Courageous: Am I?

Today Adam was off work which was strange since he never has a day off during the week, but I loved it. With this random day off, we tossed around a few ideas on how we could spend this lovely Tuesday. Courageous came out last weekend, and since we missed seeing it with our church, and heard nothing but fantastic reviews about it, we thought it'd be worth seeing. And since we had decided on the 1:05 p.m. matinee, we had to load up Callie and take her with us. She did great napping in her car seat while the movie played. Thank God we have a baby who knocks out when the lights dim. I think the people who saw us walk into the theater with our baby were relieved she slept as well.
After all of the ranting and raving about this movie, I kind of already drew my own conclusions as to what happened and what it would be about. I already figured out the big tragedy from the previews so was prepared to cry. And boy did I. I was just hoping the acting would be better than the previous Christian films made by the same people and it was. I was really surprised by the movie all around...how good it was, how convicting it was, and how it made me think about things I really didn't want to. I guess God is good at putting something in your path to knock you down when you think your riding along without a care in the world.
I have a wonderful, blessed life. I am married to my best friend and love of my life. I have friends and family that support me no matter what. We now have a 4 month old daughter who has brought out this entirely different kind of love and joy in our hearts. We are blessed to have great jobs that we love and to  have a home. We love our church, and even more recently, our new Sunday School class. We are trying to get more involved here and there in ministry and outreach. From the look of it all, it would seem everything is lined up for us. And we are happy, very happy. Being comfortable and happy with our lives can lead to a contentment that can be poisonous if we're not careful. Poisonous in a way where there's no relationship at all with our Lord. He's been so good to us, so why do I find it so hard to be who I know I should be for my God? I pray continuously for discipline, motivation, blah, blah, blah. I still go to bed without reading, without praying, and without spending anytime with my Father.
As I prayed over Callie tonight, I was overwhelmed with how much love I have for her. Watching the movie today was a big reminder of how short life is and how precious the moments are that we spend with our children. Even if she is just a baby still, it's so important for us to make time with her a priority and it is. She is my everything and the outpouring of love that I have for my daughter is indescribable. I cry when she cries and her laugh makes any bad day bright. I could stare at those blue eyes all day and blow raspberries on her cheeks until I run out of breath. She's our angel sent to us from our Lord and when I approach Him in prayer praising Him for her, I can hardly contain my emotions. And tonight when I was praying, He opened my eyes to something. The unimaginable, unexplainable, out of this world love that I have for Callie, my Lord has for me. And I have been neglectful of His love for too long.
The movie was a great charge for fathers, but as a mother, I took the same charge to heart. I don't want to  be just a good enough mom. I want to be a God fearing mom. I want to be the mom who makes it to all of her games or dances or whatever she wants to be involved in. I want to be right there cheering her on, encouraging her in every way. I don't want to be too lazy or tired to take her shopping, or to talk about boys, or to pray with her when she's hurt. I want her to know that she has a mommy and daddy that love her and that love the Lord. She is everything to us. Our Lord should take priority over her. How can that not revolutionize my day-to-days with Christ?
In conclusion, if you haven't seen Courageous, go see it. See it with your family. And as I was instructed to do, bring kleenexes because the napkins from the concession stand just aren't the same.

