The time is flying...

I hit my third trimester. The dreaded home stretch, according to all the books. I'm determined, though, to stay positive and enjoy every minute that I have with this little person growing inside of me. A good friend taught me that it's all about one's attitude, so I'm going to work hard to be positive. Dan and I still can't believe that we're going to have a baby in 3 months. It seems so surreal. I don't think it'll actually hit me until we come home with Lydia and get smacked with reality. I can't wait, though!!!

Work is going well. This is the calm before the storm, and I can tell by my environment and daily planner: my house stays clean, I've walked with a book in my hand every afternoon this week, and I'm even going to go maternity shirt shopping tomorrow. By the end of next week, though, I'll be inundated with batches and batches of essays from all fronts. At least I have Spring Break to grade.

Dan and I heard this verse read in a sermon recently and it's been on my mind for a week or so: Deut. 6:24--"And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day." Dan and I have been talking about this verse a lot these past few days. This verse reminds us that God’s laws and commandments are given for our good and for our benefit that we might be preserved. Our society often looks down on God’s laws and thinks that they are rules that zap all the fun out of life. Rules and laws (especially those found in the Bible) are burdensome to many, but Moses reminds us that His laws are for our own good. Our lives are made better and righteousness is found through following God’s commandments—commandments that are for our good. Anyway, I just thought I’d share that verse. It’s given me things to meditate on this week.

Have a great Friday and an even better weekend!

Belly Bump picture 27 weeks
  • jennking
    Your new reality will be WONDERFUL!!! Hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but has taught me the most and brought me the most reward. It's an amazing blessing to be able to create life and then care for that life. You'll be a wonderful mother Melissa, you've got all the important things right! Love God and view litle Lydia as a blessing from Him and it'll make those restless nights, upset tummies, and dirty diapers ALL worth it!
    by jennking at 03/05/10 7:42AM
  • kendralulu
    That is a good verse; thanks for sharing!
    by kendralulu at 03/05/10 10:38AM
  • iloveponds
    Do you keep copies of sentences from essays that might entertain us sometime? I'm still amazed at the poorly written college essays I have viewed/edited for some of our campus' student teachers. It's very scary when they get this far and use words like "belief" for "believe" or don't know when to use the correct form of "their, there, or they're!"
    by iloveponds at 03/05/10 12:20PM
  • janarrod
    so exciting!! definitely enjoy this time....it goes by in a flash.....cant wait till your shower!!
    by janarrod at 03/05/10 1:59PM
  • windham4life
    Great thoughts about the scriptures. It really makes for a better and more meaningful life! :) Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy. :)
    by windham4life at 03/05/10 3:07PM
  • bek
    Being pregnant is such a wonderful blessing. The end is the most exciting! I can't wait to meet sweet Lydia. :)
    by bek at 03/06/10 11:18PM
  • misslynn
    I smiled and looked at you when Paul used your scripture yesterday, but you didn't see me!
    by misslynn at 03/08/10 12:35PM
  • iloveponds
    Your belly bump is "access denied" here at school! I'll have to remember to check it out at home.
    by iloveponds at 03/08/10 1:06PM
  • kendralulu
    I think he's phasing out naptime. That also means no nap for me. :(
    by kendralulu at 03/11/10 4:05PM
  • misslynn
    Enjoyed our lunch together yesterday! 10 weeks to go!
    by misslynn at 03/15/10 11:45AM
  • kendralulu
    We did! Craig & his Dad work at the ranch Saturday. I got to hold the sweetest baby boy (the Lankford's new addition) Friday night! Sunday after morning worship Jacob was running a fever, so we stayed in Sunday night. We got home from Marble Falls about 10 PM. Jacob seems to be feeling better today & he doesn't have a fever, so thank goodness for that. ~ Hope you enjoy your Spring Break!! :)
    by kendralulu at 03/15/10 12:07PM
  • kendralulu
    Did yall have fun Saturday?
    by kendralulu at 03/15/10 12:08PM
  • kendralulu
    Thanks! I'm glad you had a good time. :)
    by kendralulu at 03/15/10 2:32PM
  • millie
    Yes, everyone tells you that the time flies and take pictures and enjoy. Its true, I have to remind myself of that when the not so enjoyable times come up like her crying for an hour because shes fighting sleep. But I love her and being a mom. I'm excited for ya'll.
    by millie at 03/16/10 5:24PM
  • kendralulu
    Thanks! Yes, she'll make one for her after she's born. It's a cupcake pattern....can't wait to see it! :)
    by kendralulu at 03/16/10 9:23PM
  • cmdl
    Wow! Only 3 months left! How exciting!!
    by cmdl at 03/17/10 10:48AM

Whew!

