A Day That Will Change My Life...

Today is the day that I am going in to the hospital to be induced. Please pray for me! The real labor probably will not actually begin until tomorrow. Anywho...below are pictures of Sophie's completed nursery and various activities of the week :0)! Next time I post I'll have pictures of Sophie!!

These things are the only items that we added since I posted last

I've been eyeing this pink Christmas tree since the beginning of the season...it finally went on sale for $5!!! Every little girl needs a pink Christmas tree :0)!

This picture does not even do the tree justice! It lights up the room so sweetly!

Christmas Eve

Grandma and I making home made biscuits

This was the same shirt that my mom wore while she was pregnant with me. She actually had it on the day she had me. **Please excuse the lack of make up** And the short shorts :0}!!

Joe and Grandpa hanging out

Pay Back

I have always been an early riser - with the exception of college, but who is an early riser in college? However, when I was younger I was always up by 6:30am and ready to eat right away. This meant that I had to wake my mother up to feed me. When I was old enough she would tell me when this hand on the clock gets to the 7 then you can come get me, but until then play in your room if you wake up. Well, I didn't think this was such a great idea so I would go and stand over her until she woke up. I didn't 'wake' her up I was just standing there. However, one time I did try literally pulling her eye lids up, ha! Well, I think that I am about to get paid back for this!! I can count 2 times in the past 5 months that I have actually slept later than 7. Even on my days off I'm usually wide awake at 6-6:30. My mom suggested one day that this might be the time that Sophia will wake up. She said she hasn't heard any scientific research backing this theory, but she has heard that the baby's 'clock' will start waking you up even when she is in utero. This makes sense - unfortunately! I will try to lay there and go back to sleep, but I'll be SO hungry that I HAVE to get something to eat. A good part of the time once I eat I can go back to sleep for an hour or two. Anways...I thought this was a good story for a day that I woke up at 5am :0).

Now for a little updating...
Last week I had a stomach virus...it was horrible. You know when you lie there and try to not move AT ALL because you are so nauseas? Well, that was me except I have these little legs and arms that were moving all over the place. I was miserable. Thankfully, I didn't have a fever, and the doctor gave me some medicine to ease the nauseousness. I am feeling SO SO much better!!!

I went to the doctor yesterday and she said that everything looks great and that I am progressing very well for this being my first child. I will go in on Sunday night and they will start to induce me. I probably won't actually deliver her until the next day though. The next time I write I will probably have a baby...YAY!

Good Ol' Dave

Joe and I have been taking the Financial Peace University class by Dave Ramsey. It has been a huge benefit to us! Especially since we are having to make cuts with me staying home! After going through the class we have decided to sell my car since we have a payment on it. Fortunately, that is the only debt that we have with the exception of our house so it would be great to actually pay that off!! Once we sell my car we would purchase a car that we could pay cash for. Anyways...I'm hoping that posting this will help me sell it. We've actually been trying to sell it for a couple months now, but we haven't gotten many bites. If you live in the Tampa Bay area and need a new car or know someone that does please email me at saraquesenberry@gmail.com. I would post pictures, but I have yet to transfer my files that I took off my work computer to my home computer. My car is a 2004 Honda Accord EX which is the top model for accords...it has a 6 disc CD changer, satellite radio, leather seats, sunroof, wood paneling. It has around 130K miles. GREAT GAS MILEAGE :0)!! We are asking $10,250/OBO.



**DISCLAIMER...some how my ability to catch grammatical mistakes is out the window lately! Please overlook them...pregnancy brain is real :0)!

