Joys of Being a Mom

This past Sunday was such a fun day as a mom! Jerod got me the nicest cards, one from him and one from Nathan that he even signed himself... with a little help from dad! It's great to be a mom and I'm so thankful that I am!

On another note... it's a good thing Nathan likes to take baths... lately, he likes to pee all over when we change his diaper! :)

Today

Quite a bit of time has gone by since my last post.  The days are so much different here at home, but in a good way!  Nathan is growing so fast!  He was 5 weeks old yesterday!  I told Jerod that if i was still at my old job, i would be going back to work in a week... I'm thankful that I don't have to leave Nathan and that I can stay home with him!

The first few weeks were spent getting caught up on rest!  I know what they mean know when they say, "Sleep when your baby sleeps!" :)  I'm at the point when I'm starting to get into a routine.  Spending time with the Lord, working out and working on the photography business are all priorities that I want to keep up on.  

Last week, Jerod and I went to Branson Missouri to hear Kenneth and Gloria Copeland andKeith Moore.  We had such a good time, it was nice to get away for a while.  The messages were just what we needed to hear also!  And I also met some wonderful ladies in the nursing room of all places! :)  It's neat to see other mothers interact with their babies!  We were also blessed with 2 days with temps in the 80's!  That really made me ready for spring!  It's coming!!

Here's a picture of Nathan... I love his eyes!

Nathan Charles Bowman

It's amazing how a little baby can put things in perspective, what's important and what's not... 

Nathan Charles Bowman was born on February 4, 2009 at 1:24 p.m.  Like the pregnancy, the delivery was wonderful and a blessing!!  :)  Since I was a week overdue, my doctor scheduled for me to come in that Wednesday morning at 7:30 a.m.  The night before I hardly slept!  They broke my water just before 8 a.m. and I started having contractions that I could feel around 11 a.m.  By 1 p.m. I started pushing and at 1:24 he was born! :)  Nathan weighed 8 lb. 13 oz. and it's amazing to think that he was inside me!  God is so awesome!  

Our new little addition to the family... Nathan Charles Bowman.  

A happy dad with his new son! 

Nathan one day old, getting ready to leave the hospital.  The expression on his face cracks me up! :)

Sleeping at home!  

Living Out Of A Bag

Living out of a bag is never fun, but in this case I don't mind it so much.  My bags to take to the hospital have been packed for a couple weeks now.  Everything is in Jerod's truck except for the bag that contains the "bathroom items".  This is the bag I unpack and repack each day.  

This morning reminded me of Brasil.  It was either the early morning coffee with Jerod or the sun pouring into the bathroom as I got ready for the day.  When I lived in an apartment in Brasil, I had my own bathroom connected to my bedroom!  I loved it!  I also had a window in my shower, which is something you don't see here in the states.  No, it wasn't a full size window, just big enough and at the height that I could look out to the sights and sounds of Rio waking up each morning.  And I love sunlight, so for me, it was perfect!  

When I arrived in Rio, I lived out of my suitcases for about a little over a month.  All I had was a bed in the corner of my room until I purchased a wardrobe.  Closets don't exist in Brasil as they are considered another room to be taxed on.  At the time, living out of suitcases drove me crazy with clothes scattered everywhere!  (Although my dad would probably ask why, since that's the way my bedroom looked all the time growing up! :) )  It's interesting how some things bother you at the time, when they're such small details that you should just blow off.  That's why I'm enjoying this time of living out of a bag.  I know it won't last forever, and really this may be my last day of doing it!  So, with that being said, I'd better go repack the bag!  

The apartment building I lived in while in Rio...

D Day

Well, today is the day that the baby is due!  Only about half of the day is gone, so I still have some time to make it!  :)

After this, I need to get back to my cleaning.  And NO, I'm not "nesting" like everyone talks about, I'm getting caught up on some piles that have accumulated from the last couple weeks.  It's not that I want to do this stuff today, it's more about not having to look at them any more! :)

I just had lunch with Jerod and his mom and dad.  We were talking about gooseberry pie, I think it's time to make another one!  That way I'll have room in the freezer for the new gooseberries this spring!  YUM! I'm ready for spring and gooseberry picking at the farm, and of course, having Bob follow me around! :)

Prego Pictures!

