Goodness gracious, computers are confusing. After a little research, it looks like just about everyone I know has had Blogger tell them this week they are over their limit of picture storage. I ended up upgrading to Google Plus and adding my pictures to there. Once I did that, I when I uploaded my pics to Blogger, I uploaded from "Picasa Web Albums" instead of my usual computer. That seems to work for now, although I still can't figure out how to change my profile picture. I'll have to work on that later.
Moving on! Happy Friday! We have had a lot going on these days and my pregnancy brain is a little on overload. All the pics below are from Thanksgiving--we all know blog posts are no fun without pictures!
We pretty much have been out of town since October, which can wear on a pregnant mama with a toddler and a husband out of town a lot lately. Eli doesn't sleep well in his own bed, and he's even worse in other's people's houses. I'm tired.
I think we started going out of town for baby showers-- I helped throw one of my childhood best friends a shower for her Cora Lee, and then I went to one for my SIL Kelci's Bennett Collin. Matthew was out of town the entire week of Halloween, so we went back in for that whole week.
Kelci had Bennett that week, and we stayed through the weekend to visit. He's a tiny precious thing and hardly makes a peep. He's already sleeping 6 hours a night, which Eli hasn't done for pretty much his whole 2 1/2 years.
We came in two weeks after that again for Thanksgiving. We spent Thanksgiving Day at my brother's house in Huntsville, and the next day at Matthew's parents. Both meals were different and so good! Eli loved having such an assortment to choose from each meal! We spent five days in town again visiting, hunting, and sleeping poorly. :)
Matthew has been busier at work these past couple months than in our whole fours years here in Knoxville. He leaves early and comes home later than usual and is out of town a lot more than he's ever had to do before. I am so thankful he's doing well, but it certainly takes some getting used to!
Eli is LOVING school these days, praise God! He may fuss for a second when I drop him off, but he never wants to leave when I pick him up. I know you mamas know what a blessing and relief it is to my heart to see him having fun, making friends, and blossoming in his new environment.
This little boy in my belly is doing great-- moving all the time and letting me know he's doing just fine in there. He's measuring almost two weeks ahead and I definitely feel it. I already feel like I have run out of room for growth, but I know that's not the case and I will just be getting bigger and bigger! We have three months left, and I'm glad for it, because we although we are ready to meet his sweet face, we are not prepared in any other aspect!
I am hoping to not have a repeat c-section this time, but my dr. has said she'd like to see ideal conditions for labor, with pretty much nothing repeating from last time. This baby will need to measure equal to or smaller than Eli was, which he is already surpassing. I will need to go into labor on my own, no induction, and not have the same low fluid, placental tears, or calcium deposits like with Eli's birth. SO, I am trying to keep an open mind and heart about this labor. I know God is in control and will lead us to the labor He already knows we'll have.
And last but definitely NOT least, these past few months have brought us changes. Matthew's job has been making TONS of changes throughout his company. Different territories, different bosses, regional managers, firing and hiring, etc. Matthew has been offered a chance at a few different positions opening up in Nashville. We have always hoped and prayed that we would end back up in our hometown of Franklin before our babies are in school, and this seems like the opportunity to do so.
That being said, we are sitting ducks at this point. We started talking about this opportunity in early September, and were told at first maybe October, now maybe December, and now maybe January. Just this week, Matthew was offered and accepted a position in a different field than his own, but a work dinner this week has brought up another option. We are still being told to be prepared for Matthew to start work in Nashville in early January, but he still has to go through the formal hiring process, and that may or may not take some time.
This means we have been preparing our house to be put on the market during the holidays. My Dad came and stayed for an entire week just working on and fixing up things we have been putting off on our 50 year old house. We will probably move in with Matthew's parents for awhile since they have an empty upstairs, and live with them until our house sells. We are already starting to look and just see what's available in the Franklin/Brentwood market, but we don't want to rush into anything, and of course, have to sell this house first.
I will have to take Eli out of school just now that he is loving it, find a new OBGYN that I'm comfortable with for the last two months of my pregnancy, and pack up and move everything if and when our house sells. To say my planning/likes to be in control nature is overwhelmed is an understatement. I would LOVE to be in our own house when I deliver and bring home a newborn. Living in two bedrooms upstairs is not my ideal situation with an rambunctious toddler, a newborn, and a husband who works long hours, although we are so thankful our parents will let us live with them. :)
I already am boxing up our clutter and selling things we don't want to move with just so we are READY to jump when Matthew's new boss says when.
And last, I am not prone to embrace change. My whole life growing up held lots of changes for me, and I really like feeling settled and knowing what to expect. This situation literally gives me tons of anxiety because we don't really know what in the world is going to happen.
I love our little house here in Knoxville. I love our neighborhood and our neighbors. I know what to expect from our church, Eli's school, our daily activities. I know my doctor and I love the hospital where I delivered Eli. It has been just our little marriage and family here in Knoxville since Matthew and I got married, and I do have a sense that I will miss some of this when we move.
HOWEVER, we have missed our hometown for the past couple years. Franklin is a special place to grow up. We want that for our family. We want to be able to visit with close chidlhood friends, and see our family at church on Sundays. We want weeknight dinners with a grandparent, and the ability to spend time with our family without having to pack our lives up to stay for the weekend. We are very excited to move back!
We are just waiting on some official paperwork and then an official date to be back, and we will really start the moving process. Say a little prayer for our family through all this transition?
This was long-winded I know, but we've been decidely not saying much since September when all of this news was presented to us. We feel like we are close enough now to say it's ALMOST happening. :)
(Also, why won't it let me make all my pictures bigger now? It let me change the first few and not the rest....)
