Some Random Pictures

Yeah, I know, one day, three posts...don't get used to it, I'm just trying to make up for lost time. Just thought I'd share some cute pictures from along the way...I hope you enjoy!

Eric being...well, Eric...screwin' around with the Moby Wrap

"Get me outta here!" JD's reaction to his first sumbersion bath

The things you learn...when kept warm during bath time, he does much better!

Music time with Auntie Kim

Play time with daddy

These are some awesome onesies my sister made for JD...she tie-died them in espresso and then hand drew the monkey artwork...caffeinated baby...very cool!

So maybe it's not the safest thing, but the hair dryer is one of the few things to calm this boy down when he gets worked up. Eric and I both trying to make the most of JD's quiet time!

Precious

Cuddle time with mommy

Hanging out with Grandma Ruth

French toast muffins with maple glaze, topped with bacon...you know you want one!

Chez Josiah

So, about a week and a half ago, my mom and sister decided that Eric and I needed a night out and a nice dinner. Since they knew that if we went out we wouldn't really be able to relax, wondering how our tiny one was fairing, they decided to suprise with dinner in at Chez Josiah.

I awoke from a nap to my mother informing us that we had reservations in the "Josiah Lounge" in 10 minutes (the lounge turned out to be our living room). We were there served drinks and yummy (bacon) apetizers.




We were then taken to the dining room, which was decorated with beautiful flowers and candles (from our wedding), and we were then served a meal of delicious meal of parmasean monkey bread, flank steak, dutchess potatoes, and sugar peas.




All of that was topped off with dessert, lemon pudding cake with homemade plum sauce. The meal was top notch and couldn't have been outdone by any restaurant.

Their thoughtfulness touched us and we appreciated the meal so much.

My Favorite Things

No, I'm not talking about raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens...I'm talking about my favorite things about Josiah. As I fed JD last night I just sat staring at him in amazement and thought about all the wonderful things I love about him, and felt compelled to share those things with all of you (along with some pictures).

I love:

1. all the different faces he makes as he's drifting off to sleep

2. the way he grabs my finger and holds on as if he's afraid I'm going to leave him

3. the little squeaky noises he makes, just so that we know he's still there

4. his tiny little baby feet and hands

5. his big gray eyes and the way he looks up at me when I'm holding him

6. the way he smiles, even if it is just because he has gas

7. the way he looks like a little frog when you lay him down in his crib to sleep

8. the way he loves to cuddle up close and be held tight

9. his crooked yawn

10. the way he tries to suck his thumb

11. the way that Eric loves him and looks lovingly at him

There are so many more things to list, but these are just a sampling of the things I love about him. He has truly been such a blessing to our lives, I don't know how we got along without him. He's an amazing little person and I can't wait to see what God has in store for him and our new family.

BACON

So, as I've said, while my sister has been here, she's been making us all of our meals. She also knows that Eric LOVES bacon...all things bacon, and therefore she has made as a wide variety of bacon treats. Here are some of the delicious items we've had:

1. Bacon Candy (bacon cooked with brown sugar on top of it)
2. French toast flavored muffins with maple glaze frosting and bacon on top
3. Bacon empanadas
4. Water chestnuts wrapped in bacon in a tangy sauce
5. Bacon salt (which you can put on anything to make it taste like bacon)

And yet to be had...cinnamon rolls unwrapped with a piece of bacon re-wrapped in it. She also made bacon ice cream with her friend before coming to see us...this sounds a bit strange to me, but she swears it was delicious.

If anyone else thinks that any of these items sound delicious, let me know and I'll get you a recipe!

It's me again

Well, I thought it was time to finally give you all some updates, as it's been almost a month since I've posted anything. I've had threats of being disowned from my family, threats of stalking from friends, and phone calls pleading for new pictures. This post will contain no pictures as many of them are on my sisters camera and I need to get the computer and organize our pictures...but really, I promise this time that they will be coming soon.

