10 weeks to go...

I could say we have been going at this for 30 weeks, but saying we have 10 weeks to go is a lot more fun and exciting right?! :) We have been blessed and showered by so many gracious people over the last few months, especially this last weekend! What an amazing blessing to be in the middle of! I cannot imagine doing any of this without our families, closest friends and more than anything or anyone, Jesus. He has been guiding us and holding us up this whole time and I know he will continue to.

As things get closer, we get a little bit more tense about things. money, insurance, etc etc. I keep telling myself that somehow it all just irons out and that holding sweet Ava makes it all worth it and come together. At some point I will post pictures of the shower and more sono pics. Soon I'm sure we will be posting Ava pictures. unbelievable! I am doing her first few loads of laundry this evening, amongst dishes, picking up junk around the house and trying to nest her room a bit :)

Nick had worship practice tonight and then got called into his real job to "fix" the computer...hoping it is not too serious, but hopefully he can figure something out...

Lots to do and lots to soak up in the next 10 weeks. Life is about to change in every way.

crazy.

shaina

29 weeks

We're in the middle of the 29th week....it goes by fast. I know there are some weeks ahead of us that will not go by so quickly, but for now, things seem to be flying by.

There are lots of things to get finished. The main thing I have on my mind right now is the shower coming up this weekend. First of all, I have the sweetest friend God could have ever placed in my life. The best thing about this friend is that I didn't go out and find her, try hard to make her my friend or exhaust myself in keeping her my friend. I am just beyond blessed to have this woman of God who encourages me, sharpens me, keeps me accountable, loves me at my worst and understands my struggles and pushes me through them. I have gone through my life having lots of acquaintances, and sweet "friends", but I have yet to have a friend, until now, who serves me. A random coke dropped off at my work, a little baggie of goodies when I've had a bad day... the shower of the century she is planning, besides that, all the emails we share during the daily grind of the week and then great date nights with our amazingly Godly and wonderful hubbies. This season of my life, is so crazy busy, a bit stressful and so wonderful all at the same time, but without her here to talk with, complain to, have prayer from and just be the biggest encourager, I would be that girl on facebook complaining right and left, skipping out on things, whining about this and that, etc. Her noticing my attitude and diligent effort to keep my mind and heart positive throughout this entire experience has been such a blessing.

There have been amazing blessings come in and out of my life, there are women in my life that are still special to me and God continues to put new women in my life as well, but never before have I been as blessed and as encouraged by a "best" friend, than when I have with her. Thank you Lord. I'm blessed beyond measure. I pray I am as encouraging, as honest, inspiring and sweet as she is to me.

So with that said, I am so excited to be the honored guest at the baby shower this weekend. I am truly beside myself with how adorable I can only imagine it will be. :) so fun!

There is a room in our house that now has pink walls. All of them, Pink. :) I would never have thought that I would have pink walls on any room in my home, but they are precious and the entire room for Ava is coming along so well, thanks to my mother and my mother in law. Mom and Sharon painted and it already just looks so great! I can't wait to show pictures of our final product!

OK, on a total opposite side note....I have some great product for mother's day, in stock, or gift cards/certificates available for your mom, mother in law, grandmother, etc. Just let me know what I can do for you. I have new catalogs, if you'd like a copy, let me know! www.marykay.com/sweisgerber if you like to look online!

Schedule a FREE facial for yourself and your mom and each of you get a $10.00 gift card! Contact me and we'll get yours set up! Make it a party and earn FREE product! 50.00, 100.00, etc. Give me your guest list and I do the rest for you!! :) Easy and fun!

k, that's all!

shaina

28 weeks...

ok ok. I've slacked at the blog....I've slacked at a few things lately, I think mainly because I am so exhausted. Nick has been working a few evenings a week and so I feel like there are things here at the house that I need to get done while he is gone, since he is working so hard, but there have been a few evenings that I cannot seem to muster the energy to do any of it. Hoping tomorrow I will have some better "umph" to get the laundry finished, the kitchen cleaned up and some of Ava's stuff gone through and organized.

Mom and Sharon came over and painted Ava's room Saturday and just lack one coat of paint! So pretty!! I love it and I think the whole room is going to come together so well. :) We have a few big pieces to get put in and finished, but I think it will come together quickly, once we get those few things ready.

Nick and I have a lot to finish around the house before Ava comes...lots of cleaning out and de-cluttering.... as well as re-arranging our bedroom to accommodate months of late nights and a little one who will need to be fed often and so forth.

We're having a garage sale this weekend in Canyon. Stuff combined from nick and I plus my grandparents will be in it and that should help us get rid of more stuff. I hope to make a little bit off of the garage sale as well, to put towards some bills and stuff.

Ava likes to move a lot these days! It is getting harder to sit, stand, lie down, bathe, just about everything is getting to be a bit harder to do...and that is fine, just trying to adjust to it all.

