Oh Baby!

I can't believe that the last post I wrote was the day I gave birth to our baby girl! I thought I was having contractions, but to be honest I wasn't sure (until they got pretty painful later in the day). So, Sage Catherine Adams was born at 11:02 pm on March 3, 2010! She weighed exactly 7 pounds and measured 19 1/2 inches long. Long story short, my 2nd epidural took beautifully and I didn't feel a thing! I actually enjoyed the birthing experience far more than I thought I would. I pushed for an hour and our baby girl was here! Thankfully, my recovery is going well too and there have been no complications.

I can honestly say that neither Brian nor I were prepared for how much we would immediately love this little being. She is the apple of our eye. We can't stop looking at her. We are simply in love. No other way to put it. In my case, in love and also overwhelmed by the adjustment, but nonetheless completely in love. Brian had to leave for Mexico on my birthday, March 9, and neither one of us were prepared for how heart-wrenching that would be. We cried like babies for 24 hours leading up to his departure. I've never seen my husband so sad and broken. It broke my heart. Sage and I will join him in Texas by March 22, but somehow that didn't console either one of us. We just need to be a family right now, it's the deepest desire of our hearts. We NEED each other, but we'll have to wait. So pray for us if you think about it . . . that this time apart will go by quickly.

On a lighter note, here are some pictures of precious Sage during her first week and a half of life!

The Big 3-0

On March 9, I will officially be 30 years old! I can't say I'm looking forward to turning 30. In fact, I don't really mind that it will be overshadowed by the birth of our first child. I'm certainly not depressed about being 30, but it is the end of a decade. My 20's were so fun that it's a little hard to leave them! Not that there aren't perks to getting older. There are children to enjoy!! But I don't look forward to the physical decline sure to follow :) I hope to be like my dad: very fit and healthy through my 60's. However, that would require a lot more exercise that what I'm doing now. After this pregnancy is over, I think exercise will be a welcome release! I want so badly to be able to move without aching; to walk up the stairs without being out of breath! Let's just hope labor and delivery go well and I don't have any extended recovery time.

Speaking of labor and delivery, we should have a precious baby girl on our hands in a matter of days! I'm 39 weeks along, 4 cm dilated, 70% effaced, and started having contractions last night! However, they're not close enough together to go to the hospital yet, so for now I just get to bare through them. We are really looking forward to meeting this little person soon!

Shower #2 and 37 Weeks Along!

I recently had my second baby shower and it was SO FUN! This one was in Charlotte and included all of my friends, former co-workers, and a few family members. Again, I was completely floored by the generosity extended to me! People gave such unique gifts too, which was a huge plus. My sweet sister-in-law gave me a swedish massage! My good friend Heather, the founder/owner of Sprouts Photography, gave me a gift certificate to Sprouts so I can get pictures made of Sage at different stages during this next year!! Those are just two examples, and they are wonderful luxuries I would not have been able to afford otherwise, so I am extremely grateful.

I also received a DVD I'm super excited about. It's one out of a series of DVDs called, "Praise Baby." As you've heard me mention before, one of the things I look forward to most about having kids is worshiping with them, singing God's praises together on a regular basis. I had no idea these DVDs existed so when Karla gave me the first one , "Born to Worship" I was thrilled!

I could go on and on about all the wonderful gifts, but I must digress . . .

I have to add that one of the hostesses of the party, my good friend Katie, made the cake. Can you believe how professional it looks? She could start a business!




Me with all of the sweet hostesses: Tiffany, Katie, Marti, and Lizzie.



I had my 37 week check up a few days ago and the doctor was shocked at how ready I am to deliver! She said Sage's head is already very low, my cervix is extremely soft, and I'm 3 cm dilated. After the appointment, reality set in that I'm going to have a baby VERY soon. So I rushed home and frantically started doing all the things I've been putting off; like washing her clothes, packing a hospital bag, etc. etc. The nursery isn't ready, but I think she'll survive without a completely decorated room :)

Just because my body is "ready" though doesn't mean I'm going to deliver tomorrow. I could stay this way for another 2 weeks. However, I sure would like for Sage to come sooner rather than later! The doctor doesn't think it's likely that I'll make it to my due date (March 11). I have my 38 week check up on Tuesday so we'll see if there's any progress! Exciting times!!

I've been a bad girl . . .

I'm such a bad blogger. It's been over a month since I've posted anything and so much has happened:

Brian came home!!! Weeks ago actually. I guess that's why I've been a bad blogger, I've just been relishing this time with him after missing him for 3 months!