As for me, I'm finally feeling better...my incision is healing, but it's been a very long road. I'm now able to get down on the floor and play with JD, lay on my side comfortably without feeling like my insides will spill out, get up and down wihtout too much dificulty and walk around with JD...these all seem like small things, but to me are major accomplishments. It took two weeks to get my staples out which was a nightmare, but I felt great after that. About a week ago I was able to progress from sweat pants to jeans...although I reserve them for special ocassions!

JD is doing pretty well, we have our fussy times, but overall he's a good baby. The past two days have been challenging as when he's awake and isn't eating, he's been crying. He is incosolable and seems so unhappy, but I just can't figure out what's wrong. The only thing that calms him down is running the hair dryer, and you better be in a comfortable position, because there's no moving once he's asleep because he'll wake up screaming! Interestingly, it only seems to have been during the day (which I am grateful for), and he does pretty well at night.

I can't believe that JD is a month old already...it seems that we just brought him home. He's getting so big and I can't believe how much he's changed already. I realized that tomorrow will be half way through my 10 week maternity leave and that makes me very sad, it's going to be so hard to leave him. I find that my favorite times with him though are during the night, when it's just he and I and I'm feeding him. He's so calm and I just love looking at his face and I can't believe that this beautiful baby belongs to Eric and I, that we've been so blessed, and that this perfect child is our responsibility. That, the fact that we are responsible for this little life, is still surprising and scary at times, but Eric is great and we are getting through this together.

Having my mom and sister here has been great. My mom left last week, and that was very sad, but I think she likes her grandson so much that we'll be seeing her fairly frequently. My sister is here for about five more days, and she has been amazing, just being suportive, making meals, and making us laugh. We feel so blessed to have been supported by so many friends and family.

I promise to post more pictures soon...but there are at least some updates on our new family.

Some Updates

Well, let me start by saying that I have the most fantastic husband in all the world. You can try to dispute me on this fact, but you won't win. He definitely wins an award and has proven to me over and over again through the past several days why I love him and chose to spend the rest of my life with him. He has been an amazingly supportive husband and a phenomenal father to our little Josiah.

This recovery process has been a bit challenging. I have shared with some of you that I can't even do the most basic things that you would expect to do for your new child, like change a diaper, pick him up when he's crying, or in this case, feed him myself. I have had quite a bit of pain at my incision site, so getting up quickly and responding to a needy baby has been so hard, luckily I have a husband who is quick to jump in and deal with the task himself, or bring Josiah to me for comforting. I have had lots of problems with breastfeeding, and while we are still attempting it, I can't do it without Eric. It's a long story, and too many details for this space, but if you'd like to know more...just ask...I'd be happy to terrify all you mom's of the future with my lovely story :)

Anyway, last night was our first night home and was really hard. I took some pain meds late lat night and suffered a pretty nasty reaction in the form of uncontrollable shaking from my legs to my chest. I couldn't even hold the baby to feed him, and was pretty sure we were going to end up back at the hospital. It was a rough night, but I am feeling better now and looking forward to "freshening up", and never taking Darvocet again! So, please, pray for me over these next few days...for my strength, courage, and ability to rely on my husband who is so willing to help (which is harder for me than I'd like to admit).

We love you guys and can't wait to share some more pictures with you soon.

We are proud to announce....

Josiah David Maring! Josiah was born last night at 7:13pm and weighed in at 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 20 1/2" long. He is perfect and wonderful and we are enjoying the addition to our family immensely! Please enjoy the pictures that we have and we will continue to update them for you as regularly as possible.

As for me, I'm doing pretty well. The C-Section went very smoothly, although we got to a late start becuase the doctor had another delivery. The anesthesiologist was fantastic, and did a phenomenal job. We had a wonderful nurse assigned to us in triage, who upon seeing my anxiety and nerves, promptly asked if she could lead us in a word of prayer, which was much appreciated. By the time we were ready to go into surgery, her shift was over, but because I was so tense not having Eric with me (he can't be in there during prep), she stayed with me, held my hand and helped me to breathe through my anxiety. Then, since it was almost time for the big arrival, she decided to stay and see him, then made sure to tell me how wonderful he was while Eric was busy observing the working nurses.

