The Excitement Of Getting Ready!

Well, there certainly is a lot to be getting ready for; and the joy and excitement of it all is making me giddy! First off: Getting Ready for Hannah Kate! I got some great maternity shirts that I had been wanting for a while now, and really kind of needed and I love them! One of my favorites is black with pink and silver detail that says "Princess in Progress" Wearing it kind of makes me extra aware of my precious baby girl! We are only 12 weeks away from meeting our sweet daughter and with one shower down we are still receiving items in the mail, stocking up her stuff for the move and working on her nursery.
My mom got all the fabric for her curtains, bedding etc. on Black Friday and I ordered her rocker special order several weeks ago. Her crib and toy/book cabinet are waiting at my mom's house and I just finished transforming an old buffet table into her dresser/changing table!

We are so excited and can't wait to have her room all set up and ready for her when she get's here!

That's another thing we are getting ready for! We move in 17 days! In preparation we have been selling things on Craigslist, booked our moving truck, will be getting a storage room in Round Rock and taking a few trips up in advance to be sure we can get it all there, and I have been organizing and packing and donating like crazy! I am SO excited to get back home, be near family, be in MY home, get everything put away and organized and start perfecting Hannah Kate's room!

Getting ready for Christmas: this is more of a heart/spiritual preparedness. I LOVE this time of year so I am definitely preparing with Joy in my heart but I am also challenged to remember what Christmas is really about and to be focused on the right aspects of the season. We already have all of our Christmas gifts ready and waiting at Gigi and Pop's house for Christmas morning, and we will be all moved in (hopefully) and relaxed, ready to spend our last Christmas before parenthood with each other and family.

I am SO ecstatic about everything coming up and so blessed that I have enough to do in the mean time that I am not just bored out of my mind counting minutes until either Ryan get's home or our move back home.

28 WEEKS!!!

Today we are 28 weeks along! Only 12 more weeks before we are full term and ready to meet Hannah Kate!

We have had quite the holiday weekend! Let's recap:

Wednesday was nice because it was like a Friday. I got back from Austin where I had a fabulous time with my mom and sister and a wonderful doctor's appointment that confirmed both Hannah Kate and myself are stellar in the health department! :)
I got to show Ryan and his mom our ultra sound on DVD and then Ryan and I enjoyed a relaxing evening at home, slept in late, and headed to Thanksgiving at Gran's.
We watched the Texans game (We are so going to the super bowl!) Had the turkey and fixins. And then transitioned into a family baby shower for Hannah Kate! She got so many wonderful things! We got a great head start with her car seat, bouncer, sleep and play rocker, swaddles and bath stuff. I'm so grateful! And had so much fun I can't wait for the next shower in Austin! :)

Friday was a great relaxing day of sleeping in and enjoying extra time with my hubby. We spent some more time with Gran and Grandad and Allison and Bob and came home late but still got plenty enough sleep for Saturday! We moved from the briar forest garage to the 290 garage so that when we move to Austin in 20 days we are only moving from one area.
This was a very good thing because it showed us that there is no possible way we can move all of our stuff in one trip. We packed a 16 foot truck full of stuff just from the briar forest garage. We are renting the largest truck possible (26 foot) for our move and we just cannot expect to fit a couch, two beds, and the rest of the apartment etc in an extra ten feet.
So I think we have decided to try for me to make two trips in the next 20 days with the van packed to the max with boxes and smaller items to put in a storage room so that we decrease what we take on moving day.
We may also have a friend with a truck coming up from Austin to help. Then I think we can be moved all in that weekend... except for Ryan's silly work truck.

After we got all moved in the 290 garage we got some lunch and had our Christmas exchange! That was so much fun. Allie got really into it and I'm glad we got to make it happen because with our move just 3 weeks away and everyone's busy schedules, I wasn't sure it would get to happen in person this year.

So I have got from searching for projects to keep me busy until we move to having long lists of to do's to prepare for the move. I have more things to organize with the baby shower and Christmas and now that we know we are going to have to rent a storage room and make some extra trips, I have some planning to do, not so mention actually organizing what can go down to a storage room and what needs to stay until moving day etc. Plus I have errands to run, bills to pay, furniture to redo etc.
But I am more than thankful for all of it because I was asking God to help me find ways to be productive and not be bored or too anxious for future days. I'm enjoying everything in it's time and then the time just flies by!

