It's a.......

Today was such a wonderful day! Raun and I got to see our baby for the first time today. It was so wonderful and yet very unreal at the same time. I don't feel ready or old or wise enough to be a mom. There's so much I don't know! I know that mommyhood grows with the baby, but it's scary to realize that we're held responsible for another tiny life.

Mom came with us to see the ultrasound and then we met Raun's mom for lunch at the hospital (since she works there). The ultrasound was incredible! I had prayed that God would make it obvious as to what our baby was because I really wanted to find out. Before my appointment, I figured that I would drink some coke just to make it a little more active and to increase my chances of it moving around and not just sleeping. It worked! I thought my plan was original, but the ultrasound tech said that every mother has done that. Guess it wasn't so original after all. Maybe it's mother's intuition early? Doubtful, I know!

As soon as she put the stuff on my belly and got it rolling around, she asked me if I wanted to know what it was. I, of course, said "yes!!!" She said, "well, it's defnitely a boy." I'm not for sure what I was expecting, but I said, "That's it? Just like that?" She said that she was measuring the femur and well, our little boy decided to make it obvious about its gender. Raun and I just knew that we were having a girl because everyone thought that I had been carrying it high like I was having a girl. I think only 3 people have said a boy! Raun and I were a little in shock because it wasn't what we expected. Once the shock wore off, we were excited. We got to see him sucking his thumb and at one point it looked like he was waving. He is registering with a due date of August 29 (still Labor Day weekend) and I would already be 20 weeks as of tomorrow. I'd be okay with him coming early! Not too early, though. We've got lots to do and I have to work on his scrapbook. His heartbeat was nice and strong at 156 this morning and it was 158 by my afternoon appointment. They said that the heart sounds great and there were no abnormalities that they could spot. Praise the Lord! I would be okay if God blessed us with a disabled child, but I don't want to wish for it to happen. I declined the genetic test for Downs and Spina Bifida because I know that nothing would change in us about our view towards it. I know that God won't give us more than we can handle, so if He blesses us with a typical child, then great. If not, then that's great, as well. We'll just have to deal with it from a different angle. We are going to watch the immunizations though, since boys are at a higher risk for autism. I have a feeling we'll be signing a lot of religious reason forms for a little while. Oh, well. If it keeps him from getting autism, then it's worth it.

Can't wait to go shopping on our vacation! What a great way to mark this wonderful day!

18 weeks and registered for baby Taylor

Nessa's dog, Maggie, (a boxer) loves my pregnancy pillow! She made it her bed.
Jen and Maggie dancing.
The Roomies
Suzzy also loves the pregnancy pillow.
17 weeks

One week from tomorrow we get to find out if we're going to be blessed with a boy or a girl. So far, all but one person has said that we're having a girl. We'll see if everyone's right! Then comes the fun part...picking a name. I think we have a boy's name figured out, but we're still stuck on several different names for a girl. Gotta be prepared for both, just in case the doctor's are wrong.

I had a great weekend with Jen and Nessa. We had a lot of fun catching up with each other and of course, lots of laughter. It always feels like we never left each other when we get back together. I'm so glad that God has blessed me with such great friends that have walked through the good and bad times with me and we still maintained our friendships and instead of it falling apart, like I'm sure we all thought at some point, it grew stronger. Jen showed us her house online and it was beautiful and we even got to see Josh's (Nessa's husband) lovely face on the webcam...all the way from Afghanistan. I'm so glad that they have that so they can still talk every day and, in a sense, remind themselves of what it's like to be together. She's such a strong woman. Jen and I were amazed because we didn't think that we would have the strength to let our husband go for 15 months. We love you, Ness!

I've been cleaning and organizing my house and trying to get things ready for the crib that comes in May! Who knew that you could accumulate so much stuff. Cleaning out and taking things to Good Will is on our agenda for this weekend, as well as finishing up taxes. I look towards our anniversary as vacation...Raun sees it as a reminder to get his taxes done!

