Okay boys and girls. This blog is a little out there, and uses some descriptions that you may not be comfortable with. If you're easily offended, go ahead and hit that little red X in the top right hand corner now.

When I got pregnant, I expected certain things to take place. You hear of the cravings, the frequent bathroom breaks, the hormones, and hot flashes... blah blah blah. But, what I'm here to inform you of, are the things that you DON'T hear about. We are all mature adults here, and so I'm not going to beat around the bush and hold back my thoughts.

 Beware: You're entering my brain. It's a very scary place- especially right now.

 "The Stuff They Don't Tell You..."

•      When you feel the urge to wet your pants, and you dash to the bathroom, only a few tablespoons of urine comes out.

·         If you’re drinking enough water, you WILL pee every couple of hours or more throughout the day.

·         It will take you longer to get ready because each week, the clothes that might have fit the week before fit in an entirely different way.

·         Your feet can grow- and I hear they don’t go back to their orginal size. Not good for those of us with skis...

·         That you have uncontrollable gas. Seriously, like someone sneaks up behind you and passes gas, and you hear it, but know that it couldn’t possibly have been you.

·         You now have a temporary tattoo on your forehead that reads, “Please, my life will not be complete unless you give me the advice that you think I must have to grow my unborn child.”

·         That animals and babies have a sense that your pregnant. My dog Blue has become very protective over me, and seems to be more affectionate way more affectionate.

·         They DO tell you that you’ll be emotional, but you can’t possibly understand it until you’ve been through it.

·         That you can no longer landscape the nether regions. It’s a good thing that I wasn’t big and pregnant during the summer months. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to keep my bikini line in check when I couldn’t see it.

·         That TUMS become a placebo pill that have no effect on the volcano erupting inside of your chest.

·         You might cry yourself to sleep some nights because you see the fun your friends are having with their carefree lifestyle- and although you wouldn’t trade your baby for anything in the world, it would be nice to be able to go out and just let loose.

·         That you develop a completely different perspective of your mom, your grandmother, your mother in law, or anyone else who has ever carried a child for 10 months, and then given birth to it. It’s a different level of love and respect than you can imagine.

·         The smallest things, such as a diaper commercial, or a sonogram picture, will make you cry.

·         That even in December, it is possible to be surrounded by people wearing layers of warm clothing, and still be dripping with sweat. It is normal, and it will happen. Again, I’m thankful I’m big and pregnant during these winter months.

·         You can get away with more than you used to because of, “your condition”. It’s like a terminal illness, I swear. This is a double edged sword though. You are also incapable of doing anything, and require help for absolutely everything. (;-))

·         Going to Wal-Mart is an event you have to prepare for. Take plenty of fluids, a snack or two, make sure you have a predetermined resting area, and always AlWaYs ALWAYS make sure someone will be home to help you carry and put away the groceries once you make it to your final destination.

·         You will compare yourself to other women who are pregnant, and wonder if what you’re going through is normal.

·         You will find that you can insert something about being pregnant into any conversation.

·         You will also find distance in some of your friendships. Sad, but true.

·         That you will spend hours throughout the day dreaming about what your baby will look like.

·         That it is terrifying to transition from daughter to mother.

·         That getting up off of the couch, in or out of a vehicle (Pick-up trucks especially), or in/out of the bathtub becomes a task that you sometimes need assistance in doing.

·         That some or most of your shame has to go out the window.

·         That you can’t be shy, and you have to ask for help.

·         That your face once again looks like you’re an adolescent male going through puberty.

·         You might have  rage toward anyone who minutely threatens the life of your child. Example: If someone cuts you off on the highway, or steals your parking spot forcing you to walk further to get into the store. “Excuse me?! Do you not know that I’m busy growing another human being in here?! Geez!!!”

·         That for the rest of your life, you will have something to worry about. This begins with the fear of miscarriage, and never. ever. ends. (I’m told.)

·         You shouldn’t be alarmed with Niagara Falls that is now in between your legs. It is normal. It is gross. And you have to just accept it, and be thankful it’s getting ready to lubricate itself for the labouring process.

