Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Week 25 Doctor Appt...and other things




FINALLY got insurance to see a doctor. God is so good. It had been about 2.5 months, which isn't really that big of a deal but since I have a thyroid issue, I'm supposed to get my blood checked every month. Anyway, I guess it's just the maternal side of me popping up already, but I want my little baby to be safe in there :)

I realized how ridiculously blessed I was at my doctor's office in Louisiana (ONE good thing about LA) :) My doctor there was so incredible. He fit me in twice to see him last minute when I was having some scary issues in the beginning. We also rarely ever had to wait... not even once we were in the exam room. AND, if he ever suspected anything to be wrong whatsoever... he did an ultrasound. To put a cherry on top... he is a christian.
Our new office seems REALLY busy so it took a while longer to get into. But, we were told when we were there that all expenses are paid for. 100%. CRAZY!! I don't have to pay even for a copay. When I go to get lab work, it's all covered. I mean, everything! It's sweet. We also love our midwife. She answered all our questions about having a natural birth at the hospital. Since she is so familiar with the hospital and staff (on call 40 hours a week), she said that there's no doubt about it that I will be comfortable and can do what I want. She is a busy woman, so there is the chance that she may not be there for the delivery, but there is another midwife who will be. If BOTH of them are off call, then I will have to go with an OB/GYN, which isn't ideal since most of them look at you like you're crazy when you say you want to have the baby naturally. But... GOD IS IN CONTROL. He really truly is. I'm not afraid at all and I know it will all work out perfectly. She strongly suggested us finding a doula to be there for the delivery. Doulas help a mother who is giving birth naturally. They are basically there to help get anything or be support... they also can be the middle man when it comes to nurses asking questions and what not. From what I hear, when you're in the middle of a contraction, the last thing you want is someone distracting you. So, we may look into that.She said that usually there aren't any more ultrasounds scheduled unless there is reason to do one (if they suspect the baby is breech or if the baby seems to be too small or too big). SO, I am begging Will for a 3d/4d ultrasound. I found a place that does it for $100 and I am dying to go. I haven't seen my little man in more than 2 months and I miss his face. Plus, I really want to see what he looks like now that he's got some fat on him ;) Sooo, Will said we would look at our budget and see how it works out. We have to make a decision soon though. I guess there is a window of time that is best... when the baby is not too big and not too small. When they are too small, they don't have enough fat so they just look scary. Haha. When they are too big, you can't tell what anything is because they are so squished in there. Maybe God will provide a little extra this month so we can do that!
As for the baby at the doctor's appointment, everything seems great. His little heart beat sounded nice and strong and she measured me to make sure I'm on schedule. He is moving more than ever in there. To the point where I can't sleep. Last night, I woke up probably 10 different times because he was moving his entire body. Not just a kick here and there. I think he just had a lot of energy. I love it though :) God's preparing me for motherhood. He is also on my bladder WAY more than he used to be. Sometimes I have to push him up so he gets off and I can feel him squirm as to say "mom, leave me alone!" haha.


In other news....My sister and her husband came in town this past weekend and it was so much fun. We literally haven't had quailty time with them in 2 years. Last time we did was when Will and I were dating and we visited them in Columbus, OH. They drove 10 hours just to hang out with us for about a day and a half. So awesome!! We stayed up WAY too late, but it was awesome. We even went to a dollar theater together haha. On Saturday, Will and I had worship tryouts at our church and then came back and got to hang out with them. Both Christen and RC are artists so they made canvases for the baby's room. It is so hilarious because it totally represents both of their personalities. Just look at them and you'll know what I mean. I love it! We had them do owls since that is kind of the theme of the baby room.


RC's painting

Christen's painting
Then, that night, we went to the dollar theater (and stayed up late again). The next morning, we all went to church. I was so excited for them to see our new church. It was an AWESOME service and we all loved it. We went to Mellow Mushroom for some pizza after church and then they ended up heading home.