Well, this post is far too long as it is and I have plenty to do, so HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON!!!

In The Home Stretch!

Today I am 27 weeks pregnant which puts me into my third and final trimester! I can hardly believe it! In 91 days I will be full term and ready for Hannah Kate to arrive at any time! It's gone by a lot faster than I would have though in some cases but a lot slower in other ways.
When I think about what's going to happen over the next few months I know these last several weeks are going to wiz by!

For instance: It's Thanksgiving week! Today I super clean the apartment and get all the laundry done because I won't have time to do it before Thanksgiving. Tomorrow morning I get up and head out to Austin for a big doctor's appointment and an overnight stay with my parents. Wednesday I head back to Houston in time to meet my hubby after work and TA-DA a long holiday weekend begins!
Thursday is not only Thanksgiving at Grans but a family Baby Shower for Ryan and I. We might just take a look at Black Friday ads and venture out... or not. We will see. But we should get plenty of family time over the weekend. We are also going to be moving all the big bulky furniture from Briar Forest to the 290 garage so we can better hose/clean things off and get organized for the move. This will make things SO much easier because the 290 house is just 5 minutes or so from the apartment and now we will only be moving from one area, instead of having to take a moving truck all the way to the other side of town.
It also gives me a work place to get started on my changing table/dresser for Hannah Kate's room. I'm really excited about that because I've run out of things to work on up until a week or less before the move so it gives me something fun to do with my time!

I know this week is going to fly by, what with Ryan off so much and fun family affairs going on and then we are officially into the Christmas season! And even today we are only 26 days out from our move home! After this week we start the 20 day count down and that's when I can get back to work on getting things ready! (or at least, within that amount of time. I got a good head start so only last minute stuff is left to do as far as the move goes.)

All these count downs! 3 days until Thanksgiving! 26 days until we move home! 36 days until Christmas! And 91 days until we will be able to meet our precious baby! And between Christmas and Hannah Kate's due date we have New Years, Birthdays, Valentine's day, and right about the time she is expected to arrive, our anniversary! :)
This last trimester will be full of joy and life and love and family! I'm so excited! And so very grateful!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK!!!

Exactly One Month From Today....

Today is November 15th. On December 15th we will be packing up one GIANT Penske truck and our awesome mini van (with all the seats down!) and heading back to Austin!

Now that we are just 4 weeks away, we have done a lot of prep to make this move easier. I have learned SO much from all of our moves!
Grocery shopping is different now. I try only to buy things I am SURE we will consume before the move and am especially careful with cold foods. I'm not planning on moving anything edible! It's one less thing to deal with. So the pantry and the freezer/refrigerator were all cleaned out before I went shopping today, we have gone through clothes, books, movies, closets, cabinets, under the bed containers, boxes etc and have gotten rid of things in EVERY category and then reorganized or repacked it.
Yesterday I went through the bathroom supplies. Hair products make up etc. I let it add up when really it should get thrown away and sorted, and I was about ready to box it up when I realized I was out of tape.
But Ryan came home with a Walmart gift card from work! We got to grab some fun things as well as a few little things before pay day.

Today I was planning on using our last box to box up the bathroom things we don't use on a regular basis and on my way out to grocery shop I noticed a small stick of unused packing boxes near a dumpster in our complex! Score!

We are both SO ready to get back home we are ahead of the game! Our electricity and water have already been pre set up to start back in Pflugerville on appropriate days. I am scanning the best deal on internet services to have one some out and hook us up on move in day, we have already ordered our truck and started packing and grouping our things for an easier move, and we have even already recruited a few loving helpers for move in day.
My big brother is doing his best to be here to help Ryan pack up the truck before we head out but his work schedule is crazy!
I can pack up the van by myself it's mostly loose items, clothes, decor, baskets etc. All the delicate things will be in my care. The truck will have furniture and boxes.

I get so excited organizing our return home and I'm so glad we get to be back in time to enjoy some of the Christmas holiday before it's over!

This Time Last Year...

