A VERY busy first week!

Brynne's first 9 days of life have been ridiculously full of fun events.
Day 1 - Well, birth!
Day 2 - Lots of visitors
Day 3 - First car trip
Day 4 - Big Brother Koda's Christmas program & first Holly's experience
Day 5 - First shopping trip to Lubbock and first visit to Mom's office
Day 6 - Aunt Abby & Cousin Glyn came to visit (with her first Baylor blanket!)
Day 7 - Big Brother Koda's Christmas party
Day 8 - Daddy's Christmas party
Day 9 - First doctor's appointment (she's up to 6 lbs 9.5 oz), Mom's Christmas party...oh yeah, and a car wreck! (We're all fine, got rear ended in the wonderful holiday traffic!)
WHEW!
She's been a trooper. She's been really alert and GREAT with the passing from one person to the next.

I know, I know... Brynne's story!

So the last time we "talked" I was having contractions and not sure if they were real. Well, they were! And if I had waited any longer I might have had Brynne at work. About 10:45, I called Dr. Burke's office & asked if they thought I should come in & get checked. The nurse said to wait until they were progressively stronger and consistently timed, to take some Tylenol to see if that helped and then decide. That took about 15 more minutes for me to decide to go in. I sat at my desk with my feet propped up.

Megan got me some tylenol & Jordan, Ann, & Stephanie stood watch. 10:55, 11:00, 11:05, 11:10...ok, uh Megan...call Hottie! Operation baby (as Megan called it) was underway. I called Craig and told him I was going in to get checked and he said he had already left work and was headed to Lubbock. (He's never driven that fast...EVER!)

Hottie called Abby and then we headed to the hospital. Hopsital arrival time 11:40 am...I walked up to the 4th floor nurses desk and calmly explained that I thought I was in labor. They had me fill out one piece of paper and room 1 was mine. I was at a 6! So, we stayed...Craig arrived right around noon. No epidural yet...still waiting

About 12:40, the anesthesiologist got out of a C-section (with Dr. Burke) and I finally got what I thought was going to be some relief...not so much. Too bad the shot wasn't satisfaction guaranteed because the pain medicine never caught up with Brynne. They checked me again and I was at a 9. About two seconds after they said they'd be back to check in a little bit, I demanded that Craig go get 'em cause she was coming. One very loud yell & only one push later, Brynne was here. 1:58pm 6 lbs 6 oz & 20 inches of beauty.

I never believed I could do the "all natural" delivery...but we did it. I say "we" because the only way I made it through that was the Lord & Craig! Suprisingly, I feel better now than I did after Koda.
Everyone made it in time for her birth. Bill & Kathy are especially excited to have their 1st granddaughter after 4 grandsons! And Mom & Billy Max now have 5 granddaughters & three grandsons with one more girl on the way!
I'll have to think about how many great-grands on both sides but I think she's #10 on the Norman side, #11 on the Bigham side, and #5 on the Flanigan side. I could be wrong... AND she's also a great great grandchild - #17 I think.

Koda is very excited about his little sister and wakes up wanting to hold her & kiss her!

Contractions!

So I've been having some contractions this morning. Not sure how "real" they are since I was induced with Koda and was feeling goooooood with the epidural by the time I had any contractions. It could be today...AHHHHH!!

I've been meaning to list my thanks for the last couple of days and I know it's really only for me but writing it down in a "public" place makes me feel MUCH more appreciative for all we've been blessed with.

So today, I'm thankful for...
1. Craig - he's so awesome!
2. A boss that doesn't drive me crazy
3. New friends & the rekindling of old friendships
4. God's amazing ways of reminding us that HE is in control
5. Grandparents & parents that are amazing examples of what a true Christian is supposed to be

Brynne's Room!

Yeah Jaryd! If you haven't met this guy, you need to! He ROCKS! We had some "slight problems" with the bed, basically we wouldn't have had a crib without Jaryd's engineering & welding skills. I was the genius who thought "No need to go buy a new crib, let's take an antique one that's been sitting in this house for 3 years and who knows where else for how long and redo it without putting it together first!" So Abby redid it and when we tried to put it together we were missing a very important part that connected the springs that hold the mattressto the bed. Ha! kinda need that. So, we enlisted Jaryd...actually I think Hottie volunteered him! It took a few tries, but yesterday he finished it and had it loaded in my car before 5:00, even in the yucky weather! I'm telling you, he's a keeper! (Hint, Hint, Hottie!)

Ok...it's 95% done. Just a few little things that can wait until after she's here! Thank you to everyone that helped in this craziness. You will never know how much we appreciate you willingness to help. Mom, Billy Max, Nick, Kristol, Abby, Bill, Kathy, Cari, Barbara, Hottie & Jaryd all had a major part in getting this room together. I can't find the before pictures but those that have seen it can truly appreciate the magnificent transformation! Have I metioned how thankful I am?