Neither Eric nor I have slept more than 20 minutes in the past 24 hours, so we are very tired, but other than that doing pretty well. I have some soreness at the incision site. Hopefuly tonight the cathader and IV will be removed.

We are all doing well! Here are a few pictures. There will be much more to follow!

It's Ranger Time

So, for those of you who know me well, you know that I don't like to do much of anything without a plan. I like a road map, a general direction, the option to change course if necessary. Well, we learned this morning that this is probably one trait little Ranger is going to inherit from his mother.

I had my standard 39 week appointment today, another one Eric wanted to attend, even though I assured him it was not necessary. Well, good thing he was there. Last week the doctor seemed unsure (or maybe it was two weeks ago?) whether the baby was head down or not, well today she was still concerned. "I think the baby might be breech" was all she had to say to send me into tears. She assured me it was going to be OK and left to find the ultrasound tech. She came back in, gave me a gown, and ushured me down the hall to the ultrasound room. Sure enough, Baby Ranger decided he didn't so much like the head down position.

So, she also informed me that there is not enough fluid to try to "spin" him around (but don't worry, I have plenty of fluid...just not where it's needed I guess?). In addition, the doc goes on vacation Thursday. She informed me that a C-Section was going to be our best option at this point (more tears...Eric reassuringly rubbing my back, telling me he's healthy and that's the important part), as she didn't think she could "spin" him without causing me great harm, and possibly causing harm to him. She called the hospital and they had no availability for a C-Section tomorrow, so she asked me when the last time I ate or drank was, and scheduled me for a C-Section tonight at 5:30! So, Ranger knew that he wasn't planning to come into the world without a big announcement, and a clear plan :)

I can't believe we are going to have a baby tonight. I am excited, nervous, and scared out of my mind. I don't know how to be a mom! Yes, I realize I have had 39 weeks to worry and wonder about this, but now that there is this sense of finality, and knowing that in less than four hours I'll be holding a baby...it suddenly seems very real. I am a bit sad that I won't get to have a "real" birth, not that the end result won't be the same...but it just seems like a bit of a loss, I won't know what a real contraction feels like, I won't know what it's like to push...I just won't have that experience, not this time anyway. He'll be here, and he'll be healthy, and that's the best part, but I am definitely going through my own grieving process.

But for now, I'm off to have a baby. But what did I do before hand, shaved my legs of course! And now we're off to the mall for another night gown, our last outing before.....

What? You really thought I'd tell you his name?? After all this time you don't think I can wait just a few more hours? Please...keep posted!

Top Fives

So, as I approach the end of my pregnancy, I have a flood of emotions, and am obviously looking forward to meeting this little guy, but there are also many things I'll miss about this time in my life. So, in my reflection, I've compiled a few Top Five lists...

The Top Five Things I'll Miss about Pregnancy:
5. Offers to open doors, carry heavy bags, and my husband pretty much letting me get out of anything I don't want to do!
4. The excuse to gain several pounds in a week or two
3. The smiles you get from everyone when they see that you are carrying new life
2. The rolly-polly mutant like movement in my belly
1. Selfishly, the private intimate connection, that I have with my son, that will now change

The Top Five Things I'm Looking Forward To:
5. Pants with out stretchy waists...and with buttons!!!!!!!
4. Less frequent trips to the bathroom
3. No more nose bleeds, well, not as many anyway!
2. No more swollen ankles!
1. Holding our precious son and showering him with love

This has been such a wonderful time for me, I have loved nearly every second of my pregnancy, and feel so fortunate that I haven't had any major problems. But, of course, now I'm fearful about what that may mean for my delivery (eek!). Every time I think about this little baby I'm carrying, I just get so excited, and I can't wait to introduce him to you all...so stay tuned!

Cute Baby Things

So, Eric and I decided to go and paint a piggy bank for the baby...our first "gift" to him. However, why paint a actual pig...who decided pigs needed to be the chosen bank for small children? So, we opted for the elephant instead...a fantastic choice I think. To top it off, we painted his initials on the bottom of the elephant's feet...so his name is set in stone. But what are the initials?? Well, for that you'll have to wait a few more weeks, but here's a peek at the bank in the mean time.