Yesterday, my good friend Elly from e photography came over and took some pictures of me before the baby comes.  (I'm due 2 weeks from today!)  We had perfect lighting in the baby room and set up our own studio there!  I'm really glad it worked out for her to come because the weather has been so cold the last few days!  Here's one of my favorites (sooc).  

Baby Room Is Complete

The baby room is done!  Well, almost! :)  All I have left is to decorate the walls, but that can get done any time.  (Ok, and put a decent ceiling light in!)  The main things such as painting and furniture moved in is done!  And for that I am thankful!  Because the doctor doesn't think I'll make it to my due date on the 28th!  We'll see!  Here are some pics of the room.  

 

At Large

Today is one of those days where i just feel large!  It could be because i'm extra tired or that i did so much today.   Whatever the reason, i just feel extra big!  :)  But it's all for a good cause!   Here is a picture of me a few weeks ago at the baby shower that Hannah had for me!

Beautiful Day!

Today was beautiful, despite the below zero temperatures!  Actually, this whole weekend was great!  Much progress was made on the girls bedroom downstairs, the painting is almost complete.  Just a few "special" touches on 2 walls and that part will be done!  

Yesterday we went to Des Moines and I got to pick up my new Canon 5D Mark II!!  I am SOOO excited!!!  I feel so blessed to actually have one in my hands.  Especially when i think back to where i was just a few months ago.  When I wanted to do photography so badly, but just hadn't made up my mind to do it yet!  

This morning, Jerod and I had another baby doctor apt and ultrasound.  The baby weighs 5 pounds 2 ounces now!  That's amazing that they can tell that!  It was a little bit camera shy though and wouldn't turn it's head around.  But we got to see the heart and spine... it's amazing how God puts us together!  

I am so thankful for so many things! :)

Comments

Lately, I've been hearing all sorts of comments...

"You're due in 2 months?! You're not very big!"

"Maybe you should switch to bud light to get rid of that belly!"

"You can't even tell you're pregnant until you turn to the side!"

"You're starting to waddle a lot more." 

Comments that bring a smile to my face and comments that I choose to ignore.  But I think some of the best comments of all are the ones that I'm receiving on my blog!  Maureen, Mary and Candice have been huge inspirations to me!  Maureen really pushed me to get this going and post more often and I'm so thankful to her for that!  She is such a dear friend to me and I just love her!  I've never met Mary or Candice, but they are such an inspiration to me!  It just amazes me that these great photographers would WANT to check my blog, read it and leave a comment!!!  That really gives me the desire to keep posting!  Thank you ladies! I never knew leaving a comment on someone's blog would be such an inspiration! 

Little One

Monday, Jerod and I had another baby doctor appointment!  The most amazing thing is getting to hear the heartbeat!  I love it!  The baby has a really fast one too, I'm still thinking it's a boy!  Here's some pictures of our little one! :)  They're kind of small but the top left is the baby's face looking at us, the two dark circles are the eyes, there is a little hand next to it's chin; Top right is the baby's head, looking up; Bottom right is the hand and Bottom left is a foot! :)

Building A Bedroom

After a busy week at work, i'm very glad that it's the weekend... even though it means more work!  This morning Jerod and i got up early to work on the basement.  With a new baby on the way, we need another bedroom!  Our house is small, but cozy.  Jerod and his dad just cut a hole out of the basement wall for the new window.  Before that, he and i cleaned and rearranged the whole basement, covering everything with plastic so it doesn't get too dusty while the bedroom is being built.  I'm not too fond of making work harder than it has to be, like cleaning everything 50 times.  :)  But everything is one step closer to a new little one in the house!  And all the work and hours and dust is worth it! 

Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On!!

I'm going into my 7th month of pregnancy and was pleased to experience the fact that i can still fit into my favorite pair of old jeans!  They're old and worn and just how i like them.  Although i can't get the zipper all the way up, because of the little bowling ball in front of me, but other than that, they fit fine!  Jerod threatened to throw them away because they have some holes in the legs, but they're so soft and comfy i can't part with them! :)  So instead of embarrassing him in public, i'll just wear them at home! :)

Baby Stuff!!

The other day i went with my sister-in-law Hannah to look at baby supplies at Babies R Us! She's got a lot of friends with kids, so it was nice to have her give me insight on items! :) I found a stroller and car seat that i like, for some reason i thought this would be the hardest to find! Here they are, i plan on registering for them! :) They match each other and are charcoal grey with silver cubes on them... the Chicco series!