Our first week

We have made it one whole week and everyone is still alive and well :) Little Emersyn is the sweetest baby in the world! We have had a very exciting week even besides adding a sweet girl to the family. 

A couple of days after Emersyn made her debut, I started having some discomfort in my upper jaw but didn't think too much of it. The next day it got a little worse, so I started feeling around to see if I could tell what was causing the, now, pain. It didn't take much to discover I had an extra tooth in my mouth! Yes, I guess during delivery I not only pushed a baby out but also a wisdom tooth. It kept getting worse until I was crying in pain by this past Friday. I was so discouraged, I couldn't do anything because my whole body hurt. My sweet parents (who have been lifesavers since we brought Emersyn home) called every dentist in the surrounding area to try and get me seen to get some relief. Unfortunately, most offices are closed on non-holiday Fridays, so they were definitely closed the day after Thanksgiving. Finally, we got a call from one dentist whose office was closed, but met us there to check out this painful tooth. Maybe it was my mom's pleading that I had just had a baby unmedicated and was crying in pain over this tooth? Whatever it was, I am forever grateful to this sweet lady. She checked and confirmed that there was a wisdom tooth in my mouth and she wrote a prescription for an antibiotic and pain medicine. Now, I hate antibiotics passionately. I got them both filled, but managed to not take any pain meds. I was highly encouraged to take the antibiotics because I could have an infection from where the tooth broke the surface and that could be the source of pain, so I started them Friday and stopped last night. It was awful- Emersyn had the worst tummy ache from them and she spent most of the day screaming yesterday. My mouth felt fine, so I decided I was done. I know, I know- this is taboo for the pharmacy world, but a happy baby is much more important! I have an appointment with an oral surgeon on Thursday and I hoping I will be back to my normal teeth count by the weekend! DRAMA!

I am hoping for week 2 to be a little less crazy! I am learning to perform most everyday functions with a baby attached. I am just so thankful I finally feel like performing everyday functions! Recovery was not fun at all. Emersyn is growing like such a big girl and still eating like a champ. We have learned that she loves the sound of water and bath time (as long as the water is running). Her playtime is at 4 am, which is funny because that is the time that I always woke up to go to the gym while I was pregnant. Her favorite thing to do during playtime is play with "Einstein"- her baby Einstein activity mat. She kicks and smiles, and loves when it is close to the Christmas tree so she can also look at Christmas lights- another one of her favorite things. 

At Emersyn's doctors appointment last Friday, she had gained 4 ounces since we left the hospital ( 2 days) and the doctor said she was perfect! Her umbilical cord had already fallen out when she was 4 days old which I cried over- my baby is growing up too fast. Sweet, perfect little girl :) 

Our sweet little turkey

This is how we spent most of the Iron Bowl. Most of the game, we both looked like this :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy, happy Thanksgiving! I have never had a Thanksgiving where I could not compile a list of items I am thankful for, and this year is no different. Our little family has been so blessed this year and we are so grateful. Here are a few things I am thankful for:

1. My precious husband who loves me and cares for me even on the really bad days. He helped coach me through all the discomfort and pain to get Emersyn here just like I had wanted. He desired for me to stay at home with her more than anything, and he works so hard to support us. His job has also been a blessing, he has a great schedule with fantastic benefits so he can care for me and Emersyn and also be at home with us every afternoon.

2. Miss Emersyn Ruth Haney- this little girl has taught me so many things in the 4 short days she has been on this side of my belly. I have learned to love someone unlike I ever thought was possible. I thank God every time I look at her for this sweet gift of life that He has blessed us with!

3. My parents- I would really be sleep deprived without these 2. They get on shifts at night and help me get Emersyn to sleep throughout the evening. And that is just the beginning. I can't imagine life without them. I pray I can be half the parent to Emersyn that they have been for me. 

4. My brother, Luke- When I was 4 years old, I would have never thought I would  be so thankful for a brother one day, but I am :) He is so funny and even in my worst or saddest mood, he can make me laugh :) Emersyn loves him to death already, and loves to look at him. She thinks Uncle Luke is one handsome uncle!