7 Days & Counting!

So pretty much any day now could be Brynne's birthday! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Translation: How have I waited so long to get all this stuff done? There are just not enough hours in the day. Last night I taped the 900 windows in Kodas room (ok not 900 but it felt like it on those French doors!) and the next thing I knew it was already 9 o'clock. How does that happen? Anyway, we're getting there. I even washed a couple of loads of Brynne's clothes, so she'll have something to wear when she does get here. NOW, I just have to pack my bag. I still haven't done it. I've thought about it, BUT unfortunately just thinking about it doesn't quite get it done. AND I just talked to Janice and she thinks we should get all of the personal items out of the New Deal house to make it look more "move in" ready. Add that to the list, well add that to Craig's list!

Trajina (our neighbor in New Deal) is pregnant too & she's having a boy! She finally got sonogram pics up on her blog...yeah!! We miss the Russells a lot. Koda said the other day that Emily was his girlfriend and that he wanted to go play at her house "next Saturday." He cracks me up.

Today's to-do list:
1. Go to New Deal & pack up as many "personal" items as I can.
2. Paint those aggravating French doors in Koda's room.
3. Do some of my own laundry.
4. Pray for energy!

Today I'm thankful for:
1. Sheri Poole - my favorite teacher
2. Koda & the fact that he said I was his best friend
3. Kendra - her strength amazes me
4. A healthy pregnancy
5. Bill and his furniture delivery service!
6. Family - especially those that offer to do the boring stuff like take things off the walls, pack boxes, etc.

Today I'm thankful for...

1. Sisters! (biological ones, in-laws, & those who are practically biological)
2. Abby - who spoils me!
3. Seat warmers!!
4. Jaryd - for being awesome & making her so happy!
5. Debbie Duckworth - for naming her daughter such a cool name, so I can name mine too!
6. Billy Max - what an awesome dad & car rental agency!
7. The deer lease - it makes Craig happy
8. A God who reminds me everyday how much He loves me
9. Air1 Radio
10. Megan - who remembers things that I try to

The Polar Express

Last Saturday night, Koda, Craig, Haddie, Melissa & I went to the North Pole...Seriously! And it only took about an hour! Tyler & Cari were supposed to go but poor Tyler got the croup and wasn't able to go. We were afraid that we'd have two tickets and nobody to go at such short notice but Yea! Haddie & Melissa got to go with us. Koda is still talking about how cool it was and how he wants to go again. If you get the chance this year or even next year, it's a great time for everyone.

I know Thanksgiving is past BUT...

Yeah, yeah, I know Thanksgiving was last week but I've been so focused on getting things ready for Brynne and what I "NEED", that I really haven't taken the time to be thankful for what I already have. It's been on my heart for a little while and I know that I've been asking for so much that God finally said, "Maggie, you need to thank Me for what you HAVE." So here's my Thanksgiving resolution...to post at least one thing/person/event etc. that I'm thankful for EVERYDAY. Yep...everyday. I should've started on Thanksgiving so today's list will be a little longer...

Thursday, Nov. 27th...I'm thankful for...
1. the fact that we can afford to heat/cool our house even if I'm burning up & everyone else is freezing
2. Craig has a consistent job, that's in town, even if he did have to work part of the day on a holiday
3. Friends & family to spend the day with even if it gets crazy & loud
4. Sharron

Friday, Nov. 28th
1. Kathy's awesome breakfast making abilities
2. Cousins
3. The day off from work to do nothing but sit on the couch

Saturday, Nov 29th
1. The Bartlett Family...that was a fun photoshoot!
2. The crazy Norman family (& lots more cousins)
3. All the good cooks
4. Abby's chocolate cake
5. Time to spend with Koda & Craig (we went to the North Pole!)
6. A husband that can sometimes read my mind!

Sunday, Nov 30th
1. An awesome Sunday School class
2. A pastor with a servant's heart
3. Mom & Koda time

Monday, Dec 1st
1. God's providing of random & unexpected checks!
2. Dr. Burke & her wonderful staff
3. A flexible & supportive workplace
4. Hottie
5. Billy Max

Tuesday, Dec 2nd
1. Koda's smile
2. Craig's ability to know when I need him (which is always, but you know what I mean)
3. Craig's cooking skills
4. Friends that show up when you need them (thank you Laura & Melissa)
5. Hottie's decision making, creativity & "heavy" lifting skills

Wednesday, Dec 3rd
1. God's unconditional love & forgiveness
2. Working vehicles
3. Technology
4. Educational opportunities
5. Freedom

Today isn't over yet, so I'm sure I'll have more!