Mom came to visit us on Monday and stayed the night. We had so much fun. She helped me register at the different places for baby items. I'm so glad she was there because by the end, I felt like I was barely chugging along. It's amazing how a baby takes so much out of your body. She's been laughing at my craving for Sonic tator tots dipped in LOTS of ketchup, though. She was great at helping me figure out what would be great to register for. Combined with my polling from friends who have had babies, I think we figured out some things that would be good. We did find a great stroller and car seat, if I must say so myself. She tested it out first and it passed the grandma test, so I got to try it out. I was a little unsure whether or not you are supposed to register for diapers and wipes. I wanted them, so I did register for two different packs, but I'm hoping people know that any diaper and size is okay. If anyone knows how you're supposed to do that, let me know! Raun was glad that he didn't have to go, but we did go beforehand to pick out a few things.

I've been feeling more pressure on my bladder lately and more fluttering...usually after my Lucky Charms at night. Still no hard kicks, though, although it could be anywhere between now and week 20 that I feel it kick.

I got a call yesterday to speak at Southern Adventist University about music therapy and health. I am so excited about that opportunity. It will be neat to promote music therapy and the growing field. I'll let you know how that goes...I don't think that it will be until after our trip, though.

I'll be sure to post next week after the ultrasound!

I can't believe I'm in my 5th month!

Taylor
Dalton

I told Mama that Dad was a foot doctor:)
16 weeks
16 weeks--my Easter dress that I couldn't wear because it was too cold
One of my beautiful flowers in the flower garden

I cannot believe that I'm 17 weeks pregnant yesterday. How amazing! It has gone by so incredibly fast. My belly is definitely getting bigger...almost everyday, it seems. I've been feeling slight movements, especially after I eat my Lucky Charms at night before sleep. Maybe it's the sugar? I gained my first pound this past week. I was kinda sad, even though I know it's for a good reason. I honestly think that's the hardest part of being pregnant, for me. I understand that I'll loose it and I still exercise, it's just harder when I know that I can't go running and really push myself until after the baby is born and my body has readjusted itself again. Two more weeks until we find out the gender!

We had a great weekend over Easter. We spent Good Friday with some friends in Knoxville. Lori helped me figure out what to register for and what type of things are needed to go with the breast pump I'm getting. It was extremely helpful. Then we went to eat at one of my favorite Japanese places, Wasabi. After dinner, we headed to Manchester to stay with my parents and see my brother and Molly. We got into Cannon County and Mom called asking us to pick them up dinner because their microwave finally went out. So Raun got to experience the wild world of Woodbury...where you don't fit in if you don't have a truck and my car is too powerful for their city! We had a great time laughing and catching up with each other.

On Saturday, Raun, mom, and I went to Murfreesboro to buy a new microwave. Raun relearned why he doesn't take me in when he negotiates....since I blew their cover. Needless to say, Sears refused to drop their price when we even showed them that the other Sears' had it cheaper. So, after stopping for a much needed lunch (requested by me), we went to H.H. Gregg to get the microwave. They got a REALLY good deal on it. I was impressed to watch Mom and Raun work together. I stayed away and pushed buttons on all the other appliances and dreamed of a bigger kitchen so I could put all their stuff in it! We got home in time for me to make my maple pecan snack cake (which was great) and to cook dinner for the crowd coming in. Mama, Ma, Paul, Aunt Barbara, and Bill all joined us for dinner. It was sooooo good. I ate so much and there were not that many leftovers. Mom and I tackled taxes for my business after dinner. We didn't get home until really late, but it was fun.

Easter was spent with Raun's family. We had a really good dinner, and I een got my fried okra with ham. It was incredible. I was so full that I couldn't leave the table for a bit. The boys (our nephews) got Taylor's pony stuck in a tree, so they had to get a ladder to save the pony. Taylor was not very happy with them afterwards, needless to say! We then had fun embarrassing our nephew Dalton. There was a girl next door that he kind of liked, so while we were outside watching him skateboard, Raun and his brother spoke loudly about how that girl was not impressed with his skating, yet. It was funny, but I know poor Dalton was embarrassed! Kelsey showed us a prom dress that she liked...it was amazing to see how much dresses have changed since we went to prom. There is definitely a lot less material on many of them!

