Appointment Set!

Well, I am not giving up my search for the perfect birthing place; however, I am going a head and going to a Dr. for a preconception appointment. Its time to start this process and I will have plenty of time to find a birthing place. If not I'll have it at one of the Hospitals in Hattiesburg. So the appointment is set on March 10th @ 10 am with a Dr. Kot @ the 28th place. I am really excited but nervous all at the same time. I wanted Anthony to go with me for the first appointment but apparently she is a well liked dr cause she only had two days left open in March for appointments. She was recommended by a friend that had used her while she was pregnant.

Is it silly to be going to the Dr before you get pregnant? I mean we may not have any problems it may have just been that time? The reason I ask is because the receptionist acted like she didn't know what I was talking about when I said I need a preconception appointment. Maybe that's not how things are done. I don't know I've never done this before. At least not the proper way! With Anthony being gone so much it is really going to be hard to get pregnant. Which makes me a little sad. I really just want to be one of those couples that it comes so easy for them. You know the ones I'm talking about where it seems like they just touch and they get pregnant. I guess I'll just wait and see what the doc has to say!

Very Discouraged

This is not going to be a happy post. I was very excited to be going to visit the birthing center at Wesley Medical Center yesterday. I had talked to a nurse on the phone and what she told me was very encouraging. When I got to the hospital, it was a different story all together. I have in my mind the way I want my birth do go. I do not want very much medical intervention. I want a very natural and low key birth. I do not want an epidural or IV of any sort. I want to be free to move around as I want. I want to be able to freely hydrate myself as I feel fit. I want a whirlpool to manage my pain with. I want anyone who wants to be in the room with me there with me. I don't want to be hooked up to a bunch of machines. I have not chosen all the options half heartily. I have put a lot of thought and research into all the chooses that I make. There is no one on this earth that would care more about my unborn children than me. I think about what is best for them and myself. I am very discouraged with all the questions and unsupportive people. I am discouraged that as a society we have gotten away from what a natural process that birth is. IT IS NOT A MEDICAL PROCEDURE PEOPLE!!! It is a natural act of God! I just want to be able to have my baby the way I want to and where I want to! Those are the two things that are clashing right now. I don't want to give birth in a hospital because I can't do it the way I want to do it. I can't give birth in a birthing center, which would support my birth, because there is not one within 2 hours of where I live. I don't want to drive 2+ hours to give birth while I'm in labor. I also don't want to give birth at my house but it looks like that is going to be my only option. At least I only live 2 miles from the hospital if something does go wrong. That option is making more sense to me everyday. At least then me and everyone else will be comfortable. I don't know I'm just very discouraged right now.

Babies on the brain AGAIN!!

I know I know that some of you (Robin) think that I obsess about babies and having one. I really don't I just think about it a lot. I really want to know all there is to know about raising babies. I don't want to screw my children up and they blame all their problems on me when they become adults!! HA HA No really it just fascinates me all the things that are out there and the new ideals. Here are my thoughts so far, as you all know me the these are subject to change at any given moment!! I would like your feedback on them, rather positive or negative, and your experiences.

First, I will start with the birth. Now I want to give birth in a birthing center instead of a hospital. It is still medical advanced however no major medical interventions are available unless requested. Meaning I want to have a natural birth w/o drugs ie. Epidural. I do not want an IV unless absolutely necessary. I want to have a whirlpool as an option for pain management and I want to be able to freely move around and deliver in the position that I feel the most natural and best for me. I want the birthing center close to a hospital in case of an emergency. Finding a birthing center has been the problem. Seems that MS has not caught on to this natural birthing movement yet. I will keep looking though. I just feel that in a hospital all my wishes will not be able to be met and I don't want something done because it is medical protocol.

Next come my diapering decision. I have researched and decided that I would like to use cloth diapers instead of disposable ones. I know you all are thinking GROSS!! Not really. Cloth diapers have come a LONG way since our grandmothers and mothers were doing it. They make contour cloth diapers that are actually shaped like the disposable diapers with a sewn in extra absorbent strip in the wet area. You put them inside of diaper covers and would just use them like disposables. Now the first few months all poop is liquid so there is no rinsing, unless you want to. Just throw them in the wash. The reason I am doing it is because on average you are going to spend about $2500 on diapers the first 3 years per child unless potty trained earlier. With Cloth Diapers you will spent between $400 - $1500 for all children. That is a major savings.

