8 weeks

A Yesterday was my first Mother's Day...this time last year I was putting the finishing touches on our wedding. Life is full of surprises and this was probably the best surprise of all. Being a mom is one of the greatest gifts I could have ever gotten. No other material gift could be better than the one I'm holding now. I've heard of love at first site...and I believe it. This baby girl has my heart. When she smiles at me I swear my heart gets a little bigger. 

In these short 8 weeks, I have changed so much. I get excited about poopy diapers. I cheer when Camille burps. I spend more time choosing her outfit than I do my own. I know what each cry means....hungry, tired, hurt tummy, or just mad. I love being home with her every day...I get to watch her change and grow. My absolute favorite thing is rocking her sleep at night....or any time during the day. I love when she looks up at me with those beautiful big eyes and snuggles up against my chest. It has become our nightly routine and I wouldn't change it at all. I will rock her until she is 20 if she wants me to. 

On Monday I have to go back to work. I'm dreading it. Even though its only for 4  1/2 days, it breaks my heart to not be here all day. I know the first day will be so rough....and I'm sure I'm going to cry. I'm blessed to have the entire summer to stay home with her but I will definitely miss her next week. 

 

As I celebrated yesterday, I thought of friends of mine that don't have children for various reasons. I pray that if motherhood is something you desire, that The Lord will give you the desires of your heart. And those if you with fur babies...you are a momma too. So Happy Mother's Day to you all. 

A little goofy time with my family

Workin' On My Fitness...

This morning I completed my first post-baby workout. I hear other women talk about how great it felt, how excited they were to get back at it. Well, let me be totally honest...it sucked. I had stopped working out before I got pregnant and it continued like that throughout my pregnancy. I could kick myself in the butt for doing that. I don't know if I have ever been this out of shape in my life. I'm ready for that to change. 

I don't like to exercise. I never have. I'm not a big fan of sweating. It feels gross. But I want to keep up with my daughter and any future children Will and I are blessed to have. And...I don't want to give up any food I love. Food is good. So because I want to get healthy again, keep up with my daughter and continue to eat the foods I love....I will run. I will sweat. I will get gross. 

I am not posting this as a way to brag. If you would have seen me on the treadmill you would understand there is nothing to brag about. Trust me. I'm posting this to keep myself accountable. Right now I'm keeping my exercising out of the public eye to avoid embarrassment for myself (and so others won't feel uncomfortable).  

I completed day 1 of week 1 of Couch to 5K. (http://www.c25k.com/) If you've never done this before you should. I did it years ago and it works. Weeks one and two are the worst in my opinion. I'm just telling myself that it does get easier and it will pay off. 

Now I get to enjoy the rest of my day with my beautiful girl....and maybe do a little housework. Maybe. 

8 Things I Want My Daughter To Know

As I was feeding Camille at 4 o'clock this morning, I started thinking about everything I want our daughter to know. I want her to understand each of these things now, but I know it will be a long time before she does. Here are the 8 things I want her to know....

Camille,

1. You will never know how much I love you until you have a child of your own. There is no way I can ever tell you the impact you have had on my life.
2. Find a man that loves you and treats you like your Daddy does. You deserve nothing less.
3. Love Jesus first. Always.
4. You are beautiful. No matter what anyone says to you...no matter how you feel about yourself...you are gorgeous.
5. Laugh. Laugh a lot. Laugh at yourself. If you are anything like your Momma, you will do some dumb stuff. Laugh about it.
6. Listen to your parents. We don't know everything...but we are smarter than you think. You will figure this out in about 25 years.
7. Accept my apologies. I am going to make mistakes. Lots of mistakes. When I do, expect an apology and accept it.
8. Cherish your family...some people aren't lucky to have awesome grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...you do.

Camille Anne

I loved being pregnant. I loved feeling our sweet baby girl move every day. But I loved labor and delivery even more. Sounds insane, right? The pain was rough...not going to lie. But the anticipation is something that I will never be able to explain.

On March 18 at 11:31 AM, I gave birth to a healthy, 6lb 5oz, baby girl. She decided to arrive 2 1/2 weeks early and has been doing her own thing ever since. It's hard to believe its been five weeks. I can't remember what life was like before she was here. In these five weeks I have learned a lot...and I've got a lot left to learn.

People give you advice. Lots of advice. People tell you what to expect. However, nothing can really prepare you for parenthood. These are a few things I have figured out for myself.

1. It's ok to be completely clueless. Our parents didn't have a manual either....and we survived.
2. It's ok to stay in your pajamas all day at least once a week. You may add a day or two if necessary.
3. It's ok if your house isn't clean all the time. If someone comes to visit, they are looking at the baby, not your dirty dishes.
4. It's ok to not be on a schedule immediately. You and your child are both learning...it will come with time.
5. It's ok to cry. Sometimes there isn't anything you can do...
6. It's ok to NOT follow the many pieces of advice you are given. Trust your instincts...
7. It's ok to become a proud parent and brag about your baby 24/7. I mean, you created perfection, right??

