Spelling Tuesday

Have you ever sat in a church service and felt like the message was from God directly to you? I bawled all through church today, because I felt the holy spirit speaking to me so directly. The message was on prayer, and our pastor started the sermon by saying "Do any of you feel dissatisfied with your prayer life? Do you feel like your prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling? Do you feel like there is sometimes no point in praying, because nothing you pray for ever happens???" This is exactly what I have been going through lately. I look at this situation with our business at a stand still and I feel like God is just ignoring me. I pray and pray for a breakthough and just get frustrated because nothing happens. God really convicted me today. I am praying so selfishly. When was the last time that I came to God with no agenda? When I just wanted to chat and spend time with him without expecting something from him? Our pastor reminded us that God is not a genie in ...

Well, I am currently unemployed. My family has decided that we are NOT giving up on the tuscan ballroom, but we all need to get jobs, because we don't know WHEN it will be up and running. We still need a building. The awesome church building has no hope for being zoned commercial- much to our disappointment. So what is it that I can do?? The only thing I am qualified for is to teach- and I refuse to leave Loralie with anyone all day long. So I am going to try and teach preschool out of my home- uhg. Hopefully, it won't be so bad, only four kids and you can't beat the commute. And I would actually get to teach the way that I wanted to- creatively. No testing all the time, no meetings. So I will give it a shot. So if you know anyone in the Liberty area who needs childcare... Secondly, after a gluttonous Christmas, I have decided to start my new year's resolution early and lose this baby weight. I have 35 pounds to lose, but I can't really diet the way that...

This week we went to look at a building that may be the future home of the Tuscan Ballroom. It is actually a church on five acres, that is about ten minutes from my house. It is way more affordable than a new building, although a little smaller, and it will need some rennovations. The building is only six years old, though, so it is not in horrible condition. We are thinking about getting the main building rennovated the way that we want it, and then opening without doing the catering, just the bar- that way my dad can still work his day job for a while, until we start making a profit. The cool thing about this place is that we would OWN it instead of leasing, and it has so much possibility!!! We can eventually build a chapel and fix the whole site up however we want! So be praying, because for this to work there are several things that need to happen: 1. We have to get it zone commercial through the city (it already is through the county) 2. We have to get the loan for the bu...

Everyone tells you that a baby will change your life. There is sort of a negitive connotation to that, like you are never going to sleep again, go anywhere, etc. They always warn you about how much work a baby is, and how it will "change your relationship" with your spouse. So I am happy to say that I am blissfully happy being a mom! And even more that how fullfilling it is- it is FUN! Loralie does something brilliant or hilllarious each and every day! She never ceases to amaze me! Today she had a major crisis as she could not decide if she wanted her fist or her binky in her mouth. She tried one, then the other, then both! You could tell the wheels were really turning! It made me giggle. And she has already said her first word- you heard me correctly. At three months old ! She was crying the other night, and I went upstairs to get her. She wailed "CALEB!" twice, so clearly that he yelled "What?" from downstairs! He thought it was me! Ha! ...

Have you ever prayed and prayed and felt like you were just talking to a wall? I am in what some Christians would call a "wilderness" in my relationship with God right now. You know, like when God led the Isrealites out into the wilderness and they just sort of wandered around for fourty years? God has lead my family to start a business together. We prayed and prayed before we started (over two years ago). Things just seemed to fall into place. We got confirmation after confirmation that what we were doing was of God- and would be used as a ministry for him. We totally stepped out in faith- I quit my teaching job without really even thinking about a back up plan if the business didn't work out- Of Course it will work out- God told us to do it! Now, two years later, doors seem to be slamming in our faces. Everywhere we go people love the idea of our business, and go on and on about how good our plan is, yet all the banks just keep refusing to lend to developers for our bui...

Okay, I am a big Grey's fan...but this season is getting a little rediculous! Come on writers! You can't just bring back characters who are DEAD for peats sake! You can feature said character in flashbacks. You could even bring in dead characters long lost twin brother. But you can't just bring the dead guy back and have sex with him without some kind of explanation. Sure, Izzy is going crazy. Whatever. Also, kissing in a furnace room, over a vent is not hot- It is humid. Ha. The chemistry is just not there with Christina and crazy moody army surgeon. They keep trying to make them have these dramatic make out sessions, that just don't really come off right. And if I have to sit through one more Dr. Toress lesbian scene I am gonna puke! The only character I am even liking right now is the new Asburger's surgeon. At least she has a medical condition to explain her lack of wit and feeling...I mean I am like THIS CLOSE to saying goodbye to seatle grace!!!

I was reading the accounts of Jesus' trial and conviction today, and I started thinking about Barabas. Here was this guy who was in prison for murder, awaiting his execution. And then he finds out he is free, he can just walk away. Someone else is going to be executed in his place. I wonder if he had heard of Jesus, if he had formed an opinion about him before then. Did he feel guilty that someone else was paying for his crime? Could he hear the mob shouting for his release and Jesus' crucifixion? Did he feel at all conflicted about that? Did he go watch Jesus' execution? Or did he just celebrate his freedom? Isn't Barabas the picture of the gospel? We were all sentenced to death before Jesus took our place. Celebrate your freedom!

Loralie is five weeks old today. Some days I think I am really getting the hang of this! I can change a diaper in seconds flat WITHOUT baby sticking her sock feet in poop. I am sleeping a little bit at night. I can get the darn car seat in and out of the car without brain damaging her. And then other days I feel like a complete disaster. Baby is crying, we are all off schedule, and I don't have a clue how to fix it. Overall though, motherhood has been fun so far. She is really smiling now (not just gas grimaces). Today when I heard the garage door opening, I told her Daddy was home, and she got the hugest grin on her face! She is getting pretty good at holding her head up and today we successfully sat in our bumpo chair, which she seemed to like. She likes to look at books (okay, she doesn't really look at them much, but I think she listens). She can follow toys with her eyes, and I have gotten her to hold a small rattle in her hand. Every day she seems a little cut...