Callie Jane: The Roller Coaster to Her Arrival

Wow...I almost forgot I had a blog! LOTS has changed since my last blog in December, when we didn't even know what our little baby was. Now we are the proud parents to our sweet baby girl, Callie Jane. She is 10 weeks old and growing so fast. She is perfect in every way and I know that I am totally biased, but she's the most beautiful thing. Much to our surprise, she came out with a head full of curly, red hair..one of my most favorite things about her =) She was a whopper at 8 lbs. 7 oz. and 21 inches long! Our doctor tells us to be on "roll patrol" when we clean her...I love her fat thighs and double chin! 
Callie's arrival did not come without pain, endurance, and a somewhat traumatizing labor. When people ask me how the labor and delivery was, I almost want to sugarcoat it, especially for my friends who are expecting their own bundles of joy. And Callie is the biggest joy and I will do it again and she was totally worth it. However, the journey to get our little one here was one that I will never forget.
My due date was May 25th and I worked up until she was born. I actually was doing a haircut the Friday before she was born and had a few contractions but was able to push through them to finish up my client (and it still looked really good!). I started having contractions Thursday night, May 19th, while walking the mall with  our friends Matt and Ashley (she was also pregnant at the time but has since given birth to her sweet girl, Annslee.) Being my first pregnancy, I had no idea what to expect with the contractions and with my zero pain tolerance, I was terrified of them. My first few contractions hurt, but were tolerable. Friday morning my mom and I walked around my neighborhood for an hour, with me having to stop every 15 minutes or so with contractions. I went to work, did a few appointments, and Adam and I met my mom and step dad at Cattleman's for dinner. The entire dinner, I was having contractions 10 minutes apart..they were much more intense than the night before and I remember banging my steak knife on the table a few times and the waitress being totally freaked out. We left and they kept coming, to where they were about 8 minutes apart. Adam called the doctor and they told us to come in. Something I will never forget about the whole process was when they would check me...HORRIBLE! It didn't help that this nurse was about half my size, blonde hair, and very attractive, with her, what felt like, entire arm inside of me. So all the while I'm screaming at her in pain, I'm also thinking I wish I had an ugly, fat nurse. Anywho, turned out I was only 1 cm and they sent us home. Being sent home is an awful feeling..we went from an elated feeling of our baby possibly being born to an overwhelming disappointment. They offered me a sleeping aid and I declined. Never decline. I don't know what I was thinking.
Anyway, I was up all night with contractions. Saturday contractions kept coming, starting out at 20 minutes apart, and eventually that evening they were down to 7-8 minutes apart. Same song and dance..we called the doctor, they told us to come in, loaded up the car, and Adam wheeled me into triage for the second night. Being checked still was the WORST thing ever and by this point I had adapted a few words that became my companions until she arrived. Shit and sorry. I would scream "Shit!" followed by "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I'm surprised I didn't adapt more words than that. Still had the cute, annoying nurse, who was not sensitive at all and acted annoyed that it hurt me so bad. I was only 1-2cm and they sent me home and I cried and cried and cried some more. By this evening, we hadn't slept in 2 nights. It was impossible to find a position to ease the pain of the contractions. People described them to me like intense menstrual cramps..I guess they were like that at that point. But definitely could not sleep. I sat up against the headboard because lying down was out of the question. I would sleep between contractions which were about 10 minutes apart by 10:00 Sunday morning. At 11 we headed to my mom's because she had a jetted tub and I thought it might help to have a hot bath. Sunday was the worst day of my life.
The contractions were unlike anything I had ever felt. No one can prepare a person for what I went through on Sunday. Still had the very intense cramping, but then back labor started. Up until this time, I had no idea what back labor was or that it even existed. It literally felt like I had a ring of squeezing, stabbing, burning from my lower belly, all through my lower back. I couldn't lay back or lean forward. I would drape myself on Adam, my mom, and Victoria (my younger sister) and scream. I screamed and cried for 9 hours. 9 hours of pure hell. The contractions were 6 minutes apart for 9 solid hours. I didn't want to go back until my water broke because I refused to be sent home again. But we had to go or I was certain I was going to die. So called the doctor, loaded up, and headed to the hospital. This time was the worst. I screamed all the way there. Adam wheeled me into triage, while I had my face buried in a wet washcloth. The nurses were nice, and heavy. And they took excellent care of me. I was 4 cm and FINALLY they admitted me. Praise God!
The doctor on call that night was Fiddle--something or another..I called her Dr. Fiddlestick. She came into the triage room to assure me they were keeping me, then asked, "You ready for that epidural?" I could have french kissed that woman on the spot. It was like there was a light shining around her..some kind of angel person. I think that was the first time I had smiled in 4 days. After the epidural, I was feeling just fine, despite my unbelievable exhaustion. She broke my water and got the ball rolling. In no time it seemed I was almost ready to push..and then a another small detail arose. Baby was "sunny side up", which led to an hour and a half of pushing. Seriously...I need a nap reliving all of this. Even though the first time I saw her is something I will never forget and she was beautiful, I think we can all agree that newborns being pushed through a small hole, have some appearances about them that c section babies miss. And since she was face up, she had bruising on her forehead and eyes. After that, everything seemed like I was in a dream. I wasn't the mom who screamed in joy when I saw her. I cried and kissed her and  pretty sure after that I entered the twilight zone. I remember at one point Adam bringing her over and I couldn't hold her because my body simply would not allow me. I wasn't able to really hold her until a couple of hours later. I remember looking into her eyes and thinking nothing of the pain. Her little face was all I wanted to stare at. Her first tiny grasp on my finger melted me to pieces. I was out of my mind in love with her.
Callie is everything we've ever wanted and God overdid Himself by sending her to us. She's growing and learning everyday. She smiles all the time and I love to hear those sweet coos. She looks like her daddy with my nose. Her hair naturally falls into a faux hawk. She has rolls on her legs, arms, and face. She has the most beautiful blue eyes with curled up, light lashes. She is the epitome of perfection and she is showered with love with every passing day. As cliche as it is, we cannot image our lives without her and really don't know what we did before we had her. She's everything to us.