Our Easter service was so good. I loved hearing the handbells playing "He is Risen." Amazing! Brother Bill preached a wonderful Easter lesson from a new perspective. It was very eye opening and challenging.

This weekend is going to be lots of fun for Raun and I. He's actually going to get a full night's sleep without me waking him up every couple of hours! I'm going to see Vanessa since her husband is in Afghanistan for 15 months. Jen and I are kidnapping her and having a girl's weekend. It'll be fun. We'll be planning our trip to Gulf Shores for our girl's vacation. Raun is doing a golf tournament, so he is thrilled about this weekend. Our kid's choir is singing on Sunday, which is going to be great. I'm excited to hear their voices singing praises to God!

16 week appointment

Mom and Dad bought us this cute lamp

I didn't want anything too "Pooh-ish" or bright.

Another incentive, but not for this year!:)

I had my 16-week appointment today...a great way to mark the end of my 4th month! I was a little nervous about hearing the heartbeat because I had to take some medicine to get over the stomach bug, but the heartbeat was strong and the baby kept moving around my belly. I didn't even have to have a full bladder to hear it this time! It was either 155 or 157 bpm...I can't remember which. I was just so glad to hear it beating. I didn't get off as lucky as my last appointment. I had to inform the doctor about my light-headedness and almost fainting spells in stores, so she had to do the finger prick to check my iron. My iron count turned out okay, so she told me that I needed to drink more fluids. I already drink a ton of water, so I'm not so sure how to cram too much more in me. People may have to be more lenient with me because my bladder is going to be constantly full and the bathroom will be a must! She wasn't concerned that I haven't gained any weight so far, which is good. I eat until I'm full, which isn't too long, and I was getting concerned that I was doing something wrong since the scale has stayed the same. Guess I'll just enjoy that because I know those numbers are about to budge! I got to schedule the BIG appointment today, as well. I am going on April 10 for my ultrasound to find out if we're having a boy or girl!!!! I can't wait....only 3 weeks away. I'll find out before we go to Myrtle Beach, so it may be really dangerous to go shopping!

We went to Babies-R-Us after church on Sunday to buy our crib bedding. Mom and I found some material that matches it perfectly, so she's making a wall hanging, a blanket, and a few other things. We have to go shopping for curtain material when she comes to for the ultrasound. Our guest room is filling up with baby stuff now...I'm starting to get antsy to get the nursery done since I'm feeling great!

I cleaned the entire house in one day for the first time in a while. I was proud of myself. I was exhausted by the time I finished, but it felt good to air the house out and get rid of stuff. I cleaned out the basement Saturday and got all of our stuff that we're giving away in a pile. We're taking it to the church garage sale, where they are giving things away for free to people who can't afford things. At least it'll all go for a good use.

We're going to meet some friends at our favorite Japanese house in Knoxville on Friday before heading to Manchester for the weekend. I have to play at church on Easter, so we're spending Friday night and Saturday with my parents and brother and Molly. I'm excited to see everyone again. I love our family time together because there's always lots of laughter.

Things went well at my Alzheimer's unit last Friday. They were happy and I got them to at least move their hands and one woman sang with me. It was fun! I did have one that reminded me of mine and Nessa's first client that we ever had to do an assessment on...everything I gave her went into the mouth. At least she wasn't as bad as our first client!

I'm posting pictures of a few of our nursery items, but I'll post some 16 week pregnancy pictures next week with Easter.

The stomach bug, 15 weeks, Marilyn going to Heaven, and kids choir....

My dogs while I work

The title about sums up my week! What I thought was going to be a very calm and rather boring week has turned into a crazy week.