5. A sweet group of girls- I have a beautiful group of friends. I have a circle of girls I have been friends with since daycare/elementary school and we still love each other and stay in touch after all of these years. They listen when you need to vent, offer advice when it's needed, or just lend a shoulder to cry on. They are such a blessing!

6. Maximus and BoJackson- sweet boys. No one can make feel as special as puppies. I can run to the store and be out and back within 10 minutes and the greeting when I come through the door, you would think I had been gone for days and they barely made it without me :) Love these little furballs to pieces!

Here is our sweet little turkey on her first Thanksgiving :) Such a sweet girl!

At home with baby Emersyn

Complete perfection. That is the best way I can describe what having our sweet girl at home is like. She is so sweet! We just love holding and loving on her, she has the most precious personality already. She LOVES to eat, and spends most of her day doing just that. I don't mind one bit because that means I get to hog her and have a perfect excuse :) The rest of the time it is just a fight of who gets to hold her. I haven't tried any kind of schedule with Emersyn and don't really care to at this point, she eats when she is hungry then falls asleep. She does pretty well with staying awake after she eats during the day and we LOVE playing with her. Her favorite time is between midnight and around 4 or 5 am. She loves to cluster feed during this time, sleep a few minutes in between, and sometimes may want to play a little. Then, she sleeps for a good 4-5 hour stretch before waking again. Then, she eats very frequently throughout the rest of the day. 

She isn't loving baths yet, but does seem to enjoy having her hair washed. She loves looking at her Uncle Luke and thinks her daddy is so silly! She hates being swaddled because her arms aren't free, she will pitch a fit until her arms can punch around freely. She doesn't cry (well, she doesn't ever have to) but has an awful, pitiful little squeal she lets out when she isn't happy and it absolutely breaks my heart. She makes the sweetest little faces and the biggest, sweetest eyes that will melt your heart. She has long runner legs and long, skinny fingers. She is so tiny and sweet, it amazes me how much more I love her everyday. I never knew I was capable of loving anyone as much as I do little Emersyn. 

Maximus and BoJackson are still trying to figure her out. At first, Maximus would refuse to acknowledge her- it broke my heart. Bo thinks she is pretty neat, but gets frantic when she gets fussy. He will pace the entire house until she calms down. They love to sit in her room with me- Max in the chair with me and Emersyn and Bo curls up on the ottoman. Today, Max finally looked at Emersyn so I think we are making progress :) 

I hold Emersyn and wonder how in the world I made it all these years without her. She has added more to mine and Lance's life than we ever imagined. I am so grateful for such a healthy little girl. When we left the hospital, she had passed every screening with flying colors and the pediatrician as well as every baby nurse called her perfect (duh, we knew that!). We visit the pediatrician for the first time on Friday for another quick weight and bilirubin check. Lance and I, along with Gran Peeps and Uncle Luke love every second of loving on our sweet angel. I sleep when Emersyn naps during the day, then mom and I rotate at night. A little rotten? Possibly, but I just like to say she is very well loved :) Here are a few pictures of our sweet girl at home.

Mommy, Daddy, and baby Emersyn coming home

Gran and Uncle Luke with sweet girl

That little face melts my heart.

All buckled up and ready to leave the hospital!

Isn't this precious? Peeps with Max, Bo, and Emersyn

Happy BIRTHDAY, Emersyn Ruth Haney

I wanted to write this as soon as possible so I don't forget a thing about this perfect, wonderful, and special day bringing our sweet angel into our family. Some parts are already blurry and some I would rather not remember, even with all of that yesterday was sheer perfection. It all still seems like it really didn't happen, there is no way my mind can wrap around the miracle we experienced.

I have planned from the beginning of my pregnancy to have a natural birth- completely natural, nothing flowing through my veins at any time. Our plan was starting to fail after we scheduled an induction for today, November 21st because little girl needed to come and was not showing much interest :) Friday morning, the 18th I woke up with contractions- more intense than any I had had before but still nothing to make me consider a hospital trip. They continued into Friday evening, lasting about 5 minutes in between, then I went to bed and was able to sleep all night. Saturday morning I woke up with the same contractions a little more intense and about 10 minutes apart. Mom and I walked, I cooked, and tried to keep moving. That night, Lance made the observation that the more I was on my feet, the more frequent my contractions were. So- we went to the mall and walked. Before leaving the mall, I got to the point where I was unable to continue walking during a contraction and could barely talk. When I got home, we finished watching a football game and the contractions remained at that intensity and they got as close as 2 minutes apart for a long interval. I had already made up my mind that when contractions got to 2 minutes apart, we would head to the hospital- well, we were there. Lance and I got ready and left, mom , dad, and Luke were right behind us as soon as they got the puppies situated. 