Lauren took our pictures saturday evening and I can't wait to see them! I'm sure she did wonderfully and I think we will be so glad we got them done. Such sweet times to remember.

I think that's all for now. My brain is a bit fried. I'll try to scan and post the newest sonogram pictures soon, probably after the shower, because they have the book of prints! :)

blessings,

shaina

23 weeks...

we've made it past the half way mark by a few weeks...it is crazy to think about it really. Lauren and I went thrifting and to hobby lobby on saturday and found some great stuff for Ava's room! We are going to pick out paint, register and find a crib, hopefully soon. :) Time is running short, when I think about all that there is to do before she gets here...it is crazy!

I'm beginning to actually feel pregnant. My left foot keeps swelling up and I am having to force myself to slow down and rest. It is hard for me to do that...especially feeling lazy and unproductive, but I know I have to rest and keep off my feet more and more.

Really there is not much else to report. I go to see Dr. Chandler tomorrow, so hopefully I will have more to report, good news anyway. I'm sure she'll schedule the glucose test and another sonogram. So, hopefully I will be able to get through that...I've heard it is a monster of a test to get through.

Guess that is all for now...

Picture Time...

for those of you who are interested.... Miss Ava Renee's first big photo shoot...I'm sure her Aunt Loo will be photographing her as much as she can once she makes her arrival, until then here she is!

we think she is already the cutest thing we've ever seen. :)

Shaina

week 20...half way

well, we have made it half way in this journey. Things have been fairly easy on me, physically. I have not been sick, felt too bad or anything, but I have gone through quite the emotional roller coaster, one which most pregnant women will tell you they have ridden on. So, I do not feel alone in that. I do know for certain that I have had to truly live what I believe though, in faith and trusting the Lord. It is such an incredibly scary and emotionally draining time, yet exciting and amazing all at the same time! Seems as though, when I am down, Nick is up and when Nick is down I am up. God is amazing to us in our marriage that we are usually not down at the same time, but we love when we are both up. :) Not sure if that made any sense at all, but we are learning a lot about how we adapt to change and the unknown. Lots and lots of growing. :)

I started selling mary kay, about a month into the pregnancy. So far it has been good and so far it has been horrible. ha! Starting a business is never easy, in any arena, but Mary Kay sure helps make the process as easy as possible. I am finding more and more excitement and push, each week, at least I am trying to and I am trying to just get the word out that I am even selling it. It is an amazing company and it is really an incredible opportunity for any woman who wants to start making some amazing changes in their life. I have already begun to see myself changing some habits and trying to push myself to better things and bigger goals. I would love to share with whoever is reading this, about it all and let you in on how you can benefit from it all too. I know, I know, a sales pitch, in the middle of my baby blog....but I have to. It is how I am going to get to stay at home!

Now for the BIG NEWS! We found out last monday, the 21st of February, that we are having a GIRL! I know! I think most of us thought we were having a boy, but God surprised us with a sweet girl! We are excited and are already having fun planning for our precious Ava Renee'. I love her name, I love that her room will be full of birdies and bright colors and that our house will soon be filled with more love than we can stand. :)

July 14th is coming so quickly, I can't believe it is March already! Time is flying! I am thankful for this journey God has put me on, the new role he is placing me in and the strength of his power and mercy that is keeping me and will keep me going through this new phase of life.

He truly is in control of even the littlest things, especially when we LET Him. Gosh, it is remembering to let him. allowing him to be in control of our lives. I am so so bad at that. This journey has been forcing me to give it up. I know I will get to July 14th(ish) and laugh at myself for ever being so anxious and worrisome. :)

I suppose that is all for now...

Any suggestions on where to register? I'm thinking Babies R Us and Target.... someone told me wal-mart was the best place they ever registered? really? I'm not a huge fan of wal-mart. help!

week 18 & 19

I missed week 18. I guess there was not much new to report, besides the craziness of our schedule... Things are just busy as ever. Week nights are full except for wednesdays. Weekends are always full. If I can get a saturday morning at home I soak it up, as well as the quiet. This morning I am at work for a few hours, which is good. It's been kind of busy, as always when we first open, we're hoping for a mild morning, nothing too crazy. Then we have an Art Party to work at 1:00. Worship practice for church is at 3:30 and then church is at 5:15. Dinner with mimi, pops, mom and dad, and the aunt and uncle this evening after church. Church again in the morning and then I have girls coming at 2:00 for facials at my house for mary kay. CRAZY. I guess that is why I went to bed at 7:30 thursday night for a "rest" but did not get up until friday morning. tired. The baby's room is not cleaned out yet. I reallly want to get that finished by monday, since we are supposed to find out on monday what this baby is. I'd like it to be cleared out and ready to decorate asap. :)
I still have not felt the baby a whole lot. I'd like to know for sure that he or she is moving around...of course in a month or so I will be wishing him or her to settle down a bit, so I wait. :)

I'm excited to find out who we are having, JRW or ARW. :) can't wait!!

Any guesses??