So last year my friends and I were sharing our favorite Christmas traditions, and one girl said that everyone in her family always got new pajamas for Christmas and wore them on Christmas eve. I thought that was a really fun idea, so now that Loralie has come along, it got me thinking about that. The plan was to sew matching Christmas PJ's for me, Caleb and Loralie. I scoured the frigging city for Christmas flannel, and could only find cotton. Finally, at Hancock fabrics they had a measley selection of Christmas flannel to choose from. But when I got it up to the cutting table I noticed the tag that said "Warning, does not meet flame retardant standars for children's sleepware!" So I was picturing my little girl going up in flames... not very merry. So, plan B is that I bought us all Christmas PJ that don't match- look for awesome pictures to come!

Loralie is finally big enough to fit into her cloth diapers! We started them this week. We are still using sposies at night, not because they leak less (I have had just as many leaks in the sposies as the cloth), but because I don't want to have to rinse poop into the toilet in the middle of the night. I bought three brands to try and the Happy Heinies are the clear winners. I will be ordering some more of those. The diapers are so tiny that they barely make a dent in the laundry (I just wash them with the rest of her clothes). Poopy diapers get a rinse in the toilet with a sprayer hose. It take about ten seconds. And the sposies definately stink up the nursery more! So, all in all I am really happy with them! I guess this makes me an official breast feeding, cloth diapering, baby sling wearing hippy mom!

A question for all my friends who used the "baby wise" method-- were you always able to wake baby up after each feeding during the day? Sometimes Loralie wakes right up and stays awake for 15-30 minutes- other times it is impossible to wake her up! I try everything, including stripping her down, changing her diaper, putting wet wash cloths on her, tickling her, going up and down the stairs...etc, etc, etc. She just sleeps right through it. Also, when you put them down to sleep, do you wait until they are mostly asleep/sleepy to lay them down, or do you lay them down when they are wide awake? How long did you let them cry? Do you ever go and get them out of their bed early? I find this whole process really irritating, but I do think it is what is best for her. I want her to be able to fall asleep on her own, in her own bed! But I am not really digging this "cry it out" part. Last night she cried from 8pm-2am!!! She wasn't hungry, wet, or cold. She ju...

Yesterday was Loralie's baby dedication at church. That is basically when parents get up in front of the church and promise to help their children live Godly lives by teaching them God's word, bringing them to church, and leading by example. The pastor also prayed a special blessing over the babies and parents. Look how cute!

Despite the fact that I am bleary with no sleep, weepy with hormones, and lumpy around the middle, I can honestly say I have never been happier in my whole life. I feel so blessed. Every time I look at my amazing husband, and my beautiful daughter, I just thank God for them both. I couldn't have picked out a more perfect family! This morning I was just staring at Loralie and wishing that she would never get any bigger! I want her to stay my little baby forever! Caleb is doing such a great job. He is a really great dad, and an awesome partner. I know I would be folding under the crying that come with "getting baby on a shedule" if it weren't for him. He just calmly reminds me that this is just the first of many hard lessons we have to teach our daughter, and she will be a happier, better adjusted person when she learns to sleep on her own! Always the voice of reason!

Loralie's first Halloween was pretty uneventful. We just stayed home and passed out candy. I think she really enjoyed herself though....

People do a lot of silly things when they have been sleep deprived! We groggily awoke this morning and went to give Loralie her bath, and noticed that Caleb, in his blurry middle of the night diaper change, had actually put two diapers on Loralie at once! Then, later today I was looking everywhere for my nipple shield (sorry if that is TMI), and couldn't find it anywhere- until I felt a suspicious lump inside Loralie's onsie...I also managed to shave the same leg twice, so I have one Sasquash leg and one silky smooth leg. Anyways, we went to the pediatrician today, and Loralie had gained some weight since we have been home from the hospital, and her jaundice levels are on the way down, so that is a relief. I honestly wasn't sure if my milk had come in or not. I don't have any of the symptoms that they say you should have- my boobs aren't hard or sore. They don't feel "heavy" before a feeding. The only reason that I thought that it had come in, i...

This week has passed in a blurr. We finally get to take Loralie home tonight! She tested for jaundice on Wednesday night, and has had to be under UV lights constantly since then. She has only been in the room with us when we are feeding her. So that has been sucky. Apparently this is pretty common. She is doing better now. We had to start supplementing formula with the tube thingys you tape to your boobs (they have a name, but I can never remember what). So she started pooping and peeing more freguently, which helps with the jaundice. She is so beautiful. I can just stare at her all day long! I can't wait to get her home and dress her up in pretty clothes and take lots of pictures of her. I am feeling fine, on the mend. I can't believe how small my stomach looks already (relatively, of course!) I should be back to my formerly smokin' self in no time.

Here's the rundown on where our baby gets her good looks:Hair- you can't tell from this picture, but the hair is curly when wet ( and we all know that come from MOM). The color (auburn brown) come from Great Granny Joyce and grandpa Lenz. But we think it might go blonde like Daddy.Chin- Mommy, all the wayNose- a perfect blend of Mom and Dad Eyes- blue like daddy's- for now... Round Face- definately a Brummett trait, but present in Caleb's baby pictures as well. And today when I was nursing her she tried to twirl her hair- who knew that was genetic???

I would like to begin this blog with a warning to all friends who may be pregnant or hoping to become pregnant...this may make you change your mind! I went in to be induced on Monday, October 20th... I was a week overdue. The first twelve hours went so smoothly! I was just amazed at how easy everything was (epidurals are awesome). By six O'clock PM I was completely dialated, 100% effaced, and she was at zero station- not bad for a first baby! The nurses who kept checking me did comment that they thought she had a big head- not what you want to hear! So we decided to do a combination of pushing and "laboring down" for the next five hours. I would push or just let my uterus try to make progress... at the end of five hours she was STILL at zero station (head even with the pelvis bone) and Dr. determined that she was in the anterior position (not facing the right way). He recommended the C-section, and I had decided that if he recommended it, I wouldn't argue with him. So...