Last is something I haven't fully decided on and probably won't until we have the child. Breastfeeding. I would love to breastfeed but just not sure if it is right for me. I want to be able to give my child the best nutrients but don't know if i could do the baby on the boob only thing. I thought about strictly pumping and bottle feeding breast milk. But I've heard that sometimes you don't produce enough milk and I would still have to strictly nurse the first few weeks anyway. I don't really want to do formula but will if i have to. I know I can do a combination of the two. You see to me the natural thing to do is bottle feed a baby. With the exception of Quinn that is the only way i have ever seen babies feed. That is the only way I have fed babies and I want Anthony to enjoy the experience of feeding his children too. It not just a bonding time for mom and baby but it needs to be that way for dad too. Or at least that's what i think.

Anyways give me your thoughts on this...

Corey Smith Concert!!!

How is everyone? I have been busy busy busy! Anthony is very social so we have been visiting and seeing people nearly every day since he's been home. It is very tiring. But I got to have some fun this past weekend. I absolutely love Corey Smith. He just has a new and edginess to his songs. He usually comes to Hattiesburg on Sundays and because I am not a college student and must work I can't attend. I found out that he was going to be in Tuscaloosa on a Saturday!! I jumped at the opportunity and IMMEDIATELY called Quinn and got the plans going for her & Stephen to go with me. We didn't think Anthony would be home but as it got closer it worked out where he could. The plan was to have a couple night out and just be fun 20 something year olds! Anthony had a meeting in Hattiesburg on Saturday morning and Stephen was here too. So I drove to AL Friday after work so that Quinn and I could go shopping for a HOT outfit for her! Which I didn't get a picture of her in :( The boys were going to drive up Saturday in time to meet us at the club.

Saturday morning was okay (some mom was in a bad mood). We got up and went over to Robin's for breakfast (lunch ha ha). Quinn wanted to get her hair cut and highlighted but didn't like the lady that Robin goes to so.... Me, Robin, Quinn, Coleen, Elliot, Addy & Isaiah dropped Elliot off @ soccer practice and the rest of us hit the mall. We got Quinn's hair cut which looks fabulous!!! We found her some great pants @ New York & Company but we ran out of time for a shirt. We were going to see what me and her had at her house then get something before the show if we couldn't find anything, which we couldn't. As we were getting things together Saturday, Quinn comes up with the idea that we should be single that night. At first I was a little unsure about it but the more I thought about it the more I liked it. Well we got ready and Robin drove us to get Quinn a shirt. We were both smoking hot!! When we got to the bar, we got in line and got a drink and we walking around sipping on them. You see we didn't "know" Anthony and Stephen so we were just walking around talking waiting on Corey Smith to take the stage. Well I guy came up to us and asked us if we wanted to take some shots with them. I looked at Quinn and she shrugged her shoulders so I turned back to the guy and said sure. It was fun! We took one shot with them and talked just a few mins then left them to walk around the bar. It was great! Something we had never done before and completely safe cause we knew who our go home with guys would be!! HA HA Well Anthony & Stephen got there and we played a little hard to get!! They bought us a drink and we talked then the concert started!!! I have to say that that was the BEST Concert I have been to. It was so much better than the time he was in Hattiesburg! But we ended the night at Waffle House!!

I don't know if any of you play World of War Craft or know anything about it but I got hooked while Anthony was away. It is amazing and I hadn't played in a while because of our busy busy social life this last week. Well, I got Anthony hooked too!! HA HA We stayed up till 11 0'clock last night playing that game and He started playing again this morning. I wanted to stay and watch him. I love it because I am a head of him and can teach him. Usually it's the other way around and I'm sure he will beat me before long!!

Also as a side note. It has been brought to my attention that my last blog may have made some of you uncomfortable. I'm sorry and I will try to refrain from telling too much but this is MY blog.

XOXO

Karen

I love Jesus but I drink a little!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83JDXXKzOXg

First before you ready any farther please please watch this video. It is quite comical!!



Okay Now that you have viewed the video lets think about this. It was funny. I found it on facebook where three of my friends had posted it. One was a friend from Hattiesburg that I use to work with and sometimes partied with. The second is my childhood preachers daughter. The third is the daughter of my elementary school principle. I know all these women fairly well or I use too. Losing touch over there years and all that. All but one of these women, I know grew up in a Baptist home. In the Baptist home, there is no drinking allowed at ALL. Not even a little!

I think it is very interesting how people as they leave the nest they begin to develop personality that is different than what they were brought up with. They get to decide what is right and what is wrong and the consequences in the process. I did not drink much in high school only on two occasions and they both accrued in my senior year. I did not drink at all in my first year of college. I drank a hand full before I turn 21. Most of my drinking/partying has accrued since I have been legal. I don't do it often only about a handful of times a year. I don't really hide the fact that I drink except to my grandmother. I am sure that she knows but we don't talk about it. I know that she does not approve and I've given her enough to worry about in her life. I need not add anything else.