·         That your hands swell, and you lose the identity of being a wife and college graduate because you can’t wear your rings anymore.

·         You are expected to pop back into your pre baby body thanks to our wonderful society and the view we have of women. (Thanks Jennifer Lopez).

·         You might slowly begin to detach yourself from your body. It isn’t yours anymore, but someone else’s. It can be quite depressing, and it is very VERY important to keep in mind that after this marathon of a race, the prize at the end is worth it all.

·         That cute little number that always turned your husband’s head, won’t fit for a while, and that’s okay.

·         SO you all obviously know that I had to have done the dirty to create this little miracle, so I'm going to enlighten you on how THAT aspect of my life has changed. (Again- quit reading if you're are easily offended.) On my top ten list:

o     1. It's different. Not bad. Just different. 

o    2. It's like someone is squeezing every bit of air out of your lungs and as hard as you try to catch your breath,- you can't.

o    3. You have a big belly in the way now. That makes things incredibly difficult in itself.

o    4. Limited positions.

o    5. Lots of laughing will keep a happy marriage.

o    6. Lot of patience will keep a happy marriage.

o    7. It isn't funny to your husband to tell him you can feel the baby moving while you're in the heat of the moment. (I've been told... :-/ )

o    8. It becomes more difficult for both of you to focus because you don't want to "hurt the baby".

o    9. If the baby moves mid moment, and your husband can see it move, it's usually best to continue at a later time.

o    10. I've learned to sacrifice. :-)

More of, "The Stuff They Don't Tell You..."

·         That it is near impossible to get comfortable for extended periods of time while trying to sleep at night.

·         You wake up many times during the night to pee. If you don’t, you’re not drinking enough water!

·         That your nipples get darker, and bigger.

·         You might start snoring, even if you’ve never done so before.

·         Certain foods that didn’t bother you before, bother you now. Smells, textures, flavors, and HeArTbUrN!!!

·         It is probable that you will crave alcohol, and be judged if you have an ounce or two of wine. (Be careful on this one. My doc said it was ok, {Hello Europe!!!} but some people are SUPER rude when it comes to this topic.)

·         That you’ll seek compliments from your husband when it’s really your own self approval you’re seeking.

·         That staring into an empty crib and nursery for many, many minutes day dreaming about your baby is normal.

·         Watching a movie can be replaced with watching the waves of your unborn child  moving inside of your belly.

·         It is scary to think that you’re now responsible for another human being.

·         That suddenly, you feel the need to clean your entire house, and no matter who tried to stop you, you MUST get it done by a certain time. This is known as, “Nesting”, and is very VERY real.

·         Tears of joy will flow from your eyes when you find yourself sitting in the nursery late at night just thinking of what life will be like in a few months.

·         That the things that used to seem like massive ordeals, truly aren’t as upsetting as they once were.

I plan on adding to this blog as my pregnancy continues. I have 5 weeks left, and am finally feeling pregnant. I've gained 40 pounds, and still struggle when people argue with me on that. Seriously. Why would I make that up?! I finished up a semester in grad school, and am off until February. I have an AMAZING advisor who is willing to keep me and Maddison healthy mentally as well as physically.

I'll probably add more to this blog later, but for now, I hope you enjoyed reading "The Stuff They Don't Tell You..."

30 weeks

32 weeks

34 weeks

Keep praying. IT'S WORKING!!!

A Tisket, A Tasket...

I will have more words on here later, but for now, know this:

• I feel much better. I am healing, but not healed.

•  I am resting, and letting friends and family help me.

•  I do not like not having the best kept house in the world, but it is lived in, and it is home.

• I haven't been to school in 2 weeks, and I am going nuts. I feel guilty, kind of depressed, and very anxious about not being there. My standards for myself are too high, and I am working on that.

• I am looking forward to celebrating my 2 year anniversary with James tomorrow. I can't believe it's been 2 years and I still think to myself, "Omg... I married James McGilvray?! How did that even happen?" There have been many mountain tops, and many valleys that we have walked through together, but the good times always outweigh the bad. It is scary and exciting all at the same time. I love the fact that I married my friend who also happens to be the love of my life. I'm constantly amazed at how far we have come as individuals, a couple, and a family. I am so blessed to have him in my life.