I can't think of a good title

I have completed my first week of unemployment. It's been interesting and very unproductive. For some one that feels they always have to be doing something this has been a weird week. I have not felt like doing ANYTHING! I went through a period where I was going every where and hanging out with every one that I possible could because I knew that once the baby comes hanging out with friends would never be the same. I was running around like crazy at our house trying to get everything just so. Now, however, I feel as if I am "settling in" as Joe described it last night. I think that because the house is just as it needs to be to welcome our bundle of joy home, and the realization that Joe and I have a limited time left with just the two of us has made me long for quiet times. I want to spend as much time hanging out with Joe in our home. Obviously, we did not have much time as newly weds and it does sadden me to some degree. So now quiet nights is what I long for! Luckily my dear friend, Erica - who stayed the week with us - was such a great house guest and went along with out complaining. Poor girl, she was probably bored out of her mind and thinks we are the most uninteresting couple out there! I have to admit that this doing nothing thing has been wonderful! I have read that right before labor a baby will be less active because they are storing up their strength for coming into this world. Maybe that is what is going on with me. I am getting ready to bring a baby into this world so I'm storing up energy. We will go with that...it sounds better than just being lazy :0)!

Officially Unemployed...

Yesterday was my last day at work. I am officially unemployed, well, at least until Sophia makes her arrival. Then I'll have a 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week job. And I thought camp was long hours :0). It was actually very sad to leave work yesterday. I LOVED my job! It was the perfect job for me! There was event planning, ministry, and tons of time at my beloved camp Wimauma! I feel so blessed to have been given the opportunity to have had this position! It was the most rewarding job I could imagine! During youth camps I would go out during the altar call and just look over the crowd at what God was doing in the students lives. It completely gave worth to the 20 hr days, being chewed out by unhappy people, and life being totally consumed! I can not even describe just how blessed I feel that God allowed me to work at this job for the time I did! I am going to miss it terribly! Especially when it comes time for camp meeting and youth camp!

I went to the doctor on Wednesday and he said everything looked great. Sophia has dropped, known as "lightening", and is in the correct position...YAY!! I'm 50% effaced and 1 cm dilated...sorry if this is too much information :0). We also scheduled for me to be induced. I will go in around 5/6pm on December 28 and they will start inducing me, and she will be born the next day (December 29). Not too much longer!

Big Day...

I finished Sophie's nursery...YAY!! AND we decorated for Christmas! I'm worn out! I would definitely say that nesting has set in :0)! This is going to be a short post...mostly pictures. Sorry for a major over load of pictures!! I know that my family will be the only one that cares about this blog :0)!

My "work shop" for a couple days

We still need to get a rocker and clear out the stroller and car seat

This is a close up of the picture frames I made

A close up of the letters on her wall

We are waiting on the "O" to get here...Aunt Sarah mailed it Wednesday :0)

What do you think, Mom, have I dropped?

Joe and I comparing who has a bigger belly :0)...I didn't realize how big I have gotten until I saw these pictures!!!!! I am sticking it out a little, but that is mostly lil' Sophia

HAHAHAHAHA...I got REALLY sick of it being brighter than the sun in our room when we wake up, so I decided to take care of that problem :0)...don't worry, I've ordered curtains and they should be here with in a few days!!

How low can she go...

I can not even tell you how many times I have been told in the past couple of days that I am not going to make it full term. People take one look at me and say, “You are not going to make it much longer…you are LOW!” Sophie definitely has dropped, but from what I have read this does not technically mean that she will be coming soon. She could still be weeks away. (They will be inducing me on December 29 – which was 5 weeks from yesterday– if she is not here by then) I am really trying not to get my expectations/hopes up that she will be early. I think knowing that even if she were born today she would be ok - Her lungs are fully developed and she would need no time in the NICU – makes these hopes even greater! Especially since she is so low! I “feel” different too. Sorry, I do not know how to explain it any better than that. I just do not feel like myself. Who knows…maybe lil’ Sophie will be here soon. Hopefully she will not come too soon. I need my mom here during that time, and she has a limited number of days she can take off.

We FINALLY picked up Sophie’s nursery furniture yesterday! That whole process was an ordeal!! The boutique where we ordered it from was constantly changing the price on items and having conflicting stories. It was a mess! Let’s just say that I will NEVER go back there or ever refer someone to them! I am so excited to finally be able to get her room set up! I have not been able to do anything major because we did not have her furniture. My goal is to have it completely finished this week. I can not wait! I will post pictures as soon as I have it finished!