Here are some pics of our big girl:

            Adam with Callie in our Mother/Baby room

Just a couple weeks old here

One of our first meetings

One of her newborn pics we had made at 3 weeks old

She loves swimming...

Callie and Mommy

Our precious family

Daddy's sleeping buddy

Throwing up her rawkfist!

Loooves this pillow

  

16 weeks and counting!

I can't believe it's been nearly two months since my last blog, but we've been super busy. It now being December, you can imagine all the bustle. Christmas shopping, decorating, and preparing for our bundle of joy coming next year. We find out in two weeks what Baby Pryor is and we couldn't be more ecstatic! Last night we ordered the nursery furniture and it should be here next week. That in and of itself makes things seem more real. Here's a picture of the crib. We also ordered the matching 5 drawer dresser and changing table.

I am 16 weeks and time is flying. All of the nausea has subsided and I'm really just enjoying the whole process now. I pray a lot for this little one..for safety, that they're growing the way they should be, and for them to come to know the Lord someday. It seems there's quite a baby boom going on and a couple of those other pregnancies are right around me. With Victoria due in March with her second baby girl, Natalee Grace, she's been super helpful and encouraging. Also, some of our very best friends Matt and Ashley are expecting their first baby together so I'm looking forward to spending some time together doing all of the fun mommy-to-be things that you do, with her. Victoria is due in March, I'm due in May, and Ashley is due at the end of July so we'll have 3 babies all 2 months apart..how exciting! 

Adam and I finally nailed down the names after a very grueling, exhaustive process. I mean, this is a huge deal. Naming someone for the rest of their life is something we didn't take lightly and I thought we would never agree on anything, but by the mercies of God, we did. So drumroll please....If it's a girl, her name will be Callie Jane and if it's a boy, Jonah Anthony. We love them =)

I cry at the drop of a hat and I think it's a mixture of things. Yes, my hormones are jacked, but I think it's more than that. The joy of the baby coming has made me a ball of mush. On top of that, this time of year really makes you miss those who aren't here. With Thanksgiving already passed and Christmas right around the corner, I can't help but long for Grandma and my dad. This will be the first Christmas without Grandma and I know it's going to be hard for my mom, as was Thanksgiving. But she was there with us then and I know she'll be present with us Christmas morning. She would have been so excited to have 2 great grandbabies on the way and my dad would have been beside himself. My mom keeps telling me she hopes I have a boy, since she's sure he'll look just like my dad did when he was a kid. And he was adorable. So maybe that's why I have it stuck in my head that we're gonna have a Jonah, but we will be just as excited if it's a Callie. We keep telling our friends and family that no one will know what  the baby is til Christmas, but we'll see! It's gonna be so hard to keep it in once we know..

