So much to say...

WOW this has been a week (really two!).... I have been under so much that I am forcing myself to post this blog rather than sleep. Well, since I have to stay up for Grey's Anatomy - you know. It's my one escape a week - leave me alone.

Michael's surgery went well last week. We did stay at the hospital all day, but that was just a mere inconvenience. He was in a good deal of pain for a few days, but was able to go back to work this past Monday. He had a doctor's check up this afternoon...he has lost 17 pounds in a week! I am very proud of him. He probably could have done better...but I won't throw him under the bus here. :)

Things at school have been NUTS. Particularly yearbook. I am extremely overwhelmed by the amount of work, chaos, and drama that comes with the territory. I am all for deadlines, but not when the City Board held my contract for a month. We literally could not start doing anything but some candid pictures before late September. Candids are only an eighth of what needs to be done for this. I am afraid I will be gray-headed soon. Oh, and throw in some pregnancy hormones on top. Yeah, you know. I squalled in the middle of the foyer in front of my principal for absolutely no particular reason on Tuesday. This was after my mental breakdown on Monday to Michael and my Mom (two separate phone calls - I wasn't finished sobbing, so I called my Mom).

I can't say enough about the Beth Moore Bible study and God's unbelievable timing. First, it's on Psalm 120 - 135, the Psalms of Ascent. I'm sure that I have read a few of these before, but never in succession, and definitely not studied them. So last night, after a particularly hard day at school and being pounded by the hatred (not necessarily toward me) of students in general, God reveals Psalm 123. I didn't read Tuesday night because I was so exhausted. I think God planned it that way. He needed me to have my day Wednesday first, and then read. It worked. I just read it over and over, growing more and more amazed at how our God works. I shared it (or so I thought) with a friend at work who shares my discontent. When the message got to her, she heard Psalm 121 - which was what she needed to hear to get through the day. I can't wait for her to read 123.

Psalm 123
1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us, for we have endured much contempt.
4 We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant.

Beth called this contempt "disrespect". Really, God? Really? Yes. Just what I needed at the EXACT perfect time. Go figure.


Olivia is doing well and growing like a weed. I feel her all of the time. I go to the doctor this coming Wednesday, and I hope to do the 4-D ultrasound, depending on how money goes. I would LOVE to see what she looks like! (But I hate to shell out that much moola for her to be shy and put her hand in front of her face!) This time has flown by so fast, and I thank God daily for an awesome first pregnancy. Not everyone is as lucky as I was. I feel certain that paybacks will come with the next one, though. In just a few short months I will get to hold my baby girl!

No Rest for the Weary!

As I mentioned before, this past week was Bryant's Homecoming. The week did NOT start off well. I started the week with the anxiety of knowing that I didn't plan the Junior class well. I should have scheduled more meetings, required workers, etc. I didn't. The first night of working on the class banner, me and ONE other student (out of 200+) were the only two to show up. Not even the class host was there. I was a little upset. Actually, a LOT upset. Tuesday was better. My classes (the only Junior classes) worked on the Courtyard Competition. More people showed for the banner that night. They knew I was upset. Same thing Wednesday, except there was lots of rain and the courtyard decorations were ruined. So Thursday, we started over. This description does not include all of the miscommunication about when these things were due. There were several new traditions that were started this week, so needless to say things weren't very well planned out. HOWEVER, it was announced Friday night at the game (that we lost...) that the Juniors not only won the banner competition, but the Courtyard competition also!! We were so excited!! (Did I mention that the Seniors drove a Mustang out onto the courtyard? Ugh...) Everything worked out perfectly, and I have learned MANY lessons for next year!

In the midst of all of this God is just so good. I went to the women's group Wednesday night at church where we had a Pretty in Pink party - for the breast cancer survivors of our church. I never knew that there had been so many affected by cancer in our church. I have really missed having a middle of the week refreshing. It really makes a difference in how the rest of my week plays out. I really think this had something to do with my stress level not being through the roof during this week.
Saturday we also started a new Beth Moore study. I am really looking forward to diving further into God's Word. I am afraid it has been awhile... :(

Michael's surgery is coming up in two days. There are MANY mixed emotions in our house right now for us both. Fear, anxiety, stress, joy, excitment, all rolled into one. Michael says he isn't nervous at all about the actual surgery, but the lifestyle afterwards. That is going to be a HUGE change. Just a breif overview: clear liquids for two weeks, mushy liquids for two more. No carbonation at all, and approximatly 4 oz of food per meal for a LONG time. I know this is going to be difficult for him, but I am hoping that it will actually help me curb all the wieght I have gained in the last six months. When you don't have someone to gorge with, it makes it a little harder. I hope so anyway...
We won't know the surgery time until tomorrow afternoon. The surgery itself won't take that long, but the recovery will be several hours. I am taking a good book.

Friday morning was my six month checkup appointment with Dr. Allen. Except for the time spent sitting in the waiting room, everything was great. I had to do the Glucose Screening Test. I was really worried about this, because before I lost the weight, I was borderline diabetic, so after gaining so much, I was really worried about not passing the test. But, I did! My sugar level was 119. It had to be below 135. I was so excited! Dr. Allen said that I have to come back in three weeks, and then every two after that! I had no idea that the frequency would change so soon! These months have flown by. Olivia is moving around so much. She is very visble from the outside. After the sugar test, she was bouncing around so much that I had to stop reading because I was laughing so hard! Things are good.

Praises and Promotions

This has been a busy, busy week. After the mishaps on Monday (what a way to start the week...), we got some really good news.
On Wednesday, Michael called to tell me that he got a promotion at work. He is now the Finance Manager at Bill DeLoach. This is something that we have been praying and hoping for for some time now. With the economy the way it is, being a car salesman is not necessarily a continually stable source of income. Now, though, Michael is making a salary plus bonuses - whether he sells or not. It is such a blessing - I am so thankful for this. With a baby on the way, it's hard not to be stressed about money and the future.

From the baby front... all is well! Just hanging in there. I am 23 weeks (a little over 5 1/2 months), and she constantly reminds me she's there. Babycenter.com says that she is eleven inches and weighs a whole pound!! She throws that pound around like it's five, though! Mom and I went yesterday to get the paint for her room. We hope to get started next weekend. Also, Kirk sent us the most awesome newborn soothing center. I look forward to using this! You can even hook up your IPod to it! It's pretty sweet. (For a pretty sweet girl!)

We went out last night after the game with some friends to Dreamland BBQ. It was so good to see Tony and Melissa again. They moved away from Tuscaloosa a little over a year ago, and we haven't seen them since then. When Melissa first found out I was pregnant, Mel was so excited to think that the first words would be Roll Tide - Olivia's baby gift from them...the most precious Alabama Cheerleader outfit!! I am so excited because it will be perfect for next season! Thanks Aunt Mel! (And Tony for wanting the original Dreamland - it was delicious!)

This afternoon we went to see the movie Fireproof, from the same people who put out Facing the Giants. It was BY FAR the best movie we have seen in a long time. The acting wasn't the best, but it didn't matter because the message was phenomenal. A must see for all couples, young or old. Speaking from experience - bring tissues.

This week is Bryant's homecoming. As the Junior class sponsor, I look forward to a week of more busyness, but at least it will be fun!