Strange Baby Dream & My ABC's!

Lately all I do is dream about what it'll be like when Baby C finally arrives! I'm so anxious/excited/well honestly words can't describe everything I'm feeling when I think about holding my baby for the first time. Overall, I've been feeling great. My body is definitely starting to feel the effects of being 8 months pregnant and it being summer time in MO. The past couple days I find myself really tired in the afternoon and almost always needing a nap to function past 5 o'clock. Overall though, Baby C and I are doing great; just growing like crazy! It really seems to day to day with how I'm feeling, but I definitely have more good days than bad (which is great).I can tell Baby C is starting to run out of room inside my tummy. It's really neat though, because I can feel its foot/elbow/hand/head/butt/etc. which is so amazing! Yesterday, A & I put together the glider for the nursery. We both absolutely love it and even practiced gliding a little with teddy in our arms. The nursery is almost all put together and then all we'll be waiting on is the arrival of Baby C! A & I just keep counting down the days until we get to meet him/her! We're so excited!

The other night I had one of the strangest dreams ever. So every night before I go to bed I talk to God. I ask for many things and give thanks for all I've been blessed with. The other night I also prayed for something else. I prayed that I would dream about Baby C. I asked God to show me a sign whether Baby C was a boy/girl (such as a blue/pink blanket). After drifting off to sleep my baby dream came true. I was on a bus with some of my fellow classmates from high school (Ashlie, Wendy, Jenny, and a few others); Wendy, Jenny, and I were all expecting. The bus driver pulled over and got up from his seat. He started walking back to us and had some wrapped gifts in his hand, 1 pink and 2 blue colored gifts. I knew exactly what was going on. He was going to tell us whether we were having a boy/girl. I was kind of irritated because I didn't want to find out this way. Right at that same moment he hands Jenny a pink package! I was so mad inside because now I knew we were having a boy! I was mad because I didn't want to find out this way. I wanted A to be the one to tell me if it was a boy/girl and now A wasn't even there. I tried to pretend like I didn't seem him give Jenny the package, but I did. Now I knew Baby C was a boy! The bus driver than handed Wendy & I the blue gifts (Wendy recently just had a baby boy). Inside the gift was baby boy clothes. I was such a mess inside because I didn't know how I was going to tell A and I couldn't believe I'd waited this long to find out something so special by someone I didn't even know. Nonetheless, I've come to conclude that I'm very happy we are waiting till August to find out whether to buy blue/pink! To be honest, it's really not been that hard to not find out. In the world now days there really aren't that many surprises and well you can't get much of a bigger surprise than this-it's going to be awesome! A's face was priceless when I told him about my dream. So if in the end we do end up with a little boy, who knows maybe I can see into the future?!

A headed to Omaha early this morning and won't be back till tomorrow night:( I miss him so much already and can't wait for him to come home. We had to meet with our finical people and make sure all our ducks were in a line for the next 60 yrs! Looking at things today and making some crucial decisions about our future really made me feel old and all grown up. I wonder what I'll think when Baby C is finally born?! I really feel A & I have a good handle on our finances and our future for being so young.

Here's my ABC's:

A - Age: 23 (almost 24- in 5 days)

B - Bed size: King (with pillow top)

C - Chore you hate: Cleaning the shower

D - Dog's name: Rambo & Pebbles (or as some little kiddo's say, Rainbow and Petals)!!

E - Essential start your day item: Kiss from my hubby! Also, a toothbrush (I have to have clean teeth and great breath)

F - Favorite color: Green

G - Gold or Silver: Silver

H - Height: 5'4" (although I like to claim 5'5")

I - Instruments you play: I did play the piano, sax, and bells. But asking me to read music now, would be a challenge.

J - Job title: Carriker CEO (I keep the Carriker household running smoothly). Soon to be stay home mommy=)

K - Kids: One on the way, due in less than 60 days!

L - Living arrangements: Live in a home with my husband and two fur balls.

M - Mom's name: Mom! (j/k- Sheila)

N - Nicknames: Angie, Ang, Ann, AJ

O - Overnight hospital stay other than birth: none

P - Pet Peeve: This is not a good ? for a pregnant lady=)

Q - Quotes from a movie: "Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming!"

R - Right or left handed: Right. Although I can do things with my left pretty well.

S - Siblings: Two older brothers!

T - Time you wake up: Every 2 hrs! Get up around 6:30/7:00 A.M.

