tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60002418359489975482024-03-19T11:46:03.372-07:00The Baby G ChroniclesM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-34494518209076803122011-12-05T14:14:00.001-08:002011-12-05T16:30:47.953-08:00HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY ETHAN!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCLEJ0MNwUWwkUD5mdovJdPzR7qcp5HAKvoHfVJEx4IeVZHkcKcBrW1Jk_VrfUcBgK5bL5Lh4vxBrvD367TLU0Kac-EbfvzrxXBAlklCNHZuvG2mR46GHp-lJyWeR2PWV1yuYd6E6Qwk/s1600/100_1233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCLEJ0MNwUWwkUD5mdovJdPzR7qcp5HAKvoHfVJEx4IeVZHkcKcBrW1Jk_VrfUcBgK5bL5Lh4vxBrvD367TLU0Kac-EbfvzrxXBAlklCNHZuvG2mR46GHp-lJyWeR2PWV1yuYd6E6Qwk/s320/100_1233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy and Ethan </td></tr>
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Ok sing with me - Happy Birthday to you... Happy Birthday to you.. Happy Birthday Dear E-THAN... Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuu!!!! :-) WOW! I can't believe a year has already gone by and my little man is a whole 1 year old! What a difference a year makes, huh? I know I know, I didn't blog as much as I had planned and you are probably thinking - yeah, the last time we saw him, he was 5 month old? Not much of a "chronicle" huh? LOL. Well I'll make this one of my New Year's Do Betters (no more resolving - just do better!! LOL) and get on the stick of blogging more. I don't want him to be in college and this have been your last image of him. Yes, I'll do better.<br />
So while today is Ethan's official birthday, we did start the celebration a little bit early and had a small little something on yesterday (Sunday). While I was positive I wasn't going to pull out all the stops for his 1st (he won't remember a thing anyway, and I wasn't going to stress out over it), I was going to make sure that there was some type of celebration! I come from a family that loves to party. Ask any one of us and ask anyone who know us. We always celebrate the Big birthdays by having big parties. And if you know even a little bit about me you know I LOVE birthdays!!! So I was surely going to celebrate in some way. Now once he starts to understand what is happening, we are going to PARRRRRTAY!!:-) But in the meantime, I did a few things to commemorate the occasion and to make sure I took pictures for keepsakes. <br />
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Since I wasn't doing a BIG celebration, I thought I would use this time
to channel my inner Betty Crocker. Believe it or not, I made his cake.
:-) Ok, no it wasn't from scratch and my inner Betty was literally a
Betty Crocker box cake, but I made it none the less. I tried my hand at
some decorating skills and I must say, it turned out pretty well <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOR3mi_G97fRhn2lwOp8uFEAlbCLsuVQIzYjrkFDff-a62v08i4iJu68pB3pHkXjlHNP-0ZtBsjYdY1GPWOTawztfQ34yzKUGqdH5ywTUA6PJADhg27fE3v87na18MdasXsBPWxcmNAgE/s1600/100_1210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOR3mi_G97fRhn2lwOp8uFEAlbCLsuVQIzYjrkFDff-a62v08i4iJu68pB3pHkXjlHNP-0ZtBsjYdY1GPWOTawztfQ34yzKUGqdH5ywTUA6PJADhg27fE3v87na18MdasXsBPWxcmNAgE/s320/100_1210.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh from the oven</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished Product</td></tr>
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I added a few more touches of decoration, invited a few family members and close friends over and we were ready for a
good time celebrating Ethan! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqetsTizKugWn2-sQXoyv5yUasKjkRPisJf9ELpolQIqsWM_3r0b_Wl-bX4m3A6kBtaKc8CrLPHtJEcOwfmGmNq7Dw9j5gzVdAdoyBFf-1JUrT5mnb707jehTFThEo3XkK8vFrvUeSFw/s1600/100_1214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGqetsTizKugWn2-sQXoyv5yUasKjkRPisJf9ELpolQIqsWM_3r0b_Wl-bX4m3A6kBtaKc8CrLPHtJEcOwfmGmNq7Dw9j5gzVdAdoyBFf-1JUrT5mnb707jehTFThEo3XkK8vFrvUeSFw/s320/100_1214.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and Ethan (pre-party)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl2gnzePJUBxIvPls5U9elsrTvnmSheahJHq39CZ902IshqrDoezLKni9MxO41QFRVPv5M3rVcKPcFtEI5AkP82T6Ot_ps4tBJ60U3_vq9Lwb_boyMHoMyMzCHKEnunLA9qUOyF0zo-c/s1600/100_1218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSl2gnzePJUBxIvPls5U9elsrTvnmSheahJHq39CZ902IshqrDoezLKni9MxO41QFRVPv5M3rVcKPcFtEI5AkP82T6Ot_ps4tBJ60U3_vq9Lwb_boyMHoMyMzCHKEnunLA9qUOyF0zo-c/s320/100_1218.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table Cloth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Decorations (I think Ethan was helping too - LOL)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why are these people looking at me?</td></tr>
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It was a great party and we had a wonderful time. Ethan had no clue what was going on. He just stared at everyone. He didn't slam his hand into the cake as we had planned. We had to help him even put his hands on it and put it to his mouth. You can tell by the picture that he was even unmoved by that. LOL. But he soon got the hang of it and even did a "yum" sound when he was eating it. - That was just for me I think. And yes he did say "yum" or "ooh" or something - I have it on tape.. :-) <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for the memory Dad.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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All in all it was a great day! I must admit, the day was also emotional. I couldn't help but to think about my dad pretty much all day. I know if he had been living, he would have moved heaven and earth to be there. Even if he couldn't make it, I imagined calling to let him know that I had made the cake. He probably would have said I should have done it from scratch but he would have been proud all the same. I got a little teary-eyed even making it. Fond memories of my dad in the kitchen making his famous pound cake came flooding back as I was blending my own cake. My sisters and I would anxiously await his finish so we could have a field day licking the mixing bowl, spoons and blender utensils. I had to take a moment when I was done blending to take a snapshot - He would have been so proud.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH9CChluP1U4fV98Urcl0oh9jnHjntTQCLa-PTQJJl-G6ZuTSJAdSjTqUW7tqOHPH0lQNW0GIlQW_gdRNPrBzoPZPNWE1DeGTX1wTNdbxjH7Z5CU7MuKAbFxYzrWxZwv66xhUH454A6E/s1600/100_1237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeH9CChluP1U4fV98Urcl0oh9jnHjntTQCLa-PTQJJl-G6ZuTSJAdSjTqUW7tqOHPH0lQNW0GIlQW_gdRNPrBzoPZPNWE1DeGTX1wTNdbxjH7Z5CU7MuKAbFxYzrWxZwv66xhUH454A6E/s320/100_1237.JPG" width="320" /></a>What a blessing this first year has been! I am so so so very thankful to have this little boy in my life. Some say that now he's a toddler. I guess. I don't know if I'm ready for the T-word. I can already see it though. He's gotten so big and long. Tomorrow will only solidify that as it will be another major milestone - the HAIRCUT. I'll post again tomorrow to let you know how that went as well as put up a picture. He's going to look so different and I'm going to miss that wild hair. Well HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN! Year TWO.... Here we come.......<br />
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Until next time...<br />
MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-35658740669335851612011-08-21T14:54:00.000-07:002011-08-24T08:42:13.154-07:00The Greatest Man in the WorldOn Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011 my life as I knew it changed forever. Without warning or preparation, I said Goodbye to my father. It was the saddest day of my life. I replay it over and over in my head and still have trouble this very minute accepting the fact that he's gone. I felt like my heart was cracked open like a pecan, someone snatched out the good part and left just the shell in broken pieces - empty and hollow. At least that is how I felt momentarily. It's hard to type without floods and floods of memories coming to my mind. But I know I need to write, "They" say it's therapeutic. We'll see...