Then, that night, we decided that we still hadn't had enough. So, we hung out with our best buds, Matthew and Katie. Seriously, we are stuck to the hip with these people. We love them. We drove to downtown Atlanta (where they live) and took a random trip to Ikea. It was so hilarious and fun. We brought our little video camera and did some funny videos. We are all so weird. They totally understand our humor :)
We LOVE our friends here. Everyone here seems to be just like us... and so welcoming. We already feel so connected :)

I'm excited for this weekend because I found a local farmer's market that sells local raw milk, grass fed beef, organic eggs/cheese, breads, and produce. SO excited!!! I may hold off on the raw milk until the baby is born. Since I've never introduced my body to the new organisms it has in it, it's probably not wise to start in pregnancy. Not that I think it would do anything bad, but just in case. I can't WAIT to try their raw milk though.
We have also officially planned our trip to STL. We won't be there long, but we'll be there for my baby shower that my mom and Linda are throwing for us. It will be fun!!

So, that's it for all the happenings in the Stern family...... for now!

Friday, August 20, 2010

Bumpdates - 24 weeks

Found this from THIS blog. Thought I'd take a stab at it :)

When are you due: Everyone should know this by now... but, December 5th.

How many weeks?: That makes me 24 weeks and 5 days. Almost 25, people! Here's the lovely diagram.

**Just in case you all didn't already know what everything is... good thing it's labeled, huh?** :)


Was this planned or unplanned: We were expecting it to happen at some point. I guess you'd call that planned.

How much weight gained:
oh yikes. Time to spill the beans. Last time I checked it was 18 pounds. And, yes, I said 18 (not 20) because those 2 pounds aren't officially there yet!

Is this your first pregnancy?:
Yes. Hence why suddenly this topic has consumed my blog.
Latest food craving:
MOE'S. Give me Moe's and no one will get hurt. This is my weakness right here. Will says that I have a separate stomach for anything to do with Moe's. I'm wondernig if he's right.



Your top two name choices or baby's name: Micaiah Gabriel. That's his name. We never really had another name.

Worst Thing about being pregnant:
Feeling large. I literally have a break down once a week on Sunday mornings (God bless Will) where I pout and cry that I don't have anything to wear. I just miss being comfortable. I miss feeling at least someone skinny... not like a hot air balloon. BUT, hey, it comes with the territory. Oh... and the heartburn. My poor poor esophagus.

Best Thing about being pregnant:
having a BABY inside of me. I know that IS the definition of pregnancy, but it's true. I love my little guy moving around inside of me. It's a little alienish sometimes when I can see my belly moving.

The first person you told was: the baby daddy.

Are you more scared or excited:
WAY more excited than scared. I will officially be a mom in a few months. Weird. But then I start thinking about how exactly that child will be entering the world.... by exiting from you-know-where with no pain meds. That gets me a little on my toes.

Happy or mostly moody:
ha. Ask my husband. I would say happy. He says I'm actually more rational now that I'm prego (not sure what that says about me before pregnancy) lol. Apparently I get moody and easily turn right back around and admit that I was ridiculous.

Last time you cried over something ridiculous was:
like I said. The clothes. Sunday morning. Oh the drama!

You pee an estimated __ times a day?:
5,000. I think 5,000 is accurate. I usually don't have to go, but then as soon as the boy kicks my bladder, I've got one thing on my mind. Get me to a toilet.

Weirdest dream you've had since pregnant?:
hmm. I have them every night. I should write them down because they are so dang weird! The other night I had one that we (me, Will, and my parents) were sitting around and they had me try out the new breast pump. They all wanted to make sure my milk was coming in ok. I just tried it out, right there, with everyone watching and admiring how well things were working. Awkward.

Will you breast feed: Yes. And, don't worry, I've heard the horror stories. The infections, the blisters, the feeling of getting punched in the boobs daily. But, bring it on!!!