Well this is not actually Niki writing this blog. She is sleeping after a long day and night of baby mamma drama. I'm probably not suppose to be bloging on her site but I know there is a large population of friends and family out there who are eager to hear about the baby. I will leave it up to Niki to tell you all the details. That would be a long blog in and of itself. Let's just say we were not expecting all the adventure that we went on having this child. Loralie Bria Lenz was born on 10-20-2008 at 2249 hours. She is wonderful and has a lot of hair. ( stay tuned for color and details or pics.) She weighed 8.9 ounces and was 19 inches long. Can we make 'em or what !!! Well I will let Niki sleep and when she wakes she will fill you in on the rest. Thank you all for your prayers and support. Caleb Lenz

Well, I am officially OVERDUE- and going a little crazy. I just want to get this party started, if you know what I mean. I don't think there were ever two people who were more ready to be parents. Caleb and I are BEGGING Loralie on a daily basis to COME OUT AND PLAY WITH US. I have bribed her with shoes, toys and boobs- but she seems quite comfy where she is. My scheudule is totally cleared for the rest of the month, and I have NO ENERGY, so I am really bored- watching a lot of TV. Any-who, I went to the doctor today, and they scheduled an induction for Monday, Oct 20th if I haven't gone into labor before then. Please pray that I do go into labor on my own before then, because I am really nervous about being induced. I would rather just let my body do what it needs to do-ya know?

I am so bored. Watching TV and waiting to go into labor is not fun. I am going to the Dr. today, so maybe there will be some more progress. I just keep telling myself, what is a few more days? She can't stay in there forever, right??? RIGHT???? I am such and impatient person- and God knows this about me. I hope he isn't using this to try to teach me patience, cause the lesson is probably lost on me. Yesterday I was thinking about all the fun birthday parties we can throw for Loralie...She is going to make everything so much more fun.

Okay, I had a cooky dream last night. I dreamt that the media had decided to dub Loralie as the "bi-partisan baby". They were all standing around me, waiting for me to go into labor, so that she could pick the next president. Apparently, she would crawl to the breast pad of either Obama or McCain, deciding the fate of the election! What a little genius!

Yesterday Caleb and I had a "last date day". We figured it might be the last time we had a date before Loralie gets here. It was really fun. We just drove around, shopping and exploring in Liberty. We made it all the way up to Excelsior Springs and had lunch at a funky Chineese restaraunt. Then we drove through Watkins Mills state park and just enjoyed the beautiful fall weather. It was about that time that I started having contractions... Caleb was timing them. They were all spuratic, but seemed to be getting closer together... and then they stopped, just as suddenly as they started. We later went out to dinner and enjoyed a quiet evening at home. I am lucky to have such a great hubby.

Well, I went to the doctor's yesterday, and he checked me again (OWWW), and he said that I was dialated to 2 1/2 centimeters and 60 % effaced (whatever that means). He said he would be willing to induce me at my next appointment, but I am not really sure that I want to do that. I would rather just let nature take it's course and let my body do what it needs to do- up until I need the drugs- HA. So anyways, back to waiting... I have this irrational fear now that my water will break without me realizing it, or I will have contractions and just think that it is false labor and not make it to the hospital on time. I know this is irrational, because, well, it just is, but still. I live like five minutes from the hospital. I could probably walk there and still make it in time! It's my mom's birthday today- Happy Birthday Mom!

I thought it would never get here! October people! Went to the doctor yesterday, and she said that I was dialated to a two. So, anytime now!

The Tuscan Ballroom has a booth at the Liberty Fall Festival this weekend, so if you are bored, come on down! There are lots of craft booths and free stuff, and there is this really huge pregnant lady trying to sell wedding packages! Ha!

Loralie has made her decent into my pelvis, which means (yeah) more breathing room and (boo) more pressure on my bladder. My entire nether-regions is SORE like I went on a really long trail ride- HA. I am also doing the pregnant lady waddle now, as it feels as though I "misplaced" a shot-put. This makes me feel like the end is finally in sight. Maybe at my next doctor's appointment they will tell me I am dilated or something. Caleb attended the final childbirth class with me, which was pretty uneventful. We pre-enrolled at the hospital, packed our bags, and got the car seat enstalled... so we are ready to go. Next Tuesday, we have our "baby care" class, which I feel is essential to Caleb being allowed to be left alone with our child (hey, I saw him dangle our nephew over a balcony, Michael Jackson style!).

So last night I went to part two of the "prepared childbirth class" offered at the hospital. It wasn't nearly as bad as the first night, cause we talked all about pain relief and c-sections. I did cringe quite a bit when they passed around the forceps and vaccum extractors. I have a question for all you mammas out there: Which is better, to have them cut you down there, or to let it tear??? Graphic, I know, but the instructor said you have a choice and I would prefer to pick "None of the Above". I am not sure that is an option... The relaxation portion of the class we just as silly as the last time. I was almost glad Caleb wasn't there, because I know he wouldn't have been able to take it seriously either. We were supposed to close our eyes and picture ourselves in a "magical happy place." I started out thinking about a garden, but then out of no where, I was picturing Happy Gilmore's girlfriend in a corset pouring pitchers of beers, and th...

You never can be too prepared, you know. That is why I packed my bag for the hospital today. I had to go out and get Loralie a baby book, cause that was one of the things on the list (that way the nurses can do her hand and foot prints for me, cause that seems like a messy job). Baby book also had a place for mom's belly picture, so here it is! Ewww. Piercing my belly button seemed like a good idea at the time...

I went to our first childbirth class tonight, and it did not help to diminish my fears of giving birth! Ya know, there is a fine line between being well informed and TOO MUCH information. I am not sure what side of that line I am now on. I was, of course, the only person there without a "coach", as Caleb had to work. That's right, Loralie. If you are reading this twelve years from now, Daddy had to WORK, and didn't even come to your first childbirth class!. I think the other people there might have thought that I was making a husband up...oh well. The nurses who taught the class were really nice, and they actual work in the hospital there, so there is a chance of seeing a familiar face on D-day. One of the questions that they asked us, was to think about pain that we have experienced in our lives, and think about how that will be different from delivery pain. Uhm, I try to avoid pain, at all cost, and apparantly do a pretty good job, cause I couldn't really think ...