I began to get ready for work on Friday and began to feel very nauseus. I knew it wasn't pregnancy nausea, but I couldn't figure out. Well, I ended up vomiting, but thought I was better, so I went to work at my psych hospital. Within an hour I had to leave because I couldn't stop vomiting. I went home and Raun came home early to take care of me. I couldn't hold down solids or liquids. After talking to my mom later that afternoon, I decided to call my doctor and see what I needed to do so I wouldn't get dehydrated. I was becoming really thirsty and couldn't keep water down. My doctor was glad I called because he said I would have ended up in the hospital with IV's had I not called. So....I got the lovely experience of suppositories. NOT much fun! I told Raun that we were just making more memories! He was great at taking care of me and making sure that I was okay. By Saturday night, he asked me if I wanted to sit on the couch. I caught on that he was tired of walking back and forth to the bedroom, so I laid on the couch and watched a movie with him. Needeless to say, I missed the Jerusalem Walk on Sunday since I couldn't get out of bed and stand up straight! I was bummed, but I guess out of all the weekends, it was a good one to be sick on. I haven't been that sick since high school...but at least I've avoided the flu outbreak that's been hitting everyone (and lots of people have had it twice).

I'm now 15 weeks and feeling better. I am getting a little bigger of a belly and my maternity pants fit better and better. I can still wear normal shirts for the most part....they've just become shorter! A couple that is in our Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class brought us a baby bathtub, some cloth diapers, and a few other things. It's weird to actually be accumulating this stuff now. We woke up this morning and Raun said it's getting scary now because it's really happening. It'll be even more real when we see the baby for the first time next month. I can't believe I'm at the end of my 4th month. Time has flown by. I really want to cherish it because I in no way feel ready to be a mom, but I know that I'll learn as the baby grows!

One of my dear Starbucks friends entered Heaven on Tuesday. Mrs. Marilyn had been battling cancer for many years, but it came back during the last 3 years and 3 months. She did live to see her grandbaby get born, which was God's gift entirely! She taught me so much about patience, endurance, and fighting the fight. She had such a strong faith and knew that she was about to see her Heavenly Father. Before she passed away, she described seeing a vision, full of beautiful lights, beautiful noise, and beautiful friendships. She was so inspiring and encouraging. Despite her long journey that was full of pain and suffering, she always knew that God was with her during it all....He was walking with her, knew her pain, holding her up, and not letting her go. I met Mrs. Marilyn in my Bible Study class that is full of what they call themselves "grandmas." I'm by far the youngest, but they love having me because I make them feel young and I like them because I can learn so much from them and what they've been through in life. There's nothing like the older generations teaching the younger and fulfilling God's Word in discipleship.

Speaking of Bible Study, we've started a new one called "When Women Say Yes to God." It's so wonderful. It reminds us to look for those divine appointments in which God calls us into. He's a personal God and is wanting for nothing but obedience, even in what seems outrageous to the world. I highly recommend this Bible Study. After this one, we get to do Beth Moore's new one...which is gonna be awesome! I love Beth Moore...she's so gifted by God.

My kids choir is doing wonderful at church. I love working with them. I hadn't told them that I was pregnant because I wasn't for sure how to tell them and I really didn't think they'd care (they are 4th and 5th graders). However, last night during rehearsal, I saw the girls pointing, whispering, shaking their heads, so I figured I'd address the issue. I informed the group before they left that "No, I'm not getting fat....I'm having a baby." One dear, precious, sweet girl said, "I thought so because you were skinny before!" I had no idea what to say, but Raun just laughed! At least she thought I was skinny previously! Out of the mouth of babes....

We have officially booked our hotel for our anniversary trip to Myrtle Beach. I can't wait to go. It's such a beautiful place and the beach is very clean. Not to mention...lots of shopping is available and my list of things to shop for is getting longer and longer!

Next week: 16 week appointment and hear the heartbeat again!

14 weeks...

my belly at 14 weeks...Raun posed this picture.
This one shows it a little better...still not too big!

the ladies on the retreat...I'm on the left

from the side of the room
where we stayed
a view from the hiking trail of our rooms

a sign of spring!

from outside of our room...it was beautiful!