This week has been hectic! It seems like all my jobs are colliding into one big stack of papers that need to be graded. I knew this could happen when I took the Kaplan job, and luckily all the deadlines up to this point have been staggered, but I'll sure be glad when Monday comes and I can relax before the grading picks up again during Spring Break.

On President's Day, Dan had the day off so we painted Lydia's room. It was hard work and took pretty much the entire day, but we are so excited about how it turned out! Now, we just need a little girl in there:)

I can't wait to be a full-time mom. While teaching at SU, Fortis, and KU definitely have their momentary rewards, I'm looking forward to the greater lifelong reward of molding a young heart to love the Lord. Come on May 26th!!

I can't find a way to post the nursery picture here, so you'll have to look at the picture "Lydia's Room" on the side of my page:)
  • smallfry79
    I love the pic of the nursery. We still haven't painted Miryam's room, but it's already painted a cute girly color (from the people that lived here before). I'm gonna be in Dallas from 2/25-3/6. Let me know if you're gonna be in town. I'd love to see you! :-)
    by smallfry79 at 02/18/10 2:27PM
  • smallfry79
    Oh, & thank you so much for the card you sent. It was really sweet. I've been terrible about sending thank you's to people since the baby was born b/c I've lost track of who sent what...lol I did get all of my shower thank you's sent out before she got here though. Make sure you get those sent out asap b/c you won't feel like doing them once Lydia is taking up all your time. :-P
    by smallfry79 at 02/18/10 2:29PM
  • cmdl
    I saw the pics on facebook and it's super cute!! :p
    by cmdl at 02/18/10 2:36PM
  • adeline
    The nursery looks GREAT! :) I am excited for you!! : )
    by adeline at 02/18/10 5:29PM
  • millie
    How cute.
    by millie at 02/18/10 9:32PM
  • bekahv
    Yay for being a full-time mom! It's so much fun! Get ready. :)
    by bekahv at 02/18/10 10:26PM
  • pistal77
    Enjoy!
    by pistal77 at 02/19/10 12:41AM
  • kendralulu
    The room turned out perfect!!! Good job! :)
    by kendralulu at 02/19/10 10:35AM
  • ewalker
    The room is adorable! Great job!
    by ewalker at 02/20/10 12:35AM
  • misslynn
    Woohoo! Under 100 days to go :)
    by misslynn at 02/20/10 5:22PM
  • iloveponds
    Lydia's room looks happy! Nice job.
    by iloveponds at 02/21/10 10:48PM
  • kendralulu
    Yes! We called Craig earlier and Jacob got on the phone and said "Snow, Daddy!"....too cute! :)
    by kendralulu at 02/23/10 12:51PM
  • ewalker
    That reminded me that y'all were at Wonsley that night, too :) We would be so glad to get to see you tomorrow!
    by ewalker at 02/25/10 5:00PM
  • kendralulu
    Thanks! Dan said yall made a snowman too. :)
    by kendralulu at 02/25/10 10:54PM
  • ewalker
    Awww, you ruined the surprise. I was already planning to send you one. It was excellent!
    by ewalker at 02/27/10 10:34PM
  • ewalker
    It was so great to have you guys there. Thanks for making the effort to get there!
    by ewalker at 02/27/10 10:36PM
  • kalawi
    I will definitely post them when we get back! I'm super excited; May 1st can't come quick enough!
    by kalawi at 03/01/10 5:13PM
  • blueeyes
    Thank you for the birthday wishes!
    by blueeyes at 03/01/10 11:13PM
  • kendralulu
    We can't wait!!! :)
    by kendralulu at 03/04/10 10:31AM
  • misslynn
    Lydia's room is soooo cute! Thanks for dinner and the ride last night :)
    by misslynn at 03/04/10 1:52PM

Not only am I going to be a Mom...

...but I'm also going to be an AUNT!!!