For our anniversary, we gave each other this:
It is a king size sleep number bed with a Tempur-Pedic pillowtop. It won't be shipped to our house for another few weeks, but we are SO excited!!! Hey- your 2nd anniversary gift is supposed to be cotton, right? ;-)

• So, in the past week(ish) here are a few pics of what I have been up to. I haven't done much, but I have started decorating Maddison's nursery. I am having a BLAST I might add!!!
•  

Here we go...

27 weeks {for Mary Marcum} :-)





27 weeks at home



Parking just for me. Love this!!!



At the beginning of my "Crafting for Maddison" day.





Door Wreath Before



Door Wreath After (Still not complete. I got tired of tying ribbons and moved another a different project!)





Initials before



Initials after (Probably my favorite!!!) I plan to hang this on the wall above Maddi's crib.

 

I forgot to take a picture of the before. This was a gold UGLY dollar store frame ($3.00)  that I spray painted ($2.00), screwed a few mug hooks ($2.00) , and stapled ribbon ($2.00) into. Total cost: $9.00

It's a cute bow frame now! :-) (Thanks for Lindsay Foster for making Maddison her first bows!!!)





So I had this amazing idea for this canvas. It looked REALLY good, too. But then I decided to write on it. I didn't know I bought the wrong king of pen until it was too late, and it bled everywhere. I tried to fix it the best I could without throwing it out in the front yard. (I was in tears and had to have my mom talk me out of tossing it into the dumpster.) At least it was made with LOVE!!!





I saw some lamps at a store like this, and vowed if I ever found the perfect shade, I would replicate it. Hello dollar store shade ($5.00) and stand ($7.00). The boa was from Hobby Lobby ($3.00). Thus, this was a $15.00 lamp. So fun!



This was the inspiration for the entire nursery. By far the most expensive item, until the crib arrives that is...



My mom and I made a Wal-Mart run. I'm not as energetic as I once was. With water in tote, feet propped up on the Sprite, and the best people watching seat in the house, I was feeling much better.



Although I didn't make this, it might be my favorite only because this is PawPaw's first gift to his first granddaughter. :-)

I have an appointment, (glucose test too), on Friday with Dr. Robbins. I will be back on here later with more info!

Y'all KEEP PRAYING! It's working!!!

Got Patience?

I realized today that it has been exactly one month since I last blogged. How does this happen? I don’t have kids to distract me, or a job, but there is one thing I do have: grad school. Ah yes… My zest to further my education has put other enjoyable things- like blogging, on the back burner. I am guessing that my blogs will become few and far between once my little eggplant arrives.

I will try and cover the hot topics that occurred in the past month but I know I will miss a few things. For starters, I interviewed a few paediatricians to see who would be best qualified to take care of my little miracle once she makes her debut. Now I know I am not the first mother ever, but I am positive that you ladies reading this share the feeling I have when I say that I want ONLY THE BEST CARE AVAILABLE when she needs it. After much consideration, I think James and I have chosen to use Dr. Lovette in Decatur. She exceeds my expectations not only as a doctor, but as a woman, a mother, a Christian, and an all around human being.

Since my last blog, I have learned a few of life’s rough lessons. My husband has begun traveling to South Texas, (yes- the dangerous parts), for work, and that leaves a pregnant wife home with many what-if’s running though her little head. Living on this big ranch like we do, it can be scary in my king sized bed at night. I won’t lie- I sleep with a few lights on when he is gone. Not sure why. It isn’t like a light is going to repel an axe murderer.  I suppose I would like to see the murderer’s face just before he kills me. (My morbid thought process…) I have my protectors outside to alert me when something isn’t right. Blue and our newest family member, Bandit are pretty good about telling me when something isn’t right. 

