Almost Done

Today i am 38 weeks and 2 days along. My last day at work will be next Friday which is the 12th of August. I figured this way, if she has not arrived yet, i can finish up everything which would definitely include some extra cleaning so that everything is nice and organized for when we get home. I also wont have the stress of going into labor while i am at work. Although i do have friends that would get me tot he hospital, i would rather not have to go that route. I have 2 showers that were totally unexpected. 1 of them is this Saturday and it is being given by some people at my church. The other shower is Monday afternoon at work. 2 great people that i work with decided to throw something together for me. I am super excited!
     Lance didnt work this week which it was great to be able to spend time with him, but i am also wanting to make sure he is here for her delivery and that we we will have enough money on reserve to pay the bills. I think life is always throwing you something and i have really been trying to learn that some things you just have to deal with. The journey to becoming a mother has changed my views of life drastically. All the petty things that i thought were important, are now just irrelevent. Life is such a gift and i am about to experience one of the greatest joys ever!

Me and my Love

I thought i would share this picture of me and Lance at the beach in June.   So glad that i get to share my life with a man makes me feel special. So many people take a good relationship for granted and they dont realize what they have until its too late. I guess because we have both been through some bad relationships, it makes us appreciate how special we are to each other.

37 Weeks Today

So i have finally reached the full term stage of my pregnancy!! Ali does not seem like she is ready to arrive so i am continuing to count down the days until she does. Almost 2 weeks ago, i pulled a muscle in the top part of my stomach and yesterday, i either tore it or pulled it again. It is not a pleasant experience at all. Every time i even life something simple like my my cup at work, it feels painful. I am at that point where i just want to lay in bed and wait, but instead, i continue to go to work. I have had some cramping, but no contractions so far. I guess every new mom wants to know when their child will arrive and i have found myself wondering this and many other things over the last few weeks. I cant wait to see what she looks like. I wonder if she will have tons of hair when she is born or if she will have skiny little arms and legs. I wonder if she will take after me and be a scheduled type of person or if she will be like her dad and just go with the flow. Will she have a temper like me or be mellow like Lance. Time will tell what she will be like and i am so excited to experience the joys of raising a child. I know that there will be heart aches and tears but the good times will make up for the bad.

Getting Closer

So this past weekend i decided to clean, clean, and clean some more. I even cleaned out the hall closet and the kitchen closet! This week i am going to tackle the kitchen and bathroom floors. If i start feeling really motivated, i will clean Lance's closet. I guess i will just have to see how it goes. I am almost finished with Alehsie's canvas that i have been working on. i will take a picture once it is complete. I only have a few things left to do to it and then all it will be missing is her weight, DOB, length and her handprints and footprints.

As far as my progress on my pregnancy, i am feeling way more tired lately. I could probably blame the large belly for interfering with my sleep and ms. Ali for lying on my bladder, but i know it will be worth it.                         
Lance is back on the road today headed up North. Although i am thankful he is working, it does put a little bit of stress in the air because i worry about all the dangers that come with the job. He is very cautious and he pays close attention to all the idiots that are on the interstates and highways so that is a plus. I am just happy that he is back working. It is a daily task that we often take for granted.

Official Trucker

So yesterday Lance went to ride with a guy named Jerry for an on the job interview. Lance rode with him to Cullman, Alabama so that Jerry could see if Lance would be a good fit for the job. Lance gets along with everyone so i was not worried about that but sometimes things just seem to good to be true and after Lance waiting 6 months for a job due to his lay off at his other job, anything that seems half way decent seems to good to be true. Today he is an official trucker. He is driving an F-250 with a 40 foot trailer hooked to it. He has already been to Birmingham and back today and now he is on his way to South Carolina. I know that God always proves faithful, but for some reason, i tend to doubt how powerful He is. We were both bummed out when he didnt get this other job he thought he had, but if he would have, he would not have started this job. It is better pay and he can even wear what he wants.

Outside of the good news with that, i have been cramping a good bit at night and my back has been hurting more. I went to the doctor today because i was not feeling so good but the nurse said that everything was good and that my body is just prepairing for our little miracle to make her grand entrance into the world. We did go to the beach this past weekend and that could have something to do with me being tired and not sleeping well too. It was great to be able to take one last beach trip before i become a mom. I enjoyed the lazy river at the water park and even went in the wave pool with my belly up in a big round float. The best part of the trip was when my love took me to get some much needed Dippin' Dots!! my absolute favorite thing to eat in the world! Banana Split is the best! i think being pregnant made them taste 100 times better!

4-D Ultrasound

So i went last Thursday for a a re-do of the 4-D ultrasound because she did not want to cooperate a week ago, but it was not much different this time either. She continued to press her face against the placenta. Although its not like this is exactly what she will look like when she makes her entrance intot he world, it did give me the ability to see that she has developed into a healthy little chunk! The ultrasound tech also said that according to her size, my expected due date would be August 17th, however the doctor says August 20th. Well i am sure that when she is ready, it will happen, regardless of the date they give me.I will be going with the 17th though since it is closer.