I'm 35 weeks along and am growing by the mile! My belly feels so huge I can't imagine how it will get any bigger. Yet I know it will, some how.

We've officially decided on a name. Our precious little girl will be called Sage Catherine Adams. Both names, Sage and Catherine are very dear to us. Sage is unique, yet not hard to spell, and beautiful (to us at least). I also have a wonderful friend whose name is Sage and she is so dear to my heart. She was one of my first disciplers. She let me into her life, loved on me like none other, and by her example showed me what an intimate relationship with God could look like. Sage means "wise one" and it is certainly our prayer that our little girl would grow up to be a wise, discerning, passionate child of God. Catherine was my middle name, and I was named after my mom, Cathy. Therefore, we decided to keep it in the family and pass it on to the next generation as well. I would love nothing more than for my little girl to have some of the same Godly qualities as my mother and friend, Sage.

The nursery design is coming together! I hesitate to post any pictures because it's still very much in progress. However, I have created a mosaic of many of items and colors that will be used in the room. The middle square is the "inspiration fabric" that embodies most of the colors I wanted to use. The walls WILL NOT be pink. I like pink, but only in small doses. Therefore, the walls are green, sort of a light yellowish-green.



Some fun things I want to remember about this time . . . Brian heard that if the father reads to his baby while she's still in the womb she may recognize his voice once she's born. In fact, many newborns stop crying immediately after they're born once they hear their daddy's voice. Brian loves that idea. So every night before we go to sleep he reads a book to Sage. He also talks to her throughout the day just to say "hey," and he loves to ask her, "when are you going to come see us?" We want more than anything for her to be perfectly healthy, but we'd also like her to come a little early . . . like around March 6. Statistically most babies are born between the 40th and 41st week of pregnancy, so we may not get our wish considering her due date isn't until March 11.

One reason we'd like Sage to come a few days early (only if she's ready) is because Brian has to report to his team by March 16. He signed a contract to play for a team in Reynosa, Mexico this summer. Reynosa is just over the U.S./Mexico border so we'll be living in McAllen, Texas and Brian will commute back and forth over the border every day.



Needless to say, I don't know what we're going to do if Sage decides to be a week late! Daddy has to be present for her birth so we're praying she comes on time or a little early!

1st Shower

The first shower is under our belt and it was a success! It was especially nice to spend time with some of my best friends from home, as well as some of my parents' friends that I hardly ever get to see. The food was absolutely incredible (as if I needed any extra encouragement to eat!), and I received some much needed baby gear.

As I was driving home, I was thinking about how thankful I am for good friends and family members who love me, who are excited about the birth of my first child, and who are willing to help Brian and I provide for her needs. An absolutely overwhelming feeling of thankfulness came over me and I was so humbled by the generosity shown to me earlier in the day. I pray that I will show the same kindness to others!

Here are a few pics from Saturday:



We had 7 hostesses for this shower! Here are Mom (bottom right) and I with 6 of them.


Our 7th hostess, Lindsey, couldn't make it so we took a pic with her mom as her "stand in!" And yes, I am chubby. Let's just get that out in the open. You know you were thinking it anyway.

Seaside Bathroom

I hadn't planned to take on so many projects this off-season, but with Brian being away I've found the time and energy (but not always the money) to re-do some things in the house. Our guest bathroom used to be a very bright yellow, and I had never really taken the time to decorate it. It didn't even have a shower curtain (just the liner). The yellow walls weren't bad, but I wasn't crazy about them either. I prefer much more soothing colors (earth tones). So while we were painting the nursery, Mom and Dad and I also repainted the guest bath. I chose "silver sage" from Restoration Hardware. I've always loved that blueish-sage and I'm very happy that at least one room in my house is now that color! The bathroom still needs some decor (like a picture above the toilet), but I already like it better!

BEFORE:







AFTER:

Thanksgiving 2009

Pictures from Thanksgiving 2009 - better late than never! I forgot my camera when I was in Bishopville with Brian's family. I also didn't get pictures of everyone in my family, but this is what I did get right before we sat down to eat!

27 down, 13 to go

I can't believe there are only 13 weeks left in this pregnancy. I'm so excited about meeting this baby girl I can hardly stand it! Earlier in the week Brian and I were discussing what we think she'll look like. We both agreed that she'll probably have little or no hair at first. If there's any at all it will probably be very blond. As Brian says, "She'll be a slick head." I wish I had both of our baby pictures to post. Brian and I both had very little hair!

