My Girl

Arabella Therese Christmas

Born June 28, 2013 at 9:08am

7lbs 4oz, 20" long 

My heart is so full that it could burst. :D 

Happy Due Date Day!

Well, today is Arabella's due date...and I am still pregnant. :) I have to say, I did not think that she would still be in my womb on this day, but that's fine by me. I keep reminding myself that a due date is only an estimate of her arrival, and if she's not ready yet, then I certainly do not mind housing her. :) 

 Taken yesterday - 39 weeks, 6 days

I will admit that I am not proud of my lack of patience. I've been quite annoying lately with my constant whining. Any woman nearing her due date can probably relate, and I'm sure it's totally normal to be in this impatient state of mind. But it makes me feel completely insane sometimes. I should probably explain a little more of my situation though. 

About a month ago, my grandmother (Me-Maw) had her gull bladder removed due to some pain she was experiencing. After the surgery, we discovered that she actually has cancer of the liver and has been on a steady decline in health since. The doctors have told us that they think she only has a few days left to live, and it is completely breaking my heart. This all happened so quickly!

 Me-Maw and me on my wedding day

She is only 71 years old and has always been in great health. My Me-Maw is such a wonderful woman and I hate that she is going through this. More than anything, I'm praying that Arabella arrives before Me-Maw passes away. It would mean the world to me for her to see my daughter. And it's just backwards. Me-Maw is supposed to be here for this. Right?!? I did speak to her recently on FaceTime and she told me congratulations and that Bella looks just like me...I'm not sure if she's seen her or if she's just confused, but hearing her say that made my heart happy. 

So, while I don't have any control over the timing of arrivals and departures, I am trusting that the Lord knows exactly what He's doing. Because He does.

Another thing that is adding to the anticipation of Arabella's arrival is the fact that I'm going to attempt to have another natural birth. I was successful with delivering Gavin naturally and everything went as well as it possibly could have. And that makes me nervous. How will Bella's labor/delivery go? Will it be harder? Is it possible for it to be easier? Physically, I think the odds are in my favor. I know what I'm getting myself into this time and am in much better shape for this pregnancy. Mentally, I am my biggest obstacle. So, in trying to prepare I've been soaking in the following verses with the hopes that I will remember them during labor.

Cast all of your anxiety on Him, because he cares for you. 

1 Peter 5:7

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

God is our refuge and strength; an ever-present help in times of trouble.

Psalm 46:1

It is only a matter of time before my daughter arrives and my whole world changes again. Life is stressful, but I'm trying my best to just breathe and trust in Him. Until her arrival, I'm going to try and relax and just enjoy these crazy last few days of pregnancy. 

The Waiting Game

As you can probably imagine, I am one anxious momma. Arabella is approaching her due date (June 27th), and I am still pregnant. Which isn't all that fascinating...but I actually expected her to arrive at least a week early. I absolutely lucked out, and Gavin was born 7 days early, but it seems that Little Miss is going to take her time making her big debut. 

So, until then I am loving on my precious son and spending some great one-on-one time with him. Additionally, I'm finding things to organize around our house and have begun looking at birth announcements to send out for when Bella arrives. Due to the crazy Atlanta to Charleston move a month after Gavin was born, I never sent announcements out for baby boy. :( This time, I am making sure to do so.

 Here are a few of my favorites from the always amazing Tiny Prints. 

I absolutely love each announcement and am having quite a hard time choosing one for Arabella. Which one do you guys like the best? I am so excited to meet my daughter and cannot wait to introduce her to family and friends with one of these adorable cards!

**All pictures were taken from http://www.tinyprints.com/baby-photo-birth-announcements.htm **

Dear Arabella

Hi, precious girl. This is your momma, but you know that, don't you? Today makes exactly two weeks until your due date, and I am one anxious woman. I absolutely cannot wait to see your beautiful face. To see what color hair you have, what color eyes, if you look like your Daddy or like me. You have been one active little girl in my tummy, and I absolutely adore feeling you move inside my womb. This pregnancy has gone by very quickly and I am shocked at how soon you will be in this world. :D

I want you to know how much your Daddy, brother, and I love you. 

Every night, when Daddy is home and not traveling for work, he rubs lotion on my belly. Mostly because Mommy is trying to avoid getting stretch marks, but also because it helps my growing belly not to itch. I secretly think Daddy does it without complaining because of you. :) He also talks to you a lot. When he found out that you were a girl, he was very quiet and overcome with emotion. Daddy is very protective of you and will always make sure that you are safe. He is so excited to welcome you into this world and is very proud of you already.

As for your brother, he is only 15 months old, but is constantly touching my belly. He adores you so and I think the two you of you are going to be best buds. :) Gavin is a very happy, affectionate boy and I just know that you will love him, too. 

And then there's me. I cannot accurately describe my love for you. When your brother was born, I finally understood how much a person could love another. More so, I understood God's love for us because of how much I love your brother. And that's exactly how much I love you. It's an incredible thing, really. There's so much I want to teach you and tell you and show you. I know that the mother-daughter relationship can be a complicated one, but I promise to be as caring, compassionate, and understanding as possible. I promise to be a good listener and to always provide a safe place for your heart.

One day you'll stumble upon this website, or maybe even a book that I'll have printed for you and your brother. I know that I haven't written a lot during my pregnancy with you, but please do not over analyze. It's only because your brother has kept me quite busy. ;)

I adore you, precious girl. You are going to do amazing things in this world and I am proud to be your mommy.

