So, how've you been? LOL :) I've been great...Today some ladies at church threw me a Baby Boy Shower & it was a lot of fun!! :) There was really a good turn-out, and Baby Boy got LOTS of clothes & accessories!! Now, we've got to work on fitting it all in here somewhere...

Speaking of, I am getting a little overwhelmed with how close we're cutting this being ready for baby thing. His room doesn't look much different, even after Chelle & I (and Mom, too) have worked in that bedroom...I guess it's just getting a bunch of that stuff out of there & I can't do that without Steve's & AmVet's help...And, thank goodness, Tuesday is the 15th & Steve will have a lot more time to help me out with that...PLUS, we have to get a crib & dresser/changing table SOON, too, because as of right now, all we've got's a port-a-crib (which won't be bad for the first few nights in our room, but I didn't keep Abbey in our room very long, because I was too attentive to every little sound she made instead of sleeping when she slept...but for me, the first few nights are with us...and that port-a-crib will be a good fit in here...if we can also get our room together before he gets here...OH, and there's another thing...this baby boy doesn't have a name, yet, either!! We're thinking Eli or Ethan, but are having trouble with a middle name(s) for him...Sometimes we like Eli better, sometimes Ethan...Abbey's decided it's Ethan, but I'm still not so sure...

So, I thought I had all this time to figure this stuff out, but now I'm starting to really feel the time crunch...because to tell you the truth, I don't see me going until my due date...I think Dr. H will want to induce him early, especially after my next ultrasound (April 30th)...But that's just my guess...She's also wanting to see me every week already, instead of every-other, so there's my next clue...I'm going to ask her about that next time, though...

Next weekend is the family Baby Boy shower!! :) I'm excited!! :) Hopefully we'll have made some more headway in the baby room front to have room to put all his little clothes that's starting to accumulate :) There are a few pieces of furniture in there that, once out of there, will make things feel more accomplished, ya know? My hope chest is going to Chelle's basement (storage), the big honken bookcase is going into the garage for more shelving storage out there (maybe for my crafts?), and Abbey's toddler bed is going to Matt & Chelle's for Katie Lynne to start using soon...Once those things are out of there, we can rearrange & add in the baby bed & dresser/changing table & get that room set up for Baby Whatshisname...

Oh, I forgot to mention that a few ladies at church got me some "just Mommy" gifts along with their baby gifts, and that was SO nice!! :) VERY NICE Bath & Body Works spa slippers (which will be a must in the hospital!!), some bath salts & pampering masks & foot scrubs, just nice stuff that was extra special Mommy stuff...Oh, and a few ladies gave Abbey some presents, too...I thought that was very sweet...

I'd better go...Abbey went with Mom after the shower & Steve's working at Block (ONLY A FEW MORE DAYS!! WOOHOO!!), but I think we're doing Marion's Pizza for dinner, and I need to get moving a little here...I've been looking for one of Abbey's brown shoes that just seem to have disappeared...and I'm getting tired of looking...Who knows where that shoe is...

Love you all! :)

Okay, Here's the recipe for "Green Stuff": (btw, it could also be pink stuff, or orange stuff, or whatever...depends on the jello you use)...

Jello, any flavor, but to make it "green stuff" we use lime flavored
1 20oz. container cottage cheese
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 tub defrosted cool whip

(*Note, all of the above can be substituted with sugar free/fat free/reduced fat whatever...it still turns out OK)

Make the jello per pkg. directions, but only let set in the fridge for 45min. or so. Then, add the pineapple, cottage cheese, and fold in the cool whip. Let it chill for a few hours or overnight...

VERY LIGHT & Fluffy & Refreshing...I'm not a huge cottage cheese person, but there's something about it, I just love this recipe, so if you're afraid of cottage cheese (like me!!), don't worry...it's not scary!! LOL Also, because I use lite/ff/sugar free everything, it's great for my G-diabetes right now...it's always good, though...and SUPER easy...

Okay, better get back to cleaning...Mom & Chelle are coming over later to help me sort out all the junk that's in Baby Boy's future room!! :)

Love you all!! Kelley, I hope this is all we've pumped it up to be for you!! LOL :)

I know, I know, it's been virtually forever!! :) I AM still alive, and, yes, STILL PREGNANT!! LOL :) I feel as though I've been pregnant forever...but the end is drawing near...and I'm getting a little nervous...

I've got a very yucky cold right now, that has me not feeling very good all over...I'm wondering, though, if it isn't more allergies than a cold...No fever or anything, but I feel achy & lots of sinus pressure...I know you all aren't my dr. so I'll stop giving you my symptoms!! LOL :) Just not a great week for me...