And, on our way to pain the bank the mall was having Sidewalk Sales, and there was a store selling some ADORABLE Stride Rite shoes...for 75% off! So, what were originally $45 shoes (really, $45? Does anyone pay that much for children's shoes???) we got for $11! I think that my friend Carrie would be proud...not only because I got them for so cheap, but because he won't even be able to wear them for another year! But look at how cute they are...could you have resisted?

Creative Corner II

So, a few weeks ago, my friend Lisa came over and helped me paint some canvases for the baby's room. I think she was planning to have a little more creative freedom in the process, but those of you who know me, know that I don't do well with "creative freedom". Therefore, since I am fortunate enough to have an architect for a husband, he was able to draw up some "plans", create a template, and then trace that onto the canvases. We even determined what color each square would be on the computer! So essentially, Lisa and I had a Paint-by-Number afternoon! We had a good time, and I was so grateful for Lisa's help.


A close up shot of the freshly painted canvases...


The finish product hung perfectly on the wall!

And...the quilt hanging on the wall. It didn't turn out quite like we had planned, and hopefully when he gets much bigger and stronger he won't pull it off the wall!

A Growing Belly

Let me start by saying I apologize that it has been SO long since I have posted any pictures of my belly. I wrote this post like 3 1/2 weeks ago, and just never added the pictures, so I added more to it today and am finally posting it. Sorry I've been so negligent!

So, I've reached the Point of No Return. That's right, people are finally saying "Wow, you look like you could pop at any moment" and "You've got how long left?!" There is no more "You're so tiny", and I have to say, Eric's right, that was much nicer than the newest comments. Don't people realize there is an actual human growing in there??? They get bigger, they need room, they can't stay "tiny" forever!! Give me a break...Anyway, I haven't posted any pictures in while, and so here are a couple:



Here I am at 33 weeks and 2 days. Today the baby was moving a ton, which is so fun. No more kicking really, just squirms and rolls. One day last week I'm sure he was itching his little bottom on my belly...it was so funny! Watching my belly move is my new favorite hobby!



34 weeks...dressed for court, where attorneys are notoriously honest, which doesn't really fit the profile, since in the court room they can be so scandelous! One attorney told me she couldn't believe I was still around, and one told me I hadn't gained an ounce. Gotta love the difference in opinion...people are so weird!



35 weeks and 3 days, no story.



Here is a picture taken today at 37 weeks. This morning was a catastrophy and a moment when I was wishing I would no longer be pregnant. I am at the point of boiling most days, so I am having trouble finding short sleeve shirts that still cover my ever protruding belly! But my poor husband tried to give me a hug while I was feeling depressed, and I told him, "No! A hug won't help right now." And being the sweet man that he is, when I got home I was greeted by flowers. What an amazing husband he is and father he will be! We saw the doctor today as well, and unfortunately no news, but she will "check" again next week, and hopefully there will be more encouragement!

Along with my growing belly, I've also been fortunate enough to experience the growing love and support of my family and friends for Eric, myself and baby Ranger. My mom has tickets to come for a few weeks in September and help us out, my best friends Autumn and Lindsay are coming all the way across the company to meet Ranger in October, and my sister called me this week and will be coming to stay with us for the month of September. I feel so blessed to be loved by so many, and am so happy that Ranger will get to experience and feel all this love from the moment he arrives!

Good News

Well, praise God! We got great news yesterday...on two fronts. First, our dear friends in Arizona, Kevin & Rachel, brought their beautiful baby boy into the world yesterday. Rachel was apparently quite a trooper while delivering Isaac. We are eagerly anticipating pictures of the happy family!

On my own baby front, I went to the doc yesterday and....baby is "in position", in fact she asked about cramping and I said I was having quite a bit in my lower stomach, and she felt and said "Oh, no wonder, the baby's head is right there!" So, that was encouraging. AND, I'm dilated to 1cm! OK, I know that doesn't mean much, but it's at least comforting to know something is going on. I am getting so excited to say hello to Baby Ranger (and goodbye to swollen ankles), and now we're under the four week mark...I can't believe how quickly it's gone. Life will be changing so soon!