Words of wisdom:
while pregnant, don't underestimate the belly. It's bigger than you think. Hint: while closing the car door, maybe take one extra step backwards to avoid slamming it into your child in utero. Or, while cutting that corner in the kitchen that you used to do so gracefully, maybe this time consider a wide angle turn.
**this has happened to me a little too often**



Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Praises

- First and foremost, God is so awesome and He never fails to provide in every way. I can now say that I officially have a midwife and it is all covered by insurance. This is such a huge answer to prayer and a huge weight off my shoulders. This means that I will be seeing a midwife for all my prenatal care and then I will give birth in the hospital with that midwife which is right around the corner. Best situation ever. I was so annoyed because a doctor denied me originally, but I see that God is just taking care of me and leading me where He wants me to go. He has a specific doctor's office and midwife that He wants me to go to. That's really comforting!

- WE LOVE OUR CHURCH! I don't think we can say that enough. Bethel Atlanta is such an amazing place for us to be a part of. The people that go there just blow us away with their kindness and love for us. Will and I are already fitting in nicely and loving serving in any way we can. We are going to worship team try outs on Saturday, which is exciting. We don't care where we serve... we are just passionate about this house and what they're doing. It's so awesome. We have made some awesome friends already too that feel like we've known them forever. Will and I have never really had that before, so it's so cool to experience.

- Will took some 6 month maternity pics of me after church. He's random like that. He just said, "I want to take pictures of you"... and pulled over and started shooting. I love him :)
click this link to check them out.

- Pregnancy has just been so fun and I'm enjoying every second of it. Even the heartburn that makes me have throw up burps every five seconds ;) I am SO thankful for this baby and every time I feel him moving, I get so excited and just smile. I still can't imagine that there's a human inside of me. I really don't think it will hit me until the baby is coming out. Ha ha. Will gets to feel him kick and move too. His way of connecting with the baby is to play with the stroller and set up all the baby stuff. He said that for some reason that is when it hits him. How cute. Will and I have been reading my Bradley book and practicing all the techniques. It gets me really excited about that day and it really includes Will in everything as a coach. So he loves reading it to prepare. As for Micaiah, I can tell he is getting huge! Instead of just feeling random taps, I will feel him on one side of my belly at the same time that I feel him on the other side. He turns, and moves, and kicks. He's a big boy. Not to mention, I saw my maternity pics and didn't realize how big my belly had gotten. Geez! Will said, "you've been that way for a while"... how did I not know this?? Ha. Nothing new pregnancy wise... besides it's getting harder and harder to bend over and to sit up. The back pains are starting to kick in, but really only when I'm sitting down for a long time (like at church or something).

- Atlanta has been so amazing for us. Whether we were supposed to be here in the first place and just missed God's voice, or whether God wanted us on this path for a reason... we truly feel blessed to be here. This is what home feels like. We immediately felt like we can rest here and immediately felt a deep breath. God has made it abundantly clear to us that this is where we are supposed to build our family. We are finally settled. Oh and it feels amazing!! After living in 3 different cities across the country in 5 months, we are READY to be settled. We probably have the least amount of "material things" that we've ever had in our marriage, but we feel the most fulfilled. This is how it is to live with the Lord; when you're in His will, it is never not satisfying. We have had to watch our money more than ever. We don't really go out to eat anymore (we just make fun cheap meals at home), and we really don't do much of anything else. But we are LOVING our time together and cherishing this season preparing to be parents together. God has blessed us more than I can even describe. We even love our little apartment the best than any place we've ever lived.

That's it for the updates. Thank you ALL for your prayers over us!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Wanna Make $50?? (or more)


I'm so happy and proud to announce that Will has officially started his website/graphic design company. God led us in this direction, and we are really excited about where it's already headed. He has been working so hard, and I can't say enough how proud of him I am.