Anyways...I guess I didn't get here to share with you all about my wonderful Emmaus experience, huh? There are some things I just can't share with you (and even if I told you about it, I don't think you'd get the deepness of the experience) plus, if you ever go on an Emmaus walk yourself, I don't want to set your expectations up...We're all on different areas of our walk with Jesus, and what my experience meant to me might not necessarily be what you should/would experience, ya know? SO, I will just start by saying THANK YOU for your emails/cards, they were so sweet & unexpected, and thank you for your prayers...It was a truly humbling, yet very empowering experience for me...

I have to say, my 'tude probably wasn't what it should've been on Thursday night, because I was trying not to anticipate, but I hate not knowing some sort of schedule. That was a hard one for me, and not knowing what time it was & stuff...I never realized what a big time-freak I am...

I've shared a little bit with Missy & Jodi, that looking back over the past year, I can see where God's been gently and sweetly "wooing" me with His grace. Last year (about exactly that, now) we went to Women of Faith (maybe you remember?) and the theme of the Conference was "Infinite Grace." I can't begin to tell you some of the barriers I had up that he started chiseling away at during that pre-conference. Things that I needed to let go, and just realize that God loves me, and sometimes He takes away the things we want so badly out of His grace & mercy, not His anger...And, even broadening my perceptions a little bit about the people I love & their treatment of me. Their actions/reactions aren't always about me & our relationship with each other, but can stem from their previous relationships & their perceptions of themselves...Just like I do!! LOL It just gets trickier with the people we put on pedestals...

Even getting ready for the Women's Retreat last fall, where I spoke about low self-esteem, insecurities, anger, all of that was just a part of the journey of learning more about His grace & love. It forced me, in ways, to look at some things from my journey-my disappointments, my circumstances-and see where I had thought it was God's anger & disappointment in me, but was really His love & grace & mercy for me...

ANYWAYS, a great weekend, where I FELT loved & accepted; FELT His grace & mercy wash over me; and ate VERY WELL!! LOL :) These people don't make you go hungery, that's for sure!! LOL:)

Moving on...Missy shared about Easter...it was pretty much the same with us, just not so many people @ Mom & Dad's house :) We went to church (Steve cooked a TON of bacon for our Sonrise service...) we ate breakfast at church, I taught my last Sunday School class, and was surprised with Mom, Dad, Chelle, & Katie walked through the door!! :) I thought they were going to the Vineyard (which is their church, now, I think, officially). We left & went to Mom & Dad's house, then to Grandma's, then BACK to Mom & Dad's...Oh, and I got addicted to "green stuff" at Grandma's house, btw...Aunt Diane made it, and since I've talked with my dietician, it's pretty much the best stuff I can have right now!! LOL (more on the dietician in a moment). I have CRAVED that stuff...Oh, and it was so great to see Eddie there!! :) I hope he didn't see the shocked look on my face when we were standing on the porch & I was taking inventory of who all was there!! LOL :) That was just so cool, and I hope it was the beginning of many more family things he comes to...OH, and I loved observing Jimmie with the girls!! LOL :) He was so sweet!! The first thing he said to Steve & I was, "I have seen more naked girls in the past week than I have in my whole life!" He was doing an AWESOME job!! :) I guess it was just neat to see him in a different role than Uncle...And, Jodi, as Missy said, I don't think anyone was really worried about how you'd do!! :) I just kept thinking, "Those girls have no idea how blessed they are..."

Okay, I mentioned the dietician...Is anyone REALLY surprised that I flunked the 3-hour glucose test, after having G-diabetes before? I didn't think so...Anyways, I had the test last week, and this past Tuesday we had another ultrasound & my consult with the dietician. They were concerned about my fasting numbers, because those are the least affected by diet, but after a few days of me really being on a good diabetic diet, that's even starting to go down. I have to check my sugar levels 4x's a day, and go back in 2 weeks to see them, and if they're not happy with my fasting numbers, I'll be put on a pill that's safe to take while pregnant...they try pill first, then insulin (PTL!! That was NOT the case 4 years ago when I had this with Abbey, but everything was diet-controlled then). So, we'll see what my body does... What'shisname (poor baby boy doesn't really have a name in stone, yet) was flashing us with the goods during the ultrasound, and there was NO mistaking that he is ALL BOY and that the other ultrasound lady was right!! LOL :) We're having a hard time deciding on a name...Mainly because we're not both around each other for long to have a good discussion about it...But tax season's almost over!! YAHOO!! :)

Oh, and I said I was starting to get nervous...there is just SO MUCH to do around here, and I can't do it by myself...And, unfortunately, it's not just his room, it's the WHOLE HOUSE, including our bedroom...I'm getting nervous about having everything ready & company ready (not that I expect the same traffic this time as with Abbey, but there will still be visitors, ya know), and KEEPING it that way...Flylady's helping, but my energy level is nill...

Okay, I'd better go...It's about time to check my sugar again...It was pretty good this morning...Actually, the lowest fasting number I've had so far...