I had a great weekend! We went to Cohutta Springs in Georgia for our women's retreat. I led the worship and another friend of mine from church led the Bible Study. It was so great and we could tell that God was not only there, but He had put it together and it was a weekend that only He could pull off. The theme of the retreat was "refleshed"...taking off the old man and putting on the new one. Emily talked about how we're called to be different when we accept Christ as our Savior. She also reminded us that we are all one and sometimes the worst criticism and treatment comes from fellow Christians because we forget to look at ourselves and see that we are just like them. We're all in the same boat and all sin and all have faults, so instead of discouraging people, judging them, and turning away from them, we need to embrace them and encourage them, like Jesus has called us to do. Next door to us was a Greek Orthodox church and it was so neat to watch this lesson being played out during the weekend. They were incredibly nice and just because they worshiped differently, they were still worshipping and serving the same God and we both honored each other's wishes. It was sad that Christians are harder on each other and more hateful towards each other, instead of more loving and more forgiving...the things that God wants us to be. We also talked about how a lot of it is because we have to make ourselves feel better, so we naturally judge and walk away from people that are intimidating to us...that's human nature. The other other 2 sessions were just as good...we talked about going through hardships and being faithful in the small things and then God will allow us to serve in the big things. We each have a purpose, and we should be helping each other find our purposes and our spiritual gifts instead of being spiteful and jealous. What a great time full of wonderful lessons! The ladies at our church are so encouraging and I love being a part of the women's ministry there. I enjoyed playing the guitar and helping to lead in worship. It was a new experience, but it was fun. I have difficulty having people focused on me, so I had to work on forgetting they were there and reminding myself that it was just me and God.

I played a solo with the handbell choir on Sunday morning for both services. I played "Be Thou My Vision." I had a lot of people come up to me and let me know that I sounded good. I only messed up once when a key stuck, but hey, it's an Irish tune, so it's okay to kinda do a jazz dip up to the correct note! It was a lot of fun to play with the handbells. I wish there was a recording so I could hear it. It's one of my most favorite hymns and it was a beautiful arrangement. I wonder if I'll get to play again!

This weekend is going to be fun, as well. We're meeting some friends at one of our favorite Japanese restaurants on Friday and then looking at some baby items. Then I have rehearsal on Saturday for our Jerusalem Walk, with performances on Sunday. This is a re-enactment of Jesus' final days on the earth. It's incredibly moving and thought-provoking. The scene that the choir and orchestra is in is the scene where they put Jesus on the cross, but praise the Lord the story doesn't end there! He rises in our scene, as well, and that's the joy we get to experience. It's so incredible that the sadness ended there for Him and for us because now there's hope and Heaven! I mean, there's definitely nothing depressing about Heaven and living for Jesus!

On the baby front, I'm 14 weeks yesterday! I am getting a little of a belly, especially at night. At our retreat, I was showing one of my friends the belly band that I wear to extend my shirts and realized that the rubber bands that hold my pants together was not successful in holding my zipper up. That's when I knew that I had outgrown my pants. They would still fit if I wasn't growing outwards in only one section! So now it's to maternity pants, which fit great now. I can still wear my normal shirts, but I found some cute shirts that will grow with me. Of course, I bought short sleeves because it was 70 degrees, but now it's back in the 40's and I don't think I'll be wearing them this week! I've been feeling weird things in my belly...it feels like butterflies or something fluttering around in there. I only have 2 more weeks until my next doctor's appointment, where I get to schedule my ultrasound for April!!!!! April's gonna be a HUGE month for us with everything going on!

Enjoy the pictures!

13 weeks and Happy Birthday Shannon...

Happy Birthday Shannon! I know she's in heaven having a party, but I still wish she was here for her 18th. I have a feeling she would have gotten a cell phone for her birthday!

I'm now 13 weeks and pressing onward into the 2nd trimester!!!! I'm feeling better and have figured out how to keep my blood sugar stable on most days. Sunday's are still hard because we're at church for so long, but Cheese Nips are my friend, so at least I'm getting a little protein.