So, as his wife, I will be bragging about him. :)

To start off his business, he is offering a referral deal. If you refer someone to his business for a website/graphic design, he will pay you $50 for each referral that goes through. Seriously, people... easy money. Just send out an email to all your friends and (you never know)... you may end up with 50 easy bucks in your pocket... or more, I guess.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Cai's Room


It has officially begun. I've looked forward to this since the first day I found out I was pregnant. It's time to nest, and I love it. Since we just moved, we only started... but I'm so excited to keep goin. We still need to paint the room, hang up stuff on the walls, add some furniture, make curtains and crib skirt, etc. But I wanted to show everyone what we've got so far.

I'm so excited. I feel like a momma bird going crazy trying to get things ready for her babies. Only, my baby won't be sleeping on moss and yarn that I found outside ;)


I'm super pumped too because my extremely talented sister (who is an artist) is coming to visit in a couple weeks and will help me with some drawings to hang up. She is seriously soooo good!!!

Here's his cute green/grey stroller and carseat...


My mom is a great garage saler. She got us TONS of clothes. These are just the newborn clothes.
Here's his Ikea rug...

The kid better like Ikea. Here's his crib, lamp, and decor. Moggie made that precious blanket before she died. I feel so blessed to have it.

Micaiah is a monkey for now. Will drives him around in the stroller. He even has a diaper on :)

Ikea changing table...


Pack and play...

Gibson is already jealous. Ha ha. Here's clothes that people have bought him so far.


Here's a closer look. Do you see a pattern? Hint: Will's favorite instrument...

Monday, August 9, 2010

Birthing Options..... Thoughts?

Good news! I finally found out that I qualify for medicaid. This has been a tiring process and I'm sure glad it's figured out (at least for now). Actually, the whole application process was a sinch... seriously I was surprised how many questions they didn't ask me. But I think because I am so far along in my pregnancy, they are wanting me to get medical care right away. So, that's nice.

If you aren't caught up, the reason why I had to apply for medicaid is because we moved and no longer qualify for signing up for individual health care. I called so may insurance companies, just to hear them say "sorry... no can do." I even called the department of insurance here in Georgia to which the woman told me " you won't be able to qualify for any insurance. No one will take you or your husband since you are pregnant." Which I didn't realize was the case... but oh well. Here I am trying to figure things out to the best of my ability.

I already decided that I want to give birth with a midwife. Since I am doing this whole thing naturally, I cannot have someone distracting me or asking me every 5 seconds if I want an epidural. I would probably slap them :) So, I am really wanting a midwife to be able to go through the whole thing with.

I would LOVE your thoughts... anyone that has them. Here are my options.

1. Under medicaid, I can go to a doctor's office that has certified nurse midwives available. I would have my first inital appointment with a doctor and then I would see a midwife from that point on. I would also have ultrasounds. I would end up having the baby at the hospital under the midwife supervision. From what I know, all costs would be covered.

2. I can have a homebirth with a midwife for about $2,500. Medicaid sometimes reimburses this, but I am just not sure yet. I would have the medicaid just in case something goes wrong and need to go to the hospital, otherwise I really wouldnt use it much. I would have the option to still see doctors for prenatal appts but wouldn't have to. I could just see the midwife, but no ultrasounds would be offered if I did.

I think I'm leaning toward the first one because it just seems easier. It also seems like the best of both worlds.
Here are my concerns with either of them...
- Is it hard to have a natural birth in a hospital setting? Even with a midwife?
- With a midwife in a hospital, will they let you walk around and do what you want to do? Or are you still told what to do?
- Anyone experienced a homebirth before and like to tell me their thoughts?
- Anyone been on medicaid before while pregnant and would like to tell me how it works? Do you get full care or are you treated less than other patients?



Gosh, I didn't realize there would be so many options!! I just want to have my baby! :)
The main thing that concerns me is that hospitals really scare me. I feel like they are run really according to laws and regulations, rather than thinking of what's best for the mother and baby. Ideally I'd love to be at a birthing center, but that's not an option here.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be highly appreciated!! Love you all.