Baby on the Brain

So while we are anxiously waiting to go to the doctor for the first time next week, this whole being pregnant thing has completely consumed me. My thoughts, my worries, my fears, my excitement. So many new emotions have risen to the surface, all while loving every minute. If I had to peg one symptom for the past couple of weeks it would be nausea, with being tired out of my mind coming in second. I wondered when the "Is this really happening?" would turn to "Ok this is really happening." And this past week, I think it has done just that. I get mixed reviews from people about their experiences in the first trimester, as far as being sick and what not. I have been lucky not to puke, but as soon as my feet hit the floor in the morning, I feel like I just stepped off a boat. Other than that, it's been so neat to read how big the baby is getting and what it's developing. I think I'm about 9 weeks, which makes BP the size of a medium olive and it's starting to move a little. It's eyelids are almost covering the eyes and I can feel my uterus getting hard. It's incredible. 

We bought him/her a little UL onesie and I ordered some maternity clothes and some little owl booties, since I love owls, and so will BP. Among our battling over names, Adam and I did find some common ground on the bedding. Honestly, I don't think he'd care either way what bedding I choose, but the fact that he went crazy over this one just won me over. So if BP is a boy, here is his bedding:

Arrrgggg....I love it!

If BP is a girl, here's the bedding I know she'll love...

Seriously, every time I look at it, I fall in love with it all over again. And for the record, her name will not be Haley.

Adam's sister Erin is going to be gracious enough to give us her daughter's crib and dressers and they're a maple color and really cute. I know we don't find out for awhile, but I already can't wait to find out if there's a little prince or princess in there. I will update after our doctor's appointment Monday!

Baby Pryor is a brewin'

I am so happy to post that Adam and I are expecting our first baby! I cannot believe what I am even typing, saying, shouting..it's the most surreal thing I have ever experienced. We had been trying for 3 /12 months or so and honestly can't believe the Lord blessed us so soon. I took two tests Thursday morning and actually had Adam on the phone when I had the dollar store test stuck in the cup of pee and immediately two lines popped up. So much to my surprise, I quickly got off the phone, called one of my very best friends, Crystal, who lives in WA and is a medical assistant, and had a mini freak out. She assured me that if the test came up positive that fast, then it was in fact, positive. Regardless, I insisted on taking a digital test, thinking in some way that would make me feel better. So I gulped down a few swigs of water and watched the test pop up "Pregnant". So here I am sharing this with the world.

This weekend has been a whirlwind of emotions and nerves. I kept quiet for longer than I ever thought was possible with such a giant secret. To make things even more exciting, my best friend of 13 years delivered her second baby girl Friday evening and little Emily Ann is such a beauty =) So between going to the hospital and working a full day Saturday with a dinner theater Saturday night, Adam and I decided we would dedicate today to telling all of our family and close friends.

Overall today was wonderful. The encouragement and excitement from the people we hold closest to our hearts made everything so much more real. Like, ok I am really going to be a mommy. Wow. Something I've prayed about for so and wanted more than anything. I am just speechless to think that this little angel is starting to make itself at home in my belly. Adam is ecstatic as well and we have really enjoyed just basking in this unexplainable joy the past few days. We've already laughed and cried so much and we know there is such a crazy road in front of us.

As far as symptoms are concerned, not too many at all. Just feel a wee bit more tired than normal and  have had some lower abdominal cramping. My mind has almost been arguing with me, telling me that we're telling people a lie because I don't feel any different. But I have been told numerous times that things will quickly change. I am very much looking forward to the upcoming months, no matter what they may hold.

To answer the questions of how far along I am and when I'm due...well, haven't been to the doctor yet, but a good estimate would be 4-6 weeks and due between mid and the end of May. We don't have many May birthdays in my family, so that will be exciting. This baby will be my mom's 7th grandbaby so she is super pumped. My younger sister, Victoria, is expecting her second baby and he/she will be two months older than his/her cousin- how exciting! I am blessed to be surrounded with friends and family who have just gone through pregnancy or are presently going through it with me. I know that Adam and I have tons of support and feel so uplifted right now. We will continue to pray for the healthy growth and development of our baby and I will do all that I can to help give this baby a healthy home to live in. 

God is so good and I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity be a mother. I still find myself shaking my head in disbelief, but I think in the coming weeks, everything will become much more real. Here are some pics of the tests that I took and the sticker message that we spelled out in my mother-in-law's photo album that we got her...

Welp that is all for now. I am off to bed to try and calm my brain from freaking out so much. I will post with updates!

Costumes and a new tat!