On November 11th 2011 Ryan and I officially became foster parents with our very first placement. At about 10pm our case manager, a CPS worker, and two little boys showed up at our door. The youngest of the two in the arms of the CPS worker wearing too small PJs with cars characters on them and wrapped up in a fuzzy blue blanket. He had smiling eyes, a happy face and fuzzy hair that was to die for.  He let me hold him right away and I realized just how big he was. 9 Month old Julienn came into our lives that night, along with his 3 year old uncle Cesar, who only stayed a few days before returning home.
JJ however, he changed our lives! I think of him this time of year and it just hit me that we had only had hime a few weeks before Thanksgiving but by that holiday, everyone was in love with him and captured by his charm and exuberant joy. What a precious, precious boy. I miss him so much! And realized what we had with him to it's fullest extent only after he was gone. If I had it to do over again I would have done better by him.

We get into things like service and charity for one reason or another. We got into fostering because God told us to but we did think about how much we intended of helping and blessing the lives that came through our home and really, we were blessed, we were touched, and we learned so much from such precious little children who had been through much more than I ever had.

Julienn will be two years old about the time Hannah Kate is due to arrive. I can hardly believe it! I wonder what he looks like now, how he's doing, if he speaks English as well as Spanish etc. I had no idea what a permanent effect loving him and caring for him for only 6 months would have one me. He left a little chubby hand print on my heart and I will always think of him.

But soon I will have my own baby to love and care for and look after, and devote my time and effort to. Without CPS, without visits and regulations and agencies. Just my husband, our daughter, and me.
I don't know if our fostering days are completely over yet or not. I wonder that a lot. But Ryan and I are both certain that it will be a good long while before we seriously begin considering something like that, or adoption, again. We will be giving all of our time and attention to Hannah Kate for a while.

I do cherish my JJ memories. I believe he had a special impact not only on Ryan and I but our families as well. He was a hard boy to upset. Always so happy and bubbly, everything was always just fine in his little eyes. I love that. I hope to adopt that spirit and outlook on life. So much joy.

Homeward Bound!

Well, what a week it has been! Full of prayer and planning and good conversations between my husband and me. We found out after lots of back and forth communication with our tenant that he will be able to move out just in time for us to move in. This was a huge anxiety of mine as I'm just so ready to be done with temporary living and moving! One thing that I treasure is that while praying for this to work out I specifically prayed that because it's a favor to us for Steve to break the lease, that his move would some how bless him. We found out that his new place is not only more central to his job but very close to some old buddies he's been trying to reconnect with and he is very happy with the move. :)

We expected to be rushing to move in and get settled just DAYS before Christmas but found out this week that Ryan finished school December 13th, and starts his job in Austin December 17th which means we will be moving December 15th and 16th. A week before we thought we would be able to! This brings both blessings and conflict. It means we may have more help moving in the house, and we have more time to get settled before Christmas. But that weekend is the Nutcracker weekend here in Houston. The Nutcracker ballet is a tradition in Ryan's family and while circumstances mean we will have to miss this year, it was also the planned date of our Houston baby shower so that sort of got messed up. We also need to find a time to have a Christmas with our family here in Houston before we leave.
That being said, I am relieved that we get to be out of this apartment a week sooner. Don't get me wrong I'm not against apartment living, we are just disappointed in this specific apartment as our water and electricity have been turned off and gone out several times and the construction has been non stop and we happen to be completely surrounded by smoking neighbors. Plus, our apartment doesn't hold enough of our kitchen stuff to really feel settled so we've been living in a state of temporary inconvenience and  I'm just so ready to have all of our things in one home again, not 4. :)

So all in all, I am happy we get to move in sooner, I'm just bummed that it interfered with family plans here in Houston. Hopefully it will all get worked out. We were trying to have two showers so no one had to drive the distance between Austin and Houston but it may be easier for some Houston family to come to Austin for a shower in January, I don't know. I just want everything to be easier on the people trying to bless us with showers. I feel bad our move messed that up.

I realized that the day we move home I will be about 31 weeks pregnant! How is that possible?! I'll only be about 9 weeks away from meeting our sweet girl! (give or take a few days)
I'm nearly 26 weeks today but 31 just seems so much closer! :) 8 weeks after Christmas we will be on the watch for little Hannah Kate, in our hometown with our favorite OB, in our own home, with my mom and sister just a drive away.