Five more weeks now... Loralie woke me up from 4-6am this morning with her acrobatics! Is it possible that she could hear the thunder and lightening? Cause it felt like she was doing a Richard Simmons video in there! It made me really glad that I didn't have to get up at 5:45 and trudge through the thunder storm to teach! I think this is going to be a slow week. Caleb is working PM's , my parents are out of town, work is blissfully slow... but all that adds up to a lot of time on my hands. The nursury is finnally all done. I need to get batteries for my camera, and then I can post the pics. It turned out really cute. Caleb got himself a "manly" diaper bag. He bought an army medical bag online, and has it stocked already with all the baby essentials. He won't be caught looking like a sissy carrying around a diaper bag! And if he get thirsty, it has a water bladder thingy with a straw that goes right to his mouth! What a dork.

Caleb and I were on a nice date tonight, when all of a sudden the blessed pager went off, and away he went. An operation 100, whatever that means. So here I am, home alone, and bored. Ahhh well, at least we were done with dinner. The movie will have to wait. On a related note, guess what he was doing on Tuesday? Babysitting Obama. He got to sit in his full Tactical Team gettup, in the van, outside of Barac's hotel room, escort him to the gym, and then to the airport to catch his flight to Denver for the DNC. He didn't actually get to meet him though (which believe me, he was not dissapointed about, he is not a fan). But I thought that was pretty cool. That's closer than I have ever been to a famous person!

Wow, September all ready. I remember thinking that fall would never come, particularly last spring. Sometimes it seems like the weeks slip by without me even noticing, and sometimes they seem to drag. I am on the final stretch now, and every day I think "In just six more weeks, we will have a baby. In just six more weeks we will be exhasted. In just six more weeks we will be parents. In just six more weeks our lives will change forever." I really can't believe that they are going to let us walk out of that hospital with a little baby that we have NO IDEA how to take care of! It seems very irresponsible of them. I bet I will be calling my mom like every five minutes. On second thought, my mom will probably be camped out in my living room for the first couple of weeks. She is so freaking excited! I bought Loralie her first bible today. I figure it is high time she started her biblical training! It's never to early to plant the seeds of christianity, ya know?

Okay, so all of a sudden I got this burst of energy and went through all the baby clothes that we have so far and sorted them by size and item type, and then cleaned out all the drawers in the nursery and got them really organize, and then cleaned out the closet in there and got that all ready. Then I counted how many I had of each size and item type, and went out and got a few more NB onsies, as I seemed to not have as many of those. Then I got on craigslist and hunted down all the remaining baby essentials that we needed and got some stellar deals. Whew. I am exhasted! But I am starting to feel more prepared. OOh, I also got a diaper bag on clearance, so that is all ready to go. No, I mean literally, I already packed it with diapers, and butt cream, and powder and wipes. I have a few more things that I am waiting to come in for the nursery, and as soon as they arrive, I will post pictures. It is by far the cutest room I have ever seen in my life. Not to brag or anything. In short, if...

This weekend was fun, but really busy. On Friday night Caleb's family came to town to stay with us. Saturday was my baby shower, over at my mom's house. She had it decorated really cute- everything was pink and there was a shoes/socks theme! So needless to say Loralie is all set on shoes and socks for the first year of her life! She also got a lot of really cute outfits. Sunday, we went to church and then off to Ocean's of Fun in all my pregnant glory! Sadly, I was not the worst looking person there! It was really pretty good for my self-esteem! I wasn't able to do most of the big slides, but I did the lazy river and the wave pool, and hung out in the adult pool area with some friends. So, super fun weekend, but I will be glad when the "work week" begins again, so that I can rest up!

This weekend we drove to St. Louis to hang out with the SBU crew! It was so much fun. We stopped on the way there to go to the missouri state fair in Sedalia. There were a lot of rednecks there, and enough junk food to make a prenant lady's head spin! We saw all the farm animals, which Caleb was really excited about. I had a question, though, that Caleb was unable to answer, so I was wondering if anyone knew about this: Why are there beds and air matresses set up in the barns??? Do people actually sleep in there??? AT NIGHT???? You couldn't pay me a million bucks... Anyways, then we go to St. Louis and hung out with a ton a friends from college. It was fun to see everyone. They all looked great, and their kids are so cute. On the way back, my feet were so swollen, they looked like a package of sausages, and I couldn't even bend my toes! Delightful.

Guess what I had for dinner last night? An avacado, some chocolate milk and some blue berries. Is that a pregnant lady thing to eat or what??? Caleb's working through the dinner hour has gotten me grabbing anything that strikes my fancy for dinner, cause I sure as heck am not going to cook something just for me. It is sort of hard adjusting to the schedule change, but he is so darn happy about his new job it is hard to hold it agaist him. He is like a little kid on Christmas eve every night as he gets ready- packing and repacking his stuff. He comes home and gives me a play by play of everything that they did that day. Gotta love that guy.

I had a dream the other night that I was back at Benton. I kept trying to explain to the new principal that I didn't teach here anymore, but she wouldn't listen to me. She said that the person who was supposed to take my place was still finishing up collage- she had three more days to go. So could I please just teach the class for the first three days??? Then they stuck me in a teeny tiny room with about one hundred kindergarteners. Think- hands on the face "Home Alone Style", NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I woke up in a cold sweat. Well, it might have just been a regular sweat- I am seven months pregnant. So glad that teaching is a dark corner of my past!

My Loralie had the hic-ups yesterday for the first time. At first I thought maybe I was feeling her heart beating or something, but realized it was too slow for that. When I finally figured it out, it made me giggle. I realize the cuteness of this will wear off as it becomes a more common occurance, but I love it anytime she makes her presence known!