Love you all & will try to catch up as fast as I can!! :)

My Princess Abbey is FOUR!! I can't believe how fast she's growing up!! Last Saturday was so much fun...First, we went to Sweet & Sassy (I think Missy's mentioned this place...it's a salon/spa-like place for girls, but it's really so much more than that...hard to explain...) Anyways, she got her hair cut (just shoulder-length) but it makes her look SO much older!! After we got done there, we went to CiCi's pizza to get a big enough section. I couldn't remember if that was the CiCi's with the party room or not, so we got there early to get the big back section by the video games. CiCi's was NOT busy, but their party room was full, even though the people left before any of our guests showed up. I had already started decorating a little (just because it's @ a pizza place doesn't mean we can't add a little pink!! LOL). It was fun!! :) I got a little overly confident with the time @ CiCi's (we met there around 4/4:30, and were supposed to be at Build-A-Bear around 6p.m.) So, I looked at my cell phone (I had it out so I could keep an eye on the time ::roll eyes::), and it was around 4:30, and we were all sitting down eating & I relaxed...then it was 5:20 & I freaked!! :) I felt bad, because we had to rush through her presents, but it was a definate time crunch. Somehow, I think because we didn't have to clean up, we made it to Build-A-Bear on time. The girls were SO cute!! :) They do this whole thing when they get the hearts for their bears, and they did so well!! The worst one of 'em was my daughter!! We were going with no nap, and she was DEFINATELY a Birthday Diva...I have no idea where she gets that from!! LOL She about slept the whole day away on Sunday...but MAN did she need it!! LOL :)

Today's my husband's 32nd birthday!! :) What an old man!! hehehe He actually has the day off of BOTH jobs & we've just kinda hung out this morning...It's been SO nice!! :) I love my husband...that's one of the good things about spending so much time apart, I guess, is the softening towards his faults that comes from not taking for granted who he is...Blah blah blah...I know that's not a new thing..."Distance makes the heart grow fonder..." but as Dr. Phil would say, there's a reason for those cliche sayings!! :)

Okay, I'd better go. I've got to move these two along...I'm thinking we need to take a trip to the mall before a party we're going to tonight. I didn't get Steve anything big for his birthday, yet, and want him to peruse Dick's Sporting Goods...Chick Fil-A sounds good, too!! hehehe

Love you all!! Take care!! :)

My foot's pretty much all better!! YAY!! What a week this has been!! LOL :) I ended up going to Dr. Frank by myself (!!WOOHOO!!), and Steve stayed home with both the girls, and it sounds like he had a great time!! Well, all except for Abbey's nap time, but I digress...

Dr. said that my foot looked great (and I did end up taking a shower that day, with a Wal-Mart bag over my foot...the bandage got a little wet, but...wah, I was stinky!!LOL), everything's healing nicely, and there's no infection, so that's awesome. I'm allowed to walk, now, too!! :)

What a weird week. I didn't share, either, that my parents are gone this week on their cruise...I'm sure they're having a great time, but it's been weird all the things that've gone wrong this week without them...

Besides my foot (which they couldn't really do anything about anyway, but, they missed the drama), Steve just happened to be at their house eating his lunch today (and he gets their mail & stuff, too) when the phone rang (he let the machine answer), and it was their renters...their furnace went out!! So, Steve felt obligated (absolutely, this is NOT the weekend for a furnace to go out, ya know?!?! They're forcasting 0's this weekend overnight) to take care of it for Dad. Well, he called the furnace people & they got it rigged to work, but it definately needs to be replaced soon...we just hope it lasts thru the weekend so we don't have to deal with it!! LOL Matt (my bil) said, "They should just leave some blank checks for emergencies when they go on a vacation"...inevitably something goes wrong, or someone dies, it's kinda weird...

I've just booked Abbey's Birthday party!! We're only doing a girl party this year...we might do another big family party when she turns 5 or something, but for now, I think she'll like just having her girls to celebrate with. We're hosting a "Build-A-Bear" party for her, then pizza & cake at Ci-Ci's Pizza (besides Fazoli's, that's her absolute favorite place to eat!! LOL) So, I'm excited. I think she'll like it, and I think the other girls will, too!! :) It's cool, too, because it's actually ON her Birthday this year...We might take her to Chuck E. Cheese's another night because she likes it so much, but her actual party's at Build-A-Bear...Since we're not having a big party, we can afford to get a little more for each child, too, ya know?

Anyways...that's done, and the invitations are bought (yeah, right, I've mailed them!! LOL), and cake plates & napkins, and a few party bag things...I always love looking at all that stuff!! :) So much cool stuff...

Okay, better go...I need to get Princess Abbey ready for bed...She's been pretty good today, except for a couple of time out's...She's really testing me, I think...Okay, she's testing everybody, right now...

Talk to ya'll later!! :) Love ya!! :)