We got to the ER a few minutes before midnight to get checked-in and the nurse who came to get us to take us to the labor and delivery floor, said that since we were in this night and scheduled for an induction on Monday, they shouldn't try to send us home- Ha. She got me in an evaluation unit and checked to see how dilated I was- SIX centimeters and 90% effaced. She said. "Oh my- why did you wait so long to come? I'm calling the doctor to let him know you are here and in labor." I was then moved to my birthing suite to have a baby! We met our precious nurse who ended up staying over her shift about 2 hours because she had been with us for so long, she just had to see Emersyn :) She asked the details of my birth plan and we explained we wanted NO medications, etc. The greatest part about labor is they never even offered us drugs because they knew I didn't want them. These nurses have been such a blessing! Honestly, I was not in much discomfort at all. I had my contractions down and was able to breath through them perfectly. About 2:30 am, the nurse checked and I was already at 8 centimeters! Wow! Around 4 am, they checked again and I was between 9 and 10 centimeters and getting ready to push. My water had still not broken, but they were just going to deliver the baby with it if it came down to it. They gave us about 30 more minutes, decided we were about 10 centimeters, and we could start doing "trial" pushes before calling the doctor. (side note- the doctor on call is my favorite doctor in the group and I was THRILLED to know he was the doctor on call when we got here early this morning!) We started pushing and it was really difficult! I felt like Emersyn was  not moving at all and I was just exhausting myself. During one of the pushes, my water finally broke only to tell that where the bag was, it was covering up a part of the cervix and I was still at 9.5 and did NOT need to push until we fully dilated. Even more, Emersyn retreated north! Once my water broke, contractions became unbearable! I had the most awful urge to push with all my might every other minute and I can't tell you how many times I looked at Lance and said, "I am DONE. I can't do this anymore!" It broke his heart to see me in so much pain, but he quickly reminded me we were on a one-way street and there was no turning back now. Until this point, we had dilated from 6- 9.5 centimeters in about 4 hours. For the NEXT four hours, we stayed at 9.5 centimeters and in complete agony.The doctor never mentioned any emergencies whenever he came by the room. He said the baby was fine and as long as she continued, there was no need to even consider other routes of delivery. I won't lie, at some points I was wishing he would! At the shift change, a new nurse came in who was blessing #2. She would not let me give up and had a lot of new ideas to get this baby out! She and our first nurse did NOT leave my side until Emersyn was born. They got a birthing ball and massaged my back while I sat on this ball to try to get that last .5 centimeter and get Emersyn lower. Sure enough, finally after a short 15 minutes or so on the birthing ball, she checked and we were 10 centimeters and Emersyn was crowning. They called the doctor and started setting up the delivery table- oh my word this took FOREVER! It seemed like it took the doctor 6 minutes to put on a cover for just one shoe, or maybe it was because I absolutely had to push constantly and could not wait another second. When everything was ready, we started pushing and in about 5-6 pushes we had a baby girl in our arms! She was even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined and has a head full of dark hair :) She weighed a perfect 7 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 inches long. PERFECT!! I could not and still can not believe she is actually here! 

I can't say enough about how much I now advocate exercise during pregnancy and natural births. Yes, I thought I was going to die for a couple of hours yesterday, but I didn't and I am SO glad I chose this. I know the exercise helped tremendously with the development of labor. Our nurses were completely amazed at our labor and couldn't quit talking about how amazing it was to watch. Emersyn was born completely alert and moving all of her limbs like a windmill. They scored her a 9.9 out of 10 on the APGAR test and within a couple of hours she had already nursed twice. She has been the absolute BEST baby. She eats, sleeps, and poops :) She is absolutely precious and we are more in love with her than we could have ever imagined. She has every person who has looked at her wrapped around her little finger. Lance absolutely adores her and her Peeps and Gran fight over who she loves more :) I think she is perfect and beautiful. 