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">They're supposed to live forever.</span>
<br />For some unknown reason or maybe it was my childlike belief in this area, but I thought my parents would live forever. Or at least when they died, they would be very old and from natural causes. No sudden deaths were in my future.. Nah ah. Not me. That was for everyone else. I'm good at consoling and praying for people. And even though, it is now my reality, the path that I know too many have traveled on before me is quite rocky, unsteady and painful. "They" say it gets smoother as you go along. We'll see...
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We had plans.</span>
<br />The last time I saw my father was a good time! We met up with my parents on a Sunday at the end of June in Dalton Ga. It was half way for both of us. It was a FABULOUS time. We had breakfast at the Cracker Barrell and later Ezra and I snuck off to see a movie while the Grandparents enjoyed some Q<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLhWhQ3UDagC1KfqlB4ZVVnpD8lTrTIaNpAsyhqyBPRwqf6IWf27j2hMkXvdbHYKge4eG7WebUtCBKThbVc9g2OEiBSM73GopzUcx31UfjfoFQuPpn8hkaDuRSKOdjq7E1AdaJWJELNE/s1600/IMG-20110626-00035.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLhWhQ3UDagC1KfqlB4ZVVnpD8lTrTIaNpAsyhqyBPRwqf6IWf27j2hMkXvdbHYKge4eG7WebUtCBKThbVc9g2OEiBSM73GopzUcx31UfjfoFQuPpn8hkaDuRSKOdjq7E1AdaJWJELNE/s320/IMG-20110626-00035.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643442347119411314" border="0" /></a>T with their grandson. I truly didn't want to leave, but we had to go. We promised to do it more often - maybe make it our meeting place on a regular basis. We had big plans.
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<br />July 3oth was the last time I spoke with my Dad. We were making more BIG plans. Big ones! :-) My birthday was on the 6th and my anniversary was on the 11th. We would be celebrating 10 years of marriage. Big deal that deserved BIG plans!! LOL. The plan was to travel home to Augusta, visit a minute, drop off Ethan and keep going to Charleston, SC, about 2.5 hours away. I hear Charleston is a very lovely romantic town. I was looking forward to our visit and honestly a couple of days of R & R. My Dad was asking for the 3rd time when I was coming home. I'm no fool, he didn't care about me. He couldn't wait to see Ethan or E-MAN as he affectionately called him. For some reason he had in his mind I was coming the weekend of my birthday. So our conversation - with lots of jokes and laughter, was updating him on the true plan :-) . To keep it clear, my mom marked the calendar at home to denote my arrival and departure. He was making his own set of plans to kidnap Ethan and put his getaway scheme in motion. It was a running joke we had. We laughed. I did that alot with my Dad.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plans change.</span>
<br />But on August 2nd all of that changed. My father had a seizure during a routine Doctor's. visit. It's more involved than that, but too much to go into now. A few hours later, my dad was gone. Needless to say, my birthday was bittersweet. We had cake and ice cream. My family sang Happy Birthday and I made it though the day. On August 9th, instead of arriving in Augusta to execute my "Big Plans", I laid my father to rest. The calendar at home is still showing my mom's marking "August 9th: Marcie Arrives. August 12th: Marcie Leaves". I did leave on August 12th looking to get back home to some semblance of normalcy. I wasn't ready for this new life.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Memories at every turn</span>
<br />Since then, I've tried to start life over. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but almost every move I make brings about some memory of my father. We were very close. He was a good father. He seemed to have made his way into every aspect of my life. My son looks a lot like him and with similar builds. I think about him all day everyday trying to hold tight to the memories because I know I won't get to make any new ones. I've held it together for the most part, but there are some days where the tears are going to flow no matter what and I let them. "They" say it's apart of the process. We'll see...
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Greatest Man in the World </span>
<br />There was a running discussion between my Dad and I - especially when I was a little girl. It went something like this (in a loving embrace)....
<br />Dad: Who's the Greatest Man in the World?
<br />Me: YOU are the Greatest Man in the World
<br />Dad: Ok then <hugs and="" kisses="" all="" around=""><hugs and="" kisses="" all="" around="">(with hugs and kisses)
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<br />The day after the funeral, I wrestled again with a gamut of emotions. For a moment I was disappointed. I thought the funeral was lovely but I felt like something was missing. I wished more stories had been told about who he was, how funny he was, etc. The people needed to know. I wasn't sure we had done him justice. I thought for a moment that I should have spoken. I had come up with all sorts of stories I would have told and how I would have had everyone laughing... just like my dad did. I wanted a funeral do-over for a split second. I shared this with Ezra who warned me not to dwell on the past - especially that one. He said "You're trying to convince people who already know him, how cool he was. That audience didn't need convincing... they knew". "But maybe I should have spoken", I responded. "I would have said this story this way and then said that". My husband calmly spoke directly to what was truly deep down inside. He said "No one knew him better than you all did. That's Superman. And No one can adequately describe Superman like you can." And that was it. He WAS Superman - The GREATEST Man in the World.. and no one was ever going to know or love him like I did.
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<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I'll see him again</span>.
<br />I'm so thankful that my last time visiting with my father was so much fun and the last time talking to him was the same. Light and jovial. He knew without a doubt that I loved him alot and I don't live in regret of what I should have said or done with him. As a believer in Christ, I know this is not the end. All of what "they" say I'm sure is true, it will take some time, I will cry alot and this writing HAS been therapeutic.:-) But the one thing I hold on to more than anything is what the Bible says and that is that I will see him again in heaven. And that gives me all the comfort and joy in the world.
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<br />Until that time... Goodbye Daddy - I love you!