Nesting

I have already started the whole nesting process. Sometimes i wonder if other soon-to-be moms get as excited as i am. Last night i washed all of her clothes, blankets, socks and bibs so that would be done. I also put her bassinet together this past weekend and it is wonderful!When i opened the pack of newborn diapers, i was overwhelmed at how small her little butt will be. Me and Lance are so ready to meet her. I cant wait until i can kiss her cheeks! Its crazy how 32 weeks ago i never thought i would be carrying a child. Not only was i blessed with the ability to become a mother, but i am able to share the journey with a man that i love. He loves his family and most of all, he is a Christian. I know that our child will grow up knowing that her parents love her and support her. One thing that is extremely important to me is that she will see first hand at how a man should treat a woman. Society has allowed men to lower their standards. I dont ever want Ali to think that she shouldnt be treated with the utmost respect. i am so blessed to have a family like i do.

30 Week Check -Up

I went to see the doctor today and evrything looks good. My belly measures 31cm from top of my stomach to pelvic bone.  He said that my sugar is low so that explains why i have had days where i feel "out of it" and disoriented. He told met o eat a protein bat between meals to help regulate everything. I asked him about the 4-D ultrasound and he said that i could go ahead and do it this week because he likes to do them at 30 weeks. I scheduled it for Thursday morning at 8:30am so i will be posting pictures of her soon.

Bumps in the road

Sometimes in life we go through things that we dont understand...actually i think its more often than not. Today i was faced with one of those things. I am totally and untterly confused why people do the things they do. Although i was raised to have good morals, not everyone else is. I have to remind myself that it is not a nature things, but a nuture condition. Life doesn't have to be as hard as people make it. People shouldn't look for wats to tear others down. I am not only having to deal with this issue, but what makes it more difficult is knowing that someone i love is having to take the stones for it. I do know that regardless of who tries to tear us down, we will stand strong knowing that it will work out in the end.

But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. (2 Thessalonians 3:3)

pictures

Me and Elvis in Panama City for Bike Week. I was 6 months pregnant

Keifer, me and Shawna from Thompson Square. This was 1 week before i got pregnant. Me and Lance met them and were even able to hang out with them after the show! They sing mine and Lance's song "Are you gonna kiss me or not?"

29 Weeks 4 Days

Ali had the hiccups earlier today which is funny feeling, but it always makes me smile. I go tomorrow to take my maternity photos and i am super excited about that. We are going to do some more traditional photos, but our main focus is to take pictures that are more intimate. We thought that since she has been riding on her daddy's Harley since before she was conceived up until now, we wanted to incorporate that into some of the photos. we came up with some cool ideas and i know that they will turn out great.                                  Darren Freeman with Sugar Babes Photography will be taking them and he is awesome. Check out his site http://sugarbabiesphotography.com/ He has a few different ideas. A lot of them he does not post due to privacy agreements, but if you are looking for a photographer, he has a lot to offer. Anyway, i have not been sleeping very well at night. My hips are starting to hurt and when i lay on my side, it feels like my belly weighs more than just the 20 pounds i've gained. This weekend was my first baby shower and it was given by my mother's side of the family. It turned out beautiful! the food was great and i enjoyed visiting with family and friends. Ali got some cute stuff and i can't wait for her to get here so we can play dress up. This coming Saturday is my baby shower that my best friend is giving me. I know she has worked super hard on it so it should be amazing! I am sure that Alehsie will get some nice stuff from this shower too. Its crazy how time goes by so quick when your pregnant....or maybe its that I make it go by fast because i am so ready to meet her. I have pictured a thousand times what she will look like, who she will act like and wondered what her favorite food will be. Life becomes so selfless when you create another human being. My thoughts are now consumed by little miss alligator.

Getting Ready

So i am 28 weeks and 5 days pregnant and getting more ready every day. I have experienced the good and the bad with this pregnancy, but overall, i have been truly blessed. No, this was not a planned pregnancy, but i could not be happier with my situation. I have a boyfriend who loves me and our little miss alligator Alehsie Lyric Miller. She will be loved by so many people and that alone is a blessing. I have lerned so much over the past year. Although my life was pretty rocky the last 3 years, in September of last year, it began to come back together. Even though i do not regret my past, i am grateful that i am not in a situation where i cannot be me and live life with a smile. I can now wake up knowing that even when days get stressful, i have people surrounding me that are uplifting.

Things are coming together quickly which is great because i only have 11 weeks before Ali makes her arrival into my arms. Dad has now finished the nursery. It looks wonderful! Lance put together the changing table last night and tonight he will put together the crib so that i can start putting stuff in place. Saturday is my first shower. My moms side of the family is giving me this one and next Saturday i will have another shower given by my best friend Julie and my mom. I am super excited! i am so ready to hang up her clothes and put her bedding on the crib. Its crazy how all of a sudden, it is not new shoes or a new outfit that i care about. All of my thoughts are centered around her needs and making sure her wants are going to be taken care of. I do not know her personality or what she looks like yet, but i love her unconditionally all ready. She is part of me and a part of the man that i love.
Truly Blessed