Introducing Anna Kate Lair...

We are delighted to welcome our daughter to the world.

 

Anna Kate

Friday, October 26th | 12:39 PM

7 lbs 14 oz | 18.5 inches

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Christmas Eve...but better!

Jonathan and I went to the doctor today to get a check up of Anna Kate as we finish out this 41st week of pregnancy. The doctor said everything looks good and we are set for our induction tomorrow. It feels like Christmas Eve as we look forward to meeting our baby girl in less than a day! We will go into the hospital at 5:30am and get hooked up to the IV of pitocin. Then we will settle in for a long day of labor. We anticipate her arrival around late afternoon or early evening. I doubt I will get a wink of sleep tonight! Please pray with us that she will be born healthy and happy and that labor would go very smoothly.As I look back on the past 9 months, I am filled with thankfulness at how God has taken care of us in every step. With all our travels this summer and then getting ready to move soon, our lives have been pretty crazy. All the while, God was knitting together this sweet little one inside so perfectly. What a gift she is to us! I am reminded of the verse in James that God is the giver of all good and perfect gifts...and I am so thankful.I was also thinking that my pregnancy has been so enriched by several amazing products on the market. I wish I could mail a package of all of these to every pregnant gal I know. Instead, I will just give you a list of my favorite pregnancy products and strongly encourage you to visit your nearest store to pick these up...

1. Crocs. These comfy shoes have kept my feet cool and happy through summer feet swellings and South American winters. 
2. Gap Maternity khaki pants and shorts. I have worn these probably 5 out of 7 days every week.
3. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Tummy Honey. Keeps the itchies out as skin stretches with baby's growth.
4. TCBY Chocolate yogurt. The employees know us by name! Plus it is 96% fat free though Jonathan always wonders what is in that other 4%.
5. ChickfilA. At any meal, this place serves up some great chicken. During my first trimester chicken aversion, I could still eat at this wonderful restaurant.

Overdue Blues

As I woke up this morning with baby still inside, I realized that I am joining the crowd of many first time moms who go past their due dates. My baby is overdue! Even this phrase is strange to me because I have such a high value in life for being on time. I would rather be early and sit in my car for ten minutes than to arrive late.

 

The only thing that comes to mind with the word overdue is bills and library books. An overdue library book is one you sheepishly bring to the counter and await the glare of the librarian as she states your fine. You have to pay some money and then it probably goes onto your permanent library file. The next time you go in to check out a book, you know there must be some kind of warning that flashes on the computer screen as they scan your card.  Watch out for this one...she is overdue! 

 

In my life, I have only experienced one overdue bill. This was not even my fault as they sent the bill to the wrong address. I can imagine though it is a horrible experience to have to many of these. Some of the results would be them turning off your electricity, water, etc. I always pay bills as soon as they come in the mail. I don't do overdue.  So as you can imagine, it is quite a surprise that we are in the overdue range for baby delivery. This is not my style, but apparently, it is not about me!

I am learning already that our lives are not our own any longer. We are willingly becoming humbled by baby's needs and schedule. Even as I write this, I know the Lord has much to teach me about this. What a journey parenthood will be!  I am so thankful for this little life inside and how she is already teaching us to be more like Jesus. Continue to pray for us as we patiently wait for our little arrival. 

The End is in Sight!

With our due date rapidly approaching this weekend, we are thrilled to know that our baby will absolutely be coming soon! At the doctor this morning, we showed a little bit of progress but pretty much the same...just waiting on some good contractions to start. The good news is that in case Anna Kate decides to stay for a while, we have set an induction date for October 26th. This will be the day after my mom's birthday, so it will be a great celebration weekend. However, we are still expectant for her to come before then. My sister put it well...now she has a deadline so she better get moving.

I am feeling great and sleeping so well. At times, I can forget I am pregnant until someone has to lift me off the couch or I try to roll out of bed on my own. We are beginning to clean out our house in preparation for the move and letting our minds drift to the packing extravaganza that will be taking place post-Thanksgiving. I am constantly amazed at the warm weather still hovering around central Texas. It seems fall is delaying her arrival this year, much like our baby. Our electricity bill this month was the tell-tale sign that I am extremely pregnant and it is unseasonally hot!

Lately, I have been intrigued by the afternoon shows on the Food Network. Starting with Semi Homemade with Sandra Leeand continuing on for southern cooking with Paula Deen, this lineup is a great way to enjoy some rest time after a busy morning. As the show goes on, I think I could really do this...until they pull out some ingredient or appliance that I have not the faintest idea where to obtain. Paula Deen claims there is nothing likebaking biscuits in a cast iron skillet, but I can honestly say I have never seen a cast iron skillet in real life...only in TV land where the ingredients are already magically chopped and measured to perfection. Wouldn't it be nice to cook in a TV show kitchen? For now, I will just stick to my "go-to" meals and be inspired by these lovely ladies on TV.

Reasons You Know You Are 9 Months Pregnant

1. You have outgrown almost all of your maternity clothes.


2. You know the location of every restroom in every store you shop at.


3. You start every phone conversation with...No, we are not in labor.


4. Your due date countdown has reached the single digits.


5. Your husband awakens at your every nighttime bathroom trip to ask...is it time?


6. You need assistance to get yourself off the couch.


7. You have trouble remembering a time when you were not pregnant.


8. Your baby's once gentle kicks have turned into a game of how far can I push my elbow/knee/heel out of your stomach?


9. Your healthy eating ideas have gone out the window...at this point, what's an extra pound or so?


10. Perfect strangers find it absolutely necessary to tell you every detail of their child's birth story.

Almost 39 Weeks...