 I have learned how to survive when James is out of town. I also have learned a few secrets to a happier marriage. Listen closely ladies: If your husband feels respected, then you will feel loved. If you feel loved, then your husband will feel respected. Now, don’t quote me on this, but if you truly think about it, it makes so much sense. I have learned how to show my husband the respect he deserves, and once I did, our marriage- which wasn’t bad by any means- began to improve. It’s amazing what happens when you let go and let God. (Again, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason!!! With Jim being gone more often, and my next few stories, I think that you will understand a bit more. That being said, I want to share this picture. I struggled with putting it out here for everyone to see, but it just might be the most beautiful personal picture I have ever seen.

James got home from South Texas in one piece, and on Sunday night, I began having some sharp pains in my side. It was a few inches from my belly button, and Maddison was still moving so I went ahead and shrugged it off and went to bed. By 4:00 in the morning, I was ready to hit the local emergency room, but instead I got up and researched what exactly could be going on inside of me. I allowed Web MD to diagnose me with appendicitis, Braxton Hicks, or pre-term labor. By 9:00 am, I was calling my doctor to ask her what could be wrong. James went ahead and went into work and asked me to keep him updated. I didn’t want to be alone, so what did I do? You know me too well…

My mom was over within minutes, and by this time, it was 11:00. I was extremely concerned that my doctor hadn't returned my call, so I called back. Apparently, their phones were down and they hadn't gotten my message. My doctor wanted me to come in immediately because she thought it sounded like I was having contractions. I faaareaked out and within 10 minutes, James was in the driveway and we were headed to Fort Worth. I was hooked up to several machines and it was confirmed that Maddison was not planning on making a debut at this point. My doctor did a cervical exam, (which was uncomfortable, but funny only because James was in the room and had never witnessed this before). She was testing for something called Fetal Fibronectin.

With all of the thoughts going though my head, I didn’t pay attention to what she was testing for. She ordered a sonogram, and that was when we found out what was wrong. “You’ve somehow torn a muscle in the lining of your abdominal wall.” What?! How does this even happen? I didn’t know that it was possible, but I accepted it, and asked what we needed to do now. “You need to relax, and take it easy for a couple of weeks. This muscle needs to heal, or you will definitely be miserable for the next few months.” I left with a huge peace of mind, and knew that Maddison had 3 more months to bake in my oven.

I went home and rested, and then got up the next day for class. Let me give you a glimpse into my Tuesday and Wednesday’s this semester. I get up and 5:30 and get ready for the day. I leave my house by 6:45 to head toward Denton. I arrive in Denton around 7:45-8:00 and prepare for my first client at 8:15. I have several clients, and am usually finished about 1:30 or 2:00. From there, I head over to TWU library and finish up any last minute touches on assignments, or research items that are due soon. Class starts at 5:30 and ends at 8:20. I am usually in my truck by 8:30ish, and pulling into my driveway by 10:00. That seemed doable to me- when I wasn’t pregnant!

So, on this particular Tuesday, I am in Denton by 8:00, have my clients, and head over to meet my friend Natalie at the TWU library to finish up an assignment that was due at 5:30. (Slackers, I know…) We reserved a room and were getting much work done when my phone rang. It was my doctor’s office, and I assumed they were just calling to check on me. I answered the phone and it was my nurse. She asked how I was feeling and I told her sore, but overall I was ok. She asked if I was sitting down and resting at the moment, and I said yes. What she said afterward is something I don’t think I could ever prepare myself for.

“You tested positive for Fetal Fibronectin, and we need you to come in to the hospital and check in immediately. It seems that you are in the high risk category, and could deliver your baby anytime from now and into the next three weeks.” I swear, the words after that were such a blur that I don’t even know if it was English she was speaking. My face got hot. My heart leaped up into my throat. It truly felt like I was in a movie. The room was so full of silence that my ears drums wanted to rupture. My body was numb and all I could think of was delivering Maddison long before she was ready. I took note of my friend Natalie’s presence when she came and put her hand on my shoulder. I was so very glad someone was there with me, and didn’t care that she was witnessing my melt into a puddle of raw emotion. As I hung up the phone, I began to sob and repeat, “I can’t believe this is happening!” I remember thinking about how selfish I was being as my nurses words were catching up with the speed of my train of thought. She mentioned bed rest. How could I be on bed rest when I am in grad school with an internship?! What on earth have I done in my lifetime that would endanger the life of my growing child? My one job is to grow this baby, and I had failed. I felt that my identity had suddenly transitioned from “daughter/wife/student/friend” to “complete failure”. I realized I had to call James, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it together.

