and offered my services wherever needed and found that they were needed in many ways.  I knew that having someone around as a extra person was an invaluable commodity as this had been the case at my own wedding.  My wonderful Friend, Heather Vinson, served me in many ways that I do not even know and one which was extremely important.  She got us lunch!

Making it "legal"

Anyway, I also brought along a friends nice camera and took pictures at will as after all it is a wedding and you can never have too many pictures from that one ever so special day.  And there were 2 other official photographers present as well.  I just wanted to get some shots that they may not have gotten and I am positive that they have many I did not get either.  I played the roll of unofficial wedding coordinator and I had so much fun.  It was a difficult weekend for me personally though as I was up on my feet way more than normal and when pregnant this can be an issue.  I pressed through and loved every moment of serving Val and David.  And even with the bumps along the way it was a wonderful event.  I would do it all over again in a heart beat as I love this couple.  A few of my favorite pictures from the weekend....

Welcome to the Club.

Auntie Val and "Bean".

MMM Cake!

Week 20

 Week 20 also brought some severe sharp pains in my belly.  It was hard to even move around.  I dismissed it as being part of the normal pregnancy pains that come and go throughout the experience and went to work anyway.  I came home early that day and the pain did subside for the most part, however, my WISE husband insisted that I call the doctor.  We ended up going in for a check up as the doc just wanted to make sure all was well.  She stated that everything was looking great, babies heart sounded strong, and all else was right where it should be.  She said that most likely what was occurring were the natural muscles pains as my belly expands and unfortunately there is not much one can do for this.

Doc was encouraging and was pleased with how well we were doing as a whole.  She also said that she was glad we came in to get checked even though there was nothing wrong as she said it is always better that it be nothing that something important.  I am ever so please with my Doc's!

More to come as I catch up on weeks 21 and 22... Stay tuned.

19 weeks Pop!

There is so much to write about... I am full of stuff to say and not a lot of space...  So I apologize in advance if this is a bit lengthy.  I thought that maybe after I graduated from my master's program that life might slow down a bit and I would have some more time available.  That happened for all of about 3 months and now I feel busier than I did when taking a full load and working several part time jobs.  Funny how all of that happens.

Brock and I were able to go on our annual Geology Field trip two weekends ago.  I was really surprised at how well everything turned out.  I was asked to drive one of the vans, which was actually perfect for me as I would have had a really upset tummy the whole time.  I got to get to know some really nice people in my van and to hang out with some oldies but great ones.  Rick, David, Val, Jordan, Jeremy, Brian, Daryl, and of course my handsome hubby were all a part of this wonderful adventure.  I so enjoy getting to know each of them a little more each trip we take.  We had so much fun, hiking, learning, chatting, enjoying the fires, cooking, and just hanging out.  This trip really does have a sweet spot in my heart and it is ever so enjoyable to accomplish each year.  I feel like fall can officially begin now that I have been surrounded by nature and college students.  Of course this trip will begin to look different for Brock and I each year as our son comes into the world and grows each year. I am curious to know where this will lead us.  I hope that we will be able to continue but then we will see.

The trip began Thursday Morning and concluded on Sunday evening.  Something that truly amazed(s) me about being pregnant is the rapid growth that occurs.  Friday night I went to bed with barely anything visible for being 19 weeks pregnant and Saturday morning this little boy decided to make himself known to the world.  My belly "POPPED!"  Everyone could tell around me.  It was a shock to say the least.  I didn't know that was part of the process.  Crazy!  I was able to make it through the trip with little side effects, no extra bathroom breaks, and lots of extra sleep.  I enjoyed every moment.  I also start to make the lil champ a sweater.

This is the style I chose.  I am using a dark blue and orange.  It is taking longer than I planned so I am happy that I already have a blanket complete for the lil dude.  

We returned home after this long weekend and just stayed home the rest of the night.  Awe, bliss.  Ate some sushi and watched a little tv and then crash as the work week and week 20 was upon us.