**These beautiful pictures were taken by the talented Bump Meet Baby Studio. I cannot recommend Tamara enough...she is simply divine, and I am in love with these photographs.**

My Lovely Baby Bump

I realize that due to my lack of posting, I have severely neglected documenting this pregnancy for sweet Arabella. Here are few bump shots starting from week 23. 

23 weeks

27 weeks

28 weeks

30 weeks

31 weeks

This week, Bella will be 33 weeks. During my second trimester, I felt pretty great. However, as I've been in my third trimester I've experienced quite a few aches and pains, to include severe back pain, excruciating inner thigh pain (from the way she is laying), heartburn, a little vomiting, and exhaustion. Blah. I do have some really great days though, and I've actually been walking with Gav a few times a week. 

So far, I've gained 20 pounds and I'm extremely pleased by this number. At this time with Gavin I had gained almost 30! When it comes to movement, baby girl is very active. So active, in fact, that it's becoming quite uncomfortable. A few days this week she was moving non-stop and I could not find a comfy way to sit/sleep. I'm not having too many cravings at this point. More or less, just many aversions and too much indecisiveness. 

Early on in this pregnancy I was worried about juggling two children under two years of age, but at this point I'm just ready to meet my sweet girl and do life with my kids and sweet husband. Right now I'm in the process of getting the nursery together. (Hopefully, I'll post pictures of that!) Life is hectic, but I wouldn't change a thing. :)

Graduation!!!

* Hello, blog readers and friends. Before I start this post, I'd like to comment about my previous post. You know, the one where I declared that my family's NYC trip was absolutely going to happen? Yeah...I need to remember that I do not control everything. Particulary, the excruciating back pain that filled my 28 week pregnant (at the time) body the week before our trip. Needless to say, the trip was postponed. Please note that I am getting pretty tired of writing about pending trips that end up not happening, so in the future, I will not be posting about travel plans until the day they happen.*

This past weekend, my family and I made the 6ish hour drive from our home in Charleston, South Carolina to Virginia Beach, Virginia so that I could attend my college's graduation ceremony. We left on Thursday morning and arrived to gorgeous 70 and sunny weather. The ceremony wasn't until Saturday morning, so we had plenty of time to relax, recoup from the drive, and spend time together. During this time, we visited campus for the first time, had dinner with my in-laws, and I was treated to a much needed mani/pedi.

 My school!

Come Saturday morning at 5:45am, I was wide awake and prepared to face the day. Technically, I had already finished my studies in December 2012 and actually already had my diploma at home. But, there is just something about wearing that silly cap and large gown that makes a person rejoice. It made the last 6 years (yes, six) of my studies come to life.

While the ceremony was quite lovely, the weather was not. It was around 50 degrees and misting non-stop. You know, the kind of mist that gets you soaking wet but doesn't show up on the forecast? Yep, our outdoor ceremony was a bit damp. 

But it didn't matter.

It didn't matter that I was 32 weeks pregnant, cold, and wet.

It didn't matter that so many times I wanted to quit. That over the course of my studies I was beat down and exhausted and just plain ready for a break.

What mattered was that my husband, son, mother-in-law, and father-in-law were on campus, watching me graduate. 

What mattered was that my Louisiana family was in numerous locations (Baton Rouge, Houston, TX, and Mississippi), watching me graduate via the live video feed. 

What mattered was that my daughter, who was extremely active that morning, would be carried in my womb and cross the stage with me when my name was announced.

What mattered was that in this moment, all of those exhausting days were over. I had accomplished something that seemed impossible.

It's hard to describe the emotions I felt on this wonderful day. There was so much happiness present and I am just extremely grateful. I am beyond proud to be a Regent University graduate. The Christian education I received has shaped me into the person that I am today. The discipline I learned from being an online student is absolutely invaluable. The many professors and classmates that I have worked with have challenged me and helped me grow. And while I am sad that this chapter is finally over, I am excited to see what the future holds. Praise God for all of His blessings!

The City

Source: Uploaded by user via Maryclare on Pinterest

In September 2011, a few months before Gavin was born, Keith and I booked a babymoon to NYC. We purchased plane tickets, booked our bed and breakfast, and had everything planned. Due to a change in heart, we cancelled our trip. I was so bummed out, but I knew it was right decision. Fast forward a year and a half later and we're back to planning a trip to New York City. Except this time, it's really happening! 

On Thursday, April 4th, Keith, Gavin, and I are boarding a non-stop flight to The Big Apple! :) We'll land at 8:00am and aren't coming back to South Carolina until Sunday afternoon. We've got our plane tickets and hotel booked, Keith's vacation time has been approved, and we even purchased tickets to....a Yankees/Red Sox GAME! Going to this game knocks #24 off my 30 Before 30 list. While there, I'll also be conquering #23 - Walk the Brooklyn Bridge and #16 - Have Breakfast at Tiffany's! :) 

We are all so excited about this trip, as it is much needed and well deserved. Keith has been working so hard at his job and is such an excellent provider, and he deserves a break from it all and to go on vacation. As for me, I think my 24/7 gig as a mom earns me a vacation. ;) Additionally, it's going to be a celebration trip. Between our 3 year anniversary on March 7th, me finishing up my undergraduate studies, and this being our last vacation with Gavin as an only child, we have every reason to celebrate!

And while Gavin is coming along, we're not worried that this will feel more like work. I hate to brag or sound annoying, but he's such a great kid and has never given us trouble on past trips. We feel blessed to experience NYC with our son and are looking forward to making memories. This will be G's first time on a plane, but we're hoping for the best. 

The countdown is on, and we've officially got 21 days until our trip, and I can't wait!

NYC Friends/Friends who've visited: Any advice on the best shoes to wear?