Habbakuk 1:5b

"For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if you were told." Habbakuk 1:5b

Sunday, November 30, 2008

The Advent Conspiracy

20 week and 20 lbs

There are no words to describe how I feel in this body. All I can say is I'm 1/2 way done.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

The infamous belly button ring

Does everyone know that I have a belly button ring? I got it pierced at the end of my first year in PA school, just two days before starting rotations and meeting Bill. I have never changed it but now it is time because of my expanding baby belly. I bought a pregnancy piercing online which is a long flexible plastic bar that can be used hopefully throughout my pregnancy until I can put my regular ring back in. Having never changed my ring, I sought help from an expert. Katie, a nurse at work, had changed hers plenty of times so this morning before work got too busy, she changed it out. My friend, Kim, was shadowing me today and she took the pics.
Here is the before shot.
Getting my old ring out--- how much skinnier I look laying down
Ringless (how my father would much rather have my belly button)
My new piercing in place.
Side view
Of yeah it also glows in the dark... holla! I'm awesome.

A makeover

So this is a picture of 'the old chair'. My dad bought it for my mom in 1974 and she nursed me in this sweet green plaid rocker. It was in our house for years and I took it to PA school because I didn't have any other furniture. I put a blanket over it so it didn't look so bad. It has been in our garage since we moved into our house in 2005 and it really shows its years. We took it to a local upholstery place for it to be redone. It was my parent's present to me for Christmas and new baby to have it redone.
It was just delivered yesterday and here it is. The color is kind of neutral/basic but it will go in any room and once I get the nursery set, I'll get some colored pillows to match. I can't believe how amazing it looks.
It looks like a brand new chair and it is so comfy. I'm ready to rock my little baby for hours in this. We also picked the fabric that is tough and will cover spit up really well :-)
I can't wait to pack this chair into a Uhaul in 19 years as we send little on off to college-- they will probably think the chair is ugly and old, but I'll give them the sob story about how I was nursed in this chair and they were nursed in this chair and they'll be mortified that they have to take it, but I think deep down they'll love it just like I do.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

A new day is dawning

So today I went to Stuff, which is our consignment shop, and I cleaned up. I can't believe the deals I got. I am taking everyone's advice and I am embracing my new body and trying to glow. Gals at work said to add some things that you picked out to your handmedowns and you'll feel much better about clothes and getting fatter. We'll see how long it lasts.
These four shirts were 'regular' price (but I got 10% off because I donated a dollar to their charity of the day) ...
$4.50, $6.29, $3.60, $3.00
These pants were also 'regular price' minus 10%
brown cords on the L still with tags on them, $8.99
green cords in the middle, my 'splurge' of the day, $11.69 (I have them on right now and they are so comfy and cute)
army green cotton pants on the R $7.19
Here come the real bargains---
this super cute, maybe impractical for iowa winter but i can wear it in Mexico and in the spring before i (hopefully) get back to my old clothes, dress.
tags still on it, original price $46.99
stuff price $19.99, but 80% off today so I got it for $4.00
For some reason I can't type above these two dresses. The one on the L I will wear for Christmas. Who cares that it doesn't have sleeves? That is what sweaters are for. It is kind of hard to see but it is black with red beading. 80% off today, I paid $1.60 for it.
The dress on the L is fake velvet which I can wear when I see Wicked in Chicago in a few weeks. Little flowers along the empire waist. 50% off today, I paid $3.50.
Grand total for 4 shirts, 3 pants and 3 dresses... $57.62

I can't believe the finds I found. Thanks to my friend, Ali, who told me Stuff in Coralville is better than the one in Iowa City and thanks to you all for helping me regroup and 'remoralize' after my demoralization. You all are the best!

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Remoralization

Is that even a word? Thanks to all my great girlfriends who have sent stories of their own pregnancy weights. I am feeling much better. Tomorrow I think I will inventory all my maternity clothes and maybe hit Goodwill and see if I can add anything else to my closet. Good news! I have not had to go up a size in scrubs yet. I am going to post more pictures maybe at 19 but definitely at 20 weeks. I can't believe we will (hopefully) know what he/she is in less than 2 weeks. We are pretty set on names and only have to wait for the gender to think about nursery theme.