We are recovering as nicely as you can after having a baby :) I'm waiting on my belly button to look normal again and to be able to sit down without grimacing, but that will come with time- it is all worth the little angel we gained. I have been begging Emersyn to just not grow anymore- she is so sweet and precious and can't imagine her going off to college one day. And she will not date for MANY years! It seems like she is already growing too fast. Emersyn loves to make little faces at us and wave her arms. She stretches her legs out unless she is having her diaper changed, then she imitates a frog :) She is on a perfect baby schedule, she likes to sleep more during the day, and play all night. She went to the nursery once this morning for about 5 minutes to have her stocks of diapers and blankets replenished and see the pediatrician and I almost hyperventilated. I hated it. Right now, she is at her PKU test and hearing screening and I am about to have a heart attack. We get to take our angel girl home tomorrow morning and we can't wait! This sweet girl is an answer to all of our prayers and has filled our hearts with so much love and joy. Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of such a precious life!

Due Date

Why, hello November 17th! I was just positive we would have a baby by this point, but no such luck. Little girl is just as stubborn as she can be and not planning on arriving anytime soon :) 

We had a doctor's appointment today and my doctor performed the same procedure she did last week where she separated the amniotic sac from the uterus hoping this time it would really induce labor. We have now tried everything! If this little girl doesn't make her appearance by Monday, we are going in to start on pitocin ( I refuse to call it "being induced"). Two weeks ago, I would have not been ok with this and fought it, today I really don't care. Emersyn and I are fighting each other for room and I think we are both miserable! I know we have done everything possible to avoid any intervention, it's just not happening. I am still holding out hope until Monday morning, but even if nothing else brings this little girl out I am thrilled that in less than 5 days she will be in my arms! I did have questions and my doctor did make me feel very comfortable that this would be easy and a success. She said everything looked very favorable for an easy and quick delivery with pitocin if it does come to that. I will also be able to move around in the room, so I won't be confined to a bed which helps a lot. So, by Monday our sweet angel will be here! Does anything ever really go as planned? No, so we are just going to make the best out of this. I am still avoiding pain medications at all costs- it's not worth it, so I will be getting into my superwoman mode over these next few days :)

Until our sweet girl's arrival, I will be baking away (just like I have the past week). I want Emersyn to have a birthday cake as soon as she is born (of course she will have no idea for probably 10 years the significance, but maybe then she will appreciate it :) ) so I have everything ready to go for a birthday cake to take to the hospital with us. We will share it with everyone who helps bring our angel into the world. I already had a great demo last week when we THOUGHT we were having this baby, so yes it will be delicious. 

We are counting down the days, I hope we are ready :)

Goodbye Auburn Home

Yesterday, 2 tornadoes touched down in Auburn. One off of Wire Road (where I lived for 6 years and my baby brother and his best friend live now). Around 12:30, my mom got a dreaded phone call from Luke who was in sheer panic telling her he was in the trailer and a tree had fallen through the living room- a tornado had hit. She tried to hold it together to calm Luke down, my dad (who has been waiting on Emersyn and working from here in Dothan) took off to Auburn to help Luke and Taylor in whatever ways he could, and I just wanted to puke. Later, we got the whole story and it still breaks my heart that my sweet brother had to deal with this but I am so thankful he and his roommate are ok. Luke was home and decided to take a nap, his bedroom is on one end of the trailer and Taylor's is on the other. He woke up to viscious winds and awful noises, when he looked out his window, he told mom, everything was being blown sideways. About that time, he heard what sounded like a bomb explosion, so he opened his bedroom door and met a tree that had come through the house. He was trapped and could not get out of his room. He has made really great friends with the boy who lives next door, this sweetheart came over and helped Luke bust out his bedroom window to escape. There is really no "true" entry or exit left on the trailer. Luke had his dog, but didn't know where Taylor was. The tree started outside of Taylor's bedroom and fell the entire length of the trailer, stopping at Luke's bedroom door. Thankfully, Taylor had decided to be a good student and go to class yesterday- his class was optional and he decided about 15 minutes prior, to go. He was in the basement of Haley Center while his bedroom was leveled. Thank God, Luke, Taylor, and sweet little puppy Levi are all fine- yes, the trailer is gone forever and some items are gone forever (Iron Bowl tickets were salvaged!) but that's not what matters. My parents purchased this mobile home before my freshman year at Auburn and I lived there for 6 long years. Moving out, I didn't shed the first tear, but yesterday all I wanted to do was cry- it is really gone. All the growing up, the memories, the good times and the bad, the visitors, and the love that was poured into that place at times is gone. These are some pictures Luke snapped of the damage

