Love is Patient: Salad Anyone?!? A SMALL HEAD of LETTUCE!!! (Week 30)

Well...this week has been fast and furious! It was the first week of school with the kiddos back and I have been going non-stop. Not just at school, but when I get home too. I seriously go, go, go from 4:50 in the mornings until about 9:30 at night when I can no longer hold my head up or keep my eyes open! But, it has been a great week and I have gotten so much done. I love every single one of my classes and my kiddos that are in them are absolutely a dream. It is going to be an amazing year! I can't wait to watch these precious kids mature, learn, and grow as the year goes on. I love my bosses, my co-workers, and the kiddos...I am so truly blessed to work at Blackwell!!! Here goes my 6th year of teaching...it's gonna be FABULOUS!!!

Top news from other things going on this week...I had a two week check-up with Dr. Tadvick on Monday. It went perfectly...as it always does! When the sonogram technician was just about done reading her heart rate, Seiden got sick of it I guess and jabbed at the doppler! Sweet baby...she's had so many sonograms, she's sick of it! She's probably thinking...this cyst is going away guys...can we stop with all this nonsense?!? Oh...our precious little princess...I think I know who's personality she's taking after so far! Seiden's heart rate was 147 and when he measured my tummy...he said it was right on track with being 30 weeks along. He said she was growing beautifully and my uterus was growing perfectly right along with her. Such wonderful news to hear and so good to hear our sweet Seiden's heartbeat. It never gets old! I actually had some questions for him this time. I normally don't really have many questions. But here lately I've had so much on my mind with getting closer and closer to having her and with the percentage of us delivering in Ft. Worth (at this time) being about 100%...I just had some things that I had been thinking about. The first question was who he recommended for a pediatrician. There are some amazing pediatricians in Abilene, and I kinda already had an idea of who we would use. But, I wanted to get his viewpoint. He mentioned the names of some very wonderful and amazing doctors, but the practice he highly recommended was the same one that we had in mind. I'm not sure which pediatrician we will use yet, but we are going to go with the Professional Association/Pediatrics. What's so wonderful about this practice is that there is not one pediatrician in this practice that we would not be 100% comfortable with Seiden going to. And the other thing that is so special (at least to me) is that my pediatrician that I had when I was growing up is still practicing and is in this practice! They are all amazing Christian men and women and I cannot be more excited to start the process of getting everything lined up for Seiden to be seeing one of them! The other things I asked mainly had to do with the whole C-section process. I wanted to know where the incision would be and how long the recovery time would be. I've looked up some stuff on the internet. But, it's never as good as hearing it from the mouth of your own doctor. I think the hardest part about having a C-section will be the recovery process. I just won't be able to do anything other than walk or lift anything heavier than Seiden is for 8 weeks. Thank goodness I've still been able to run and lift weights through this pregnancy! Even though I'll be on hold for 8 weeks after she's here...it will take me no time to jump right back in...with ease of course. I don't want to do anything that will delay the healing process or cause something to go wrong. So, whatever the doctor says to do...you better believe I'll be following those orders super strictly! I know I will be chomping at the bit to get back into running and CrossFitting though! 8 weeks is a long time to lay off from those 2 things that I love so much...but oh so worth it!

