Leaving comments

Many of you have been telling me you wanted to leave comments but it wouldn't let you.  I figured out how to change the settings so it should allow anyone to comment.  

24 weeks!

Doof!

Who spends time making dreaded sub plans, takes off work, gets her husband to take off work, and shows up at the hospital exactly a month early for an ultrasound? Me!! They told me the 27th so I assumed that meant today. Apparently they meant May 27. Oh well, I got a good nap in!

Big Promotion

After many months of praying, budgeting, and planning, Jared and I finally felt like it was time to make a decision. WE gave ME a promotion, at least in my eyes. I am going from having 22 kiddos down to one next year. I am getting to fulfill my dream of being a stay at home mommy.

I enjoy my job and I am so thankful for all of the experiences I have had. I feel like it has taught me a lot, and in a way prepared me a bit for motherhood. With all that said, it was a difficult decision but God has never let me down before.

Over the last four years we have had a lot of job changes and challenges. Everytime something comes up, I see and hear the following message: I am this little girl holding hands with this very big God. We are walking along together, taking quite a few turns here and there. In this image I am totally relaxed, not putting up any resistance. I go wherever he leads me. Each time I hear God asking, "Do you trust me?" I have had this image so many times in my life that it has become my prayer. I now pray for him to take me wherever he wants and for me to be willing to follow.

So many times we miss opportunities because our eyes and ears are closed. Sometimes people get too comfortable being comfortable! I would have missed many opportunities that have changed my life. Opportunities like teaching middle school, teaching special ed, teaching math, and then making a change back to elementary school when I was completely happy. None of these were on "my list" of things to do when I graduated from college but He had bigger plans.

Now that chapter is coming to and end and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to serve him through motherhood. I know it is going to be a challenge and probably the hardest job I have had. I am pumped up and ready. I have waited for this for a long time and can't believe it is almost here.

I said no mayo!

Well, I'm really bored right now so I am going to let out my frustrations with Braums. I haven't noticed too many times when pregnancy hormones have taken over, but the last two times I went to Braums I almost exploded. I HATE mayo on my hamburgers. Both times I have asked for plain hamburgers so I could put on my own ketchup. Both times they didn't listen. You would think this was an earth shattering mistake by the way I overreact. I can't help it. Something about it makes me so upset and puts me in a bad mood for about an hour. I have never said anything to them, I just let Jared listen to me vent my frustrations. I am SURE he enjoys that. Actually, he thinks I am psychotic and does not understand an ounce of my hatred. Oh well, I guess I will survive. I am sitting here trying to figure out if I would have reacted the same when I wasn't pregnant. Who knows?!

moo cows and hee hee hoo's!

I just returned from a fun filled afternoon with Lindsay. She is due 8 or 9 weeks before me and the school is throwing us a shower on May 5. Today we went to register at Prairie Rose in Ponca. It was so much fun! My poor child may be overwhelmed with cow stuff! Everything I see that has a cow on it, or cow print, I just think is so cute. The cow section and OSU section were easy. I just said "anything from here!" After that I had to be her partner at her first baby class. That was an experience. Her husband can't make the first few so I am his substitute! They really should offer those classes at high school as a means of birth control. They didn't make us get on the floor like on TV, but we did have to practice all the breathing techniques. That's where the hee hee hoo comes in! I haven't been nervous the whole pregnancy but left that place stressed out. I told her I think I might just go home and cry now. It wasn't anything I haven't ever seen before, it's just a little more realistic now I guess!? Jared and I will probably start going to our classes in May. I still have a few more weeks to get mentally prepared.

Girlies

This has been such a fun filled week! The first blessing is that I only had to go to school four days! Woo-hoo. This week I have also been bombarded with advice on motherhood. I am so thankful I have so many close friends who care enough to share with me. It is amazing how different everyones experiences are. Brandi and Darci are sweet encouragers. Everytime I talk to them I sense the joy and love they have for their children. Laura is still learning the ropes herself, but is already taking time out of her busy days to jot down tips to help me prepare. It means so much to me. And then there's Mindy! She is all of the above. She took Lindsay and I out to eat last night and sat us down with her "list." She is a wonderful mother and friend who just had her second child. It was so awesome of her to share the things she feels are so important that no one else ever tells you. She shared joys and pains (literally!). Good times and bad. Happy feelings and sad. Times when you laugh and times when you cry. I respect her so much for being so transparent and sharing with us. Last but not least, there is Lindsay and I! We are just clueless at this point! :) I am so glad we are getting to go through this together.

Friends are a gift from God. He has never failed me or left me alone. He knows exactly what I need and he sends the people I need. I am thankful for all of these girls and admire everything they have done and all of the sacrifices they are making as new mothers. I pray for each one of them, each marriage, and each precious little child.

Introducing..

Balen James Grell

We have had this name for a while. It is always hard to say it because I wonder if there is some crazy reason why I would change it. I am 99.9% sure this is it! Balen is the only first name we have agreed on since the beginning. It has really grown on us.

Balen means brave. James was known for his righteousness and piety.

Knowing he is a boy and actually getting to think of him by name has been really special for me. It makes it all so real. After losing one, it has been difficult to not worry or think something is going wrong this time around. As each week passes, I am realizing that it really is happening and how amazing God is. I am now in my 21st week and I am still loving every second of being pregnant. We can't wait to meet him!

Let the painting begin!

Good bye red shelves. This is the first coat on the bookshelves and some of the trim. It already looks so much better. Add to the list.. what to do with the old, rotten, nasty windows? Oh the joys of living in an 85 year old house. Once you start improving something it keeps going and going.

Baby's Bedroom BEFORE

It has been cold, nasty, and windy for days. I can't wait for pretty days. I have a few people who want me to take their pictures but I need sun shiny days and pretty flowers to bloom!

On a good note, Jared and his mom are upstairs right now painting!! I am so excited. I want to jump in and do everything right away but I can't. Without being able to lift or climb around, I am having to be patient. It is going to be a long process. Right now they are painting the trim and built in book shelves. Jared's mom already took the wallpaper down a few weeks ago. After the trim, bookshelves, and windows get painted we are going to have to texture and paint the walls. The list goes on... a few wee

ks ago Jared ripped up the hideous carpet. If anyone is looking for some 1970's red, gold, and blue stripped carpet, we have what you need!! :) Now that the ca

rpet is up we will probably redo the hardwood floors and buy a big rug to put down. The last thing we are trying to decide about is the glittery popcorn ceilings. We have heard they are easy to redo, but I don't know what we will do??

Okay..in case you have never seen the upstairs of our house, every bedroom has different seventies carpet. One had the beautiful stripes you are seeing, one is lime green shag, one is blue, and then there is maroon. Lovely! I am so excited to finally be able to make one of the rooms look better.

These first pictures are the before pictures. The red bookshelves are all built in.