Brandon's Graduation & {3rd} Trimster

This has been a very exciting week!! Saturday {August 14th} Brandon graduated from Parker! He graduated magna cum laude and 3rd in his class of 119. I am so proud of him and all hours and hard work he has had to to go though to get to this point.  We were very lucky that all our family was able to be there--we had a total of 13! My dad and I got to the church early to save seats- @7:45- to be exact- the doors didn't open until 9!! I was a bit crazy about making sure we had good seats and since the ceremony took place at our church, I knew exactly were we wanted to sit. I have to say, people were not happy when they got to the ceremony at 9:15 wanting the best seats and my dad and I were saving a whole row, but I didn't care!

Our view!

My parents

Brandon's mom, nanny, brother and sister-in law

Dr. Stakes and his wife

The graduate: Dr. Crawford

Best picture of the day--with miss Ava--

(not a wonderful picture of me, but the only one from the day)

After the gradation we had lunch at Saltgrass with everyone and then we went back to our apartments for cake. I make Brandon's favorite chocolate cake and it was very yummy!

My 3rd trimester started a week ago and things are still going great. We have started going to the midwife every 2 weeks and we have also stared our Bradley Method classes. We are really enjoying the classes. We both like the confidence we feel when we leave the class and they reassure us that we are making the best decision for our family.  

This is a picture from 28 weeks-- I am now 29 weeks! I was the first day of my 3rd trimester and the day of our first Bradley class.

Brandon is still enjoying his job and can't wait for his license to come in so they will put him in his own clinic. Hopefully his license will be in by November - it is crazy how long it takes to come in!! 

Sewing!

Last week I was busy sewing for Nolan! I love having something that makes my day fly by! Brandon is at work from 9-12, he is home from 12-3 and then back to work from 3-7. I love having him home for a few hours during the day. So far I have made...

Burp cloths

Nautical style pillows

Baby quilt

I'm not sure what these will be...

Everything is still going perfect with me and Nolan! I was looking at a picture that Brandon took of me June 30th and I knew my stomach had gotten bigger. He took another one and it definitely had! It is hard because we see my tummy everyday, so we don't really notice the changes. In the last month he has grown so much. Starting off @ 11 inches and about 1 lb and now he is over 14 inches and over 2 lbs. Quite a growth spurt, so no wonder my stomach has rounded out so much! We are now seeing the midwife every two weeks, which will make these next 3 months go by much faster! We also start our Bradley method classes August 8th. They will be every Sunday from 1:30-4:00 until September 26th. The classes will be held at the birthing center, which is in Allen. Luckily it is only a 30 minute drive, since we will be going there 6 times a month for the next 2 months!!

Its a.....BOY!!

The wonderful baby that I have been spending all day with has been a boy all along! We were very very surprised because we were sure he was a girl. Our wonderful sonographer (who has been one for over 30 years) started off the appointment by measuring the head, then the heart, bladder...and then this popped up on the screen!

He didn't even have to tell us. We both looked at each other and I said, its a boy?! and Brandon said I think so!! I couldn't stop laughing! I could tell B was even more excited. He always said he was happy about having a girl, but when he saw the above picture, I could tell he was thrilled! We were so surprised, but so so happy!!

After the appointment we called our families and they were also very surprised, but excited. Then we went looking at clothes and other fun stuff for Nolan! We fell in love with the Uppababy stroller! I was so excited when we went to get it yesterday!

Close up of our furry "baby".

Everything else during the sonogram was perfect! Brandon enjoyed getting to see the spine (of course) and all the other organs functioning properly. The sono guy said he was about 14 oz and measuring just right! I have my next prenatal appointment on Thursday with Becky, our midwife! I am still loving everything about seeing a midwife. I love the flexibility, appreciation, and respect they have for a woman's body!

Vacation, cooking, and bump!

We just got back from a very relaxing trip to Arkansas with my parents and brother! They rented a house on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs...the lake was so beautiful! The first day we went to Lake Quachita and had a picnic lunch and went for a swim. (Let me just say...Hot Springs National Park is not at all what you would think. It consists of two roads in town, one leading to a lookout tower and one leading up a hill.) Luckily, Lake Quachita's park was much more like a national park!

The second day we went shopping and looked around town. On the third day mom and I went to one the of bath houses. She had a mineral bath and I had a wonderful facial!

 The vacation was just what we needed. Every morning I would wake up around 7am-to a very hungry baby- and sit and read on the deck overlooking the lake until someone else woke up. The boys (dad, brandon, and nate) were lazy on the trip- we had to drag them out of bed every morning!!

Yesterday was Brandon's first day at work and my first official day as a stay at home "mom"! Although I have been done working for two weeks now, we have been moving and on vacation so the reality of my new life hadn't really sat in. Let me just say how excited I am to be able to have a clean apartment and supper made so that when B gets home we can spend time together. Luckily, he gets a 3 hr lunch break and we live 2 miles away from the practice so we get lunch together everyday! I have always known that I wanted to be a stay at home mom, I just never knew if it was a realistic dream. Not only do I get to be a SAHM, I also get plenty of time to rest, relax, and focus on staying healthy during the last half of my pregnancy. I think that people forget how important rest is during pregnancy. Of course your baby is going to be fine! It gets first dibs on everything you eat, drink, and all your energy, but have you ever thought about the stress that puts on your body on top of a crazy schedule?? Your body could become malnourished and not to mention how exhausting it can be. I know all this rest is not an option for everyone, but I thank Brandon and the Lord everyday for this opportunity!