It's A GIRL!!! Caleb was right all along! It was so amazing to see our little girl on that screen. I think she looks like Caleb, especially the nose, but sometimes from the profile looks more like me. It will be so nice to call her a "her" instead of an "it"! She kept putting her arms up by her head, which sort of obstructed our view of her face. She was yawning, too! Can you believe that? So bring on the ribbons and frills! Sugar and spice and everything nice... that's what little girls are made of!

My hubby just got offered a position on a tactical team (SWAT)! I am so proud of him. He had to work really hard just to be considered, and then he has trained with them on various days off for two years now! He will do such a good job for them. People always ask me if him being on the team makes me nervous. I say, not more nervous than what he is doing now. At least when he is on the team he will sort of know what he is going into on a call, and he will have a plan, and he will be HEAVILY armed, and he will have a bunch of other guys going in there with him. As apposed to what he does now- pulling over random cars, sometimes all by himself. He could be pulling over a car full of armed felons! You just never know with car stops. The only thing I am not too excited about is that they work nights occasionally, and I hate that. But I will sacarafice that to watch my honey get his dream! Go Caleb!

Okay, so I was working the Bri dal Fair yesterday, and of course, it got me to thinking all about when I first got engaged, and I realised I had never blogged that particular story, so here goes. Let's travel back in time- November of 2001. Caleb and I had been dating on and off for about two and a half years. We had talked about getting married some, but not enough that I was all that suspicious when he said that he was comming to Kansas City to visit me over Thanksgiving Break. He spent that friday morning playing pool with my Dad, which I didn't find out of the ordinary, cause they do that, but apparently he was asking if he could marry me. My dad said, "Are you sure you want to do that? She is really high maintience." Thanks dad. Anyways, when they emerged from the basement, Caleb told me that he had our whole day planned, and he wanted to take me out to lunch. He wanted me to get all dressed up, but I told him that all my dresses were at college! All I had brough...

I finished reading throught the bible yesterday (although you are never REALLY finished, are you?) It took me one year this time. The bible is the only book you can study your whole life, and still feel like it is different every time you read it. I have beening going to church since I was an infant, and I have read the bible completely through many times, but I still come across stories every now and then, where I am like "WHAT? Where did that come from?" For example, a few weeks ago I was reading the story about these bad guys who were trying to quickly bury a body of a guy they killed. Unfortunatley for them, they picked the wrong place to dig- where the prophet Elisha was buried. As soon as they threw the corpse into the hole and it touched to bones of Elisha, it sprung to life! Wow, I bet those guys were surprised. And it kind of makes you think, what was the point of that miracle? There was really no warning, no message. I think God and Elisha were just screwing with th...

Caleb and I went to take maternity pictures today. Yesterday I went out and bought two new outfits, that I think looked as good as can be expected. And then today, I went to Kohls to have my makeup done. It looked a little hookery, but photographed pretty well. Overall, I think the pictures turned out pretty good, and the package we got had TONS of them, so be prepared to recieve one. Ha.

Why is it that when you are just trying to relax at the pool, tread water, get some exercise, all the children in the pool are drawn to you like a magnet? I try to go to the quiet end of the pool- no kids are around, and instantly, they get out, and run to the part of the pool I am in and jump right on my head! Ahh well. It is still better than teaching summer school! He he.

A day in the life... Current mood: content 6:00 am- Eyes fly open and heart races, as I look over at the clock. Then I remember, there is NOTHING I have to do today! Woo Hoo! Roll over and go back to sleep. 9:00 am- Guess I better get up, eat breakfast, spend some time reading my bible. 10:00 Head for the pool. On a great day, I am the only person there. Most days there are a few families, which is ok. I try to exercise, but I am really a terrible swimmer, so I mostly jog/walk back and forth, tread water, and hold on to the edge of the pool and kick. Swimming is the only exercise I can do these days that doesn't a) make me have to pee b) make me totally out of breath or c) make me look totally rediculous (until I get out of the pool of course!) 11:00-12:00 work on the tan. Read a book by the pool. I may be fat, but at least I will be brown! 12:00-1:00 go home and eat lunch. 1:00-2:00 clean the house. This has it's own set of preggo challenges. For example, getting clothes out o...

HELLS TO THE NO!!!! Haha. Summer school is over, and I am doing the happy dance! Teaching has taught me a lot. Hopefully it will make me a better parent, more patient, with eyes in the back of my head. Hopefully it will make me more sympathic to my own children's teachers, and cut them some slack every now and then. But mostly it has taught me that this job SUCKS. You have to be completely mental to want to teach Kindergarten for the rest of your life! So now I can kick back, relax, and grow a human in peace. Poor kid is probably scared to come out ("My mom sounds grouchy, and I have WAY too many brothers and sisters!!!) And when people ask me what I do for a living, I can say "I own my own business, and work as an event planner", to which NO ONE will reply "oh, that sounds so fun! You must just play play dough and finger paint all day long!"

Okay, here is something I have been thinking about lately. Poor Eve, right? Do you think she knew right away what was happening to her when all of a sudden she was puking every morning, eating everything in sight, and wanting to sleep all day instead of taking walks in the cool of the garden??? And what about when her stomach started to expand and she felt the "swimming fishie" in her belly? She didn't have a wise mother, experience friends, or a "What to expect when you are expecting the first human baby in the history of the world" book to check her symptoms with! Do you think God gave her a heads up, or was she just totally in the dark? Do you think she and Adam had seen the animals give birth, so they sort of had an idea? Here's something else: When baby Cain (or was it Able?) was born, did they know to cut the embilical chord? Caleb says animals don't have this when they are born, and I don't think it would be my first instinct to cut a part off...

My teaching career is grinding to a hault. I have exactly four more days of summer school to live through, and then I am home free! I can't wait to spend the rest of the summer lounging (whale like) by the pool, and focusing my efforts on my new job! This summer hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. My class is actually not too bad, so that has been a major blessing. My patience is a little shorter than usual these days. Not to mention my short term memory! In baby news, well there really isn't any. Baby moves around and kicks a lot. Everytime I try to get Caleb to feel it, baby instantly goes to sleep. I think he/she is doing it on purpose. We are scheduled for a 3-d sono on Aug 1, so hopefully we can stop calling it "it".