We ARE Still Here

I've been reprimanded...again...about updating our blog. Geesh...I just can't seem to get a control on this! Well, nothing too new has been happening in our lives, and to be quite honest, Eric and I have both been working A LOT, and at home we are either working on projects to prepare for our guests coming soon (yeah!!!), or working on work at home. Or, I fall asleep on the couch at 8pm...hello lack of energy!

But, really, everything is going well. We are preparing for Baby Ranger, getting clothes washed, getting the nursery ready (the canvases look great by the way), and trying to get the house clean. A little bit of nesting I guess, but really, there is only so much I can do.

I am feeling fairly well still. I am feeling stretched to capacity on most days, and am really unsure where he is going to go for the next FOUR weeks?!?!?! My legs are getting really swollen, but only from my knees down, which I think is a little odd. I am going to the doctor tomorrow for my first "check" and am hoping for some news. I know that may be optimistic, and may mean nothing at all, except the baby will come sometime in the next month, but I'm excited! What I'm not excited about is the scale, which seems to be showing all these pounds I keep packing on, but I'm really not sure where there going...and NO, they can't all be going to the baby, or that's one large baby!

We did complete our birthing class on Saturday, and it was very encouraging, very emotional, and made things very real. After a good deal of thought, I am entertaining the idea of a natural birth. I know, I know, I'm crazy, and I definitely don't need to hear that from anyone, I've heard it enough already. But I am really concerned about all those drugs passing to the baby, and I would really like to be able to spend my time laboring in different positions, not just stuck in my bed. So, if you have any encouraging natural birth stories for me, I'd love to hear them, but if you just want to tell me I'm crazy, keep your comments to yourself, thank you very much.

Eric's favorite pieces of information from our birthing class were 1.) That there is a 36" flat screen TV in each labor room and over 200 movies to choose from; and 2.) That for the time that I am in labor, he gets free food that he can order to have delivered right to the room. To his favor, he did acknowledge that it would be my choice whether or not the TV could be on, and what would be on it. He is going to be a great labor coach and daddy!

Anyway, I'm off to work, so that's it for now. I really will try to post some pictures this weekend. I've been taking them, it's just a matter of posting them. To be honest, I've even archived some blogs, but haven't posted the pictures to them yet! Hopefully I'll get better once Ranger is here.

Love you all!

Baby Ranger

So, just an FYI...those of you who I talk to frequently have heard the loving nickname that we've given our little boy, but for those of you who haven't, I just wanted to express it to you so you're not alarmed (or confused) as you read future blogs.

So, it's really hard to just say "the baby" or "he", and I detest "it", so, one day we were joking around with our friends and somehow the name "Ranger Danger" came up, and it's kind of stuck. So, we frequently now refer to the baby as "Baby Ranger" and my sister even added a nickname, so his full name (pre-birth of course) is Ranger Danger Super Hero Maring. It's quite a magnificent name for such a little guy...and we use it all the time. To the point where our four year old niece said at the fourth of July parade, "Aunt Ann, when baby Ranger learns to ride a bike, can you get him a helmet like that?" I hope we don't confuse her forever when he has a different name when he's born!

Anyway, just a quick note so you're not confused about who "Ranger" is, and so that you don't think you're catching me in some major slip-up giving you the name of our unborn son! Love to you all, Ann.

Craft Corner

I've been wanting to blog for a while now about Eric's handy creativity around the house...but just never got around to it, go figure! Anyway, my husband is quite handy with wood as many of you know, and has built some pretty fantastic things for our new house. There was a lot of talk about building our baby furniture, but we decided it was too much pressure and too much money for all the extra tools that would be required. But I wanted to share some pictures with you of some other things he has created....



Here is a beautiful wall hanging that he made for me after I found a similar one at the store that I liked, he knew he could do it better, and in fact he did!

He also decided he wante to build some bookshelves to place on either side of our fire place. They are currently in process...but here are some pictures of the bases which are done (minus finishing the tops) as well as the constructed book shelves. He's really done a great job, and I am so proud of his good work!