Thanks again for boosting my morale!

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Demoralization

Here is an ode to my size 6 pants. The ones I worked so hard with weight watchers to fit into. The ones I rejoiced when I bought and wanted to tell everyone at the store that I was now wearing a size 6. I even bought a few size 4's just because I could. Here is an ode to you as well. You don't fit anymore. I am fat. I am having a baby. I am trying to be positive that I am giving life to someone but right now I'm a little pissed my clothes don't fit. Isn't it early for my pants not to fit? I'm only 18 weeks. Rumor has it the gal at church who will deliver any day still wears her regular pants. I try not to hate her. Could that rumor be true? I packed up all my pants, shorts and skirts into a giant tub. I just can't see them anymore. I have been blessed by my Aunt Linda and my friend Janel for loaning me maternity clothes so I actually won't be naked.
Right now in this 'blessed season', I just feel demoralized. This little person better be worth it and like sleep through the night at 4 weeks and be ready for raking at age two :-) People say pregnant ladies glow and look great. I am not glowing and feel flabby. Ugh. Oh yeah and Half Pint, I love you and all, but no complaining about the jog stroller because it is going to be your second home until Mommy can retrieve the tub of her wonderful size 6 pants and get back into them.
**disclaimer no one send me a comment about how your wore your regular jeans until like 36 weeks or you never grew out of them and weren't you just so lucky? my misery only loves company. i want to hear fat stories and the redemption weight loss power of delivery and breast feeding**

Team Iverson

Our back yard is not huge but as of about 15 minutes ago it was covered in about 2 inches of wet fallen leaves. Yesterday I tried to go out and rake it into piles... I lasted less than 20 minutes when I realized I am either too pregnant or too lazy to be raking up wet heavy leaves when it is actually snowing. "What would happen to our grass if we just left those leaves out there?" I asked Bill when I came in. He grunted and shrugged and I know thought I was a wimp for not raking more. Today he went out to rake, he got the lawn raked into piles and got two huge blisters on his hands for his effort. We were going to have to become Team Iverson if we were going to get it all moved to the front for the town leaf sucker who is scheduled on our street in about 48 hours. So we rallied the troops, got the tarps and loaded them up before dragging them to the front. Bill broke a rake in half. Perfect size for half pint to help us out in a year or two.
Here are the after shots of the backyard
Come snow, we're ready for you.
Here are some sweet shots of the massive pile out front

The pile is about 1/2 as tall as Nile; he posed for comparison.
Team Iverson 1 Lawn 0
casualty 1 rake

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Even sweeter

Bill said this morning, "You know what made the game yesterday even sweeter?" (rhetorical question, I thought, so I didn't answer) "That I got to be there with Nile and for the rest of our lives we can talk about the game and how he ran down the field and that we were there together" He's right, that is even sweeter.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

One for the ages

"I have been to the mountaintop and I have seen the promised land". My fingers and toes have finally thawed so I am able to blog about it. We just got back from the Hawk game where they beat #3 Penn State with a last second field goal. Finally a nationally televised game where we didn't play like losers. When Rick Stanzi, our QB, was marching us down the field getting us the into field goal range, I yelled "If we win I will name my unborn child Stanzi" Do you think I am tied to that promise? It was just a bunch of drunk freezing guys who heard. Bill negated my promise by yelling "No we won't" right after. The win was made sweeter because hometown hero, alumni of Regina (where Gabby and Nile go to school), walk on kicker Daniel Murray scored the field goal to win the game. I watched it happen and I still can't believe it. I know it is only football but I started to cry when we won. I only had my camera phone so the pictures aren't great but at least I got some pictures.
the all important scoreboard the field after the game
the mob was crazy
our frozen smiles
Nile and his friend, Cale with Bill. we were lucky that Uncle Tom had two extra tickets so Nile could go with his friend.
IT IS A GREAT DAY TO BE A HAWK!