My mom told me this story last weekend, and I wanted to record it for posterity. She said she was 19 years old, and she had a friend who was a professional dancer. Her friend had gotten into a serious accident, and needed physical therapy. She also started going to a beginners dance class, to ease herself back into dancing. But she didn't have a car, so my mom offered to take the class with her, so that they could drive together. Now, anyone who knows my mom knows that she is not the most coordinated person. She struggled through several weeks of this class (which was composed mostly of small children), until finally, the instructor pulled her aside and said "Sherry, please tell me there is something else that you are good at!" My mom said that she had always liked singing. The instructor asked her, if he could get her a singing job, would she promise to never come to his dance studio again? She agreed. And the rest is history.

Eight more days of teaching, and I am home free! I am so excited, but the days seem to drag on. Particularly today when I locked my keys in my car and had to wait an hour for my mom (that's right, my mom) to come unlock me. It will be nice when I work five minutes from home, so that in the event that I do lock my keys in my car (which, of course, I will) , it won't take an hour for someone to save me!!! In other news, Caleb reads to baby every night. I can tell that he is growing in his confidence in reading outloud. I feel baby moving all throughout the day now, and have even been able to see my entire stomach jerk with a particularly good kick! And finally, today they broke ground on our building for the Tuscan Ballroom! YEAH! I was beginning to feel like people thought we were making it up! But there was a backhoe there today, and some dirt was definately pushed around, so we are excited! We are signed up for two major bridal shows at the overland park convention center. Tha...

Today we went to see a new doctor at Liberty hospital. Everyone was SO much nicer- the nurses, the doctor, everyone. I felt so much better about it. It is nice to have your doctor be five minutes from your house. I took the whole day off of school to go, so it was very relaxing. Only thirteen more days of teaching! Woo Hoo! We had a nice fathers day- went over to my parents house for dinner. I think that is about all- not a very exciting blog today...

Well, I managed to survive my first week of summer school, and I only have four more weeks to go (19 days to be exact). Things are coming along nicely with the business- we have been working on our software, which I need to get VERY familiar with, so if I call you up and ask you to pretend to be a bride who is booking a wedding, that is why! I can't wait until July, when I can really relax and concetrate on being healthy and getting ready to be a mom, and stuff like that. I went to church today, and actually got to hang out with the youth. Caleb and I have been talking about how much we have missed hanging out with them since his schedule changed. There is a possibility that he could get an opening in the swat team, so pray that he does, cause it is Monday-Friday and that would mean we could go back to helping with the youth. Wow, that was a really long sentence. Anyways, that is about all from us.

Today is me and Caleb's six year anniversary. I can't believe that it has been that long. I remember walking down the isle towards him on our wedding day, and seeing his face, and knowing I was making the right choice. He is my partner for life. He is my best friend- the person I want to talk to when something bad happen, the person I want to celebrate with when something good happens. He is smart and funny and makes friends with anyone he meets. When he is home with me, it doesn't matter if we don't really do anything at all, I just like to be around him. When he isn't home, I miss him. He is going to be an amazing Dad to our kids because he is so fun and thoughful and Godly. I can't wait to see if our baby looks like Mom or Dad! Over the last nine years that I have known him, we have shared life together- weddings, funerals, nephews, tornados, jobs, injuries, friends, adventures. We have shared our highs, and our lows. I feel like Caleb was especially picked o...

Today should be a sad day for me. It is my last day of teaching kindergarten here at Benton Elementary School, in Independence. I have been here six years, and had many interesting experiences. People are always asking me, "won't you miss teaching?" The answer is, yes and no. I will definately miss all my friends and collegues at Benton. They are the kind of teachers that I strived to be. They put up with so much CRAP and still love those kids and families. They are doing their lives callings- and I really admire that. We have had some fun times together- laughed together and cried together. I will miss them tremendously. I will also miss MOST of the kids. They do say the dardest things sometimes... I love the part of teaching when a kid FINALLY gets it- something you have been working on over and over. I love seeing their special talents and trying to figure out what kind of person they will become. But then there are the reasons for leaving... So much that teacher do is...

I cried three times yesterday! Well, one of the time was because Caleb hit me in the eye, but that is a whole other story. He said my hair looked really "wavy" which I knew was code word for "wild and frizzy", so that set me off. Here is a tip, don't get your hair cut right before you find out that you are pregnant! I am now at the wierd growing out phase and it won't do anything and it looks silly. Add to that the "protective fat layer", and the hormone zits, and you have a serious self esteem complex! Then we watched "27 dresses" and it made me think of our wedding day, six years ago, and how hot we were for each other and how cute I was, and I started wondering "what if I never look like that again???"

am so fat that my wedding ring doesn't fit. I was getting dirty looks at the grocery store so I bought myself a six dollar cubic ziconia monstrosotie which I will wear to maintain my good reputation. Ha!

Yes. It is either a boy or girl. We weren't able to determine the sex, cause baby had it's little ankles crossed right over it's junk. Everthing looked good on the sonogram though. Healthy, and the right size. But I cried when I left the office. I had visions of myself going out and buying little frilly pink dresses or biboveralls with trucks on the front right after I found out the sex. I just kept picturing my baby having only ugly green and orange clothes! Pregnancy hormones... you gotta love them. Caleb felt so bad for me that he played hooky almost an entire day at work. I love that guy. Then I had to go to a summer school meeting- eww. Just a reminder of the fun to come. But when I got home, I had balloons and a card and chocolate. Then he took me out to dinner and my parents and brother met us at the restaurant. So that was fun. The day ended much better than it started.

The last couple of weeks I have been having some heartburn. I hear that means my baby is hairy. Duh, have you seen me? I have a lot of hair. Let's keep our fingers crossed for curls!

My Dad played a "Tribute to Merell Haggard" Concert last night in Liberty. He did a great job, and it was fun to see him on stage again. The crowd went wild (okay, not really, as most of them were over 70, and on oxygen). I remember my dad playing all those songs when I was growing up, so it was a real trip down memory lane! Most kids wouldn't say that their parents sang them the song "Mama Tried" as a lulluby- "I turned 21 in prison, doing life without parol. No one could steer me right, but mama tried, mama tried!