I took a deep breath and called. He answered and after uttering his name, and that I needed to go to the hospital, no more words would come. I was ripped back to being a child full of pain and heartache, and not being able to express what it felt like. The intensity of the disappointment and fear in my soul is not describable with words. My mouth was open, but the only thing coming out of me were tears. On the other end of line was a panicked Daddy who was begging for me to calm down so he could understand what was going on. Again, I was thankful for Natalie. I handed her the phone and cradled my head in my hands. I recited the words of the nurse over and over again, and was praying that God please take care of my sweet Maddison.

I gathered my things as Natalie planned to drive me home, but as we walked to the parking lot, I had a wave of peace come over me. I can’t quite explain it. I’m not going to venture out and say that an angel swooped down and wrapped her wings around me for comfort, but there was definitely a peace that passes our understanding that was surrounding me. I am NOT an advocate for texting and driving, but the entire way home from Denton, I was texting my prayer warrior friends and family. It was all that I knew to do. I made it home to find my mom and James anxiously packing bags for an overnight stay. (Something the nurse said to plan for). In the midst of all the commotion, I did remember one thing that I vowed to keep maintained from here on out: I had not shaved my legs in at least five days.

We get to the hospital, and get checked in. Again, I had a peace in my heart and soul, and could feel Maddison throwing a party inside of me. For whatever reason, I wasn't that concerned. After another cervical swab, and several hours, it was determined that the first test was a false positive. Me, my mom, James, and his mom all breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t until we were on our way home that the reality of the situation hit James. I won’t go into detail about how hard this situation hit him, but it was heart breaking to see my big strong husband feel so helpless over the well-being of his innocent baby girl. Absolutely. Heart breaking.

I was told to be on bed rest for the next week, and to let my body heal from all of what we had been through in the past few days.

 Apparently, I didn’t do a very good job. A couple of weeks passed, and then this past Saturday night, a few of us went to celebrate my friend Terra’s birthday. We enjoyed a nice dinner and after James and I got home, I noticed that I wasn’t feeling very well. I laid down and was having serious issues trying to get comfortable. My sweet husband surprised me with this:

Sunday morning, I felt somewhat better- until I got out of bed. My lower abdomen felt like someone had a knife and wanted to inflict serious pain on me if I moved, breathed, or heaven forbid, cough or sneeze. I figured it was round ligament pains, and tried to take it easy as I cleaned house, did laundry, made beef stew, and baked blackberry cobbler. It wasn't until 9:30 Sunday night that I thought something was really wrong.

I called my doctor on Monday morning, and she was concerned with my constant pain for nearly 24 hours. James was heading out of town, and I wasn’t concerned that Miss Maddison was in any danger. My mom had the opportunity to go watch the Rangers play, so I swore to her that she was NOT the world’s worst mother if she missed out this go round. Thank goodness for kind mother in laws! As soon as I asked, Kim dropped everything that she had planned, and spent the entire day with me at the doctor.

We finally get in to see my doctor, (she had an emergency delivery at the hospital), and she tells me that I have completely torn a big ol' muscle from one part of my tummy to another. She goes on to tell me that I HAVE to slow down, and really monitor my school schedule. I admitted to her that Tuesday's and Wednesday's are pretty complicated for me, and she ended up giving me a doctor’s note excusing me from classes for two weeks. I had a meltdown right then and there. I don’t know how to explain it. If you know my story of my life “Pre-James” then you know how hard I have worked for what I have achieved. To graduate with my master’s degree is a goal that I never thought I would ever attain. It is so much more to me than just a degree. It represents the pain, love, joy, excitement, suffering, friendship, compromise, and independence that I have found since 2006.