I've been feeling great these days. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed when I think about everything I need to be doing: exercising more, stretching, registering and taking classes (infant CPR, etc.), reading all the "baby advice" books I have, and decorating the nursery. Guess I'll just take it one day at a time. I'll be so glad when Brian gets home from Mexico so we can spend our last months of freedom together - sans children! Not to mention the fact that I just flat out miss him to pieces. Feels like it's been ages since I last saw my hubs.

I started feeling this baby move a while back, but at 27 weeks I now feel her moving all the time. I LOVE that feeling! Many of the movements are little kicks or punches. The rest of the time it feels like she's doing cartwheels, flips or rolling over. Every time we've had an ultrasound our little girl has been quite active, like she can't sit still. I hope that's not indicative of how she'll be once she's outside of the womb!

Headboard

I mentioned a few blog posts ago that one of the main projects I wanted to accomplish while Brian was gone was to design and build a headboard. We have a California king size bed and unfortunately here in the Southeast, stores don't carry or sell many California king size headboards. I also did not want to spend a lot of money and the ones I really liked were between $800 and $1,500. So the solution was to make my own. However, I only wanted to do that if we could make it look like we bought it from a store. I saw too many DIY headboards on the internet that looked homemade. To me, that's pointless. I didn't want a headboard that looked like my 5th grade science project.

Over the last few weeks and with the help of my parents, we created our first headboard! It was hard; much harder than I anticipated, but it was also really fun. I think I would enjoy designing and building furniture for my house in the future if I possessed the necessary tools and knowledge. I don't think I'd mind the work, there is such a strong sense of accomplishment after you finish a project and get to display it in your home.

I absolutely love the way this headboard turned out! And I am especially proud of my very handy father who did most of the "grunt work." Mom and Dad, thank you so much for helping me with this project! So without further ado . . .

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy early Thanksgiving everybody! One thing I really look forward to during the holidays is cooking/baking. Since we celebrate with both sides of our family this year I get to make twice as much food, which I really don't mind doing. I actually enjoy it, especially if I have plenty of time. I wanted to try a new recipe for Pumpkin cream cheese pie, but it looks like time won't allow for that since I have to work the day before and after Thanksgiving. So I'll have to stick to the items below. The thing I love about all of these recipes are the people I got them from

Twice Baked Potatoes - my family has been making them for years but I don't go by a recipe. I just watched my mom make them years ago and copied her. A little butter, sour cream, salt, pepper and lots of cheese on top! What can be bad about that?



Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese - this is a Thanksgiving staple for sure! I think my mom originally discovered the recipe. It is delish!



Reese's Peanut Buttercup Bars - got this one from my friend and former co-worker, Natalie.



Turkey-shaped Sugar Cookies - the recipe I use is from my host mom, Kari, in Fargo, ND (we lived with them for 2 summers)



On a different note, I must say that the thing I'm most thankful for this year is to be pregnant with a healthy baby! While I miss Brian to pieces, I'm also extremely thankful for the job God provided for him in Mexico this fall. Update on that front . . . Brian was pitching very well until he came down with a nasty virus (I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say we're not talking about a little cold here. We're talkin' hanging out in the bathroom for 48 hours, take every ounce of energy out of you kind of virus.) Thankfully he's been on the mend and feeling much better lately so we're praying that his strength and stamina return in full force. What I know is that my Lord is in full control of the situation and I am thankful He watches over my sweet husband.

The Crib Is Here!!

The nursery is slowly coming together. Colors have been selected, fabrics chosen, and (thanks to my parents) the crib is here and already put together! It is truly a beautiful crib. I really like it! Below is a picture I found of it online. Since we're having a girl, the color scheme (walls and decor) will be different from what you see here, but it's nice to know that the crib looks good against blue walls in case our next baby is a boy.




There are still many things to paint and sew before the project is complete, but we are well on our way! It's so fun to envision our sweet girl in what will hopefully turn out to be a very sweet but sophisticated nursery.

My Fun New Job at . . .

So when I got back to Charlotte this off-season my old job wasn't waiting for me like normal. The big ministry project I have been in charge of every year was (and still is) in danger of not being produced. Long story short, since this project was my main responsibility my boss wasn't sure he'd have enough work for me to do outside of it, and therefore could not commit to re-hiring me right away. Since I need to start making some money to prepare for our little one arriving in early March, I went ahead and pursued other job opportunities. After a few weeks of weighing the possibilities (which weren't many), I am actually very excited about working part-time retail for "HandPicked," a beautiful, yet affordable jewelry store with 3 locations here in Charlotte.