This is my thoughts on God and drinking. You don't have to agree with me that's fine. I believe that God has commanded us to be a pure vessel for Him. He has commanded us to not get DRUNK on wine. He has also commanded us to keep the laws of the lands. That being said.... in my opinion it is okay to drink but not get drunk or before you are of legal age to do so. It is NEVER okay to drink and drive. I also believe that if you can not control when to stop you don't need to drink. I do not always adhere to what I believe to be okay but I try. Sometimes I drink too much and do things I shouldn't. It also depends on who you are around when you are doing the drinking.

We have to live our lives by what we believe to be right and wrong. You can be taught right from wrong but ultimately it is up to you as a person to choose and live your life that way. Anthony and I were in the car last night talking about this very thing. Not drinking but sex before marriage. I did not save myself for marriage but Anthony did save himself for me. We did have sex before we were married. Just as Anthony gave himself to me thinking that we would be married as did I to the other 3 guys before him. It just so happened I was wrong and he was right. I had always been taught that it was a sin and very bad but I did it anyway. What we were discussing was how to teach our children that it is wrong to have sex before marriage but also that it is right to wait till marriage. I guess we were blessed with being able to give our children both points of view, his & mine. But that is as far as we can go. We can teach our children right from wrong but it is up to them to make the right choice. Yeah I know its a little early to be thinking about this but I'm a planner what can I say!!

Going to the Dr soon!!!

So I am really really excited about getting to set up a Dr appointment. Anthony and I sat down last night and figure out his health benefit package. What would be the best for us and all that. Well from what I understand, his benefits should start next Saturday. If they do not start Saturday then they will start by March 1st. If you don't already know this is big news and means a lot!!!

First, this means that I can set an appointment for an OB-GYN for a preconception exam. This will get the necessary test and all that the Dr. will need to better serve us. Second, it means that we are going to be one more step closer to becoming parents!!! And lastly, it means that this pregnancy will be carefully monitored with out the worry of how are we going to come up with the money if something goes wrong!

Right now I just have to find someone I like. I loved the Dr. I had before but the problem is that she does not deliver and I'm not sure I am comfortable delivering with a Dr. I have never met. Then again it may not even matter. I have been thinking of going to a Dr. in Jackson but again still not sure if I want to drive the 1:15 min to go to the Dr and deliver. There are so many options to consider as well. I think right now I am just going to concentrate on improving my health and making sure everything is in order for when the Dr. gives the okay to start trying.

I am going to do what ever the Dr. thinks is best. I had not wanted to do the whole "lets just try one more time and see if you carry to term" thing. I have heard so many stories of women who have had miscarriages and then when on to have healthy babies. If the Dr thinks we need to do some testing first than that is fine but if she thinks that we should just try again then I'll do that as well. I feel like we are ready now. Maybe not 100% but who is really ready 100%? It use to be all about getting pregnant and being pregnant that I wanted. It is so not about that anymore. I want to have a child that I can teach, love and bring up in the way of the Lord to do great and mighty things in this world. I believe that this is my purpose in life!

Anthony's Home!!

Sorry it has taken me so long to check in. Last week SUCKED!! Anthony was suppose to be getting home Wednesday night. They pushed it back to Thursday morning then that night. Finally they told him he would be coming home early Friday morning. Well I got sick Friday with allergies and He did not make it home till 4:00pm. We got around and managed to leave by 6:00 pm going to Tuscaloosa.

We had an amazing weekend though!! The guys & girls from USM Ultimate came over for a tournament. They lost all of their games but it was a fun time. Anthony has been walking around like an old man for two days now!! Its quite funny really 'cause he is tell me to slow down!! I didn't work yesterday afternoon so we got to spend some time together yesterday. We went to price windows for our house. We are anticipating a large tax refund so we are pricing and seeing how much it will cost to put new windows in our house. It is not quite as expensive as I had thought. The installations is almost as much as the windows themselves. We have so much going on this week it is crazy. I can't wait for a nothing weekend!!

We are going this weekend to see Corey Smith in concert!!! :) I am so excited about that. I am taking Quinn shopping Saturday for a HOT! outfit! Her and Stephen are going with Anthony and I to the concert! Robin and Coleen are going to keep the little ones for them so they can have a fun night! I will be sure to post our fun pictures!

Two weeks really does not seem like that long after being gone for six weeks. I can't wait for Anthony to get Primerica rolling so that we can get him home full time! It's terrible having him away from home all the time. I say all the time cause he's gone more than he's home. :( Enough of those thoughts! I'm going to upload some Frisbee pictures but you can see them all on my facebook page.

They are so Handsome!!!

This is the USM Ultimate Team!! GO Gold!!

Elliot got to play in the College Frisbee Tournament too!!