All this craziness with the move and overlapping the last few months rent with the first few months mortgage puts us in a very tight budget but I'm actually thankful for that! It's forced us to be wise and disciplined with the money God has entrusted us with and more creative and purposeful with our time.
We have a 3 month plan in place and scheduled weekly budget meetings and a list of free entertainment ideas to keep us from blowing the budget. We do much better things with our time like reading out loud, finding free museum days, working out together, planning gardens, playing board games, couples bible studies. Our budget is giving us this amazing opportunity to become closer and more engaged that going out for dinner and a movie, or as we've done, renting a movie to watch at home.
We even cooked a big breakfast dinner last night and it was great! We may go on a picnic today.
I love my husband so very much and love that we are learning these things before Hannah Kate comes!

I feel so blessed, more than content, very happy and at peace!

Thank you Jesus for all that we have!

Election Reflections

Let me just say that I hate politics! I have hidden and nearly unfriended people from facebook because over the past several weeks it has been used as a platform not only to endorse certain political figures but to slander the opponent as well.

I was as informed as someone like me can be about the huge issues of our nations and the platforms of the candidates. My husband did research and we spoke with people we love and trust and we did our part and voted (Though I'm not sure mine was counted because I voted out of district.)

Now we have our President for the next four years and while I may not have voted for him or agree with his policies, he is still our president. A national leader, and as far as I'm concerned he should automatically have my respect, simply because I am to respect the authorities.
It makes me sad to see and hear such negative and unChrist-like remarks from Christians, not only aimed at our President but at our country for "choosing" him.
Has anyone stopped to think that if God didn't want him to be our President He could have prevented it? Maybe what is to come is all a part of God's plan for this nation. I don't know, I don't understand half of what this could mean for our future and as soon as my husband and I have the chance I know we would love to sit down with Mom and Dad Brown and pick their brains on the matter knowing that their central focus is not on man but on God.

I am disappointed. Not so much in the outcome of the election but in the reaction of so many of "God's People" The world already views us as people of hate, condemnation, and hypocrites. We are already working against things we are not, and when we react against our nation and it's leader we are not doing the Kingdom of God ANY favors.
"They will know we are Christians by our love" And yet Christians can be some of the most ruthless politically envolved that I have ever known.
Our faith and the actions that spring forth from that faith should set us a part from the world in such a way that presents light in the darkness. But where is our faith if we are so changed, enraged, or in despair over the outcome of who our earthly leader is? Is he not human? Because God is immortal, way beyond anything of a human! And as far as action; what good is complaining and spreading fear over what is to come? That is the wrong action in my opinion because who can know what is really to come?

I am not saying that I have no anxieties about what is to come. I know it might get a lot harder, and I have some fear of hardship, however, that fear is leveled with the faith I have both in my amazing God and my incredible husband who have provided for and looked after me and will continue to do so.
There is nothing qrong with being prepared but perspective is so easily lost.

Christians should not be just like the rest of the world except that we go to church every week. We should be defined by the God who saved us and therefore be living our lives for Him and with His Kingdom at the fore fronts of our minds, and not be caught up with the day to day life of this world.
God is bigger, and we should be better.

That is all.

25 Weeks

It's strange, I've been pregnant for over five months now but just suddenly feel very pregnant. Physically. Ryan is very amused at how tight and round my stomach is getting and how powerful and more frequent Hannah Kate's movements are becoming.
It's a precious thing that I am so grateful for, feeling her inside, knowing that she's growing and developing on track; falling more and more in love with her every day.
Yesterday Ryan told me he loves her so much already and just can't wait to meet her, to hold her, to see her. His excitement and brimming love for her already brings me so much joy. I always knew he would love her but as husbands aren't the one carrying the baby I had been prepared for it to take him a little longer to be as excited as I am. Or maybe even to have to see her to fall head over heels. Not my husband. And I'm so glad!

We finished reading The Magician's Nephew last night and I never realized how many parallels there were between the children's story and the Christian life. Hannah Kate loves family reading time. She gets to hear both of her parents read aloud to her even before she is born.
We start The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe tonight and at this rate we will be through the whole series before she is even born! Then I think we will move to baby board books.

I do feel very pregnant now... I think I just noticed that I walk differently, sit differently, lay differently... I'm now to the point where I have to change things to accommodate my growing mid section. It makes me smile.

We have about 15 weeks left before we meet our precious little girl. (I'm guessing closer to 16 weeks but we will be full term in 15 so that's what I'll count to.)