HandPicked began in my home town of Columbia, SC so I've grown up shopping there, and have always loved the store! It's such a fun, classy, yet very hip place! I also used to make jewelry and am so excited about getting back into the world of jewelry design, sales, and repair! I will mainly work at the Arboretum location which is only about 2 minutes from our house! I could literally walk there every day. So come by and see me some time and pick out some gorgeous jewelry for Christmas!!

I was in the store the other day for an interview and saw about 10 pieces I'd love to have. Here is a little preview of some things I like from the store. Many items available in the store are not listed online, so I couldn't include pictures of those. This first necklace is called, "Tree of Life." I love that!

Our Baby Is a . . .

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From week 12 to week 18 of my pregnancy Brian and I really thought we were having a boy. We talked about nothing but boy names, thought about how to raise a boy, and looked at boy bedding. The reason? The ultrasound technician at my doctor's office in New Jersey was pretty convinced it was a boy, and I saw exactly why she thought that. However, we've learned since then that girls can be very swollen "down there" making it difficult to determine gender as early as 12 weeks. So today I had my 20 week ultrasound and sure enough, there was no denying it! We are definitely having a little girl!! I should have listened to all the people who told me we would have a girl. Two people told me they had dreams we would have a girl. Two other people told me (right after I got pregnant) that they had strong feelings we would have a girl. No one predicted boy. Pretty cool huh?

I am so relieved to know the gender of our baby! Now I can shop and register for gender-appropriate items (and be confident that I'm shopping for the right things). My most favorite thing to look at of course is clothes, but I've refrained from buying anything . . . yet. The only thing I've found frustrating so far is that a lot of girl stuff is super frilly or loud/busy. I'm sure I'll find things I really like though!

Here are the best pictures from today's ultrasound. I can't wait to meet this sweet girl!!

Where in the World are Brian and Lindsay?

Remember when Matt Lauer did that series on the Today Show called, "Where in the World is Matt?" Sometimes I feel like Brian and I could do something similar because there's just no telling where baseball will send us! I dropped Brian off at the airport this morning. After several layovers his final destination will be Navajoa, Mexico. He was given the opportunity to pitch for the Navajoa Mayos, and since winter ball pay is good (much better than substitute teacher's pay), and since we have a little one on the way, he decided to accept. Mostly, we felt like this was an opportunity the Lord provided and wanted him to do. I plan to take comfort in that fact when I'm tempted to wallow in my sadness because I miss him so much. He could be down there for 2 days or 2 1/2 months - turnover rates are high and the season lasts through December, so who knows for sure how long he'll be there.

My plans are to stay back in Charlotte and work until Baby Adams makes his/her debut! I would have liked to have gone with Brian, but it's just too risky being pregnant and all :) Speaking of Baby Adams, we should be finding out his/her gender soon! My wonderful sis-in-law performed an ultrasound the other day but can you believe the umbilical cord was running right between Peanut's legs blocking our view??!! I'm so excited to find out, and was really hoping we would before Brian had to leave, but it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer before we'll know anything.

I have plans to keep myself busy and occupied while Brian is gone. My list of house projects consists of the following:

1.) Build an upholstered headboard for our bed (with the help of my Dad). Something like this


OR THIS



2.) Clean out the guest room that will eventually become the nursery. This task will also involve selling the couch that currently resides in that room.

3.) Plan the nursery decor and layout.

4.) Shop for and hang curtains throughout the house. We have NONE and they would really warm up our space!

5.) Go through old Southern Living magazines, save any good recipes and decorating ideas, then get rid of the oldest ones.

Nursery Woes

I have scoured the internet looking at nursery designs, crib bedding, etc. (mostly Pottery Barn Kids, Restoration Hardware and Babies R Us) and the options seem to be endless! This is not necessarily a good thing for an overly analytical person like myself. I have difficulty making decisions. I do know that I definitely prefer more classic fabrics rather than cartoonish styles. Below are some examples of what I like. It doesn't help matters that I'm considering picking out fabrics and having the crib bedding made by a seamstress. This opens up even more options!





And I love this little boy's room (below)



I am leaning towards registering for a white crib. A dark wood color is runner-up. I'm blogging about my nursery woes because I'm wondering if any of you have nursery designs or crib bedding that you'd be willing to share pictures of. Maybe it's your own child's nursery or a picture you found in a magazine or on the internet. In any case, I'm inviting you to either email me pictures, post them to your own blog, or leave me a comment letting me know the web address where the pic can be found. I like gathering lots of ideas in hopes that one will strike me as the perfect style for me and my baby!