Caleb and I worked in the yard quite a bit this weekend. I say Caleb and I, but really I mean Caleb. I mostly just watched and directed as necessary. We did all the landscaping around our back patio for a joint birthday present to ourselves (my birthday is next week, his is in August). We also got some furniture for out there, so now we need to have a "patio warming" party! Ha. We are having another ultrasound on Tuesday, and hopefully we will be able to tell if we are having a Loralie Bria Lenz, or a Brighley Christian Lenz! The suspense is killing me. The nursery is looking really cute, thanks to awesome presents from my baby shower last week. Caleb and I have been reading to our little peanut baby everynight (laugh if you want, but our kid is going to be a genius!)

I had my first ever baby shower yesterday from my friends at work. It was overwhelmingly awesome. There were a lot of people there and a huge stack of presents. The whole party was kind of a blur. I was trying to open stuff fast, so that it wouldn't take three hours, so by the time it was over, I was just thinking "Did I even remember to say 'thank you' to people?" I got a lot of really cute stuff, but I was exhausted by the end!

Okay, it wasn't technically my first mothers day, but it was my first time to be able to stand up in church when they said "Let's have all the mothers stand up!". And it was my first time to recieve any mothers day presents. Caleb got me a gift certificate to the spa and some perfume from the baby. Awww. It was a fun day, and I was glad that he didn't have to work. After church we got some work done in the yard, and decided that we would landscape around the patio and get some furniture and call it "both of our birthday presents". So we will be able to have some fun backyard BBQ's this summer!

Did you know that the average baby produces 1 ton of trash for every year that they wear disposible diapers? Did you know that a disposible diaper takes 500 years to decompose? Did you know that disposible diapers are the third most common item found in landfills? I know that I am a new mom, and really have no idea what I am in for, but Caleb and I have decided to try out cloth diapers. They are WAY less expensive (500 compared to 2,000, and that is just if you only use them for one kid). Cloth diapers have really come along way since our mothers and grandmothers used them. No more pins (they have velcro or snaps, depending on what model you buy) and no more "plastic pants" (they come with a waterproof layer built right in. It really isn't that I am a big hippie. It just makes sense to me. Our grandparents grew up with the mantra "waste not, want not." They rarely bought anything that they would immediately throw away. Disposible diapers (or landfill ...

So last night, Caleb and I were sleeping away when at about 2:30am we both woke up to really loud wind- REALLY LOUD. It sounded like a freight train pulling through our backyard. Usually, I am the one who is like "shouldn't we be in the basement?" but I knew it was serious when CALEB started saying "get in the basement- now!" We ran down the stairs, expecting the house to collapse on us at any moment! Then we huddled in the basement in complete darkness for a while, listening to our house make really scary noises. Thankfully, my husband had had the foresight to put a murphy bed in the basement, so we were able to sleep down there comfortably for the rest of the night- there was no way I was going back upstairs! Praise God our house had only minor (comparitively) damage. One of our garage doors is totally bowed out, a gutter is missing, our patio furniture is trashed, and parts of our roof may have to be replaced, but considering that the guy across the s...

This weekend, while enjoying a leisurely grocery shopping trip in Target, I experienced one aspect of pregnancy I had thus far avoided. As my husband placed a package of raw pork in the cart, I started dry heaving. It smelled like rotting animal carcass to me, and I just kept saying "Get it away from me!". The trip got even more interesting when I saw the little monkey salt and pepper shaker below and stared crying because they were so cute. My sensitive husband says "What's wrong with you?" I blubbered "I don't know! Leave me alone!" He says that I should be able to recognize that what I am feeling or saying is not rational, and just ignore it. Ha! I would like to see him try! Why don't men have to experience any pregnancy symptoms? It is so not fair!

So this weekend wasn't very fun. Sunday, I noticed that I had some spotting. My baby books all had this in the "call your doctor" catergory, so I did. He said that it was probably nothing, but just to stay off my feet all day (easier said than done!) and call him that evening if it hadn't stopped. Well after a torturous day on the couch, it still hadn't stopped, so I called back. He said that it could be one of three things: nothing, something (but we wouldn't know what without a sonogram), or perhaps I had started to misscarry, in which case there woudln't be anything he could do about it once I had started bleeding anyways. Wow, to put it bluntly, right? So I freaked out all night and went in to see him first thing in the morning, which I learned in doctor talk means "12:30, after calling repeatedly all morning and having no one call you back but then having to go there in person to make the appointement, and then come back later..." B...

The pregnancy week by week website sends me a task to complete each week in preparation for baby. This week, Caleb and I are supposed to complete a few lists about our own parents, to foster discussion about our parenting styles. So here are my lists: My Mom Always... read to us volunteered at our school planned awesome birthday parties for us knew all of our friends and their moms cooked and did most of the housework did the yardwork had a snack for us when we got home from school Dealt with problems at school My Dad Always... watched the incredible hulk and night rider with me on a saturday morning was teasing us paid us for good grades brought us home presents from his business trips taught us to love music Played sports with us took us on special outings worked outside of the home enforced the "heavy discipline" was an alli when you were in trouble with mom taught us to drive My mom never... let us do Halloween really got us to do chores (her biggest parenting regret) al...

I went to Babies R' Us to register for baby stuff. Thank goodness my good friend Erika came with me, cause I was in way over my head at that place. Two hours later we have a complete baby registry. Who knew that you needed a "wipe warmer"? Nobody warms up my toilet paper! Why does such a little person need to come with so many accessories? As my dear husband pointed out "the little lord baby jesus came into this world with only some swaddling clothes and a manger." Good point. In case you are interested we are registed for some swaddling blankets...