My older sister, Laurie, is pregnant and her baby is expected to arrive around September 23rd. I can't wait for Lydia to have a little cousin to play with when we go to Dallas!
  • cmdl
    Oooo awesome! I love being an Aunt. :p Cousins ROCK.
    by cmdl at 02/03/10 4:56PM
  • iloveponds
    Wow, what excitment for you and yours!
    by iloveponds at 02/03/10 5:14PM
  • ewalker
    Yay! Great news :)
    by ewalker at 02/03/10 6:14PM
  • smallfry79
    Yay!!! Lots of exciting things in your life right now. :-)
    by smallfry79 at 02/03/10 6:14PM
  • pistal77
    that is a good crazy!
    by pistal77 at 02/03/10 6:17PM
  • windham4life
    That is awesome!
    by windham4life at 02/03/10 7:23PM
  • audge
    I LOVE being an Aunt...you can spoil them rotten, then give them back! Plus you can teach them all kinds of things....that's awesome! How are you feeling?
    by audge at 02/03/10 7:47PM
  • adeline
    aww
    by adeline at 02/05/10 11:52AM
  • lbell
    yeah! sooo happy for you!
    by lbell at 02/07/10 4:41PM
  • windham4life
    Thanks for the NY info!! It will be very helpful if we get to go! I'm sure Lynn will have some helpful tips too, since she lived there!
    by windham4life at 02/09/10 6:22PM
  • millie
    Thank you, I can't think of anything.
    by millie at 02/11/10 6:46PM
  • kendralulu
    Congratulations!!! ~ I finally got my computer back...YAY! :)
    by kendralulu at 02/15/10 12:13AM

Baby Updates

Well, we're getting more and more excited as time progresses. It's certainly getting more "real" since I'm feeling little Lydia move around so much. One morning as I was driving to work, I was listening to the Doors and she was going crazy! I texted Dan when I got to work and wrote, "Either Lydia loves shredded wheat or she loves the Doors. Either way, good girl:)" Dan responded, "LOL. Come on baby light my fire!"

In the last two days, Dan has now felt her move twice! I love being about to share that feeling with him. It's still hard to explain exactly how it feels, but it's good to know that he's getting to experience it, at least externally.

Today, I'm wearing my first pair of maternity pants. I still have some jeans in my closet that are big enough to still wear right now, but I broke out the maternity capris today. Is this the point of no return? :)

Work is going well. Kaplan has been a lot of work upfront, but it will get easier next term once all of my ppt presentations and notes are written. It's refreshing a shift to work with older adults--men and women who have more life experiences than my traditional freshmen could ever dream of! Southwestern is going well, too. Latin at Fortis is starting up next week. I got some good feedback in the parent surveys, so I hope to implement a few changes this Spring. I just can't wait to be a full time mom!

On another note, YAY for Girl Scout Cookie time! Bring on the thin mints and the samoas (err...I mean the politically-correct, Caramel Delights)

Have a great weekend!
  • cmdl
    Lol, my Dad LOVES The Doors. That's so exciting breakin' out the maternity clothes. I can't wait to see pics. I love belly pics! Oooooo girl scout cookies get my in trouble!!
    by cmdl at 01/22/10 1:16PM
  • misslynn
    Yay! I just talked to Daniel on Thursday, and he said he hadn't felt the baby move yet, so I guess he has gotten to since then :):) I can't wait to see you in your maternity duds. As for the 'point of no return', you might put your jeans on after experiencing the comfort of the maternity pants and decide "hmmm, I guess maternity is the way to go, ahhhh...."! Love you!
    by misslynn at 01/22/10 1:25PM
  • janarrod
    it's so hard for me and Jarrod to call them carmel delights now! we've always known them as samoas. that's our fav! I didn't know u like The Doors....that's awesome.....glad ur baby can rock out early in life. im glad all is well.....embrace the maternity clothes. Just be thankful there are more options than there used to be!!
    by janarrod at 01/22/10 2:15PM
  • bekahv
    Maternity stretch pants are the way to go! Especially the ones that come way above the belly. Those were always the most comfortable.
    My favorite girl scout cookies are the coconut ones. yummmmmm. I wish I knew someone who was a girl scout.
    by bekahv at 01/22/10 2:37PM
  • millie
    Hey if you haven't gotten a baby book and plan on doing one... you might want to get started. I've been trying to play catch up with Elizabeth's and there is so much info in them... what sparked this... I can't remember when I felt E kick and thats one of the things so write about... take care.
    by millie at 01/22/10 3:12PM
  • smallfry79
    I really like the name Lydia. :-) I'm so glad you're getting to experience this. There were lots of things about being pregnant that I wasn't a big fan of, but feeling her move always made me happy. I can't wait to see what she looks like!
    by smallfry79 at 01/22/10 4:30PM
  • windham4life
    awe, what an exciting feeling to be able to feel the baby!!! :)
    by windham4life at 01/22/10 4:51PM
  • iloveponds
    Love hearing your baby updates. Is there a middle name yet for Lydia?
    by iloveponds at 01/22/10 8:01PM
  • juliehud
    Awwww...enjoy every moment because this time will go by fast. Then...once she is here you will be enjoying a whole new world! I am so excited for you and Dan and can't wait to meet little Lydia!
    by juliehud at 01/22/10 11:17PM
  • adeline
    Those are my favorite cookies! Happy about yall's baby!!
    by adeline at 01/24/10 6:03PM
  • kendralulu
    Yay for feeling Lydia move!!!! It really is the best feeling! I've been feeling our little girl move too....exciting!! :)
    by kendralulu at 01/25/10 10:32AM
  • kendralulu
    That's Ok, we left early after both services, so you probably didn't have a chance. Thank you; the last picture looks a lot like the pic we took at his first party. :)
    by kendralulu at 01/25/10 3:41PM