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<br />Marcia
<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">1st Thessalonians 4:13-18
<br /><sup class="versenum" id="en-NIV-29617"></sup><sup style="font-style: italic;" class="versenum" id="en-NIV-29617">13</sup><span style="font-style: italic;"> Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. </span><sup style="font-style: italic;" class="versenum" id="en-NIV-29618">14</sup><span style="font-style: italic;"> For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. </span><sup style="font-style: italic;" class="versenum" id="en-NIV-29619">15</sup><span style="font-style: italic;"> According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. </span><sup style="font-style: italic;" class="versenum" id="en-NIV-29620">16</sup><span style="font-style: italic;"> For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. </span><sup style="font-style: italic;" class="versenum" id="en-NIV-29621">17</sup><span style="font-style: italic;"> After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. </span><sup style="font-style: italic;" class="versenum" id="en-NIV-29622">18</sup><span style="font-style: italic;"> Therefore encourage one another with these words.</span></span>
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<br /></hugs></hugs>M. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-48277411171837255872011-05-05T06:44:00.000-07:002011-05-06T20:08:25.115-07:00FIVE.... well kindaI missed it! :-( I had every intention of posting this blog on yesterday. I started around this same time (about 8:40am central) and was on a roll. Then I got sidetracked. But I kept remembering that I needed to finish and I had every intention of doing so. But a couple of minutes after midnight, after putting Ethan down for the night (long story for another post), I laid my head down on my pillow and my eyes popped open - I didn't finish my post. And guess what? It's now May 6th. Oh welll.. I dare not let a good post go to waste so here is what I started and I will pick it up where I left off. Hope you enjoy! :-)<br /><br />May 5th, 2011 @ about 8:45am<br />Hello Friends!!<br /> I've missed you all! Though many of you I have chatted with up to this point, I must say I have missed communicating this way to everyone. Have you missed me??? LOL Oh I know, I have taken my back seat. You miss ETHAN! Well here's a current pic (taken today)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmjx1U2fWmtzUYe_MpyLopolATfr6XBK_YCoi9a7mTM7VTiJFKqiJb3hU84b7jYw7RYgoFy8D1JPgLEhVKBngmaE259fPJgXc2YFfksAt7_271RNIYJKlPlsAs81pLZBvdJeULGGXB0w/s1600/100_1127.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtmjx1U2fWmtzUYe_MpyLopolATfr6XBK_YCoi9a7mTM7VTiJFKqiJb3hU84b7jYw7RYgoFy8D1JPgLEhVKBngmaE259fPJgXc2YFfksAt7_271RNIYJKlPlsAs81pLZBvdJeULGGXB0w/s320/100_1127.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603603914271222386" border="0" /></a> of my little pumpkin, growing by leaps and bounds.<br /><br />It has been exactly 3 months to the date since my last post and my "lil shuga booga" is 5 months old today. I thought it quite interesting that he is 5 months old on the 5th day of the 5th month of the year. So I figured I'd title this blog FIVE. And since I have been gone for so long and there is so much I could say, this was a great way to for me to narrow my thoughts down to 5 impactful, fun and insightful things I have learned so far - in no particular order. Not that I have only learned 5 things, but that is probably all you can read in one sitting - and probably all I have time to write. :-)<br /><br />1) <span style="font-weight: bold;">There is a such thing is a Baby Hog</span>:<br />.... and his name is Ezra! :-) It's a running joke we have in our house - Ezra is an Ethan hog!! :-) I really can't move fast enough. I've awakened in the middle of the night to see that Ezra has already gotten up and is half way done with changing him. Sundays should really be my day of rest because it's the Daddy and Ethan all day long. If Ethan falls asleep with Dad, he's held for the duration of his nap (Mom puts him in the crib and does about 50 other things while he is asleep. LOL).<br />While all of these things are very true and maybe comical - they are very lovely to me. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband who is with me every step of the way.<br /><br />May 6th, 2011 @ about 8:45a,... The load has been lightened tremendously with Ezra's help and I am so grateful for that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) The dishes will still be there tomorrow... and the next day...</span><br />I don't really like washing dishes. Every chance I get, I am loading my dishwasher. But then I don't really like to UNLOAD the dishwasher LOL. It used to be that I would put on some music or a motivational CD and go to town on the kitchen and the rest of the house - with nothing but time on my hands. But while I don't like the dishes and admittedly did not do them everyday in the past, for some reason, not being about to get to them now, bothers me. It's like now more than ever, I want the kitchen to be spotless all the time. Which I know is totally obsessive! I don't like seeing dishes pile up because I know I don't have as much time as I used to, to get to them. I am afraid they will be TOTALLY out of control. And subconsciously I think it signifies to me that I have lost control of something (not sure what though). But I am learning that it's really ok. I manage to get to them, or Ezra will clean them. The world won't come to an end and I am not a bad wife, mother and housekeeper because I haven't done the dishes yet. It's still a work in progress but I'm getting there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) I have a child... and he looks like me!</span><br />I keep wondering if it will be discovered that God let one slip out and it landed with us! LOLOL. But seriously, I sit in awe everyday of the fact that we have a son. And say what you want, but he looks like me! Come on give it up.. He has my eyes and the eyes make up the face right?? LOL. Well yes, he has my eyes, but Ezra's distinct eyebrows which can confuse people. I know, I know, that got you too, right? Well let me help you - Ethan is MY mini-me... LOL All jokes aside, he really is a beautiful mixture of both of us - which is precisely why on any given day we can hear that he looks like either one or the other. True story - I was at my church one day and two women were looking at Ethan and both said at the exact same time - "He looks just like ..." One named me and the other named Ezra. And then they both looked at each other in disbelief. It was funny. But looks aside, this journey so far has been a whirlwind and an adjustment. But as every mom has said in the past and I am happy to cosign - it is SOOOOOOOOOO worth it!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4) Baby Gas is lethal</span><br />Gunshot wound my foot, Osama was probaby killed by baby gas! LOL. I had heard that once the baby starts solids, the smell from the "dirty" diapers is pretty bad. WHEW!!!! I literally almost fell over at the smell once. Ethan released a toxic, toxic fume while he was "uncovered" and WOH!!!!!! I could hardly catch my breath. I stumbled around coughing and looking dumbfounded as Ethan watched innocently with an expression that said "Mom... really???" I don't know when babies start to smell but if he could smell it, he would have fumbled around too. I had smelled it before since he has been on solids and it is BAD when he is fully clothed. But at it's purest form - it's lethal! I think the government could use it for interrogations. I know I would talk.. quickly!!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5) A Baby's smile is God's way of saying.. "It's ok"<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span></span>It's 4:00am and you have just gotten BACK to sleep good and then you hear it ...."waaaaaahhhhhhh" So here I am stumbling out of bed over to the bassinet to console my little prince. I'm barely awake and SO tired being that it's the second time up tonight. I'm a little cranky too because sleep is eluding me. The light is dim and I am trying to be quiet so as not to give him the idea that it's time to get up and be active. I am going through the motions of changing the diaper - concentrating on being quick. And then it happens - I look down at his sweet little face and he flashes the BIGGEST grin. :-) At that time, I forget that I'm sleepy or that the clothes need to be washed, dishes cleaned, calls to be made, etc, etc. No - at that moment, nothing matters but taking care of him. The stuff I'm worried about will all be there tomorrow and guess what? It's really all OK! :-)<br /><br /><br />Until next time.... (which will be sooner hopefully :-))<br />Marcia<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>M. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-66064315239430155662011-02-05T20:09:00.000-08:002011-02-05T21:28:38.678-08:00What's IN a Name?HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN! :-) <br /><br />Today, February 5th, is Ethan's 2-month birthday. At this very moment, as I type he was about 25 minutes old. I had held him only for a few minutes by now but he was soon whisked away to be tended to by the nurses. And now a whole 2 months has passed. Technically today is his second "booga month" birthday. He's my lil "Shugabooga" (because he is the sweetest thing EVER and give the SWEETEST kisses!). So we celebrate "booga months". :-) So happy 2nd Booga month Ethan! I'll show this to his little girlfriend at 16 and totally embarrass him. Better yet, I'll call him that in front of her. Ooooh, I'm bad! LOL<br /><br />But the walk down memory lane - remembering his birth, reminded me that I hadn't given you the full explanation for his name. Ok ok, you might be thinking - Ethan is common enough, what more could there be to it? MUCH more! And so the story goes....