I was Tagged...8 Things

8 Shows I Love to Watch:
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. Knight Rider
3. Lipstick Jungle
4. How I Met Your Mother
5. Big Bang Theory
6. Two & A Half Men
7. My House is Worth What?
8. Anything other than hunting shows!

8 Restaurants I Love:
1. Holly's (Post)
2. El Camino (Tulia)
3. La Fonda (Artesia, NM)
4. Cheddar's
5. El Jalapeno (Lubbock)
6. Texas Roadhouse
7. Zoochini's
8. Arby's

8 Things That Happened Today:
1. Exchanged some "stuff" at Target with Hottie
2. Ate a PB&J Sandwich
3. Blogged instead of working!
4. Ate Chocolate cake for breakfast
5. Ordered a ton of Christmas cards
6. Actually did a lot of work
7. Thanked God for awesome friends!
8. Did some sneaky "investigation" work...ha hahahahahaha! (that's my evil laugh!)

8 Things I am looking forward To:
1. Thanksgiving FOOD
2. Seeing friends and family
3. Putting up Christmas decorations
4. Going on the Polar Express Train ride with Koda
5. A healthy baby girl
6. NOT being pregnant
7. Eating dinner with Jon & Laura (yea!! for new friends)
8. Kissing Craig when I get home

8 Things On My Wish List:
1. Non-swollen feet
2. Aunt Marsha's stuffing smothered in Meme's gravy!
3. A "SOLD" sign outside the New Deal house
4. A raise!
5. The Post house to be finished
6. Microsoft to be OVER
7. More time to read books with Koda
8. Another awesome date with Craig

8 People I tag to do this on their blog:
1. Abby
2. Hottie
3. Trisha
4. Christy
5. Tiffany
6. Stephanie
7. Trajina
8. Bre

Are we there yet?

37 1/2 weeks down...2 1/2 to go. Not quite there yet, but everything is looking good. We're not QUITE done with Brynne's room yet, still figuring out how to fix the bed (Pray for Jaryd!) and Hottie did come down and paint...she's almost through, one more flower to go! It looks AWESOME! Now, if I can just get Craig to finish the last little touchups & get the rest of the blue tape down, we'll be ready to go.

Koda's been doing really well in school. He has memorized a new bible verse each week and can still say 90% of them without help. His memory amazes me. His class will be saying John 3:16 for the Christmas program and he's already got it memorized too. He recognizes almost all of the letters of the alphabet and how they sound. It cracks me up to here him as we're driving or walking..."Mom, look there's a capital A" or "That says H, O, W, D, Y". And he has questions about everything, "Do we eat cotton?" "Why not?" "What does cotton do?" "Where does it go?" Sometimes I just have to say "I don't know, Koda, but we can go look it up!"

They made pilgrim hats & collars at school today...I love it because we did the same thing when I was in school there "several" years ago. Craig sent me this picture to me, the wind was blowing the back of the collar up. Surely Mom took some other pics inside the school!

Mom

As I was reading this morning the subject of honoring your parents was mentioned. And it made me think...do I really honor my mom? I hope I do, I want to. But then I thought, "Am I a parent worth honoring?" WOW! So that's where I stop & as tears are pouring down my face...I honor my mom with this scripture that defines her in detail.

Proverbs 31:10-31

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

The Final Countdown!

I cannot believe it but we're down to 30 days until my due date. Today is November 12th, so this time next month she'll either be here or I'll be about to go CRAZY! We still have a ton of stuff to do, including selling our house so PLEASE continue to pray for that.
I've been uncomfortable the last few days but I know there is an end in sight so I think I can handle it! Hopefully I'll have pictures of the nursery to post soon...we've hit a couple of small snags with the bed but I've got "handy dandy" Jarryd on the case!
Hottie, Abby & Kendra hosted a baby shower for me on the 1st and I am so grateful for wonderful friends and family who came to share this exciting time with us. All of the gifts are truly appreciated! We can't wait to see her in all of the adorable outfits.
Koda is very excited about being a big brother and has already started reading books to Brynne. It's so funny to hear his intrepretation of books we've read SOOOOOO many times that he has them "memorized"!

Twins?

I actually dressed up for Halloween this year. I wouldn't have, but Gordon (our CEO, aka Gordo) has been giving me heck about being too big to fit through the doors at work. SOOOOOOOO, I decided to dress up as HIM! The funniest thing about it was that he didn't get who I was...everybody else did, but not Gordo. Then I ended up on his team for PuttPutt that afternoon and of course he called me "Junior" the whole time and after looking at me for that long period of time he said he could see some similarities. HA! P.S. Funny note: One of my girls dressed up as ME!! Pregnant with a fan around her neck...I have to admit I do freeze them out some days!

