It is getting close...

The room is pretty much done, clothes are washed and put away, we have diapers and wipes and blankets and everything I think she will need. I am ready for her to come. Technically I have about 4 weeks left, but I am good with it being less than that. :) I kinda constantly ache. I am glad I can feel her move and groove...I am glad she is still cookin and growing but it has put a major hiccup in my getup. I am back to being exhausted and everything kinda hurts. OH well- I will be going sleepless here soon (or so I hear). :)

Some of our good friends had their lil girl this morning. We have enjoyed going thru pregnancy together. This is her second so she has been great for advice. We got pedi's last week in anticipation that she would need to have her feet lookin good. We were right. Little Allie came about a week early. She is perfect and came into the world happily and very easily on her mom. It gives me hope for the same type of labor/delivery. My nightmares and all the stories I see on TV or hear from other friends have me thinking the worst but after seeing Allie today and hearing her delivery story I feel much better. Praise God for a healthy baby.


Allie Featherstone-1/19/2010-7lbs1oz.

While walking into the hospital to greet this new life I couldn't help think of all the babies and people in Haiti and all over the world who are suffering. We are so lucky to live in the USA, to have all the wonderful modern medical technology and knowledge...to have all the blessings we have and all the opportunities we are able to take advantage of. Thank you Lord for blessing all of us.

Oh and I was also thinking and telling B as we were walking up the steps...OH MYLANTA! We will be back here in a few weeks and we will not be leaving alone. Berkley will be here. That is a WEIRD feeling.

Love and Blessings,
Brooke

Washington, D.C. - great trip!

Rotunda at the Capitol.

White House - so cool all that is behind those walls!



Bart at the Lincoln Memorial.



Well, we made it to DC and back with no baby coming on the plane! My husband was thrilled. The pressure during take off and landing was a little weird. I think she kept balling up behind my ribs, very high up in there...so that was a little uncomfortable! Overall though, I flew well and for me that's a huge accomplishment. I did use my sleepy/nausea meds but that doesn't count. ;)

We saw everthing! It was so amazing. If you are an American you need/should go to DC and see what our nation was built around. All the historical documents, the goverment buildings and national monuments are amazing. It was so surreal to be standing in front of Lincoln and knowing how many have walked those same steps. It is surreal to be in the Capitol and know that in a week our law makers and representatives will be walking those halls. It is crazy to look at the White House and know that somewhere inside our President is walking around doing the best he can (hopefully) for the American people and for our freedom! We went to Arlington Cemetary and that might have been my favorite place. Weird, I know...but to look at the tomb of the Unknown's and to see the changing of the guard and the whole ceremony just makes you shiver with pride. JFK's tomb and the flame that never dies -all that his presidency represents...it truly made me feel so thankful for all our liberties and all that we are able to do in the US. I am so thankful for the men and women who fight for our freedom so that we can walk around DC and around our state capitols and make laws and enforce our constitution! The Constitution - holy cow! What an amazing thing to see in person. To know that men sat together so long ago and came up with that, wow! It was humbling. I feel so blessed to have been able to go to our Nation's Capitol.

The shops and food and the little towns around DC were awesome too! :) I loved Georgetown and just north of the Capitol there are some great shops and resturaunts. It was all so great. What a cool place to live. I wasn't that great at the whole METRO system but it was better than traffic!

On a side note - We stayed at the Gaylord National (really cool), got to eat some great food and see some of the cool areas outside of DC. I of course hurt my foot (bad actually), luggage got lost in St. Louis, leg cramps galore, hobbled all around DC, and I am still exhausted from walking around but still so thrilled at all I got to see and do. Oh and my husband got to hear Colin Powell speak - how cool is that? He had jokes...B enjoyed it. :)


OH and.......... We got back at midnight Friday from DC and Saturday night some of our sweetest and dearest friends had a couple's baby shower for us. We got our stroller/carseat (yeah - she can come home from the hospital when we have her!) We are so blessed to have all these wonderful people in our lives.


I forgot my camera at the girl's shower at my second mama's house (Cynthia)... so when I get my mom's camera I will post some of those. If you have met my mom you know she took lots of pics and was hugging and smiling the whole time! Those special women who did that for me and the women helping Kerry Pope next week (which I am so looking forward to) are all so amazing. I am so blessed and so overwhelmed with all the love and just want to say thank you to all the wonderful people in my life who have made Berkley's arrival so special. We are so thankful.

Love and Blessings,
Brooke

new layout...

I actually did something on my computer other than check facebook and my email! I love MIchelle and I loved our blog layout that she created for us but I found a website and did one myself. I had to use it because I was just so proud. I am not very good with computer stuff. :)

Happy New Year to everyone. Please pray I don't go into labor on the plane, or in DC...that Berkley waits til February to come!

Note to self...

My husband likes to remind me I kinda have a "ask for forgivness rather than permission" attitude a little to often. He is correct and he should be given major props for all he puts up with.

Example:

Husband: (a month or so ago) honey you can't just assume its ok to fly at 33 weeks, you need to call the doctor and make sure. (paraphrased)
Me: no no, its fine. trust me. so and so said it was fine and i read that it was fine and so and so did it at like 32 weeks and they were fine. its fine, really.
Husband: just call and ask.
Me: its fine! book it!
Husband: just ask, please
Me: its fine! just trust me.

THIS WENT ON FOR LIKE A WEEK OR SO.
HUSBAND GAVE IN, BOOKED IT ALL AND THEN TODAY WAS MY 32 WEEK DOCTORS APPT.

Me: so whats the chance its ok for me to fly next week?
Nurse: um not good! doubt the airlines will let you, doubt dr.g will let you but you can ask. (she then told us a story about a lady flying to mexico and giving birth there).

NURSE LEAVES
HUSBAND GIVES ME I TOLD YOU SO AND YOU ARE IN BIG TROUBLE LOOK AND SAID A FEW THINGS ABOUT ME AND NOT LISTENING, etc.
I LOOK DOWN TRY NOT TO CRY AND START FREAKING OUT IN MY HEAD.

Dr.G: hey...how goes it? how ya feeling, any questions?
Me: yah um can i fly to DC next week?
Dr.G: yah totally. you will be fine, here is a note, here take this prego valium, you have my pager number if you need anything. have a great time! see you in two weeks.(paraphrased)
Me: oh well whew! thanks.

DR.G LEAVES.

Husband: Well, guess you skidded on thru again...

I SMILED.

YAHYAHYAH - I still get to go on the trip!

Love and Blessings,
Brooke

32 weeks! Holy baby bump.

Ok so it's not a bump at all its a huge ball but it's my baby ball. :)