Cravings

At 39 weeks of pregnancy, I thought I would have reached the end of the cravings. Not that I have had that many weird ones, but I have some very distinctive food choices. Lately, I have had the biggest cravings for chocolate! In the form of cookies, ice cream, or other pastry items, I cannot get enough. Last night, I fell asleep thinking about jumping out of bed to get a brownie that I had made for lifegroup. Though I realize refined sugar and cocoa are not exactly power food for babies, I think this one must love the dark stuff.

My most tempting moment was at the grocery store the other day. I was strolling past the baked goods area and saw the doughnut carousel. I tried to keep walking but those chocolate eclairs were calling both of our names (me and baby). I snagged one for the cart and made it home before chowing down (quite an accomplishment). As I polished off the last of the icing while putting the groceries away, I couldn't help but think...I wonder if this will taste as good when I am not pregnant anymore? Until that day comes, bring on the chocolate!

What we all can learn from the Dallas Cowboys...

After what can only be called an inspiring performance by the Dallas Cowboys last night, I was reflecting on some lessons learned by watching this game. Here is what I think we can all learn from the Dallas Cowboys:

1. Never, never give up. Even when you are down in the last 4 seconds of the game and your only hope is making a field goal, the game is never over until it's over.

2. A positive attitude does make a difference. Last night Tomy Romo threw a number of passes that resulted in interceptions by the other team...4 in the first half alone. But on the sidelines, all you could see were his teammates talking to him, trying to keep him in good spirits. He knew he was doing a bad job, but he kept a positive attitude to the end.

3. We all need a great team. One of the things that bothers me about professional football is that it seems to be more focused on individuals than the actual team. Yes, we hear about the Cowboys, but it is usually about Romo or T.O. When do you hear an advertisement extolling the virtues of that long, braided hair catching guy...not often. However, it is really always up to the team to win, not just the QB or star receiver. Romo recognized this in post game chat when he said we have a great bunch of guys and they pulled me out of the hole. He knew he needed his team.

4. Don't let the other team "ice" you. In my brief football watching career, I have noticed a number of instances where a time out is called right before a final field goal is kicked to intimidate the kicker. However, they call it so late that the kicker has already got the momentum and kicks the ball. So he has to do it all over again! Personal note: I think this is a horrible rule. It is mean spirited and underhanded. I think it should be overturned. But these kickers do not let it faze them. He went right back up there and kicked it again for the final points needed to win the game. Though you may be working with mean spirited people, do not let it faze you. Keep going with what you know is right.

5. Roll with the punches. For those of you on the same learning curve of football as me, you will want to know that "spiking" the ball after a play is not allowed. Even if you have made a spectacular catch and are so excited that it is bubbling up inside you, you must lay the ball down on the field, rather than throwing it down as you jump up and down. Apparently, T.O. made this mistake last night when he caught a great pass. He got a penalty for delaying the game by his excitement. However, on replay, it did not look like a spike at all. It was not as gentle as a lay down could be, but it was not a spike. He was wronged! But instead of making a big deal, he took the penalty and kept playing. I guess in his mind, 5 yards was minimal in comparison to the rest of the game. How many times should we major on the majors and minor on the minors? Like T.O. sometimes we must roll with the punches.I hope you each have had the same takeaways from the game last night.

Remember: it's not necessarily who wins or loses, but how you play the game that counts!

Happy 38 Weeks!

On Friday, we celebrated 38 weeks of Anna Kate's growing inside! We went to ChickfilA to eat breakfast (yummy chicken biscuits) and realized that maybe she did not realize that she does not have to go all the way to 40 weeks. So we had a heart to heart with our little girl and explained that 38 weeks is plenty long enough for her to be inside. Maybe that is all she needed to boost her confidence to enter the outside world.

 My family is in town this weekend, so it would make an extremely convenient time for our baby to arrive. We took a walk around the Bear Trail last night at the urging of my sisters, just in case that is what pushes me over the edge. So today we are hanging out, watching football (yes, I really am that into it), and enjoying the muggy Texas weather (did fall forget to come to the South?)

A New Day...

This is my first post on our blog--which is in a new format if you haven't noticed.  We are doing well, and yes, still awaiting our baby.  Anna Kate, thankfully, is moving right along in her process.  The Dr. told us today a couple of things today that made us feel that her premiere was imminent, including, "I'll be surprised to see you in a couple of weeks" and "well, I'm working tonight".  We are hopeful that it will be soon, but we are also savoring our moments together.  Many have told me that life completely changes when you have a baby.  I'm sure we will soon agree.  I have already decided to myself that I will endeavor to seek and enjoy every moment I have holding our baby because I know she will grow quickly.  I can't wait for her to come, but I know God's timing is best.   In the meantime, we have been planning for San Diego and working on our financial support.  God has been so faithful thus far, and we are hopeful for his complete and continued provision.  I will be going to San Diego in November and we are set to make our move in December.  My, what a busy 4th quarter of '07.

Enjoying My Day

I got a new perspective today as I realized that the next three weeks are my last precious days before mommyhood begins. Rather than rushing this little girl along, I should enjoy her last bit of time in the womb and take advantage of this time before her birth.

During a rough time at work a couple of years ago, my friend and I used to play the "Thankfulness Game" to remember to be thankful for all the ways we are so blessed. So here are the things I am thankful for today...
Sleeping in, Spending long and uninterrupted time with the Lord, Creating heart shaped brownies with a cookie cutter, Cravings of chicken salad, Taking a walk with my husband, Jumping in the car to go to the library with no car seat in tow, and Feelings of little baby moving around in my tummy as she reminds me of her upcoming arrival.

When Anna Kate decides on her birthday, it will be such a fun event. Until then, I am happy and content enjoying my days and being thankful.