I know it has been forever since I've posted anything and this one won't be as long as most of my entries. I just HAD to show off these costumes I found at Pottery Barn Kids today..so wish I had a baby to dress them up in these! But since I don't, I called up my good friend Ashley, and told her she must buy this adorable Owl costume for her precious daughter, Emma. I love all things owl and just couldn't stop starring at it...

Cutest costume ever right???

After I called Ashley, I quickly called my sister Victoria to tell her about the cupcake costume that stole my heart the second time. She doesn't know it, but Aunt Fe Fe (that's what her daughter calls me), will be buying this little outfit and the matching basket for little Miss Raylen =)

                           

                                 

One more thing- I got my third tattoo last night, as a tribute to my wonderful husband Adam, of a year and a half. I freaking love it. It's an "A" and an "F" with the bible verse that he game me on our wedding day...

                        

You might have to turn the computer a little to see it- I couldn't figure out how to turn the picture. That's all for now!

Over it..Excited for it..Planning it

So in a nutshell, I am over traveling (for awhile anyway), totally excited that my sister is due with her second baby, and completely up to my ears in planning showers and parties. I thought  in the beginning of summer that I would love the traveling that Adam and I had planned, but is it ever exhausting, on the body and the wallet. After my trip to Gatlinburg with the girls and Adam's getaway wedding weekend to Atlanta, we are calling it quits on the trips for a few months. Well of course until my birthday weekend- we are planning to visit Cincinnati for a couple days so I can finally go to IKEA and there's also supposed to be a concert we're going to- but that's not til November so we have some time to chill.
But I haven't shared my most recent fabulous news with the blogger world, my baby sister is pregnant with baby #2!! Yay! I am overjoyed to say the least and had been keeping it a secret so she could surprise the pants off my mom when we picked Victoria up for our trip. Needless to say, Mom still kept her pants on, but she did scream and run around the van. It was very sweet what they did for Mom- see for yourself:

Victoria is due March 19 but they plan to take her the 12th since she had a c-section with Raylen. Which brings me to my next thing I've been consumed with- shower planning. We have very good friends of ours (Derrick and Melinda) who are adopting their first baby and I am collaborating with some of Melinda's family to throw her the most awesome shower ever. Melinda and Derrick are so special to us for so many reasons. Mainly because, more than anything, they are loyal and true and very dependable. Through the years, Melinda and I had remained dear to each other but had never had the opportunity to have a friendship. After the Lord brought us back to our church home, Melinda and I became inseparable almost immediately. She is now one of my very best friends and I don't know what I'd do without her.  Adam also looks to Derrick like a brother and it was a no brainer that I wanted a part in this shower. They are going to be incredible parents and we are all so excited to see what Boo Boo Jeffries is gonna be. Until then, we must invite, decorate, eat, play, and shower her with love and gifts at the end of October. Here's the decor that we're going with for her shower: 

                                      

I know, it's adorable right? I have tons of great ideas for favors and centerpieces and can't wait to rack my brain for games and prizes. I keep telling people I was born to do hair and party plan. I know that she'll love anything that we put together, but we are gonna rock the house with this shower. But before I get busy with birdies and trees, we are gonna have some fun with Mickey Mouse for my niece, Kotey's, 2nd birthday party. We decided to host the bash this year and we are stoked. I had a somewhat obsession with this adorable mouse most of my middle school years, so the love came rushing back when I was given the green light to start planning. Even though she'll only be 2, the adults must be entertained too! A day of Mickey galore, cake, cornhole, pinata swinging, and an astro jump will surely not disappoint. Check out these decorations and tell me if you don't resort to a little kid again:

Ok I"ll show you one more set of decorations that I'm looking at for Victoria's baby shower (which probably won't be til January but early bird gets the worm, right?). She's only about 10 weeks so we obviously don't know the sex of the baby, but I fell in love with this adorable jungle theme:

I will have a bridal shower to plan for one of my very dear friends, Autumn, but that won't be til February so haven't went that far yet. She's getting married in April and I have the honor of being her matron. So I have been a very busy bee indeed. I know that I'll be seeing streamers and balloons for months, but it's so worth it to make those days special for the wonderful people in my life. Will try to update this thing more often!