Friday, November 7, 2008

No offense

Ok no offense to all other kids even my own child brewing in my belly, no one is cuter than our friend Zuzu. She was Texas Toast for Halloween and you have to see her. Click on the "Coleman Family Blog" on the R column and check out her sweet costume. I can't get enough, I watch the video every day.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Progress made by my mom and dad

So some of these pictures were taken in the dark... dang you day light savings time. I knew this about my mom but it has become very evident that she likes to cut things and rake... she trimmed the bushes, wacked all the hostas out front, raked all the leaves in the front and helped my dad cut down an entire tree. Last time she was here the bushes were so overgrown that in the first 15 minutes of their arrival they had been to Ace Hardware and bought an electric hedge trimmer. Good thing we have had blessed weather --- sunny and in the 70s which is UNHEARD of for November in Iowa.
Here is the new sink and towel rack. Now the downstairs bathroom is offically done in its overhaul.
One side of our front yard
The other side of the front yard
Those bags contain what was a good size tree next to our driveway and here is our pile of leaves awaiting the town to suck them up hopefully before they all get blown back on the lawn.
Here is where the tree was.
My dad helped me make this cool star into a lamp that I am going to hang from the living room ceiling... let's be honest, the star will lay around until my dad comes out next time to help me hang it from the living room ceiling.
Here it is all lit up.


My folks leave tomorrow and here is what we have acquired during my dad's errands to the hardware store...
1. 'real' work gloves --apparently ours are for gardening wimps
2. a 'real' step stool/ladder -- apparently our two step stool is not tall enought
3. new light bulbs bought and installed
4. a channel lock wrench --because you can't not have a channel lock wrench in your toolbox
5. new hedge trimmer strong enough to cut down big limbs on a full grown tree
6. new bow saw blade -- which will come in handy when we cut down our xmas tree next month
7. telescoping faucet wrench --for all the other sink fixtures i plan to change
8. new mat for the porch
9. bird seed for the feeders
10. knee pads for working -- because my old volleyball knee pads didn't cut it -- my dad has a pair of these at each of his children's homes because he knows too well how much work his kids never do
11. multiple nuts/bolts/screws/sinkers/washers -- because if we needed just 6 my dad bought 20, you never know he'd say

He was tempted to buy a new drill set and power saw because next trip he is going to fix the porch railing but he resisted and will get those next time. my dad likes to buy stuff to make his kids comfortable... at least bill and i got to buy a few meals and even our own groceries.

Finished projects:
1. curtains in the living room
2. new sink fixture
3. new towel rack hung
4. tree down
5. lawn raked
6. hostas trimmed
7. hard drives removed from the old desk top which has been sitting in our upstairs hallway since November 2007 and the lap top which crashed... both computers were taken to Goodwill and my dad is taking the hard drives home to burn in the fireplace

Sentimental project in progress:
my folks are paying to have the rocking chair that my mom nursed me in re-upholstered and totally re-done so i can nurse my half pint in the same chair. pictures to come of the finished project.

Saturday, November 1, 2008

15 weeks and 4 days-- on 10/31

I don't know if that is a baby bump or just fat but this is what my tummy looks like at almost 16 weeks. It has been a fun weekend with my mom looking at strollers and cribs and clothes. Two big boxes of maternity hand-me-downs arrived on my door step this week from my aunt Linda and my generous friend Janel. I don't think I'll have to buy anything to wear between now and April 20th.



Happy Halloween! (a day late)


Nile's spider and Gabby's happy face lit up for all to enjoy (albeit a bit blurry)

Finally the curtains are hung

So my folks are here for the weekend and we are getting house projects done. I think I bought these curtains and rods in like March. I tried to put them up myself but just couldn't get it done. Bill said he could help but we never had time/energy/desire. So my dad and I got them done. Only one swear word spoken when the screw broke off in the solid wood molding. We ended up having to go to the hardware store to get small length screws because the ones it came with were ridiculously long and meant for dry wall and not 106 year old solid dark wood. My dad and I don't mind the hardware store because you always find something you didn't know you needed and they have free popcorn. Bill painted the front porch and my mom was attacking our scrubs with the electric hedge trimmer while we were handing the curtains. We all think they look nice.

We also made a lamp out of this cool star we got in Mexico like three years ago and will post pictures as soon as we get it hung up.