A little survey

I have seen a couple people do these and it seemed fun. Plus, I’m a little bored! 50 things about me…

1) My favorite color is red!
2) I love the sound of coffee pouring…I think it’s so relaxing
3) I stuck a bead in my ear when I was little and had to have it surgically removed
4) A favorite thing of mine to do is sit with a book, curled up in a blanket, with it raining outside, a good cup of coffee and watching FRIENDS
5) I get really annoyed when people drive the speed limit (or under) in the fast lane on the interstate
6) I will watch movies over and over again if I really like them
7) I can recite any part of my favorite movie Steel Magnolias
8) I love to do anything that involves pampering…pedicures, manicures, facials. Unfortunately those things aren’t cheap so I don’t do them often!
9) My favorite season is Fall…not that we have it here in good ol’ Florida
10) I LOVE decorating for Christmas and I have vowed never to have a fake tree
11) I can get very claustrophobic – especially since I’ve been pregnant!
12) A pet peeve of mine is when I can feel people breathe on me – I think it has something to do with the claustrophobic thing
13) Another pet peeve is the lent that you get on you from a brand new towel! Especially when you are putting on lotion and the lent becomes little lent balls
14) I tend to plan things out and can get upset if I’m made to stray from my plan – something that I’m working on
15) I can be VERY stubborn – another thing I am trying to work on!
16) I will take a lot from people, but once they’ve crossed that line then I’m done
17) Some of my fondest memories are at the Wimauma Campground (The camp ground that the Florida COG State Office owns)
18) I’m not a dare devil at all…I tend to be the person advising against such activities
19) If I do something wrong, I’ll confess right away…I’m not very good a being a rebel
20) Continuing #18…Some friends and I snuck out at youth camp one year and I told the director the next morning…I couldn’t handle the guilt
21) I tend to stick with what I knows works and don’t really branch out
22) I mainly listen to country music.
23) I am extremely ticklish. I kick uncontrollably when I’m tickled…I’ve been known to give some bloody lips
24) I changed high schools my senior year
25) I pierced my nose my freshman year of college…I took it out after a month
26) I’m OCD about smelling good…I never leave the house with out some sort of perfume or fragranced lotion on – I think this comes from my DZT days :0)
27) I love to cook
28) I love to paint
29) I was going to go to cosmetology school, but was offered my current job so I didn’t. It is a dream of mine to go one day!
30) I LOVE history!!
31) I secretly wish that I lived in the 40s and 50s
32) Nothing makes me madder than if some one messes with those I love
33) My grandmother gave me a baby doll, which I eventually named Tiffany, for my first Christmas that I still have
34) I carried her around EVERYWHERE with me up until the age of 12 (I know…I was a little old to still be carrying around a baby doll)
35) Tiffany is now in Sophie’s nursery
36) When I was about 8 we went on a two week trip to Ohio. My mom let me pack my own suit case and I only packed one outfit for myself. However, my baby doll, Tiffany, had an outfit for everyday and PJ’s for every night. Oh and don’t worry, I didn’t forget her diapers
37) I LOVE anything monogrammed
38) I HATE staying by myself at night – I have a VERY active imagination - I think of all sorts of stuff that could happen and freak myself out! One night a couple of weeks ago Joe was at Starbucks late studying and I got myself worked up and thought I heard someone breaking into the house, so I went and sat at Starbucks until he was done.
39) I love to shop – another hobby that I can’t afford right now, unfortunately!
40) I wish I could scrap book, but I don’t have the patience
41) I prefer Dunkin’ Donuts coffee over Starbucks
42) My favorite thing of all times is waking up with my husband on Saturdays!
43) I had a crush on my husband since I was 15 – The past couple of years had tamed it down a bit, but I was still ecstatic when we started dating!
44) I’m a very touchy person! I will walk down the aisle in the mall with my hand stretched out touching every article of clothing as I pass by – I’ve tried to watch this as it is not the most appropriate thing to do
45) I love to cuddle!
46) I actually like it when people rub my pregnant belly! (There is a select few that I’m not crazy about touching me!)
47) I use to be a HUGE people pleaser – to the point where I would not stand against anything – but God has really done a work in that area! Now I have to hold my tongue!
48) I love thunder storms
49) I have a phobia of sharks – I NEVER go in the water at the beach because of this! Plus I hate the sticky feeling of the salt water when you get out!
50) I love to “people watch”