This is the living room, coming out of Luke's bedroom

Where the branches end is where Luke's room begins. 

Taylor's bedroom

Goodbye, Auburn trailer, and thanks for all the memories!

39 1/2 weeks

Maybe it's just me, but these last few weeks of being pregnant are not only miserable because of the wait but also because of the enormously large shape my belly has taken on. This little girl is STUBBORN. I have almost decided to completely change things up and sit on my butt and do nothing to get her here because being pro-active is not helping at all! Everything you can possibly do to make a baby come, I have proven does not work (except castor oil and why on Earth would you do such a thing, it just doesn't seem safe and I really don't want to induce labor by stimulating my intestines?!) Everyone suggests walking, I have been doing Attack and Insanity- nothing! There are no foods that induce labor, and full moons have no effect! Errr.... come on, baby girl!

I've been frustrated at times, but I know this little girl AND her heavenly father both know when her special birthday is, and that is when her sweet, little chubby cheeks will join us :) Still, I am really praying she comes before Thursday. Thursday is our next doctor's appointment and I have no idea what our sweet doctor will propose this week, but she is just as anxious to get this child born as I am. I know she will offer what is best for Emersyn and I, she knows how I want to deliver and is an amazing doctor. I am thankful to have a doctor I can put so much trust in. I know she will be shocked if we make it to the appointment without a baby. However, I honestly think miss Emersyn will still be in my belly!

Every day just creeps by now, and my sweet family-bless their souls- deal with my hostility and lack of patience every single day! My sweet mom and dad filled my cabinets with all the necessary baking supplies (I bake to get my mind off of things). Just this weekend we have had macaroni and cheese, pretzels, cookies, a birthday cake for Emersyn (which is just hanging out in the refrigerator), and biscuits all from scratch! I have prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner on some days with a dessert! It helps take my edge off, but has not helped encourage a little girl's arrival :) Everyone has learned not to say "she will come when she is ready" but "oh lacey, you've just got another day or two". Obviously, she will come when she is ready, but that is not a very encouraging phrase, neither is hearing people who went 100 days overdue- I am trying to be hopeful, maybe today is the day? I am adding daily to the list of things to never say to a pregnant woman (especially one who is nearing a due date!)

We have had every single sign of early labor that should lead to more progressive labor, but for some reason we are just on pause. The only thing that has not happened yet are REGULAR, INTENSE contractions and my water breaking. And, yes, there's a lot that goes on before that happens!  I am hoping and praying we just have days before we can see our sweet girl, and not weeks! Emersyn- mommy, daddy, Gran, and Peeps REALLY want to hold you, sweet girl :)

39 weeks

I am starting to sound like a broken record, I am sure- we are waiting STILL. No baby yet!

Yep, we made it one more week. Yay? We have had every single sign of labor that is possible, but no actual labor. I was sure Tuesday night was it, awful contractions woke me up and were getting more intense and regular. I was up all night, laid back down about 3 am and when I woke up the later that morning they were gone. Really?

I have tried everything to have this child, she is going to come on her on time. These last few weeks are pure torture. Any time now, little Emersyn, mommy really wants to hold you!

We are hoping the full moon tonight will be on our side, but I'm not holding my breath. Hopefully we will have a baby girl soon!

38 weeks 5 days

We had a very eventful doctor's visit today, so hopefully we are on our last few days of this countdown! Right now, we are pretty sure I am having back labor and my mother just gave me a pencil and paper pad with specific instructions of how to keep up with these contractions :) Anyways, back to the doctor appointment...