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >ETHAN: STRONG, POWERFUL</span><br />Long before I became pregnant we had a name. We called it often in reference to our future bundle of joy. We kept it close to the vest though for various reasons but between us, the name was a done deal, all we needed was the kid. The only problem was, the name was for a girl. We thought for sure that would be our first child since we had been divinely given the name so early in advance. But once we found out we were pregnant, it was clear that we needed a boy's name. After all, it was a 50-50 chance that it would be a boy. :-) So what would be his name??<br /><br />I had been given a Names book when I became pregnant. I have always been fascinated with names and what they mean. I think they should be well thought out because after all, you will call that person that for the rest of their life. I believe that what you are called over and over again - you become or adapt to that. So names are very important. At first, I thought I had convinced Ezra that a JR was in order. He was ok with it for oh about 2 minutes, but he never wanted a JR and I couldn't blame him. So I turned to the book- which by the way has a GAZILLION names in it. So it was a PROCESS to look through them, but when I came to Ethan, I instantly connected with it. It's meaning was wonderful - <span style="font-weight: bold;">ETHAN mean Strong and powerful</span>. I like that. I wanted those to be a characteristics of my son. And I liked the name and so did Ezra. But little did we know that this too was a divine intervention. You see, thanks to a Bible Crossword puzzle book that we were doing at the time, we learned that Ethan was a biblical character. Ethan was an Ezrahite - a follower of Ezra the prophet. Woh, talk about JR on a new level! LOL. Not only was he an Ezrahite, but he was VERY wise, compared to Solomon himself - (who took wisdom to another level) - LOL). Check out 1Kings 4:31. A little more research showed that he was musically inclined possible a cymbal player in David's choir, even dabbling in writing songs himself. It is believed that he wrote the beautiful Psalm 89. At that point we knew - we're having an Ethan :-) <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br />GRADY: NOBLE, ILLUSTRIOUS</span><br />I never had an opportunity to meet or to know Ezra's father, Grady, but for some reason I miss him. He passed away suddenly shortly after Ezra and I started dating. And because I never got to know him, I feel like there is a part of Ezra that I will never know. But what I do know is that his father was his Hero. He was VERY close to his father who was very instrumental in making him the wonderful man he is today. But not only was he important to Ezra and his immediate family but it just seems like this man touched a lot of lives in a positive way. When I am around the family (mother OR father's side), they speak so fondly of him. He was well loved and well respected. He was a father figure to many in the family. He was the go-to guy and he was about business. He was well respected in the community as a business leader and a servant leader at their church. He seemed to be a great man and from what Ezra tells me, we would have had a lot in common as well. He was such an important part of their lives (as a father should be) that we wanted to continue the lineage through Ethan. That being said Grady is Ethan's middle name. I love the balance that it gives his name. <span style="font-weight: bold;">GRADY means noble and illustrious</span>. It seems that Ezra's Dad lived true to his name and those same characteristics we want for Ethan as well.<br /><br />So that's Ethan - Strong powerful, noble and illustrious, and many other wonderful characteristics. And he is already living up to his name. He has been trying to hold his head up since he was a week old. He legs are super strong as well. But do we expect?? we call him "strong" constantly, so he can't help himself! :-) <br /><br />Well it's been fun sharing but while "Strong" is sleeping, "Brave" needs to be laying down too. So with that I will say Goodnight!<br /><br />Until next time....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-88146856769793517732011-01-11T13:04:00.001-08:002011-01-11T13:46:16.093-08:005 weeks down, a Lifetime to go<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJkILuuFjsgpMRbf0W-vLF2UGQ41qeY0r0LQCAS3wX6TjgWDNgnOYb1tXuijGazD1QnJRwvlNOxxOLcBJ0InimnKyKtKBWlB6VzaglVrKykxLMZq0-oq8AHTs6Ei0sbCCT2hcj2GouFU/s1600/Ethan+Smiles.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJkILuuFjsgpMRbf0W-vLF2UGQ41qeY0r0LQCAS3wX6TjgWDNgnOYb1tXuijGazD1QnJRwvlNOxxOLcBJ0InimnKyKtKBWlB6VzaglVrKykxLMZq0-oq8AHTs6Ei0sbCCT2hcj2GouFU/s320/Ethan+Smiles.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561044828814533330" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">One month milestone met with flying colors!</span><br /><br />On last Wednesday - January 5th, my little "EGG" turned 1 month old! A whole month has gone by already! On Sunday, January 9th, he was officially 5 weeks old. WOW! It's like time is flying and standing still all at the same time. I mean, on some days it seems that we are further along than a month and some days it's like - WOH a month has already passed. It is still taking a minute to get used to it all.<br /><br />In celebration of his one month birthday, Ethan got a good report from the pediatrician for his 1 month check-up. He's gained a whole 2 lbs and 2 inches. Praise the Lord, everything looks good. Now, if we can just get him to sleep a TINSY bit longer at night.... :-)<br /><br />While 5 weeks have already come and gone, I recall that I still have a lifetime ahead of me. Though that sounds like a long time, I am told over and over again to "savor each moment because they grow up so fast". I know this all too well. I look at my nieces and nephews and my friends' children and can't believe that they are at their ages. I have a niece about to go to college. She is actually the same age that I was when SHE was born. I remember changing her diaper and being mesmerized that she was so little and her cute little coos and smiles. Now she is going to college.. Yeeesh!<br /><br />So I have been literally trying to savor the moment. Every day, I take some time to look at him and take it all in and hope the minutes go by a little slower. I know my little man won't be this little for very long and I am looking forward to the days when he starts to crawl, walk and talk. And one day I will gush over his little person. :-) But until then, I'm content with him curling his little body into the bend of my arm, nestling close for a nap without a care in the world. Yeah.... for now.. that works for me :-)<br /><br />Until next time...<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-79676809994298299912010-12-13T20:23:00.000-08:002010-12-26T20:43:38.411-08:00Just the BeginningIt's been a month since my last post and I am sure I don't need to tell you where I have been or what I have been doing... LOL. You can only imagine. I have tried almost every week to post something but "someone" or something always needs my attention. :-) Well I said that today - it being Sunday especially - I would make SURE I took time out to say - All is well and we are just getting started...<br /><br />On Sunday, December 5th @ 9:36pm, my life as I knew it changed forever. When they put that little person on your chest for the first time - it is true - you DO forget the previous 21 hours of labor. Yes I said 21 hours. But I wouldn't say that was consistent hours. Labor contractions were off and on and believe it or not, I only pushed for 30 minutes but that is for another blog. :-)<br /><br />But back to life as I knew it and it changing forever... It has been a whirlwind but all good! I am sleepy right now, so I will make this quick. Ethan Grady (his formal name - also for another blog) is a sweet, sweet, sweet and I can't wait for each of you to meet him. I plan to put pictures up soon as well but he is changing so rapidly sometimes I want time to just stand still for a minute but I know he has to grow up - as did I. I am looking forward to that as well.<br /><br />So I just wanted to let you know that I am here and wanted to touch base. Again, I'll post pictures soon and update the blog again with more info. But right now... its night night time :-)<br /><br />Until then....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-70367841081393707662010-11-28T18:49:00.001-08:002010-11-28T19:46:52.017-08:00Countdown to Baby G!Hello All! <br />Of course you know where I have been!! :-) I have been making much needed preparations for Baby G. The last item on my To-do list is complete and I can now say that I am TRULY in the "waiting phase". <br /><br />Since I last posted I have been a BUSY bee! We finished up our childbirth/breastfeeding classes. All of which were wonderful and eye opening. So much to remember though. I hope I don't forget anything. But I am assured that it will all come back to me when the time comes. I hope so! In the midst of the classes, we moved the last weekend in October. We are in a FABULOUS place that we love! (See, a little prayer and patience go a long way! :-)) Remember that I was holding out for a garage? Well I found a lovely place in a great area with a garage AND a room that had already been painted the baby blue that I wanted. Now how COOL is that! Our new home is completely unpacked and everything has and is in its place (thanks to Mom for helping out with that - could NOT have done it without you!). <br /><br />Meanwhile, my family and friends threw a baby shower for us that was earlier this month and it was WONDERFUL! I have such an AMAZING family and a GREAT group of friends who blessed us in so many ways with such wonderful gifts and contributions to Baby G. The shower timing was perfect as my nesting phase of cleaning and preparing kicked in around that time and everything had to be done like yesterday! And it was! My husband is the MAN!! He has been so helpful through all of this - putting stuff up, taking it down, rearranging it, putting it back, AND still working every day! He is the GREATEST! And so I am happy to say the house is done - the baby's room is done my bag is packed, the baby seat is in and safely anchored. We're ready! Now the question is... when??