I don't know if it's just my thinking, but my belly is feeling a little heavier. It's the weirdest feeling! I can tell my days of lying on my back are gone because I can feel things pressing down and it makes my insides hurt. Thank goodness Raun bought me my pregnancy pillow for Valentine's Day. I have abs now, which is great! I always have Raun press on my belly because it's nice and firm...probably from the fun bloatedness that I wasn't warned about. However, now I'm starting to be able to feel more firmness in my entire belly. It will be so cool to feel the baby move. Remind me of that when I'm in my last month and it's really kicking and sitting on all my organs! I went shopping with a friend from church and bought a belly band that you can use to cover over your pants, since I have to wear them unbuttoned with the hairbands holding them together (a great trick every pregnant friend has told me about, thank goodness!). It's really comfortable and adds an extension to my shirts. I also got some preggie pops, which are great because they help when I'm feeling nauseus. I can't wait to go shopping for spring clothes and get my bathing suit! There were so many cute things out.

I'm really excited about this weekend. The women's ministry at our church is having a women's retreat at the Calhutta Lodge in Georgia. I'll post some pictures next week because it's supposed to be incredible views. I was asked to lead the worship time, so I'm excited about that. I've been working with a friend from church who is helping me out with singing, because I'm not entirely comfortable leading it on my own.

I'm also playing a solo with the handbell choir at church on Sunday. I'm playing "Be Thou My Vision." It's my favorite song, but I am a little nervous about it since it's all in the higher register and my chops aren't like what they once were. I'm hoping Mom and Dad come for that. It would be lots of fun for them to hear it, and then we can go eat our weekly Japanese meals!

We didn't get any snow, unfortunately. However, it's extremely cold and very windy. I thought spring was just around the corner. It was 65 on Monday (Raun took half a day to go golfing, which apparently so did everyone else because the course was packed, he said) and in the 20's today. It's supposed to be back in the 60's this weekend, so I think Raun's taking his Saturday to the golf course! He has been itching to golf.

I'll post some pictures next week of our trip. Love you guys!

Goodbye 1st trimester!!!

What a great day today!!!! I had my doctor's appointment and there was no blood work, no stabbing, and no getting undressed! It was the greatest day! Oh...and to top it off, we heard our baby's heart. It was the coolest thing ever. I had to have a full bladder (which I forgot about until I got there, so I drank lots of water in 30 minutes). She put the doppler on my lower right side of my belly and there was the baby's heart beat. It was so clear and was beating a good 166 bpm. I held my tears in until I went to the bathroom and then I cried. I just couldn't believe that God was blessing us with this little life. I mean, there really is a baby inside me that I'm providing life and nourishment to. It definitely made it more real and made me feel closer to it, since I can't feel it move, yet. But not too much longer until I get to feel the movement! Raun said that he couldn't help but smile when he heard the heart and that it made it more real for him, as well. I know I'll cry when I actually see the baby for the first time in in a few weeks...around 18-22 weeks.

I'm loving being pregnant now. There's just so many new and constant things to adjust to, but once I figure them out, I'm okay. The nausea is getting better and I'm eating more foods. I've cooked more, but we have to eat earlier than normal because I will get extremely sick if I don't.

I've been working on my college scrapbook--I've got so much to hurry and scrapbook so I can be caught up for my baby's book in 2 months! Raun's bought the first stage of hardware to work on downstairs. In a month or two, Dad and Raun are going to be lifting and building the walls and since I can't help, I'll cook while Mom paints! I promised that after the baby, I'll help her paint her house.

We're going to Manchester this weekend to see the family. We're going to see Aunt Patricia and Uncle Ray and the kiddos on Friday night. I've got to chase them around a bit and make sure their being nice to each other! I love hanging out with all of them. I'm planning on going to the cemetary, as well, to see Shannon's headstone. I can't believe her birthday is on Thursday. It's going to be so weird to not call her and hear her list of birthday presents and hear all about her party. I miss her so much and some days, I still struggle with the fact that she should be here. Especially now that I'm pregnant, because that's what she couldn't wait for. I wish, more than anything, that she could be here to hold our baby and babysit. She was so great with children!

We'll hang out with Mom and Dad for the weekend and I've put in my order for my Dad to cook steaks. I'm craving steaks, much to my family's delight! We're actually having it tonight, too...even thought it's raining! Raun could care less because he gets his red meat!