I’m starting to feel a little uncomfortable! I have had a GREAT pregnancy! I know that I am blessed and that compared to some women what I’m dealing with is a piece of cake. None the less, I am uncomfortable. I can’t stand, sit, or lie down for extended periods of time. Of course, this makes sleeping very difficult, which then makes me even more emotional (if that’s possible). I get exhausted at the simplest task and I’m ALWAYS hot! I totally understand the episode of FRIENDS where Rachel is at the end of her pregnancy and is hot so she wears the shirt that shows her belly. I’m to that point. I’m hot, things are too tight, my feet are starting to swell permanently I’m afraid, I have to take breaks while putting on my shoes because I can’t bend over for that long, and I’m waddling. Oh, and the high light is that she gets her little foot going up and down my side so fast that it literally tickles me. Yes, tickles me. I didn’t even know that was possible! Don’t get me wrong, I’ve LOVED being pregnant!! I am so thankful that I’ve had this experience! However, I will say that I’m glad I’m towards the end! I’ve heard that I’ll miss being pregnant and feeling her move, and I’m sure I will! I am starting to count the weeks though!

My friend Julie, who is the exact same week as me, wrote a blog about what people should never say to a pregnant woman. I have to admit that I found it a bit comforting that people had said the same things to her because she is such gorgeous pregnant woman and looks amazing! Not that I’m would wish these emotions on any one, but there is some thing about comfort in numbers! Knowing that there is some one else out there that feels what you feel. Anywho…you’ll have to check out her blog http://juliemariejohnson.blogspot.com/! Her blog inspired me to write down some of the things that people have said to me…
1) As they walk into my office, look at my belly, and with WIDE eyes said, “WOAH!! It’s only been a couple weeks since I’ve seen you”
2) “Hunny, you’ve gotten a lot fatter than the last time I’ve seen you”
3) “When are you due? Are you sure it’s not twins?!”
4) “WOW…you’re getting really big!”
5) “Oh look, you’re feet are starting to swell…and your ankles”

On a better note…I feel peace about labor! Thankfully! I was real nervous there for a while! I think that it is something that you have to mentally prepare for as well! Or at least I did! I feel like I can do it though, which is good since it’s coming rather I’m ready or not! The doctor said that she would not be surprised if Sophie made an early appearance. I won’t get into details, but I will say that things are progressing for labor!! From what I hear labor is so unpredictable though! It’s one of those uncontrollable things! So we’ll see her when she decides it time for us to :0)!

I had such a great, great weekend! It was Lee’s homecoming so I headed up to Cleveland on Friday. My mom, sister, neice, and Aunt all went as well. A dear friend of my sister’s was kind enough to let us stay at her house since she was away. We were all so appreciative of this because a hotel would not have been as comfortable. I have not seen Emma since she was a couple weeks old so I was DYING to see her!! When I arrived on Friday she was suppose to be sleeping so I went to peek in on her. Well, she wasn’t sleeping. She was just standing up in her bed hanging out. Of course I snatched her up and loved all over her!! I’m going to do a brief time line because I’m sure you’re not interested in all the details…

Friday:
1) Went to Jenkins (a local restaurant in Cleveland with the BEST food) for lunch
2) Went to Jenkins for dinner, Ha!, with Arhmin, Cameron, Jessica, Katie, and Abby
3) Went to the DZT Alumni Association meeting. I was so impressed and proud with how well it was put together! Very classy (as always)
4) Went to Katie and Abby’s – realized what an old lady I am because I was struggling to stay awake!

Saturday:
5) Went to the DZT Breakfast
6) Went to the basketball game
7) Went to the DZT vs. Sigma game with my mom and aunt

Sunday:
8) Went to lunch with my family
9) Met up with Sarah Corder Holland to do maternity pictures – which she did a fabulous job as always!!
10) Went to the mall and got more bows for Sophie
11) Sarah and I went to dinner with Arhmin and Steve

Here are some pictures from this weekend.