At Thanksgiving we will have about 12 weeks left.
At Christmas we will only have about 8 weeks left.
And on Ryan's and mine birthdays only about 4 weeks left.
Somewhere between Valentine's Day and our 3rd Anniversary our sweet girl will be born. Which I think is sweet because with Valentine's day before her birthday and her parent's anniversary after, her special days is surrounded by love. :)
Her official due date is February 18th, but based on measurements and more informed calculations it's closer to February 20th. Neither of which really matter because babies are hardly ever born on their due date.

I am excited to meet her but am not really rushing it. I want her to be healthy and that's all that really matters.

I think I am more anxious to get home. Once I'm back in my home town where our real doctor is, the one who's been there from the PCOS diagnosis and all the fertility challenges, the one who doesn't hide his faith in Jesus and has the best Nurse Practitioner ever who just happened to be a foster mom when I was and became a very sweet friend to me, then I will feel even more at ease. I trust those people and feel taken care of. Once we are back home my favorite NP will take us through our birthing class and I will feel more prepared.
Beyond that, once we are home I'll be near my family again! I'll have my beautiful mother just a short drive away with her bountiful wisdom, experience and sweet encouragement. I'll have my wonderful father with His loving insight, spiritual direction, strong prayers, and special "Daddy Comfort" that got me through so much growing up.
I'll have my awesome siblings who will be great aunts and uncles and some of which already have little cousins waiting to meet Hannah Kate for play dates and mommy get togethers.
I'll have what's been a  huge support group to me all my life and I can't wait. Neither can Ryan! He is so excited to get back home to family too! I know he's looking forward to Christmas and more Mom and Dad Brown talk time about homeschooling and the future of our nation.
And I know he will feel more at ease about his wife and his daughter not only doing okay but thriving at home while he does his part os provider and dutifully goes to work and school.

Getting home in time to have everything ready for Hannah's arrival means peace for both of us. Well, all three of us really! With my daughter inside of me I'm sure she senses a more relaxed mama.

So that is what I am thankful for today. Peace from God through the gift of family and home. And in the meantime, I'm also thankful for the patience to be able to look forward to going home while still living out the rest of our time here. And I'm thankful for how quickly time is passing and the holidays to keep as busy and happy and GRATEFUL!

Thoughts

- Something about the red Holiday cups (And not working at Starbucks) makes the drinks taste better at this time of year.  :)

- I'm so glad it's  November! I love this time of year, I hope the weather gets cooler very quickly.

- It's possible Ryan might be able to take off the day of my appointment to make a day trip with me to the OB in Austin. At least we still wouldn't have to board the dogs. We will reevaluate when we get closer.

- Ryan and I are both trying to be better stewards in life. One thing we have concentrated on is wasting time with too much media. We are not against TV, video games or internet (obviously) but it does become so much a part of our daily routine that we have decided to get more creative and purposeful with our time.

- One thing we have started doing is reading out loud together. We started with Narnia (We like to include Hannah Kate, she can hear us reading!) We are reading the Magicians Nephew

- With less media and more one on one time we find we have more to talk about. Like what books and movies we want or don't want our children to take part in. I love parenting discussions because they get pretty deep but we always seem to be of one mind :)

- We've also started Study Dates! Neither of us are natural studiers but Ryan is studying to get his own HVAC license so he can start his own business on the side and be more comfortable taking on residential jobs. The test is tough and he has LOTS of material to go over. Only 40% of people pass the first time.
While he studies (if he doesn't need my help) I am writing a novel which I hope to sell and bring in a small income. It's a lofty dream but if I do get published with one book it just makes it that much easier to get published with another and it's something I can do while still being a full time Mom.

- Our first Study Date was telling. We are making progress but it will take us both a while before we can really hammer down and get more done in select periods of time.

- I need more personal projects. Ryan is gone more lately and I've run out of things to do. I've done all the organizing/decluttering I can do, and I don't want to start any projects that just clutter up the place again. (Like craft projects that just eventually get thrown away.) But I definately need something to keep my mind and hands busy to pass the time... Hmmmm...

-Thanksgiving is gonna be here before we know it! I have soo much to be Thankful for! I can't wait to be back home with my parents and family and raise our daughter and other children back home!