We have a birthday/going away party for my friend's husband, Josh and Nessa. Nessa's not going anywhere, but Josh is being deployed to Afghanistan for 15 months in March, so a bunch of their friends are coming to give him a huge party. I can't wait to see all of our college friends and to hang out with Jen and Nessa for a little while. We've got a lot of planning for our girl's trip to do!

Well...I think that catches everyone up-to-date. Not too much longer until I get my baby bump!

11 weeks....

Only one more week left until we get to hear our baby's heartbeat! I can't wait! This past week has been gradually getting better for me. I've been able to clean and cook a few things. Standing up for longer than 5 minutes isn't making me feel sick anymore, so that's good. I made my ever healthy oven fried chicken, and topped it off with green beans. It's Raun's day to cook today since I don't get home until around 8:00, but I'll try again tomorrow. It feels so good to be eating healthy again.

I'm still working out and it feels so wonderful. It feels weird to run (don't worry...I don't do it for more than 10 minutes and I got an okay from my doctor) because I can feel things bouncing. It's such a huge stress reliever and it helps me not to feel so sick. I've done slight weights, but nothing like I used to do. That's just another something for me to look forward to a few months after the baby's born.

Work has been fairly interesting. At my Knoxville place, we had to place an emergency letter to a judge on a particular boy who is 19. He offended apparently a few days before turning 18, so we have the joy of having him. He's a nightmare. He is so inappropriate and likes to talk and do inappropriate things. Yesterday topped it off because he had carried his IPOD into the session (which he wasn't allowed to have). I documented it and showed it to the principal and they took it away. But from then on, he threatened to put a pencil in my eye, hurt me, and constantly tries to walk behind me, stand behind me, or grab my legs. The scary thing is that we keep telling the judge he'll reoffend or kill someone if they don't put him in prison, but the judge is still thinking of letting him on the streets. We put in a stalker form yesterday as a protection for me, as well as 6 other Sexual harrassment forms that we are hoping will sway the judge. He needs some prison experience and let them whip his butt into shape...if they don't kill him first for being a sexual predator. He's very antisocial, which is you typical serial killers. He's awful. He's the first one I've come around (and I come around many and far worse, like gang members, etc.) that I feel so uncomfortable. I haven't told them that I am pregnant yet because I want to wait until we go to the doctor and my risk for miscarriage drops, so I'll tell them in 2 weeks. I think after that, the principal will forbid him to come near me without one-on-one protection. For the most part, they are fun and I know that if anything were to happen, the boys would protect me, since they all hate the one boy. I love my work, despite it's risks, because we're influencing lives. I actually have some boys in my forensic unit (they are court-ordered there for 30 days for committing crimes and to see how they should stand trial) who want to completely change their lives. We've been making goals and one has really taken a lot of heat from another black peer because he thinks that this particular black peer wants to do "white man's work" since he wants to go to college. We've been trying to impress upon the other guy that just because he's from what he calls "the hood" that he can still go to college and make something of himself and that getting a real job isn't "white man's work." We'll see if we make any difference on him. I did get him to come to the realization of all that it had cost him for the crime he committed and he did say he wouldn't have done it if he could do things over. Slight progress!

I had my meeting at the Alzheimer's unit on Monday and we're set to start working with them on next Friday. I'm so excited! I got a chance to talk to some of them, and I can't wait to find out their stories and to get the to have a purpose in life. I'm making a stop by one gentleman's room during the last 5-10 minutes to ease the pain of his passing away. He is quickly deteriorating, but he loves music. Hopefully just singing to him will relax him and help him to not be so scared. The family is a Christian family and are so excited that I'm coming! There's one lady there whose husband was a fighter pilot for Hitler. She's from Germany, but doesn't speak German or English to anyone. She just likes to touch you or sleep. What a story that would be if she could only tell it! I have my challenges, but it's going to lead to some enormous possibilities with other facilities and within the one I'm working at. The doctors and nurses are even on board with it and are willing to write prescriptions for it for their patients! Have I mentioned that I absolutely love my work and I am so happy that Raun allows me to do what I love and has been so patient as it keeps growing and growing. I mean, my work doesn't even feel like work....well, that is, until I have to do paperwork!