I could continue on and on...and maybe I will on another blog but my brain is tired. This is day #4 without a nap and its catching up with me. Here are a few of my favorite pictures...

Changes, Trials, and Thankfulness

Sometimes I wonder if life is going to slow down or if I'm always going to feel like I can't really relax for a few minutes. Then I laugh. Of course it's not....I'm having a baby in a few months! 

Since we found out at the end of October that baby C is a girl, we have been talking about our sweet Camille Anne nonstop. She is already starting to get clothes in her closet and her bed should be here sometime next week. It's insane. With all the happiness, there have been situations that have caused us some stress.  

Over the last month, our lives have changed a lot...that seems to be a theme for the Curtis' lately. 
1.Will quit working at the company he had been a part of for the past 2 1/2 years. He is working at the local Christian bookstore which has been a blessing to both of us. 
2. We moved....which is zero fun when pregnant and you aren't allowed to lift anything heavy. Luckily, I have the world's most awesome husband who must be Superman. 
3. I had the biopsy done on my thyroid. Everything came back normal and the surgeon just wants me to come back in 6 months for a follow up. 

Through everything that has been happening, I try to stay positive. But, I'm the one in the relationship that worries. Someone has to do it right? There are so many unknowns right now. There are so many things that I cannot change or see coming...and if you know me at all, you know I'm not a fan of surprises. I try really hard to not be "that crazy pregnant lady" that cries all the time, but it seems to be something that I can't control. Between being stressed and hormones...I don't even feel like myself most days. 

People always things could be worse. To those people, I want to throw something at your face....but they are correct. Will and I are blessed. We have a roof over our head. We have a pantry and fridge full of food. We have two pups that adore us. We have all the technology we could need. We are healthy. We both have jobs. We have a healthy growing baby girl that we will be able to love on in just a few months. We have families that support us and take care of us. We have friends that love us and pray for us. Yes. Things could be a lot worse. 

I can honestly say that Will and I have a stronger relationship than we have ever had. I could not imagine going through life with any other partner. The Lord has blessed me with the perfect match. 

Every morning, my mom sends a "Thought for the Day" email. This morning it was simply this verse. It's a verse I've heard my entire life and recited many times...this morning it was exactly what I needed to start my day. "Trust in the Lord with all you hear, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

Busy, busy...

The last time I posted on here was over a month ago...my how things have changed! 

First an update on my thyroid...today I went to see the surgeon. He was very friendly and made me feel comfortable from the beginning. He feels there is nothing to worry about, and even if there is something, it is an easy fix. He does want me to have a biopsy done just to see if anything is wrong. I felt relieved immediately...until I looked up the biopsy on the internet. Just thinking about a needle being stuck in my neck over and over makes me feel sick....oh well. The biopsy is scheduled for next Friday, November 3. I feel totally relaxed about the outcome. 

However, the most exciting news will be received tomorrow afternoon. Will and I (along with my mom) will be going to find out if baby Curtis is a boy or girl. Will is completely convinced that it's a girl....I still think boy. One of us will be right....I don't really care who though. I'm just so excited to see our precious baby and know how to start decorating! I'm so ready to share with our family and friends. 

This weekend, I was able to celebrate my sweet Addison's first birthday...I still can't believe my niece is 1! Life is going so fast. Check out some of these pictures...she's a doll. 

 She loves to brush her hair....such a girl!

 She was as excited about her clothes as she was the toys...

LOVED the cupcake!

3 months

Three months ago today, Will and I were married. It honestly seems like a lifetime ago....that's not a bad thing. On June 23, I was focused on our wedding day and looking forward to a relaxing honeymoon. It's amazing how much life has changed in just a few short months. 

It hasn't all been easy. Getting married is a huge adjustment. Even though we had been dating for awhile, I now make every decision based on "we" instead of "me". The minor stuff seems to be the hardest...what colors to paint the house, how to decorate the bedroom, how to organize the kitchen...the list goes on and on. So while we have been busy adjusting to our new life, we are now getting into "parent mode". It's like double adjustment. Many of our conversations include discussions about deductibles, budgets, planning holidays with families...when did we grow up??

This past Wednesday I went for my 12 week appointment. My midwife previously told me that we wouldn't do an ultrasound, just listen to the heartbeat. That is the sweetest sound I have ever heard. I could listen to it all day. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. I can't wait for the day that I get to hold our precious baby and see that sweet face. However, I don't want this time to go by too quickly (I might not be saying the same thing in five months). I will never have another opportunity like this with our child. I will try to cherish every moment of this pregnancy.

The best thing about being pregnant right now is having an awesome husband to share it with. I am blessed with more than I deserve. He works so hard to provide for me and our future family. I am beyond proud of the man he is. He is my best friend, my partner, and the love my life. 

Ok...enough sappy, yucky stuff. Next blog post will be some of the awesome pregnancy questions from my 7th graders. I'm sure they will give me more to add to the list this week. I love my job! :)