The first thing I did yesterday was to find a recipe for peach cobbler. The only thing I have craved during my pregnancy are peaches. It was so bad that I would eat them out of a CAN- no syrup-just juice! On our vacation we found some fresh peaches and I was in heaven. I have been telling B that I cannot wait for Fredericksburg peaches to be in season because we will have to make a pilgrimage to get some. To my surprise, as we were shopping at Market Street on Sunday, I spotted a sign that said, " Texas Grown Fredericksburg Peaches." I was beyond excited! The first day I ate 4 and decided I had to go back and get some more for a cobbler.

This is the first time I have really baked since culinary school...5 years ago! I just haven't had to space!! I am loving my new spacious kitchen!!

I haven't ever been a huge fan of cobbler... I have always thought it had too much fruit and not enough crust.  I solved the problem and doubled the dough! It was wonderful, even though I only had a few bites. For some reason if I spend 4 hrs making something it take a day or so for it to be appetizing. Brandon was so excited when he walked in the door and was greeted by the smell of cobbler and yummy chicken tortilla soup!

19 week bump!

I am loving being pregnant! Once I got past the first trimester I was so happy! Brandon was such a trooper throughout my first few months. He would cook, clean, and accompany me to the restroom, hold my hand, give me tissue and a rag and help me off the floor! I know this might seem a bit ridiculous to some, but I HATE to throw up more than anything. It had been about 6 years since I was last sick, which was then accompanied by my wonderful mother doing the same thing. I am so happy to be past all that!  (I actually told B that I wanted to marry my second trimester).  Sometimes I wish I could just stay the way I am, because I am sure at some point it will get uncomfortable...but for now I am loving every minute of it! I love the way I feel and the transformation of my body it so amazing. This morning I officially felt little cashew kick! I was laying in bed and woke up @ 6 to a hungry baby. I knew B would be up @ 7 so I was going to go back to sleep and wait another hr. I had my had on my stomach and I felt two kicks...unfortunately Cashew stopped before B got to feel, but I sure he will very soon!

Change Change Change!

In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

Proverbs 16:9

So much has changed since my last post. We are not moving to Austin, we are staying here! Brandon got a job offer here in Dallas working with a wonderful company. He is finished with everything in clinic and just has part 4 boards this weekend! We signed a lease with a brand new midrise complex in Los Colinas and will be moving the 24th, although we haven't started packing-eek! I also had to change birthing centers and will now be seeing the midwives at Allen Birthing Center. They didn't have any openings for October births, but they fit us in and they give a 30% discount to Parker students and a 10% discount if you pay by 26 weeks! Just goes to show that the Lord is is all of this change! We are also happy to stay here because we won't have to leave our church, Irving Bible. A girl I took classes with at Blinn and her husband have recently moved here, so I am happy we will get to stay here and spend time with them also! H is expecting a little boy in June, so it will be nice to have a friend for our little one. It has also been nice to have another future mommy to walk with! So as you can see all this change has been very welcomed! The 21st will be my last day working as a nanny! I will miss the family, but am looking forward to some time off. I am just happy they won't be too far away!

Almost done in Dallas!

Brandon started finals today...2 down 6 to go. We are both beyond excited! It is hard to believe that we have been in Dallas for 2 years 8 months and we only have 4 1/2 weeks left. During our last month here Brandon will finish his finals, attend his neurology seminar weekends (over the next couple of years he will be working on his masters in neurology!), finish his adjustment credits (only 30 to go), review for and take part 4 boards (his last boards!), and do a 2 week rotation in the radiology department. With so much to do, I am sure it will fly by! I have 4 1/2 weeks of work left and 3 weeks of school...throw in a weekend in Canton with my family, an appointment with my midwife, and a lot of packing and May 26th- MOVNG DAY- will be here before we know it!

I cannot say I will miss Dallas, I am so looking forward to the next chapter of our life! Brandon will be working over the summer with a Chiropractic Neurologist, while I will be living a life of leisure! We are fortunate enough to be able to live with my very generous aunt and uncle in Austin for 6 weeks this summer. This will give us enough time to figure out exactly where we want to live and find a house to rent! I will be spending most of my days with my aunt Mary! We will go to the gym, lay in the pool, and do plenty of shopping for the baby! That is another thing- all this change is making my pregancy go by very fast! It is so hard to believe that I am 12 weeks pregnant! I am sure it will go by very slow once August comes around. I am not looking forward to the Texas summer I will have to endure! I have decided that I will just go from my gym clothes, to a swimsuit, to a dress and stay indoors as much as possible! Once August rolls around will will be living somewhere, permanently, and Brandon will graduate August 14th! After that Brandon will have to wait to start practicing until the earliest November...it take that long to get his license! Although this seems like a very long time, I think it will be nice that he will be able to take a few days off with me and Baby Cashew! So, eventhough we have a lot going on over the next few months, it is going to be so very exciting!

Baby Crawford

Baby Crawford will be here around October 31st, which is Brandon's birthday! We were very suprised when we found out, but also very excited! We had our first appoinment at the birthing center in Austin, called The Austin Area Birthing Center, with a wonderful midwife. To everyone that is a little sceptical about a birth outside of a hospital...check out the above link to the center! Not only did they spend 2 hrs with us, they have much better statistics than any other hospital in the nation!

•88% of all admitted clients successfully delivered at the birth center

•11.7% of admitted patients were transferred to the hospital during labor
•Overall C-section rate is 3.6%
•2% of patients were transferred to the hospital after the birth
•1.5% of newborns were transferred to the hospital
•0% Maternal Mortality Rate
•0% Fetal Mortality Rate
•0% Neonatal Mortality Rate
 
...pretty impressive!