25 weeks! April 11, 2010

I can’t believe baby Lucy is at 25 weeks. In some respects the time has flown by; in many others it has dragged on.  She’s up to 13 inches now and nearly a pound and a half. I feel her kicking quite a bit now which is super exciting. Jake got to feel her kick too. He said it was amazing. He said when he put his ear next to my stomach, it sounded like she was swimming around. He said I should get a stethoscope so I could hear, but maybe I’ll leave that experience just for him. No matter what happens between us, that baby girl will be so loved. 

Following is a picture of what I look like. As my mom says, Jake takes pictures trying to get the maximum pregnancy effect, so many people don’t think I actually look THIS big in person. 

Getting bigger by the day.

Puppy love April 4, 2010

If you know me at all, you know I LOVE animals, particularly dogs.  I’ve been involved with Pet Haven, a local non-profit that rescues and re-homes homeless dogs for nearly three years. With all of the dogs I’ve fostered and helped save, my pups Kuy and Katie of course mean the most to me. They have gotten me through some really tough times in my life, including the past few months. When I would come home to an empty house, they would greet me like there was no one else they’d rather see. They licked away my tears, got me off the couch when I didn’t feel like it, and did things that made me smile no matter how rough my day was. I am forever grateful for everything they’ve done for me! 

The dogs have already moved in with their grandparents in Missouri and are getting along very well. They walk with my dad nightly and get plenty of pets. I am told they must miss me because every night they sleep on my bed. I miss them terribly and can’t wait to go visit them in a couple of weeks. 

I am going through major dog withdrawal so I figured it was a perfect weekend to go say good-bye to my Pet Haven friends and check out my previous foster, Pepper, at the dog adoption event. When I walked in and Pepper noticed me, he gave me a “bear hug” as my dad called it. He jumped up on me, wrapped his paws around my neck and kissed and kissed. I of course soaked it all in. Pepper is doing well with his new foster mom Lea. He’s such a sweet boy. Energetic, yes, but cuddly and smart too! No one shows you how much they love you more than he does 🙂 Ah – it was so good to see him. I made my rounds to see the other dogs and got down on the ground to love every one of them. Pepper didn’t seem to take his eyes off me and continued to remind me I needed to pet him again and again. Nothing like a dog to cheer you up. This handsome and smart boy is up for adoption, so if you are interested or know anyone who is, consider checking him out at http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/15103081?recno=13 (his name is technically Zipper, but he answers to Pepper because we all like that better!) 

Pepper with his ever-present smile!

 

I told my mom that although I will love my Lucy girl more than anything in the world, I’ll never be a “kid” person like she is (a grade school teacher and lover of all kids!). I’ll still admire them and break out into a smile when they do something cute, but when I see a dog, I’ll no doubt walk right over to it, get down on the ground and soak up the kisses. Big or small, young or old – no matter. I truly have a bad case of puppy love!

happy post April 3, 2010

After over a week of not writing, I wanted to provide an update since my last post was a bit sad. I’m actually doing quite well. Everyday I get more excited about meeting my baby girl. She’s moving around a lot now and I think I actually felt her kick from the outside. I can’t believe it has been 24 weeks. She is going to start fattening up now, which means I will as well 🙂  Yah!!

Plans are to move to my parents on May 1st. We are already picking out paint colors and I can’t wait to decorate a room for me and one for Lucy. I couldn’t ask for a better family to help me through this. My brother and his girlfriend are graciously allowing me to sleep on their couch and don’t seem to mind at all. At least they are treating me that way which is very kind.

The dogs are acclimating very well to their grandparent”s house in Stanberry, MO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanberry,_Missouri). They seem to be happy being the country dogs they are meant to be.  They spend their days hanging out with me or my mom and are excited to go outside on a regular basis. Sometimes, they just sit out in the yard soaking up the sun with big smiles on their faces.  When my dad comes home, they greet him as if he is their favorite person in the world. Kuy wants pets and Katie brings him a ball. My dad usually plays with and pets them before even changing out of his work clothes. They definitely have him trained.

All in all, things are going well. Not sure what will happen in my life in the next few months or years, but  I do know that no matter what I’m going to be welcoming a beautiful baby girl into the world and she will be loved by me, her dad, and her extended family more than she’ll ever know!

Hello world! February 2, 2009

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