I literally began crying in front of my doctor, and  like an adolescent, I hid behind my hands hoping that the other two people in the room wouldn’t judge me for being so selfish. I shocked myself when I realized why I was crying. Here I am, with something I have wanted more than anything in the world growing inside of me, and I am concerned about graduating from grad school by a date that I personally have set as a deadline in my head. No one has told me that I HAVE to finish by a particular date. The perfectionist in me was acting like a red devil on my shoulder and screaming to try harder to convince the doctor that I can do it all. The mother in my spoke louder than the devil, and I agreed that I should put my baby before school, and do whatever it took to let her grow for as long as she needed. With that, I was told that I could not go to class for two weeks, and that I needed to readjust my schedule so that I no longer had 15 hour days. It was a hard pill to swallow, but I did.

Or call your mom...

It has been 3 days since that last doctor’s visit, and I feel better. I have ingested some medicine to heal my torn muscle, and with the help of my husband, my mom, my mother in law, my grandma, and numerous family and friends- I am making it through these next 14 weeks. Here is how much Maddison has grown in just one week.



25 weeks



26 weeks

I. Love. Being. Pregnant.

Here are a few pics of some of my blogging moments:

Having to text your husband and ask him to buy this product takes your marriage to a whole new level. :-)

Cannot. Wait.

While waiting, in the pickup, for James to finish a conversation, I was texting him. He didn't understand.

Like my belly, my appetite is growing.



I will conclude this blog with a sonogram of Maddi at 25 weeks. Yes- it is semi creepy. Yes- she resembles an alien. Yes- I think it is an adorable picture even though most people can't even make out what it is they are looking at. I'm her mom, and I think she is beautiful!

Maddison's right side of her face, right eye, and tummy.

Please PLEASE keep praying y'all!

IT'S WORKING!!!

 

Sometimes, you just have to laugh...

So, here is a recap of my weekend through the power of pictures.

I can remember going through my baby book when I was growing up, and reading my mom's thoughts. I also remember thinking that one day, I hoped my kids would enjoy doing the same thing with my thoughts. I suppose there is only one way to find out! This is Maddison's baby book. I filled out some of the pages this weekend, and I look forward to seeing her read it one day.

James and I decided that we were going to go see Reckless Kelly playing at Bono's Saturday since it was a nice evening and the concert was outside. Around 6:00, I start getting ready since we were planning on leaving at 7:45. I looked in my closet, and thought I had plenty of outfits to choose from.

After trying on probably somewhere in the ballpark of 25 shirts, I broke down. My pants fit. That wasn't the issue. Somehow, my go-to going out shirts had all shrunk overnight! I can laugh about this now, but it was a very emotional time for me. I have never been the most confident woman, but I have always appreciated my figure. I have always tried to exercise, and maintain my muscle tone and whatnot. Over the past five months, I have watched this miracle inside of me blossom in my belly- and although I am BEYOND excited about the whole process, it is almost like I'm having an identity crisis.



22 weeks



I felt like a terrible mother. It wasn't that I didn't like my belly. I love it. (weird, right?) I looked over at the pile of clothes and rubbed my post 6 pack belly and just began crying. I don't feel ugly by any means. It's just strange that so quickly, my body has transformed into something that I've never seen before. I wake up each morning and look in the mirror with a genuine happiness, but when it comes to trying to put on clothes that don't fit, it feels like I have been placed in someone else's body.



Pile of clothes that I tried on that didn't fit. :-/

When in crisis mode, what does a girl do? Well, Jim was sitting in the living room on the couch, and I knew he would have no clue how to handle this situation. My soultion: I texted my girlfriends.

My friend Tiffany was first on the scene. She was able to diffuse the situation, and help me gain some much needed perspective. She is a fellow graduate student with me, and without her, I truly believe I would not have made it through grad school up to this point. We are so different, yet sometimes I think we share the same brain. It is scary funny. Tiffany is the kind of person that I love to look up to. We aren't that far apart in age, yet she has so much more wisdom than I do. She is gorgeous, smart, funny, wity, and best of all- FRUGAL! [;-)]

Tiffany is that person that I could call and tell that I was plotting a hideous murder, and she would be like, "Okay, so let's look at all of the angles here. Let's say you do go through with this... " There is no judgement from her, and I love that. She is completely analytical, and the most self-aware person I know.

