One Big Party!

Last Saturday we had Shelby's 4th birthday party & Morgan's 2nd birthday party all together. I was worn out after all was said and done! The two of them opening gifts at the same time was just like Christmas morning. I didn't get to write down anything they got as they were going. I barely was able to take pictures and some video. Just like on Christmas, we had to sort through the garbage to find the gifts on the bottom of the pile. I have never seen two people get so excited about what is on a card (if you only knew your gift could have stopped there!) or excited about what the picture is on the outside of the box you packed the gift in. They constantly have to be reminded to keep opening. Their gift is not the Christmas Tree lights that originally came in that box. Funny thing is they get excited thinking it is. Also, to only be 4 again and not care who sees your panties when you disrobe in front of all of your guests to put on that new Minnie Mouse dress you have been dreaming about. And there were firsts that daddy never thought he would see - like their first Barbie Dolls! I think there will be lots more of unbelievable firsts for a daddy who had only 1 brother, all boy cousins but 1 girl and spends a majority of his time with baseball players. But for now we will just keep him clueless - I think that's best for everyone. :)

Introduction to Blog life

I thought I would try this blogging thing out. I have several blogs of others that I check regularly, but always thought I don't have very much excitement in my life that would interest anyone. Some are very regular in their updates and others are not, so I decided there would be no pressure for me to post something everyday or even every week for that matter.



I chose "close to normal" as my blog title because I live in Normal, IL and that is as close to normal as I am going to get! Especially in this season of life as a stay at home mom. :)

It's A ........

My December appointment was when we found out the sex of the baby.  Nate only attended the appointments for the first heartbeat and the ultrasound that would answer that big question.  I remember laying on that table while Dr. Nord was doing his thing.  Finally, he said, "It's a.....GIRL!"  I looked over at Nate and he was sitting there in a slight state of shock.  What I liked about Dr. Nord was he pointed out what told him the baby was a girl.  It wasn't a process of elimination because of what was lacking.  He pointed out 3 white lines that told him it was a girl.  So I went ahead and planned for a girl with no second thoughts of, "what if he was wrong?"  Dr. Nord left the room and Nate finally spoke.  He said, "What am I going to do with a girl?"  I couldn't think of a better Christmas present myself.

Shelby's First Picture

4 Months....

Once I started to "show", I had Nate take my picture the same day I had a doctor's appointment.  If memory serves me right (and the Christmas decorations in the picture), December was the first picture.  That put me at 4 months.  No longer have any idea the number of weeks that was.

Doctor Confirmation

Well, I had my confirmation from God, next I needed to visit the doctor.  Following a simple urine sample test, Dr. Nord confirmed I was pregnant!  FINALLY!!  I don't remember the exact amount of time that passed from when Nate agreed to add kids to our family and when it actually happened.  It was about 18 months.  Which seemed like a lifetime.  I didn't tell Nate I'd taken the tests at home and I hadn't told him I was going to the doctor.  I do remember I was resting on the couch when he got home from baseball practice and he asked me what was up?  I said, "I'm pregnant".  He said, "Says who"?  I said, "The doctor."  I don't remember too much from the early days in the pregnancy.  I was never sick but I was tired.  Somehow I made the 30 minute trip home from work.  Sleeping through most of it.  I'd open the door from the garage and crash on the couch.  Nate would come home later and say, "I knew I'd find you there".  I was given a due date of May 11, 2004.

A Sign

I don't remember all the details of what happened next. I do remember some time had passed, and circumstances led me to take a pregnancy test. I can still see in my mind the positive test result, but that line was so faint, I just wasn't sure if I could believe it! I didn't say anything to Nate. The next day I went to work as usual. At the Telephone Company, we at times were the recipients of some bakery items from the B/N grocery stores. A lady in Gridley would come down and ask for the items that were scheduled to be tossed out. Nothing wrong with them, shelf time was up. She would bring them to us at the office to enjoy. A small kitchen area was outside the women's restroom and this is where such treats would be left. On this particular day, I had taken a potty break. While in the restroom, I remember praying and asking God for a sign. Was I pregnant or not? I wanted a confirmation before getting in to see the doctor. When I came out of the restroom, there on the counter was a cake that had just been dropped off. The cake said, "Welcome Baby"! It was a baby shower cake. Prior to that day, we had never had a baby cake. I am willing to bet they never had another one either. That cake was there for 1 reason. God's answer to my prayer! :)

Unknown Blessing

We continued down the path of trying to become parents and began seeking a little assistance. I had a test done to make sure I didn't have any problems. Things checked out OK. Next, we did 1 attempt at artificial insemination. After going through that experience, I seriously have no idea how that works for anyone. Needless to say, it didn't work for us. Check another month off the calendar. By now, it is probably sometime in September of 2003. I had another appointment at the doctor for a sonogram to see if I was ovulating. The test showed it was not a good time to try another round of AI. I was frustrated because I figured with my "schedule", it was too early and this sonogram was just a waste of time and money. They had drawn some blood at this appointment. A few days later I received a phone call and they said my blood work showed I had already ovulated that month. Already?!? Keep in mind I thought it was too early. Another example of how messed up my cycle was and mentally exhausting this can be. That is all the blood work showed. So, what's next? Hurry up and wait for another month....