My mom and aunt were in Sigma...I tried to teach them the DZT/Sigma hand sign

Breath taking!!

I miss these girls so much!!

DZT Alumni

Frick and Frat together again!

The trip home was interesting! I flew Allegiant Air and they charge you $30 per bag you check. Of course, to save this money I brought a carry on. Well, I board the plane and start looking for space in the bins overhead. There is absolutely no room!!! Every single bin was packed. So I politely ask the flight attendant what I should do. She yanks my bag from me and tells me that they are going to have to check my baggage and then asks for my card number because I will be charged $35. I was in shock! I told her that it was fine if they needed to check my bag, but I would not be charged because they did not have the space available! She told me that I could walk to down the aisle then and try to fit it in some where. This was where I become a little frustrated! I said, “Sure, it doesn’t matter that I’m eight months pregnant.” So I take my bag and start down the aisle. A precious girl behind me takes my luggage and says how ridiculous the attendant’s attitude was. Another flight attendant comes up and says that I would not be charged and he will check my bag for me. A couple minutes later the same flight attendant that told me I would be charged starts yelling at this woman that she has to go talk to the pilot about this. I didn’t know what was going on, but this woman’s attitude was getting on my last nerve!! She comes back and I over hear her telling a woman that she has to move to the back of the plane. Apparently, this woman was feeling nauseas. The woman proceeds to tell the flight attendant that she doesn’t want to move to the back of the plane because she feels more claustrophobic in the back. The flight attendant replies that the only option she has is either not fly or go to the back of the plane. Ok, this is when I start to get furious because the woman that the flight attendant is talking to stands up and she is a feeble elderly woman who was having a difficult time even walking. At this point the attendant turns to another person on the plane and says, “I know that I’m being a Bi*@%, but I just can’t help it.” This is no lie! She honest to goodness said this!! She better be glad that I was not close enough to her because I would not have been able to restrain my words! Needless to say I am going to call Allegiant Air to make sure that they know about this incident and that if this is how their attendants manage themselves then I would not be flying with them! It was completely unprofessional!! You NEVER curse at customers!!! Not to mention that she didn’t even try to help this woman to the back of them plane.

Shower Time

Last night was our first shower for Sophie. My mother in law put it together and did such a great job! It truly was so meaningful to see people come and be excited with us! A precious woman touched both Joe and I beyond words last night with her gift. I hope this doesn’t embarrass her, but I have to share the story because there is nothing more valuable to me then her gift! Her name is Sister Wallace. She is 98 years old and is probably as close to a Saint as they come! She NEVER misses church and always has the sweetest smile on her face! She gave us some money for our gift and I know for her it was a sacrifice. Honest to goodness, I have never been more touched in my life. I couldn’t help but tear up because I was so moved! She didn’t have to give anything to us! Her simply being there already made my night! Joe and I talked about it on the way home and decided that we’re not going to spend the money. I’m going to try and think of some creative way to keep it. I want to be reminded of this godly woman who always gave. I want to be reminded of this as I raise my daughter and I pray that this will be a blessing over Sophie’s life.

Here are some pictures from our fun night! I love all the pink!!

This child has so many shoes and she isn't even born yet!

Isn't this rocking horse amazing?! My good friend Brittany made it! It matches her room PERFECT!

Every little girl needs a tutu!

A dear lady in the church made these by hand. I think they are precious!

Joe and I with my in laws...love them!

We had to play the game where they had to guess how big my belly was, so I was showing them how big I was

December 29...the BIG day!!

My doctor told me yesterday that he would induce me on December 29. Yikes…some how putting an actual “birth” day on Sophie makes this whole thing even more factual! To me becoming a mother has been a process. Just like getting married was. It becomes realistic in stages. Well, the doctor telling me that he was going to induce me really brought it home! It is so exciting, nerve wracking, and so many other emotions – which let me tell you – the emotions have been flowing!! I am still not 100% sure that I will be induced. I am going to do some thorough research before I make my final decision. There is no way I would ever want to put her at higher risk for complications. The good thing is that I trust my doctors (They did my surgery last October and were tremendous during that whole ordeal!) and do not think that they would be doing this if it would be potentially harmful to the baby or me. I still am going to research it because I don’t think that it is wise to trust blindly either. I need to know for myself that she will be ok if they were to induce me early. So we shall see…