 Love, love, love me some Tiffany.)



True friends sit with you when you've been knocked down. Then they help you up.

After talking to Brandi and Sherri, I decided to leave a bit earlier. They offered to pick me up at my house, and ride with them to the concert. I agreed, and wiped my tears as I got excited about my miniature girls night out.

Sometimes, you just need to be with your girlfriends.

A little insight on my besties:

Brandi is one of my newest lifelong friends. She is someone that I can laugh with, cry with, and sometimes- just be. I am inspired by her, and her willingness to play the hand of cards that she has been dealt with such ease. She is always so happy, even when life seems to have given her lemons. She is the girl who has "that spark in her eye" that you hear people talk about. I hope that I am as good of a friend to her as she has been to me.

Sherri is the friend that you read about in books, and see in the movies. She and I have been friends since the third grade, and although there have been many long stretches in our freindship where we didn't speak, (because life/distance got in the way), it never seemed that way once we actually talked. We are blessed to have the kind of friendship that has the ability to pick up right where we left off after long periods of time. She has been my best friend for close to 20 years, and I trust her as much as I trust myself. She is the most beautiful person that I know.

The best thing about having great friends is that it doesn't cost anything to have fun. Brandi and Sherri knew I was feeling a little- bleh- and they offered to come pick me up early for a little girl talk before the concert. James was okay with the idea, so my chariot pulled up in the driveway and off we went.

We get to the concert- let me rephrase that... We got to Bono's parking lot, and decided we wanted to take a quick picture of the three of us. Almost 45 minutes later, we all emerged from the truck with tears rolling down our cheeks, makeup half gone from laughing so hard, and side stiches. THAT is what friends are for!

You can't see the laughing tears, but they were there.

We get into the concert, and I really enjoyed the evening. It wasn't one of those wild, drunk, stupid nights- it was full of seeing old friends, enjoying a Texas summer night with Texas country music, and just chillaxin'.



The love of my life.







Me and Erin. My sister forever.

The weekend ended well with a water day at Brandi's house. Sherri and Brandi's kids had tons of fun, and I couldn't help but imagine what life will be like when Maddison gets here and can play with them.



Bath time after playing in the mud!



I ended up going to bed at 8:30 Sunday night after playing outside with the kiddos. I slept SO GOOD!

I have been told I should enjoy that time. I know it is about to change, but that's okay.

Yesterday, my mom and I went and had brunch in Denton. We did some light shopping since I had a meltdown over the weekend, and I bought some maternity clothes.

I had to do some homework while we were out, and the assignment required that I purchase supplies for a portable play therapy kit. Here is what I purchased:

Under $100.00! I <3 Dollar Tree.

And here is what it looks like now:

I can't wait to begin my career as
Heather McGilvray M.S., LPC,  RPT.
Seems so far away, but again, that's okay...

I will end with this. I woke up this morning, and after purchasing several new outfits, and acquiring a few gently used items from friends here and there, I have a new outlook on being pregnant. It is amazing how good you can feel if your clothes actually fit.

Good thing too. This is what I saw this morning when I went to the bathroom.

I am not complaining by any means. I don't want any of you to read this and think that I feel that I am fat, or ungrateful, or selfish or whatever. You can form your opinions- that's fine. But if you get one thing out of this blog- know that I am genuinely happy with the things that have, are, and will transpire.

This is the type of blog where I do not sensor my feelings. Pregnant women go through phases. Sometimes I feel beautiful and sexy, whereas other times, I feel like I just want to stay in bed and watch tv all day.

Life is what I am making it, and I think that life is pretty sweet right now. I have no complaints about being pregnant. I feel great, and I know that Miss Maddison is growing at a healthy steady pace. I. Love. Being. Pregnant.

Keep praying. It's working.