Let me start by saying I absolutely adore my doctor, she is such a blessing! She always has the sweetest personality and is just as anxious to get this baby here as I am, but she knows I want a natural birth. She could have set me up for an induction today, but didn't even offer it. She performed a procedure that separates the amniotic sac from the bottom of the uterus to help induce labor naturally. It causes the dilation and effacement of the cervix to speed up. Our doctor said that if this does promote labor, we should be in labor within 24-48 hours! She explained all of this before our exam, I wasn't expecting anything from the exam because I have not been having contractions. She first measured and my belly measured at 36.5 weeks which did not fit the almost 2 lb weight gain! This is because little girl has dropped into my pelvis so the measurements aren't as accurate, but it's a good sign that little girl is finding her way out! She then examined, we are about 70% effaced and 2 cm dilated before she stripped the membranes. After that, she told me to go ahead and make an appointment for next week but she should definitely not see me then but before in labor :) Yay! Come on Emersyn girl!! 

I have been summoned to the old chair instead of the new couches in case my water breaks ;) Between Lance, my dad, and sweet brother- the anxiety is ridiculous! Luke needs her to wait and come Thursday night, it fits well with his schedule :) Dad called on his way back from Atlanta today wanting to know if he should take the interstate to Dothan or to Birmingham! It's a lot of pressure on a pregnant girl who has never been in labor or had a baby before to give everyone ample notice! 

Maybe something will progress soon and we can get ready to welcome our sweet girl!

38 1/2 weeks

Yes, we will still be hopeful and cross our fingers that we won't complete this week :) We have a doctor's appointment tomorrow at 38 weeks 5 days and maybe, just maybe that will be enough to encourage this little girl to come on out! We are all so anxious to hold her!

We have had a blast this past week getting ready for little Emersyn. Mom has been in town since last Tuesday and we have been making all kinds of fun goodies for sweet girl. She has a beautiful array of monogrammed onesies and matching hair bows and baby legs. She will definitely be a well dressed little diva! This past weekend my sweet, precious husband surprised me with a day of shopping and spending time together. I absolutely love Christmas and have been begging for a Christmas tree for about a month now- yes, I will put one up in September if I'm having a bad enough day and need some cheer :) We went Saturday and found a beautiful, tall, perfect Christmas tree. Lance, then, pulled out all of my boxes of Christmas decor and helped us add lights and ornaments to the tree. I absolutely love nothing more than sitting here with all the Christmas lights on and Christmas music in the background- speaking of, I have Josh Groban's Christmas album on my ipod and Elf packed in our hospital bag to help keep my mind off labor. That is how much I love Christmas! Emersyn's pretty pink tree with Barbie ornaments is up and ready in her room, as well. When I was a little girl, my mom had a tradition that she would give me a new Barbie ornament and the holiday collectible Barbie doll every year. Our sweet Emersyn has now inherited this collection and we will be expanding it on her behalf :) 

