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!