<br /><br />As of Today, my due date is exactly 7 days away! How exciting!! It is possible that within this week, I will be a bonified NEW mom! Though, I think Baby G will go all the way to his due date - December 5th. At least that was our deal! :-) <br /><br />Are you ready? Are you scared? Are you nervous? I don't have a hard and fast answer to those questions. It's a mixed bag of emotions for me right now. I guess where I am now is the fear of the unknown. I probably should have left some things undone so I would have something else to focus on because right now, I am literally waiting on an experience in which I have never embarked upon before. No one can really prepare you and I try not to dwell on the horror stories. But other than that, I am excited. I am looking forward to seeing what he will look like. The 4-D ultrasound was done almost 4 months ago, and I am sure he has changed drastically since that time. So I am excited about that. And honestly I am excited about this new journey of becoming a mom. I am looking forward to all that it brings and entering the world of parenthood! <br /><br />All in all, I am just excited! I would venture to say the next time you hear from you, Baby G will have arrived. I can't wait for him to meet all of you! :-) In the meantime, let me get some rest, while the getting is still good. Stay tuned. :-)<br /><br />Until next time....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-51506088308434985012010-10-20T17:00:00.000-07:002010-10-20T19:28:19.308-07:00Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh<span style="font-weight: bold;">"Crying is like taking your soul to the laundry mat" - Lyfe Jennings</span><br /><br />Friday, October 8th at around 3:30am - I was supposed to be getting up preparing to head out to Charlotte, NC for a conference. Instead, I am still lying in the bed... mad! I was excited about going to the conference, but I just didn't want to leave that early. We didn't get into bed until after 11pm and 4 hours later we were supposed to be leaving to travel 7 hours to NC. Thursday had been a long full day. Ezra had a long work day and I had been my own busy bee. Drs Appt, hair salon, run a few errands, get Tux off to the sitter, child-birth class (where with no prior warning they showed "THE VIDEO" - I'll get back to this). Class didn't end until after 9pm. I didn't think a 3am leave time was wise, especially since Thursday was slammed and we hadn't gotten much sleep. Not to mention, I don't like night driving. It makes me sleepy. And my husband can sometimes get sleepy driving around during the day (LOL). So in my mind, this wasn't the best plan.<br /><br />So I lay in bed contemplating my next move as he continues to prepare to leave. Hmmmmm I could just lay here, go back to sleep until I am ready to go which would be about 2 hrs from now LOL - Surely he won't leave me. Why this early????? I'm tired, I know he's tired. This is neither safe, nor wise. It's dark out and I'm sleepy. Ok I'll just lay here and go back to sleep. But that will just make it worse. Baby G - are you up too? I know.. it's early. When it comes time for you to make your debut - I am going to need you to just slide on out. Those women seemed to be in a lot of pain. What have I done??? Am I really having a baby? Time is flying... We still don't have a place to live (I couldn't do the green carpet). I have to pack, but what if I can't find a place? Is my body really going to expand like that?? Ooohhh it looked like so much pain! I'm so sleepy, I'm tired, I'm..... crying?? Stop the ride... I want to get off RIGHT HERE!!<br /><br />Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.. Ok it was not "shoulder jerking crying" but it was a good cry. It was as if my thoughts were someone filling up a cup with water, and but they didn't know when to stop so it started to overflow and spill out.<br /><br />It would be my first cry during my pregnancy. I am told every pregnant woman has at least one. See, I am not by nature a "crier" as one would call it. I am very sensitive (contrary to popular belief), but I tend to handle things differently. I just don't cry easily. But on this occasion, a cry was warranted and was coming whether I wanted it to or not. And I needed it. As I quoted in the subtitle - it was truly like going to the laundry mat. After I was done, I was done and I felt a TON better. It was almost as if I had come out "clean" and renewed. I looked at everything differently. I prayed - Ok God, keep him awake and if you don't then we just deal with what comes of that. I know we will find a place and I will get it all done - I'm not worried anymore. And finally Lord, Childbirth is what it is, and I am going to be just fine. I just can't wait to see my son and I'll be excited about it all rather than be afraid.<br /><br />And with that prayer, I was done. I had left the laundry mat and my soul was refreshed and clean. As you can see, we made it there and back safely. We found a FABULOUS place (God always has a ram in the bush:-)). My friend Stephanie is my witness - the stairs where we are now are NOT your friend. And finally, I am no longer worried about birthing my baby! (at least not today) :-)<br /><br />As for the video - you can see how it weaseled its way into my thoughts. It must have been heavy in my subconscious because I am thinking I am mad about leaving early and I start thinking about childbirth. I knew the video was coming but I thought it would be a few classes later. I couldn't tell you how the other men in the class were reacting. I was focused on one - mine! And he looked like (and even verbalized) "What have I done???" We both could do nothing but laugh - which lightened the mood.<br /><br />We've got two more classes and then one on breastfeeding and classes are done. This week is the hospital tour. I am excited about that. Next weekend, we move to our new home. We'll unpack, we'll get settled and then we'll wait for Baby G. As always, I'll keep you posted.<br /><br />Until next time....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-1656154238009365052010-10-05T17:39:00.000-07:002010-10-05T19:31:55.234-07:00Weeeeeeeeee......<span style="font-weight: bold;">Expectant Mom is enjoying the downhill ride... for the most part</span><br /><br />I know. I'm 3 weeks late. I actually have a COUPLE of good excuses. :-) For one, I can definitely point back to where I said I would "try" to do once a week. I didn't promise - so that should let me off the hook a little bit. It truly was my plan to do once a week but what's the old saying about "plans"? "The best laid plans often go awry" - (from the book Of Mice and Men). Ok, so that is Excuse #1. Excuse #2 - Let's think back a few posts. Remember when I said there was a proverbial snowball in which event after event, it picks up snow... gets bigger.. and goes faster??? Ok, so that is Excuse #2. I have been trying to juggle all of these life changing events (of which I know I should be blogging about) But they are happening so fast that time gets away from me. So bear with me - I'll be a little long-winded today but I know you've been waiting, so here it goes.. :-)<br /><br />Ok, so it hasn't been anything <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span> monumental but basically it's all of the tasks that still need to be done before the baby comes. THANK YOU LORD for friends and family who have pitched in to help me! I've got one friend coming weekly to help me do whatever I need (Thanks Steph) and another who after 3 visits to the store we finally finished 1 of the registries (Thanks Lisa) This is all in the midst of her losing her cat of 11 years (a moment of silence for Casper please....) and being sick. Not to mention, my sister-in-law who is pitching in to do the other registry (Thanks Tiffanie), because I don't think I could have done another one.<br /><br />Who knew it would take 3 days to do a registry. I must admit, we were only there for an hour the 1st day and I thought I would pass out - literally and figuratively. I did have to leave due to feeling faint, but on top of that we had just gotten down the 1st aisle. My head was spinning from all of the STUFF to think about, to get - what in the WORLD????? "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies!!!" (Butterfly McQueen - Gone with the Wind). It was mind boggling - not to mention, I am so used to picking up the registry for others, I just couldn't believe I was actually doing one for myself. Trust me - as I type - it is still very surreal.