U - Underwear: Currently wearing. (Um, this is kind of personal)

V - Vegetable you dislike: mushrooms

W - Ways you run late: I usually don't; however, with a baby on the way this will probably change.

X - X-rays you've had: teeth, ankle many times, and finger

Y - Yummy food you make: A's fav is snicker doodle cookies and confetti cookies with frosting (yum)

Z - Zoo Favorite: Anything that is actually moving around and not sleeping in it's din!

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” -1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

9 wks and counting!

Less than 9 wks to go! We're getting so close and I'm getting so excited! I seriously can't stop smiling when I think about holding my baby for the first time=) The other day we received a cute gift in the mail for Baby C from Kathy and Bryson just to say they were thinking about us; how sweet?! I feel so blessed by God that I can't even fathom all that He has done in my life!

We went swimming the other day, well actually it was a little chilly so we hung out in the lukewarm tub! It was so relaxing hanging out with A and enjoying the day to its fullest! Baby C is always so calm when I'm in the water. I think he/she is going to love the water just like his/her mom and dad. We're off to do another relaxing pool afternoon in a little bit.

Overall I've been feeling great and love feeling Baby C move and roll around all the time! I love watching my belly just jiggle at times. Baby C is starting to run out of room and really has no where to go; it won't be long and he/she will have all the room in the world, until I swaddle him/her that is! Baby C always seems to calm down when A puts his hand on my belly, however every time he reads to Baby C at night, Baby C just goes nuts. I think they have already formed a special bond and I really can't wait to see A with his son/daughter. This very thought just melts my heart and I can't begin to tell you how special I feel to be married to the most amazing man ever and now I'm having his child! We're still trying to narrow down our boy names, but I think we have a front runner! It was funny because we got to church early yesterday and were just talking about names and then A was like, "So did we decide on a name?" We just looked at each other and laughed, because neither one of us really knew what to say! A and I talk about it daily and laugh at the fact that Baby C is probably a girl, so here we've brainstormed for the fun of it! I'm so happy A and I aren't finding out what Baby C is and letting him/her tell us on their birthday! You don't get too many surprises anymore in this world, so I'm so happy this is going to be the biggest surprise ever imaginable! It's going to be so amazing to hear A tell me whether we have a son/daughter and then hand him/her to me! Oh, I can't wait!

Today and every day I'm thanking Jesus for ALL (the good, the bad and the ugly..haha) things in my life, because I know He has a purpose for it ALL!!!

There's so many times I've wondered WHY? Why has God allowed us to go through something that seems to have no purpose, seems to be almost more than we can take. Because behind it all He has a message for us. In wondering this I stumbled upon an entry a woman made on a blog that explained it oh so well!

I am going to be SO SHINNY!!! When He is through with me!

Malachi 3:3 says, "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.' She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His IMAGE IN YOU!!!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4: 6-7

Nesting & Dr's Appt!

Nesting? Really, what's nesting? Well I never knew what expecting moms meant by feeling a need to get everything finished before the baby comes, nesting, until I have found myself doing it all the time. Seriously, I do my usual morning things, followed by whatever I need to get done for that day, and then it's off to conquer "My Nesting List!" Each day I've managed to check at least a couple items off my list, so I'm thinking by next week I'll have it all finished! Then time for Baby C, right?! Um, nope not for another couple months. However, knowing me I'll come up with more things to do because I find myself getting very restless lately. A just looked at me the other day and said, "Are you okay? You seem to be very, well restless Ang!" I said "I know, I am! It's driving me nuts" I'm tired, restless and so ready to hold Baby C in my arms! I can't believe in 8/9 wks or so this bundle of joy will be here. I can't wait; seriously I'm so anxious/excited/nervous/happy/etc for August! I've been feeling great and am so thankful to be having an easy pregnancy right now; hopefully I continue to feel this way until the end!

Here's the basics from today's appt: up 22 lbs total, Baby C's hr was 130 bpm (lowest its ever been), and my bp is 116/72. In a nutshell everything looks great with momma & baby! From here on out we go every 2 wks until our last month when we go every wk. Our next appt is the 25th. Today we talked to Dr. P about being induced a wk early to make sure A is present when I go into labor and have our child, since he has a game in New York 2 days before I'm due. We're talking possibly being induced around the 9-10, which is crazy to think about because that's less than 2 months away!!! I'll have a ultrasound around 36 wks and he'll start checking me around this time too. So once that time hits we'll have a better idea what the future looks like it holds. I seriously can't stop smiling while I'm writing this, because I'm so happy just thinking about holding Baby C!