Koda faces!

Koda & I had a little fun as he made lots of different faces and of course I took pictures of them...my favorite is the "thinkin'" face. He cracks me up!

Halloween

This year was different for us as we were in a new place and not quite sure what the plan was. Thankfully Haddie & Datch (& Doug) came to the rescue. We went to a couple of houses, the sheriff's department and a harvest festival. That pretty much did it for us! Koda had a blast and dressed as Uncle Doug, who I'm sure everyone knows is a FIREFIGHTER! It's amazing to me that he has stuck with being a firefighter so long, but I guess it's a good thing that he can focus!
Of course, here's some pics...

Carvin' a pumpkin!

This was Koda's first pumpkin carving...actually it was my first time too, but of course my job is taking pictures, not actually doing the carving!

Don't Worry...

Every morning I read three different daily devotionals. Usually they cover very different subjects but this morning I THINK He was trying to tell me something! Here's the three verses from today's lessons....hmmmm, you think if He tells us at least these three times to NOT worry and He'll take care of us that He actually means it?

"Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track." Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. (Philippians 4:6)

"So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.” (Matthew 6:25–27)

“Lord, here is my problem. I am putting it in your hands. I am going to trust you.”

Reminders of how awesome He is...

I'm not usually the one capturing all living things in photos...I leave that to Mom. But lately I've been amazed at how awesome God is and He's showed that to me recently in nature. Here's a couple pics that completely blow the "big bang" theory right out of the water...I mean how could these things just "happen".

The Pumpkin Patch

So, I know I'm about a week behind on posting these pics but we've had a lot going on this week! (I realize we're not the only ones, believe me!)

We went to the "pumpkin patch" last Friday with B-maw, Christy, Zach & Payce, and Cari & Tyler. Craig was at the deer lease so he missed out on all the fun. The "pumpkin patch" was actually owned by some of Cari & Kathy's patients which also turned out to be where Abby & Jantzen first lived...it's a small world after all, it's a... ok enough! They were sweet enough to let us pick several pumpkins and the boys had a blast as usual.

Here's the pics!

Voice of Truth...Casting Crowns

I know this isn't a new song...but I heard it this morning on the way to work and I needed it today...so I'm sharing it!

Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win, you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh, what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me time and time again
"Boy you'll never win, you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down

I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says do not be afraid
And the voice of truth says this is for my glory
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the voice of truth

I will listen and believe
'Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are

Duh Maggie!

Does anyone else ever feel like you've got so much on your shoulders you don't know what could make it worse? Yeah, well for some reason I've been feeling a little sorry for myself. Honestly, I have no "real" reason to. I mean God has blessed me with sooooooo many awesome things (& people) in my life, but for some reason lately my heart has been really heavy. Craig always tells me "things could be worse, look at what we have that so many others don't". He is so right! This time though it took someone telling me what's going on in their life that really made me realize, WOW Maggie you are being ridiculous! How in the world could I feel sorry for myself when their really are much worse things in life than paying utility bills at two houses and wondering if your house is going to sell. AT LEAST you have a place to live and the money to pay the bills and a healthy husband and son you get to see everyday! And people that love you and put up with you! And there you go...DUH Maggie!

Yes I could take more pics of this kid!

I know my whole blog is basically pictures of Koda...just wait til Brynne's here! Anyway, I was driving home last night and then sun was bouncing off the grass and all I could think was...I want to take pictures...RIGHT NOW! So who better to take pics of than the cutest kid in the world...and he can't tell his momma NO! He really did a great job and I thought they turned out pretty cute. So guess what...here's MORE pics of Koda. P.S. Tonight we're going to the Pumpkin Patch with Tyler & Payce so they'll be even MORE pics. Hope y'all don't mind!

My future businessman

Mom took this a few weeks ago after church...is this his future? Who knows! Just thought it was cute.

Yeah ABBY! Brynne's crib is done!

With only 9 1/2 weeks to go, we're definitely in the home stretch. This weekend I got a lot of painting done (thank you Koda for ALL your help!). We got the first coat of paint on the walls and the first of many coats on the trim and doors. Thankfully we've only had to buy the blue paint because the other colors we are using are leftovers from when we built the New Deal house...even the trim paint. I couldn't believe how much paint they left in our garage but I sure am glad we kept it!

Abby emailed pics of the crib today...finished already! Check that one off the list...sisters are awesome aren't they? This crib actually belonged to my mom's cousin when she was little and it was being stored in the Post house. My mom has one just like it in her house that she uses for the grandkids. I had thought about using Koda's crib but it didn't really match my idea for Brynne's room, so I volunteered Abby to redo this "antique" crib.

Here are the before & afters.

THANK YOU ABBY!