And the last thing that I'll talk about this week are a few things that we bought for Seiden! I had some store credit to use from Kid's Village. So, I went in there Wednesday after I got home from work and did some serious shopping. I got her a high chair, all sorts of things to wash her bottles and other feeding supplies with, some Aden + Anais contoured burp cloths, an extra crib sheet, a minky dot changing pad cover, a Baby K'Tan baby carrier, a pacy clip, and a bustier so that I can be hands free while I'm pumping. I am so excited to get all these essentials for our precious Seiden...and I can't wait to use them all! I also finally got my breastpump in!!! So excited about that. I'll be coming back to work as soon as Seiden starts at Zion, which will be in the middle of January. So, I'll have to pump while I'm at work so that she will have breast milk at day care. And...it will also help because anyone can feed her if I've pumped enough. I'm praying God gives me a good milk supply! But man...that instruction manual for the pump is insane! They make the pictures and descriptions online look so easy...but that pump looks like and alien contraption! I'm sure once I read everything and get it all put together, it will be a breeze to use. I got the Medela Freestyle Hands-Free pump...I need to be able to work and do other things while pumping. So, getting the Freestyle was a no-brainer for me. Let's see...we also ordered the precious little swing for her from Target. It's the Fisher-Price My Little SnuggaBunny Cradle and Swing...and it's adorable! We were able to get that for her with gift cards that sweet, precious people got for us for our shower. Such a blessing! And...quite possibly the best for last. My parents and Cody's dad got us the BOB Revolution SE Jogging Stroller, BOB B-Safe by Britax Car Seat, an extra car seat base, the snack tray, and the handlebar console for drinks and such. I AM BEYOND EXCITED!!! This will be what I use as my travel system...Cody has a Chicco KeyFit travel system that he'll keep in his truck. I know you may think it sounds silly that we both have a travel system. But, there may be a day when Cody takes her to day care and I pick her up. And in between that time, we won't be coordinating with each other to get the car seat and stroller switched into the other car. So, it just made sense for us to each have our own travel system. My mom also has her own travel system for the same reason...crazy I know...but for us it works and is the best option depending on schedules and such! But, I have been wanting a BOB travel system since the day we found out we were pregnant. I can't wait to take her on brisk fall and early winter walks and runs...and I can't wait until the dogs get used to running with a stroller! We will have so much fun! After this week, I feel like we are really getting ready for her to be here. Our furniture should be all done and in her nursery by next weekend...which I can't put into words how excited I am to see it and see it in her precious room! But once that's done and all her stuff is washed and put away, I think I will feel completely nested and ready for her to come home!

And we have declared, In Jesus' Name, that we WILL be home before Christmas with her! We absolutely believe that God is going to continue to shrink that cyst to something so small it's nothing for the doctor's to worry over, or He will completely take it away all together. We just continue to surrender to Him and give Him full control over every aspect of our lives and it's been amazing to just feel His presence and His comfort and peace. Our next doctor's appointment is on September 3rd, and we are so excited to hear what Dr. Tabor says when he does the sonogram. We can't wait to see her and how much she has grown and how much the cyst has shrunk as she continues to grow. I also have a fetal MRI at Cooks later that day. The pediatric surgeons want to get a better idea of what they're going to be dealing with. But, I believe what we will see on the sonogram and what we'll see on the MRI is just a shrinking cyst that God is healing from her body. And I can't wait to see the look on the doctor's faces! God is so good all the time and He has been so good to us and given us so much peach and comfort through His healing of our precious Seiden Grace. We are counting down the weeks until we get to meet you Seiden Grace...we love you so much and we can't wait to tell you all that God has done for you!!! You are our precious little miracle!!!

Seiden Grace at 30 Weeks:

You are the size of a Head of Lettuce!
You are 18 inches long and weigh 3.2 pounds!!!
Your brain connections are continuing to develop at a rapid rate.
You are processing information, tracking light, and perceiving signals from all five of your senses.
You are starting to sleep through more lengths of time...but you are most active at night! Just like your daddy...guess he gets night duty! :-)
Your eyesight also continues to develop, but won't be very keen until you are just a bit older.
You are quite the little mover! I feel your bumps and kicks and punches all throughout the day. But, you are especially active in the evenings...usually when mommy is just about ready to go to bed! You wiggle, roll, somersault, kick, stretch, and I'm sure do many more activities and exercises. And my tummy looks like it's doing the wave! I love it...I could stare at it for hours when you are moving like that!!! But, like I said...you are a night owl like your daddy! But, you do like to run and do WODs with mommy in the mornings. I can feel you pushing on my tummy throughout my workouts and I love that I get to spend them with you!
Seiden Grace...you have completely consumed our hearts. You are so loved and we can't wait to meet you. There are so many people lifting you up in prayer, hundreds that we don't even know. You are one special little girl and I hope that you can always feel God's presence surrounding you. We love you so much!!!

Only 10 Weeks To Go!!!

These are some of the goodies I bought at Kid's Village! The changing pad cover and Baby K'tan baby had to be ordered and the high chair was in my car! The BOB stuff hadn't gotten there yet and I had just ordered the swing...pics to come on those!

My friend, Carrie, insisted on taking this pic of me at school on Wednesday! I love her so much...she's my sweet friend that threw us a diaper and wipe shower. But, she thought my sweet belly looked especially cute this day...so here's the pic she took!

This beautiful pink tourmaline eternity band is what I ordered with my b-day money. It's Seiden's birthstone! Not only is it her birthstone...but it also just happens to be this beautiful pink tourmaline that represents a girl! I absolutely love it and what it represents...I will never take it or my wedding bands off!!!

And here's a little throw back pregnancy pictures!!!