After the Dr's we headed out for a "date afternoon!" Huhot's and Coldstone's is always a treat=) We then headed to Lazy Boy and then Babies R Us, where we purchased our glider for the nursery. I can't wait to get it in like 2 wks and just sit in the nursery dreaming about holding my baby! I think we're pretty much ready for Baby C to come home, well at least we have the basic essentials. I spent this past wk getting everything checked off my list and putting together some of our purchases. It's getting so close and I can't believe we're almost halfway through June! It'll be August before we know it!

"I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people."- Leviticus 26:12

Less than 10 wks & Ty's Wedding!

Time really does seem to be flying bye like crazy and I can't believe in less than 10 wks (almost 9) I'm going to be a "Mommy!" YEAH! I'm so excited, anxious, nervous, happy, and the list could go on forever and ever. I don't think I've ever been so excited to meet someone in my whole life!

This past weekend I headed back to NE for a childhood friend's wedding. Ty, I and the rest of the clan grew up as diaper buddies and have all remained close throughout all these years. It was great getting to see a lot of my friends I was close to in high school and catching up on old times. My parents came down for the weekend too; it was so great to see them. I also got to see PJ & Shan, which is always a treat too!

Friday night everybody picked me up from the airport and we headed to the Horse Shoe buffet. We then went to the movie, Night at the Museum II. I had already seen it, but was happy to go to it again. I still thought it was just as good and so did everybody else. When we went back to the hotel, I was treated to some more baby shower gifts! PJ, Shan, Jeff, and Ang had all gotten Baby C some great gifts; oh, how I can't wait to use them in less than 10 wks! By the end of the night I was missing A like crazy and was sad that he couldn't come with me because of good ol' mini camp.

Saturday my parents and I did some baby shopping. It was great getting to spend time with them and of course shopping for baby things is always fun. My mom is super excited and really can't wait to come and help me out for at least that first week with Baby C. She really does love spoiling her grandchildren and Baby C loves being spoiled! I think this is really going to work out well for all parties involved! While we were shopping I picked up some Husker gear, so Baby C is ready for the football season! I finished a list of everything we need to get for the baby before the big day comes. I'm hoping over the next couple of weeks that we'll have almost everything check marked off and we'll be ready to go.

Saturday evening we headed to the wedding and reception. Everybody couldn't believe how big I'm getting and well that "I'm pregnant!" Seeing Ashlie, Jenny, Tim, Joel, Chase, Sam, and Ty was such a treat and I'm so happy I was able to make it back for such a special day. Overall it was a great weekend with friends and family and a nice little get away. It was crazy to think when I was saying "see ya later" to my parents, that the next time they see me I'll either be in labor or we'll be holding their 2nd grandchild.

Being back with everybody really made me miss living closer to our family and friends. I missed A like crazy this weekend and was so happy when he picked me up from the airport. He is such a sweetheart and I'm so lucky to call him my husband! He cleaned the whole house, so when I got home I didn't have to do anything. He's so great! Oh, how God has blessed me with some very incredible people in my life!

A little Q&A:
How far along? 30 wks, 2 day!
Total weight gain/loss: +22 lbs.
Baby size: A big squash! Roughly 3 lbs and 15-17 in!
Maternity clothes? Yepper! I have a couple bigger shirts from bowl games and the Rams that have become my favorite lounge around tees. At least with these shirts my basketball and I aren't stretching them out! I'm thankful it's summer, so I can just wear shorts and tanks most of the time.
Stretch marks? Not yet and hopefully never!
Sleep: About 2 hrs of consistent sleep at a time, then it’s a bathroom break and flip to the other side. Baby C loves to move around when I flip sides, which is always a joy feeling at 3 AM (seriously it is)!
Best moments this week: Having my baby shower and getting so many wonderful gifts!
Movement: Yes! Every day. Baby C loves when Daddy reads to him/her and when mommy plays music for him/her. Baby C also let's mommy know when he/she is hungry. I'm doing daily kick counts now and love feeling the rolls and punches!
Food cravings: Strawberries, watermelon and milk!
Labor Signs: No, just some BH!
Belly Button in or out? In. Becoming a little deformed though!
What I miss: I still miss: laying on my back; being able to bend over and tie my shoes with out having to sit down on my bottom, I can’t breathe if I just bend over and try to tie them; and I also miss something’s I do when I workout (run, abs, jump rope, etc).
What I am looking forward to: Most of all I look forward to holding this little one in my arms! I'm also looking forward to getting everything done on my lists before Baby C comes. Oh, it's getting so close! I'm also looking forward to figuring out a boy name. A and I worked on our name lists last night and managed to add a name to our list! So now we have 4 boy names we like, not just 3!
Weekly Wisdom: Enjoy every moment of this pregnancy and the blessing of life inside of me!
Milestones: Having my baby shower! Seeing my parents for the last time before I pop! Feeling movement all the time!