I'll write more after we hear the heartbeat next Thursday!

10 weeks....

This guy was asleep and we thought it was funny! This picture is for you, Papa!

What a week! I'm not for sure what else to say, except that. I ended up having another sinus issue last week, which was not fun. I've been drinking more orange juice, though, thanks to Raun's mom's suggestion. It seems to be working because it's getting better!

We went to Altanta to see my brother and Molly this weekend. It was a lot of fun. We went to two of our favorite stores, BrandsMart and Ikea (I really wanted my Swedish chocolate and bought Heather's wedding presents). We also went to the Coke Museum, which was pretty neat. We got to see coke being made and filled into glass bottles. At the end of the tour, you get to taste coke products from all around the world. The machines were divided into all the different areas within the country. We liked a lot of African products (but not the north African products) and some Asian. Latin America was pretty good, as well! However, at the end, we had nothing but American coke. Everyone was flocking to that machine to get out the bad taste in their mouths from certain countries! After that, we went to Atlantic Station. It was so neat. It was basically a city within a city. They had stores everywhere and it was so incredibly beautiful. I have never seen anything like it. We ate at the FOX Sports Grill. It was pretty good. We even got a $5 certificate to go back. We topped the night off by going to Cold Stone Creamery. I think that our next trip to Atlanta is going to include the aquarium. It's supposed to be one of the largest in the world. It's huge! I love John living in Atlanta because there's so much to see and do!

Work is going good. God never ceases to amaze me! I had been praying about whether to take on any more clients since I wasn't for sure how long I could work with them when the baby comes, so I haven't called anywhere. However, I had specifically been praying about working with dementia/geriatric patients, but never did anything towards that goal. One morning I checked my email and I had an email from an Alzheimer's facility about 15 miles from our house (still in Chattanooga!) about working with their patients. I was thrilled! So, I'm taking it on because I absolutely love anything dealing with the brain and the neurological part. Alzheimer's is so fascinating to me because music therapy gives them so many times of lucidity and opportunities for their families to share in those moments with them. It's so incredibly rewarding! As long as you get out of the way of the purses they like to swing at you!

My autistic kids are doing well. They are really improving and speaking voluntarily now. They aren't saying huge responses, but I can ask "how are you" in our hello song and they respond with "fine" or "good." It's just awesome experiences to watch them progress so much in such a short time. I am working with a summer camp that is tailored specifically to children with special needs at our gym. I am currently working there with a group now and get a free membership (which is well worth the deal).

We woke up this morning to some really bad storms. We have a lot of limbs down and a nice stream flowing at the bottom of the woods, but nothing bad. It was so sad to see the houses in Memphis and Jackson and to see Union's dorms. Several of my friends had gone there and Ness and I had actually stayed there for some of our Spring Break one year. It was weird to look at all of the damage because tornados always remind me of the tornado that hit Aunt Patricia and Uncle Ray's house. It broke my heart to heart to hear of all the deaths from this storm. I definitely don't take tornados lightly after seeing one and then seeing the damage that comes from it. They're crazy looking! Anyway, enough of that!

The nausea seems to be lessening some. It's still hard to stand up for a long time and I get light-headed quiet a bit when I do stand up for more than 5 minutes without moving. It was hard to stand in line to vote, but I knew I had to do it! Only 2 more weeks until we hear the baby's heartbeat. Time is flying by! It's weird how monthly doctor appointments makes your month disappear so quickly. I kinda want time to slow down a bit so we can get everything done. Our baby's almost developed. All that's left if the details and weight gain! One of our friends have been so great and is taking me to some consignment sales to get more maternity clothes and some of the baby items. I'm excited! We bought our crib a few weeks ago because they only had 5 left. It's a 3-1 bed that grows with them until they are ready for a full-size bed. It's beautiful and I'll post pictures when we actually get it put up, which won't be until the basement is finished out!

Well, gotta get back to work. Have a great day!