<br /><br />On top of all of that, I've got this in INSANE idea to move! GASP!!! Ok close your mouth - you heard/read correctly. Yes we are moving to a new place. If you have seen where I live as many of you have, you understand why and sympathize. Without going into details, we are moving probably in the next two weeks. Long story short, I live in a 3 story townhome where the 1st floor where the entrance is has the washer/dryer and the third floor is living space. Two flights of stairs + All day every day + baby = NOT HAPPENING! :-) It sounds like I am cutting it close timewise, but I have been looking probably since end of August beginning of September. It takes time to find a good place. We have a lot of stipulations too so it has taken a minute. I think we have narrowed it down but now we may have to contend with HIDEOUS hunter green carpet. If you have any ideas on covering that up - less a bazillion area rugs - please, by all means.. share and share quickly. At any rate, I think I am willing to deal with it for the time being. It has everything else we want and need. Would I give that up because of green carpet??? I am still working on determining that. Pray for a sister! :-)<br /><br />So last week we started child-birth classes and we had a good time. Our first lesson was on nutrition and eating healthy for the baby. I thought it a bit odd that we started off with nutrition seeing as though we are all in our 3rd trimester. But the nutritionist did say that they concentrate here because the baby will grow the most in these next couple of months. And you want to make sure you are eating properly for that. So that was cool. We haven't gotten to the deep stuff like labor yet, but it's coming and so are the videos. Now this will be interesting to see how the men - including mine - will react to the child-birthing video. I will definitely have to keep you posted on that one.<br /><br />So aside from packing, looking for a place, finishing registries, there is still quite a bit to do.. and once again Fabulous Friends are pitching in. I still have to do the room wherever we land (Thanks Oksana) and I still need to take pregnancy pics (Thanks Samon) and several other little things to take care of.<br /><br />As of today, October 5th, I have exactly 8 weeks to the due date. Tomorrow marks the start of my 32nd week (which puts me at the start of 8 months). I am on my two week visits and have another doctor's appointment on Thursday. Baby G is rumbling and tumbling pretty well. He is obviously growing and has found his way to my right rib cage. I'm starting to lose sleep which sounds like I am right on track! I've managed to range from 2 to 4 pillows nightly, but still haven't really found a good way to get completely comfortable. I was on my laptop on Sunday afternoon (looking for places) when the "sleepy stick" (as Ezra and I like to call it) smacked me right over the head. Next thing I know, I was knocked out for about 2.5 hrs. Now I don't nap often at all -(even during the entire pregnancy, I probably napped once on a Sunday) so I am getting TIRED and it is hitting me with no warning.<br /><br />But all in all, it is ALL GOOD! As I said in the subtitle - I am enjoying the ride for the most part. Of course anxiety, worry, nervousness, panic - they all have their place and have played their role diligently but I am taking it all in stride and excited about it all. It is going to be FUN! And I appreciate you all hanging out with me thus far. It's been great!<br /><br />Until next time.....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-29491485799620180942010-09-12T18:49:00.000-07:002010-09-12T19:47:22.730-07:00THE HOME STRETCH<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">A little less than 12 weeks to the arrival of Baby G.</span><br /><br />"You are in the home stretch!" Well at least that is what BabyCenter.com thinks. BabyCenter.com is a website all about babies etc that sends weekly updates about the baby's development and what you should also be experiencing at that time. Last Wednesday when I received my 28-week update, the article said that I was in the "home stretch". WOW!<br /><br />The mental snowball started rolling down hill when at my last doctor's visit, my OB said I had one more visit (September 23rd) before I went to every 2 weeks. Wohhhh I thought that didn't happen until further down the road. Umm check the calendar my dear. You are "further down the road"! LOL. Ok, so that thought came and went because that was the end of August - still plenty of time right?? But the snowball picked up a little more snow last Sunday.<br /><br />Last Sunday, September 5th, I had 3 months left to the date as I'm due December 5th. I was good with saying I have 3 month to go. Comfortable, because that is plenty of time to still do what I need to do and get what I need to get. But after the Wednesday weekly update from BabyCenter.com and the whole "home stretch" comment, I've started to panic a little (insert more snow here). 3 months sounds good. 12 weeks sounds like around the corner. GASP! I've only 12 weeks left???? It's my own fault.. I reverted. I wasn't supposed to be counting in months anyway!! :-) I'm not even going to START to list the things that I still need to do. But I'll get them done.. I always do and you will be so proud that I have already started chipping away at that laundry list.<br /><br />There is just so much to think about when having a child and most of which has yet to enter my mind. Last week I got a call from my insurance agent, encouraging us to UP Ezra's policy AND mine. Huh??? Ok ok, I get it, it's called proper planning. It's what adults do that have children and a family. NEWSFLASH Marcia - That's you now! OK OK.. not that I want to think about the worst happening, but I surely don't want to be caught in the rain without an umbrella. And I'm quite anal about keeping a spare umbrella in the car for actual rain, why wouldn't I do this? But what set me back was when our agent started to talk about Life Insurance for the child. DO we HAVE to discuss this??? Of course he wasn't trying to be morbid or a downer, but just trying to help us to be the responsible parents that he knows we will be. It was just a bit much at the time. I wanted to retreat back to age 7, find my dolls and play house with them. Let someone else think about the heavy stuff. LOL. Can I go back to picking baby colors and clothes??? Yeeesh.<br /><br />Besides all of that, the pregnancy is still going well. Baby G is getting stronger daily and has been quite active the last few days. Right now, he wakes when I do (well at least it's not long after I wake up, that I feel him move around) but he is also quite active during the night when I'm sound asleep. I know this because one night I couldn't get comfy and couldn't sleep and guess who decided to keep me company?? That's right, my little man rumbled and tumbled most of the while I was up trying to figure out ways to get back to sleep.<br /><br />But all in all, I still can't complain. Except for that one night, I am sleeping pretty good at night - some nights better than others. It all depends on my liquid intake and my visits to the restroom. We start child-birthing class at the end of this month (insert more snow). I'm determined to do my part in easing labor so I have been walking 5 miles a week among other exercises. Hopefully I can keep that up, right up until the day of and relatively soon after. The weather has been really nice for my morning walks and I try to get out early so I can get back in and start my day. Which reminds me that I probably need to wrap it up so I can catch a few zzzz before it's time to hit the pavement. With that, I bid thee goodnight.<br /><br />Until next time...<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-10286139117641455132010-08-30T16:51:00.000-07:002010-08-30T17:39:23.434-07:00A Second Look: Part II<span style="font-weight: bold;">"For you created BABY G's inmost being; you knit him together in MY womb. I praise you because BABY G is <span style="font-style: italic;">fearfully and wonderfully made</span>; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." Psalms 139: 13-14 (liberties taken :-))</span><br /><br />Hmph! I have read Psalms 139 many times and while it always blesses my soul, it came to life so clearly for me recently. "Fearfully and Wonderfully made" - these were the only words that I heard in my head day in and day out after seeing my son for the second time. They are the only words that I have been able to use to describe this overwhelming feeling of carrying another human being.<br /><br />I saw his face. On last Tuesday, I went for a second ultrasound expecting it to be the routine black and white images. I was excited nonetheless because I would get to see him again and even though the images are black and white, it IS 3-D and I can actually see him moving as well. He yawned, blew air bubbles (or amniotic fluid bubbles LOL) and moved around alot as usual.<br /><br />At first my US tech wasn't very chatty. I guess they like to concentrate on what they are doing and make sure they get it right. But it's just so darn quiet in there and you know me.. I like to talk. So I started to make small talk with her - babies, work, what she was looking at, etc. When near the end, she told me that she would do a 4-D ultrasound for me. 4-D??? I didn't expect that. I had seen 4-D on the internet and in books and thought it would be neat to experience it but figured I'd better stick with what they give me. But she flipped a switch (I guess) and there he was - in the literal flesh. At first I couldn't make him out. She was trying to point out the nose and the mouth and it all just looked like a bunch of flesh to me. She keep moving the machine and then there he was... a magnificent picture of his FACE - up close and personal. GASP!! Yes, I literally gasped and she laughed a bit. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOW I said - over and over again. He looks just like... well I won't tell you... I've got to keep you wondering about some things right??? :-)<br /><br />But that sweet face was absolutely beautiful to me. It was as if seeing him in the way made him even more real than he already is. And then it came to me "Fearfully and wonderfully made". And so that is what I think of every time I see his face - which is posted up in my bedroom for me to look at often (she was kind enough to give me a printout).<br /><br />From that moment on, emotions ran the gamut. I was humbled. The Lord had chosen me to carry this person that He loves so much already. Would I be a good mom? Am I ready (too late now.. LOL). Three more months and life as I know it today is a WRAP. :-) God.. what were you thinking???? Are you sure about this??? You might be laughing and I did too, after I came to my senses.<br /><br />But even in the midst of these emotions, I heard the words ever so sweetly whispered "fearfully and wonderfully made" And I tell you friends, my thoughts turn in to words of Thanksgiving! Thanking the Lord for allowing me to experience ALL of this process. Thanking Him for knowing all about Baby G well before he made it to my womb because I will definitely need some help in figuring him out. :-) Thanking Him for giving me a glimpse of the "knitting" process. I could go on and on but I'd run out of space. :-) But you are welcome to continue. I know how it can be when you think about the Lord's goodness. So with that, I will end this post but not the praise - "Your works are wonderful... I know that full well"<br /><br /><br />Until next time<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-72466294674076868292010-08-22T20:25:00.000-07:002010-08-22T20:39:44.096-07:00A Second LookBaby G makes an appearance for the second time<br /><br />I made it! It's still Sunday right? :-) This will be short and sweet - not much has happened this week. Baby G is very active and we have enjoyed watching the show. Yes, you can actually see him moving from the outside now! A-MAZING! We have given him a personality already and we like to say what we think he is doing and thinking when he is moving around. It can be pretty funny! Baby G will surely be a happy baby because we DEFINITELY love to laugh around here. :-)<br /><br />So this week I will get to see him again - if he would be still. :-) I go for another ultrasound on Tuesday morning. The last time he moved around a LOT, even standing on his head once (I've got it on dvd to prove it). But, I am looking forward to seeing him.<br /><br />Besides the photo op, it should be a quiet week. I'll update you on his progression next Sunday. Until then, Baby G and I hope you all have a GREAT week!<br /><br />Until next time....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-7402498990197351892010-08-16T13:27:00.000-07:002010-08-16T14:58:23.211-07:00It's about TIME<span style="font-weight: bold;">Timing is everything for this expectant mom</span><br /><br />Hey there! I know I know, I am off the schedule. Well I have a very valid reason as to why I am officially 2 Sundays late. Are you ready? Well as we used to say as kids in a good game of Hide and Seek "Ready or Not - Here it comes" :-).....<br /><br />So what has been the hold up? I will tell you what.. Time. It hasn't bowed down to me lately and and we haven't been in agreement. It keeps going and I haven't been keeping up with it very well. These last couple of weeks have been busy. As you all know, I celebrated my birthday Friday before last. - August 6th. I had a great day and night. Thanks to all who sent B-day wishes my way! I went to a Drive-In movie for the first time ever (WAY COOL). The weather was quite cooperative with a nice breezy summer night. The movie itself was ok but the whole experience was great! It was a double feature but by the end of the first I was nearly falling asleep and we still had about 45 minute trip back home. But for those in Nashville, I highly recommend Stardust Drive-In in Watertown, TN.<br /><br />Everything was going well the remainder of the weekend, until Saturday night. That's when Time and I started to become distant. We'd come home late from another evening out, only to find that the air conditioner in our residence had decided it had enough. The Nashville heat had knocked it out for the count. We managed to make it through the night but something had to be done on Sunday (whose weather wasn't too kind). After contacting out landlord, we spent most of the day copping free air from the mall only to find it even hotter in the house when we returned. Needless to say, we needed another place to stay because did I mention that I was pregnant and heat and pregnancy have NOTHING in common!! Thank GOD for family in the area which provided us a cool spot to lay our heads.<br /><br />What we thought might be a small problem with the unit, turned in to a 4 day stint. We didn't return home until Wednesday, August 11th. Which (if you are keeping track) was our anniversary. For me, not being in my normal environment throws me off kilter a little bit. There was no schedule anymore, no rhyme or reason to anything, we were just making sure we stayed cool and had something to eat. I had to make several trips back and forth to the HOT house to get things that I needed and to let the people in to work on the unit. By the time, Wednesday evening rolled around - we were determined to do SOMETHING to celebrate. Although the air was fixed the house hadn't yet cooled. So we caught another movie.<br /><br />Thursday - Saturday came and went with me trying to play catch up on what I didn't do the previous Sunday through Wednesday. Saturday, we stepped up our game a little and did a little in-town getaway for our anniversary. I am told you have to do these things before the baby comes because apparently some think that your relationship will cease to exist after that point. Not buying it though! LOL. But there you have it! Time slipped right through my fingers and the next thing I know it's Sunday again and after another event to attend there was no blogging. But I was determined to make it happen today! <br /><br />All in All August has been a good month so far. Next week I get to see my little person again! He has been quite active these last few days (for which I am thankful). I am officially 24 weeks - which I believe is the start of 6 months (I think - wait a minute - YOU are supposed to be doing the math! :-)). Things are still going well and the days are coming quickly. Before we know it, it will be December and it will be time to welcome Baby G to the world. I'm so excited to see who he will look like - me or Ezra or a hodepodge of both. Hmmmmm... sounds like the makings of another wager to me :-)<br /><br /><br />Until next time....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-45685142991186338132010-08-01T18:44:00.000-07:002010-08-01T19:10:32.920-07:00A Date To Remember<span style="font-weight: bold;">Upcoming milestones create exciting month for Expectant Mom</span><br /><br />Since I just posted on Wednesday, this one will be short and sweet. Today is Sunday August 1st. I love it when a month starts on Sunday or Monday. For some reason, I feel like I can start over or begin something I need or want to do with a clean slate. But even more than that, August is my favorite month of the year! <br /><br />This Friday, August 6th - I will turn 35! It's considered a semi-big birthday to some and just another day to others. But EVERY Birthday to me is GREAT! I love birthdays and really don't understand why some people don't like to celebrate them. I love my birthday and I love to celebrate others on their birthdays. I try to remember EVERYONE's birthday. I love to call them on their day and they have no clue how I remembered. I hope that makes them feel very special and that makes me happy! But back to MY day or my month should I say :-) August is not only my birth month but on August 11th I will celebrate my wedding anniversary as well. My mom's birthday is on the 13th. I have several friends who share August birthdays and anniversaries, so it's just a good month.<br /><br />In addition to all those birthdays, I get to see my little bundle again. I go for another 3-D ultrasound on August 24th to get more pics of his nose and his face, just to insure that all is developing well. I am not worried about that. I am just excited to be able to see him again and he will be much bigger and stronger which will be so cool to see.<br /><br />So as always, August is going to be an exciting month for me. Lots of things and people to celebrate and I am looking forward to it. I hope your month will be just as exciting and I know for some who follow this blog - it will be, with birthdays and anniversaries to celebrate as well! <br /><br />Until next week.....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-75504212860661777832010-07-28T12:40:00.000-07:002010-07-28T13:42:18.097-07:00Pregnancy has its privileges!I'm late I know. :-) But where do I begin? In my last post, I revealed the gender of Baby G. In case you haven't kept track, I'll catch you up. We're having a boy! An already VERY active baby boy! If he is this active now, I can only imagine what he might be like when he gets of age to get into something :-) Thankfully I feel some sort of movement everyday. While it used to be just after I ate, on some days, he is busy ALL day long. What is he doing in there?? I wonder. And the stronger he gets it seems the more active he is - or maybe it is the fact that I am just able to feel him more. Who knows! :-). <br /><br />At any rate, Baby G is doing well. We do have a name, though I am not quite ready to reveal it to the masses yet. I'll probably save it for a later post. If you ask me privately I'll tell you though. It's just some thing about putting it in print that I am not sure I am ready for just yet. But its coming. If you've talked to me personally since we found out the gender, then you probably already know the name. But I do plan to blog about it later on.