The first big item for Sophie came yesterday…her stroller and car seat…YAY! It’s so cute! The car seat is heavy though! I am going to have some guns carrying the seat AND her! Below are pictures of Joe putting together the first of many things for Sophie! I think that he was just as excited to put it together as I was to get it; which says something because my husband isn’t one to get excited about many things. Well, he does get excited; he just isn’t one to show it (probably because he has to keep me from getting too ecstatic about things :-)!!). However, he has been so outwardly excited about Sophie! It’s been great to watch! He has going to be an amazing father!

Working hard...Ok, so it wasn't that hard to put together :-)

Does he not look like such a proud daddy!

I thought I would include a picture of the car seat...the stroller has the same green bubbles. We wanted to get a car seat that we could use with the next baby too, so we had to go with one that would work for a girl and a boy!

Reminiscing

My work is either INSANELY busy or not! Today has been a not so busy day. I started looking through old files deciding which ones I needed to keep and which ones to delete. Since I won't be at my job for much longer I am trying to do some organizing. While tidying up I came across pictures of my first wedding dress. I had two for those of you who don't know...Long story short, I ended up having to to exchange my dress for another one. THANKFULLY they actually let me exchange it!! As most girls know wedding boutiques NEVER make exchanges. This was totally a God thing!! I must say it truly was one of the most personal experiences that I've ever had with God. If I were to ever write a book it would be about my wedding dress! Anywho...here are pictures of my first wedding dress. I'll also throw in the actual dress that I wore. The dress that I ended up with was absolutely my dream dress!!

I kept that veil...

The whole reason I liked the dress was this bow...

This is the dress I actually wore, Obviously :-) Sorry for the poor quality...for some reason I'm not finding my professional pictures

Where is the sunshine

So today has not been the best of days. It started off by me opening my email and finding out that I had not won the most fabulous diaper bag ever! I’ll start from the beginning of the story. I LOVE Kate Spade bags! Oh, they are just the most beautiful bags in the world I think! So my mom told me that she would get me a Kate Spade diaper bag. I was ecstatic to say the least. I found one that I loved. It was a little boyish, which was perfect since I felt that I was having a boy, Ha! When I found out that we were having a girl I set out on a quest to find a new Kate Spade diaper bag. Since I am a very girly girl, I wanted to have a girly diaper bag (especially since we are having Sophie!!). Surprisingly I could not find a Kate Spade diaper bag that really fit what I was looking for. I did not have specifics of what I wanted, but I knew that I would know it when I saw it. Well, I am starting to become a little bit of an ebay-holic. I decided to browse the Kate Spade diaper bags just to see what they had. Low and behold…I had found THE diaper bag. AND to make things even better it was at a great price since it was on ebay! I put a bid on it immediately (Well, immediately after calling my mom to tell her that I had found the perfect diaper bag)! Since we were still 5 days out from the end of the bidding I just knew that the price would sky rocket since it was such a cool bag! IT DIDN’T!!! The bag stayed at the price the whole time…Well, up until at least an hour before the bidding ending, which was when I decided to go to bed. I had a feeling that I should stay up just in case, but as I have mentioned in other posts, sleep has become the most important thing to me these days so I went on to bed. I was so excited to check my email this morning that I could barely stand it!! I opened my email and saw that I had been outbid by $2.50. TWO DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS!!! Being the pregnant woman that I am I immediately started crying! I know that this is such a silly thing to cry about which made me cry harder! It was a mess! Luckily, I slipped into my bosses office (he wasn’t in yet, THANK THE LORD!!) so that I would not have to explain to any one that I was crying over a diaper bag. I guess it just was not meant to be! I called Joe, and since he is a boy, he did not understand the big deal. “The prices always goes up at the end of the bid, so what did you expect?” he asked. Needless to say this did not help matters…I went back to the bosses’ office to cry some more. The fact that the weather outside is over cast does not help...what a dreary day all around! Below are pictures of the magnificent diaper bag.