01/07/10 7:49PM



It's a GIRL!!!


Everything looks great--she's 11 ounces and very wiggly:) We are SO excited! Her arms were posed in one shot for a perfect fastpitch motion. Is it May 26th yet??
  • misslynn
    :):):):):):):):):):):) I can't wait to braid hair, make cookies, play hopscotch and all kinds of girlie things! :):):):):)
    by misslynn at 01/07/10 11:02PM
  • bekahv
    WHOOP! SO excited for you guys. Girls are so fun! Let the shopping begin!!
    by bekahv at 01/07/10 11:14PM
  • kalawi
    Congrats!!! So exciting!! :)
    by kalawi at 01/08/10 12:00AM
  • jennking
    yay yay yay!!! So exciting!! You will LOVE having a daughter. :)
    by jennking at 01/08/10 9:56AM
  • lbell
    Congrats!!! Do you have a name yet? So happy for you :)
    by lbell at 01/08/10 10:42AM
  • blueeyes
    Congratulations! She will be wonderful!
    by blueeyes at 01/08/10 10:56AM
  • kendralulu
    Yay!!! :) :) :)
    by kendralulu at 01/08/10 11:20AM
  • dirk
    Congratulations!!!!!!!
    by dirk at 01/08/10 12:23PM
  • pistal77
    That is great!
    by pistal77 at 01/08/10 6:02PM
  • tortilla
    SOOOOOOOOOooooooooo............ excited for yall!!!!!!!!!!
    girls ~ too sweet!
    friend for Patience!
    by tortilla at 01/08/10 7:09PM
  • audge
    I had a feeling she was going to be a girl! That is awesome...so excited. Little girls are so fun!
    by audge at 01/08/10 7:22PM
  • maryel
    Oh Boy!!! A girl!! ;)
    by maryel at 01/09/10 11:12PM
  • millie
    yay, girls are fun.
    by millie at 01/10/10 3:31PM
  • iloveponds
    YES!!!! However, I'd say that if it were a boy, too. I do think it's more fun to dress up girls as babies, though. You'll have to start coordinating bows with outfits, now.
    by iloveponds at 01/11/10 9:36PM
  • tristen
    Yah congratulations!!! I am so excited for yall!
    by tristen at 01/15/10 12:15PM
  • kendralulu
    Thank you! I know CP is going to be overflowing with little girls!!!! :)
    by kendralulu at 01/18/10 5:57PM
  • tristen
    Thank you! Yes, work has been very busy!!! Holidays are about the only time we get a little break around here because a lot of our kids go out of town!
    by tristen at 01/19/10 2:54PM
  • roseofsharon
    Miss Lynn will have the most fun shopping in the girls department - the thing she didn't get to do for Dan. :)
    by roseofsharon at 01/20/10 11:46AM
  • janarrod
    hey! sorry for the tease....i was just ready for a change.....and wanted to delete old stuff.....but.....then i didn't really have time to do a post!! :)
    by janarrod at 01/20/10 1:36PM
  • janarrod
    i also got sad looking back at my old posts.....of when Austin was first born......time is soooo weird! some days seem to drag on...but man time goes by so fast!
    by janarrod at 01/20/10 1:39PM