I have been thinking a lot this week about how thankful I am for so many things. Yes, I will have my Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving and we may eat off Christmas china, but I still love the holiday and the thoughts it encourages. I am so thankful for my precious husband who is going to make the most amazing dad for little Emersyn. He is so in love with this little girl, it is adorable to listen to him talk to my belly every evening when he gets home from work. He cried the first time we saw her and found out we were having a baby girl, I can't wait to see his face when he sees Emersyn for the first time and I can't wait to watch their relationship grow over the years- we will definitely have a daddy's girl on our hands!
Speaking of daddies, I am so very thankful for my sweet daddy and my precious mom. They always go over and beyond to show my brother, myself, and Lance how much they love us. Anything we have uttered that we would like for Emersyn, they show up with immediately so giddy and excited for this little girl. My sweet mama has been sitting in the floor soaking my feet and painting my toes because I've had a very uncomfortable day- and that's not uncommon for her to do. They have always been the greatest parents and I pray one day Emersyn looks back and can say the same thing about Lance and myself.
I have been reminded again this week of how very thankful I am for my sweet baby brother. Growing up, he was a thorn in my side, but since we have been grown he has become one of my best friends. He is one person who can always make me laugh and bring a smile to my face. He is the funniest person I know and has the sweetest heart. I am so thankful for this little stinker and the joy he brings to my life. 
About 4 years ago, I welcomed the sweetest little puppy into my life that made me the happiest person. Then, after Lance and I got married we increased our puppy babies by little BoJackson. These silly little boys are too much fun and so sweet. They are spoiled rotten and we wouldn't have it any other way. They love to run, play, and chase squirrels and cats. They love to play with their box of toys and snuggle close to anyone who is napping. 
I am also so thankful for my sweet friends. I have the absolute best group of friends in the world. Some, I have known since daycare, others for less than 5 years and love them all deeply. Thank you all for being so wonderful! 
Last for now, but certainly not least, I am forever thankful for the little blessing in my belly. I have always wanted a little girl- even when my mom was pregnant with Luke (we didn't know it was a Luke), I would pray for a sister (I love him to death now, but we had an adjustment period :) ) When I was a little girl, I would carry my baby dolls around and couldn't wait to be a real mommy with a real baby girl. For a few years, the thought of having a child terrified me, but once I met Lance and knew I had found my soul mate, the fears subsided and I was ready for a sweet baby girl. Even when we found out we were expecting, we were both shocked and surprised, and I knew immediately we had a little Emersyn baking :) At our ultrasound to find out what the baby was, it confirmed the greatest gift of my life. Maybe another reason why this wait is killing me :) Emersyn Ruth, one day when/if you read this, I hope you already know what a precious gift you are to your mommy and daddy. I have been ready and waiting to meet you my whole life!

Now that we have everything ready for this little girl, all of the Christmas decorations up, and everyone anxious and ready I think it is the perfect time for Miss Emersyn to make her appearance :) I already can't sleep at night, so it's not like I can catch up. I am convinced Emersyn is trying to find her way out but she has inherited mine and my sweet mother's sense of direction and is lost! She moves so much and punches so hard all day long, poor girl has to be feeling a little cramped in there! Mommy is pretty miserable most days and starving all the time. I have been having a lot of back pain and cramping, maybe that is a sign she is close. Lance asks every morning how I am feeling, I always reply with a crabby "I'm not miserable, in pain, and experiencing labor!" I've never welcomed pain so much in my life, I think a lot of it is the challenge ahead. I am very competitive (mostly with myself) and love to see how hard and far I can push myself- possibly why I am still doing intense exercise at 9 1/2 months pregnant? :) I love it, though, and can't wait to have my own labor story. Of course, we need a little girl to help with that- please Emersyn, when you are ready, don't hesitate to come meet mommy and daddy :) We love you, our sweet angel.

38 weeks

Yes, we made it ANOTHER week... I keep reminding myself how thankful I am that little Emersyn is a healthy girl and not being born pre-term with health issues. This girl should be healthy and perfect by the time we get her here! I do still REALLY want her to get here. She has to be getting ready...surely!

I have commenced to wives tales I swore I wouldn't out of desperation. Even though I have exercised my tail off this entire pregnancy, I have been walking miles upon miles to try and speed little girl up. We had eggplant for dinner last night. And we just sit around and wait. Lance keeps begging his precious girl to please come out and meet us, she is showing us both who is boss ;) Even at my doctor's appointment this past Tuesday, the doctor talked to her and begged her to not make it to her next appointment in her mommy's belly! 

Speaking of doctors, we settled on a pediatrician for little Emersyn. We met with one last week and one this week. Last week went great, I loved everything the doctor said but it was a very unorganized and rushed appointment. Lance and I both felt like we were an inconvenience to the doctor and staff. Then, our second appointment was Monday. We walked in and were greeted by a nurse who gave us a complete tour of the building and answered any questions we had about scheduling, hours, visits, referrals, etc. Then, we met with the doctor who talked to Lance and I for as long as we wanted, he shared more information than we even asked to know. We loved him and both just knew that is who Emersyn's pediatrician would be. We are now looking forward to letting her meet our choice :)

We don't have much news other than this for the week. We really just wait on Emersyn all day, everyday :) I go to the gym, I walk, and cook eggplant. Sometimes things get exciting and we time contractions for a few hours. I waddle a lot, take many naps, and make hair bows all day. Everything is in place and ready for this little girl, we just need her to make that decision it's time to come! Happy 38 weeks, little girl!