And finally, I was feeling somewhat motivated to do a craft for baby Ranger's room...that's right, I was feeling crafty...it's this motherly hormone I think. So, we bought a few canvases, and painted them cream, and next my friend Lisa promised to come over and help me paint them to mimic the pattern in Ranger's bedding. I am so excited and can't wait to finish and hang them so you all can see. Let's hope that I don't destroy them! I also painted some quilt hangers so that we can hang the quilt on the wall, since it doesn't really have any other purpose at this point. :)

Pretty Toes

So, I have reached the point where it is increadibly uncomfortable and unrealistic to bend over and paint my own toes. And the doctor has scared me into believing that there are pressure points in your calves and feet that make massages (ie pedicures) capable of inducing labor! So...I told Eric he was going to have to paint my toes....




And surprisingly enough he agreed! And I must say, for a first timer (????) I think he did quite an excellent job. Even though it wasn't as fun as a pedicure, it saved us $30, and my tootsies look pretty good!


At least we know that if things with architecture go belly up, he's got a decent stand-by career! Although, I'm not to sure he would agree with that!

30 Weeks and 5 days

Here is my most recent picture, taken Sunday. Let me just say, this shot is a bit misleading. I swear, I am like 10x's the size I appear in this picture. Just this morning while getting ready for church I was cursing this "gigantic belly that gets in the way of everything". Then, while sitting in church, I experienced our little guy have hiccups for the first time that I've noticed, and got to watch him move around a bit. That has to be by far my new favorite activity! Anyway....here I am!

The Strawberry Patch

I was talking with my friend Tonya a few weeks ago, trying to find a time for us to hang out. She suggested that we go pick strawberries...how fantastic! Then she suggested we make some jam...even better! So, today (yes today...I know impressive right, I'm documenting something that I actually did on this day!), Tonya and I set out to the strawberry patch to get the goods.

There were lots of people who had the same idea...this is apparently a very popular past time that I had never had the joy of partaking in! But the gettin's were good and there were plenty of strawberries to go around.

Here's Tonya, she thought that because her eyes were closed, I wouldn't post the picture...hahahah!

Here I am...it was fun...but word for the wise...don't attempt this when you are pregnant, the baby doesn't enjoy being squished!

And here we are leaving the strawberry patch...our load was 16.5 pounds...but don't worry, they're MUCH cheaper when you pick 'em yourself!

And here we are...after 15 jars of jam, we each still had at least half our strawberries left! Oh my goodness, what am I going to do with all these strawberries?? And we really don't even eat that much jam, so what am I going to do with EIGHT jars??? So please, any great strawberry ideas and recipes, share, share, share. I have a feeling I'll be busy over the next couple days!

The Nursery

Well, I know it's taken some time, but finally, here they are...pictures of the nursery. You've been waiting so long, and surely you are expecting much more than you will find, but remember it's a work in progress!

Ah yes, the beautiful before shots....I know, a blue room, how perfect for a baby boy! But really, everything was blue, the carpet, the walls, even the mini-blinds...it was a bit frightening. I was happy to see it all go...and Eric was happy that he now has a "putting blue" in the basement.

After two paint colors...and Eric almost not speaking to me, we were able to get the new carpet in and the furniture moved in as well. If you can believe it, the first color was even brighter than this color, but after four coats of paint, I felt it would be best to accept the brightest color in our house, and move on, instead of getting the death look from my husband for the next several weeks!

This is actually a pretty interesting piece of furniture, and no, it's not upside down, although it appears it may be. It is a dresser, that when the baby is small, you can flip over and use as a changing table, the drawers flip over and everything!

I know it appears sparsely decorated at this point, but I've got big plans...books, bins, cute pictures, etc...I'll keep you posted as it fills up.

And the crib...because I waited so long, we received the mattress as a gift from my mom who is sad she may not make any of my showers. And this is the bedding that I loved, and why the room ended up such a bright green in the first place! I think I am going to hang the quilt on the wall, but we have to find the little do-hickies that will allow us to do that first!