This weather really sucks. This is like the winter that never ends! If I have to spend one more week doing inside recess, someone is going to get hurt... I don’t even mind the rain so much, but it is so darn cold still. I mean, c’mon God, it’s like April. At least our grass is green! One of the mom’s at work blessed me with TONS of baby stuff this week- two bags of cute maternity clothes, a boppy, a bumpy, a vibrating chair thingy, a play mat, baby clothes and toys! It is so fun to think about using all this stuff. Plans for the Tuscan Ballroom are going right on schedule. The city council approved the general site plan two weeks early (??? that never happens) and so they should be breaking ground on the roads, sewer lines, curbs, etc anytime now (if it would freaking stop raining). The website is up and running and we have gotten a few phone calls and emails. We have our first wedding booked for may 2009. Anyways, if you have no idea what I am talking about go to http://www.msplinks.c...

You know how they say that you body craves things that it needs when you are pregnant? Someone please enlighten me with the nutritional value of these foods that I have been craving... 1. hot dogs 2. pickles (I know it is a cliche, but true) 3. cream cheese 4. key lime pie I always kind of thought I would crave chocolate or ice cream, but not so much. Wierd huh? Apparently, my baby likes random pig parts, salt, fat, and sugar coated vitamin C! Ooo... you know what sounds really good? Pickles smeared with cream cheese...

I hope that George Strait knows that he makes hormonal pregnant women bawl everytime they hear this song! I Saw God Today - George Strait Just walked down the street to the coffee shop Had to take a break I’d been by her side for 18 hours straight Saw a flower growin’ in the middle of the sidewalk Pushin’ up through the concrete Like it was planted right there for me to see The flashin’ lights The honkin’ horns All seemed to fade away In the shadow of that hospital at 5:08 I saw God today I’ve been to church I’ve read the book I know he’s here But I don’t look Near as often as I should Yeah, I know I should His fingerprints are everywhere I just slowed down to stop and stare Opened my eyes and man I swear I saw God today Saw a couple walkin’ by they were holdin’ hands Man she had that glow Yeah I couldn’t help but notice she was startin’ to show Stood there for a minute takin’ in the sky Lost in that sunset Splash of amber melted in the shades of red I’ve been to church I’ve read the b...

is that you get to take a nap every day! At least I do! As soon as I get home for school I just about pass out. And no matter how long I sleep for, I am still able to go to sleep at nine o’clock every night! I am trying to get that rest in while I can... I hear newborns don’t sleep that much... PS- the nursury is coming along nicely. Caleb is picking up the crib that we bought on ebay tonight!

Thursday was my first doctors appointment. Caleb and I got to hear the babies heartbeat. I laughed out loud when I heard it. Caleb got this look of deep concentration on his face. We have been working on the nursury. It is going to be a farm theme (Caleb’s idea) so that will work for a boy or a girl. We bought our first piece of furniture for the nursury on Friday night- a really great rocking club chair from Sears- it was on clearance- score! And on a totally unrelated matter, please visit the website for our business, The Tuscan Ballroom which will be open in November. The more people who visit the website, the higher our google rating will be (or the closer to the top of the list when people search). That is how I understand it at least. www.TuscanBallroom.com

Just got back from an awesome week of sun and surf at Amelia Island, Florida. Friends Curtis and Candy went with us, and we shared a beach house. It was so great to just be able to relax. Probably our last trip for at least a few months! Caleb got to fish and I got to do what I like best these days- SLEEP. We went to Orlando for the last night, and had a perfect day at Sea World. It was sunny and 75, neither of us had ever been there. It was great! Except, they give out free beer, and me, not able to drink!

Now that my Bunco friends have been told in person, I can finally blog that Caleb and I are expecting our first baby in October! We are super excited but a little freaked out. I had a dream last night that I was back in college and I kept saying "I don’t want to grow up!!! I want to stay here forever!" Caleb’’s parent’s and my parents are super excited. No throwing up so far, just tired and cranky, and hungry...

Okay, so Caleb and I had such a great valentine's day. If romantic stuff makes you barf, you are probably going to want to stop reading this now. He he. Okay, so first of all, I had to work on ACTUAL valentine's day, so we had plans to go out on Friday the 15th, but Caleb surprised me at work with a dozen roses and chocolate. I don't care if it is cliche, I still love it. Then on Friday, we got all dressed up ( I looked hot, by the way. I even had fake eyelashes!) and we went out to a fancy dinner at Piropos (which is a lovely resturaunt with incredible views and great food). During dinner I gave Caleb his valentines day present. I made him a crossword puzzle, and everytime he correctly filled in a word, he got a different present. Like when it said "I love _________ into bed with you!" The answer was "Climbing" and he got a gift certificate to go rock climbing. Some of the presents were totally dumb and funny though. Like I took some of our ...

I told my principal a few days ago that I don't plan on teaching next year. I don't really think he was surprised (he seemed like he might have already known, I am sure someone let the cat out of the bag). I will know a lot more in about a month, as to wether or not we have gotten the loan we need to start our business, but I think that either way I can't teach kindergarten another year. It is just way too much stress. So pray that our business has a smooth start and that we open on time (Fall of this year). I really can't wait to start it. I think about it all the time!

the original GHOSTBUSTERS movie- 1984! I love the 80's! Caleb and I are going to an 80's party next weekend. I am pretty pumped about it. I got my outfit. It is a stone-washed denim mini dress (long sleeve and shoulder pads) and the best part it- it is BEDAZZLED. He he! I can't wait! Oh crap! What the heck is in this lady's closet!!!!

Those of you that know me, know that I love to sing, and that I know a freakish amount of songs. I have decided to put that to good use and win myself a million dollars. I am making the audition tape today for the show "Don't Forget the Lyrics". Have you ever watched it? It's pretty much like karaoke but then you have to complete part of the song. It's kind of set up like "Who wants to be a millionaire" in that you have "life lines" which will be my parents, and eliminate two answers and stuff like that. So pray that they pick me, cause I could really use that million dollars!

Is that you have a whole day off with no plans! I literally stayed in my pj's until 4:00pm today! Hey, I couldn't drive anywhere, cause it was way too icy! He he. It was great! I did do some laundry, and I worked out, but that was about it. Movies on the couch! Woo Hoo!