Like I've said many times before, this is still very surreal to me! A and I talk that it won't really set in until we see our son/daughter for the first time! It's going to be absolutely amazing! In fact amazing probably can't even begin to explain how it's going to feel!

“The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.”-Habakkuk 3:19

My Baby Shower!

Yesterday was my baby shower! It was so amazing and I'm so thankful for all my friends and family that took the time to make it a special day for Baby C and I! I was blessed with so many gifts and there's not one thing we can't use right away, which makes things really start to settle in that we have a little over 2 months to go before the big surprise and arrival of Baby C. YEAH! I'm so excited/anxious/happy for the arrival of Baby C!

The girls did the shower around the nursery theme, which is Spelling Bee. They decorated the cake, cards, favors, etc. all based around jungle animals (which I'm absolutely love). We ate wonderful food and yummy cake! We played 2 games: how big is momma's belly and who can chug from a bottle the fasts. How big is momma's belly was quite the interesting experience. One girl measured how big my tummy is and then the other girls had to cut string to see how big I was and the closest one won! Some girls made their strings super long, although they reassured me they didn't mean anything by it. What a great game! The other game was to see who could chug water from a bottle the fastest. I've never seen so many grown women try so hard to get something out of a bottle; I've also never seen so many women grab their face's afterwards because their cheeks hurt. A lot of the ladies couldn't believe how hard it was to get the water to come out; so much for the rotting reflex like a baby is born with. One of the girls made a diaper cake, which A thought was funny! I can't believe how many diapers, binkies, medicine, butt paste, etc. she was able to tie onto the cake. It looked so great and I didn't really want to take it apart, but I knew the diapers had to get put away because we'll need them before long! I also received some homemade gifts, which are always so dear to have and cherish. My Grandma gave us a hand tied quilt, knitted blanket and wood bear. Kathy gave us an animal quilt and adorable embroidered onesie! One of the host made/decorated a step stool for Baby C. A thinks it's the neatest thing. I think he can just picture his little son/daughter standing on it over the sink brushing their teeth! Between the video monitor, swing, infant-toddler rocker, caddy, picture frames, swaddlers, books, and nursery/baby essentials, the gifts were wonderful. The gals, games, and gifts were all wonderful and I felt so blessed to be showered with so much! The rain showers began to fall just as we were getting ready to leave a wonderful party; how appropriate! A was speechless when he opened the back of the SUV. We went through everything when I got home, so he could see who got us what. He couldn't believe how generous everybody was and how much we got for Baby C! Overall, I really couldn't have asked for a better day and am so thankful to have the family and friends that I do.

Yesterday was amazing, however today has been a little rough. The past 2 nights I've had heartburn (radiating from my knee caps-seriously)! I've been very fortunate this far not to have had to deal with this, until now. Last night was absolutely terrible. I couldn't sleep because I had what felt like a gas/fire bubble inside of me. I finally got up around 4:00 ish after tossing and turning for a couple hours. I finished all my thank you's for the shower and ordered the baby shower pictures online. I've tried to eat a little here and there, except everything just seems to come back up. Nonetheless, it's been kind of a rough day, but in the end I would go through this for years just to be able to hold the blessing of a child in my arms. I'm so thankful for the little wiggle worm inside of me and give thanks every time I think about the amazing blessing of Life! I do wish though that these pains would go away or at least ease up a little.

This coming weekend I'm headed to Lincoln for a good childhood friend's wedding. A has his last mini-camp starting tomorrow and running through Saturday. I can't wait to see my parents, brother and sister-in-law this weekend. The wedding should be lots of fun because a lot of us that grew up together will be there and most of us haven't seen each other in at least a year, if not more. I'm hoping I feel great the whole time and truly take advantage of my last little get away before I'm here for the rest of the summer.



“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!”-Philippians 2: 5-8