<br /><br />As for me, well I am definitely enjoying being pregnant. I told a friend on yesterday that if all pregnancies were all like this one (so far) I think I can handle it. :-) And being pregnant DEFINITELY has its privileges. I think after Baby G is born, I am going to get one of those pregnancy contraptions that the men can wear (so that they can identify.. yeah right) so that I can keep the perks coming! LOL. You might be laughing but if you've been pregnant, you know what I mean. Everyone wants to do EVERYTHING for you. What do you need? Here - I'll carry that. Would you like to go before me? Don't get up, I've got it. And it goes on and on and on and I LOVE IT - Who wouldn't??<br /><br />I was traveling from IL back to Nashville a few weekends ago and the line for the ladies room at the gas station where we stopped was pretty long. Apparently there was some problem with another restroom that is usually operating. Well I had to "go", but it wasn't that bad. So I had moved up in the line until there was 1 before me to go and a stall had come available. "Would you like to go before me", the lady asked. "You look like you probably need to more than I do". At first I was taken aback thinking why would she think that?? And then I realized as I looked down at my arms folded over my little protruding belly. OHHH thats why! "Oh no thank you! I can wait. Thanks though!" I responded. Wow.. I thought - that was nice. When I got back in the car, I told my husband what happened and said "I could really get used to this!" LOL <br /><br />But the one that I enjoyed the most recently was at Cracker Barrel on Sunday. I like CB alot and enjoy it as regularly as I can. :-) It's like home cooking without me doing it. But as we all know CB on a Sunday mid morning is CROWDED. And this was the SECOND one we went to (what can I say, I had a taste for Cracker Barrel). Ok so to set up the scene -it's about 11:00am and its HOT outside. So NO, I was not going to be rocking in nobody's rocking chair today. Apparently everyone had the same idea because the waiting area was packed. Which is not hard to do considering CB has filled every piece of empty space where a person doesn't stand with knicknacks and miscellaneous items to lure you in. But I digress. Anyway, the wait was only supposed to be 15 - 20 minutes so I figured we could wait and I could stand... in my low heels... so I thought. I was doing well, keeping myself preoccupied with people watching and strolls down memory lane (we were standing next to the 'old school' candy and soda stand), when I realized that 15 min had come and LONG gone and we were still waiting. I had just told Ezra that I was about to create a seat on the soda box that was beneath me (I had already checked for it's sturdiness - LOL). Then the Customer service manager came up to me and said "Would you like a seat?" "Well Yes ma'am! If you don't mind, I sure would" I responded. "That is no problem at all", she said. So she goes into the dining area and grabs a seat and brings it back to me, as everyone looks to see where the chair is going. "Thank you SOO much!!", I said. "Oh no problem at all. Would you like a biscuit also, maybe some water?? I know how it can be." A biscuit??? Some water??? Ooooo Lady, you are making this too good for me. But I declined. The seat was great and I would be eating soon enough. :-) So now I am sitting (thankfully) and Ezra had gone to check on the wait again. While he was gone, an elderly man came by and chatted me up about how crowed it was. We laughed a bit and he was off (he had already eaten). But then another older lady came by (I was starting to get nervous that these elderly people would be jocking for my seat - HAHA. I would have given it up. My mother taught me well). The lady though leaned down and whispered something to the effect of "It's nice being pregnant now, isn't it" I laughed heartily and said "yes it is!" Yes, it is.<br /><br />Yes - Pregnancy has its privileges and great for me, I still have about 4 more months to enjoy these perks!! :-)<br /><br />Until next time.....<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-34479582871298052942010-07-15T10:02:00.000-07:002010-07-15T10:18:32.331-07:00The Last AirbenderAs promised, this is a special edition of the Baby G Chronicles! :-) If you have been following the posts, you already know Baby G's gender from the title! Yes, my friends, I lost the bet and we are having a BOY! :-)<br /><br />I had originally written this up at about 11:00am - right after my appointment. But my computer died on me and I lost everything. So instead of the lengthy response I had before, you'll get the quick and dirty version.<br /><br />Yes Baby Boy G is ALL Boy! We saw proof :-) He moved around SO much that the Ultrasound Tech said "he thinks he must have somewhere to go". Every since I felt recognized his movement, I told Ezra that he was a "mover". Well today he was everywhere, flipping and all. She even showed us once where he was "standing" on this head. A busy body already!! He will definitely keep us young - chasing after him! :-)<br /><br />But now that that part is over - I am relieved. I will have to use another post to tell you how I kinda knew deep down inside that it was a boy - just from some things that happened to me over the past few years, but I was still hoping for a girl. I am VERY happy though. Everything looked good and that was really all I needed to hear.<br /><br />Until then, on to the next phase - SHOPPING!! Oh and I guess I need to check the local movie listings to find out the next showing of the Last Airbender. I am not a sore loser. I pay my dues.. Plus I get to eat movie popcorn which I love. So I guess this is a win-win for everyone. 1 Big Man, 2 Little men and me. Is this the "prequel" to my life's movie??? LOL<br /><br />Later!<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-44945768101660658702010-07-11T18:36:00.000-07:002010-07-11T19:23:24.541-07:00Movement in the strangest placesThe day was Thursday, July 8th and the time is around 12:00 noon. The day was a preparation day. I had just come back from Augusta on Monday and spent the next two days working through a laundry list of activities to complete before we headed out of town again on Friday. I was mostly done with my list. Thursday was going to be relatively light which I was happy about. I just needed to do a few more things - one of which was to get my hair cut for the trip. I like to keep it shaped up and looking nice - especially for a business trip. I had an appointment for 11:30am.<br /><br />I was running a little late but I got there around 11:40am. No worries, because I knew I would have to wait a bit anyway. There was someone in the chair before me and another guy waiting. The guy waiting was holding the CUTEST little baby girl! She was a little "chunky" baby with a head FULL of curly black hair. She actually belonged to the guy who was already in the chair. She was a sweet as she can be. She didn't notice me until he was getting ready to go and was putting her back in the car seat. She had to be about 5 months old I guess. Her car seat was close to me and that is when she noticed me. She put on the sweetest smile. I thought "surely, I'm having a girl - after all this HAS to be a sign right???" LOL. The father noticed that I too was expecting an asked me when I was due and I told him. Even once he put the baby in the seat, she would look back up at me. See, she's staring at me - that's proof... LOL Anyway, her name was London - which I thought was very pretty and seemed to fit her. They packed up and were off. <br /><br />I waited a little longer until my turn and when it was time, I was called to the barber chair. I took my sat and settled myself as my barber finished up his conversation with the last client. He had turned on some music and I sitting waiting patiently when I felt IT. THUMP! WOHHHHHH What was that??? Was that what I think it was??? BUMP! BUMP! EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK That IS what I think it is!!!! I finally feel it moving AND I AM IN THE BARBERSHOP!!!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?????? LOLOLOL. <br /><br />I always thought when that magical moment happened, I would be at home or in my car, or just somewhere else actually. Never did I think, it would be the barbershop of all places. But I didn't let on that anything happened. I just sat there with a goofy smile on my face thinking - "I'm finally feeling my baby move.. HOW SUPER COOL!!!! :-)<br /><br />So how did it feel to me??? . Butterflies - NO (Who has ever had actual butterflies in their stomach????) Popcorn popping - NO (I read this on BabyCenter.com and thought unless you are a bag of popcorn, how would you know how that felt????) No, it felt like it was supposed to feel - like there is something MOVING inside of you. I knew exactly what it was when I felt it and have loved feeling it every since! <br /><br />It was SOOO very exciting though! A day I will never forget for various reasons - (location being one of them :-)) And I love feeling it every day which seems to be when I am sitting still, right after I eat AND when music is playing. I noticed that over the weekend. We don't play much music in the house and I mostly listen to Talk radio when I am in the car - so maybe it may have happened long ago - if I were playing the right tunes.. LOL. But from Thursday through the weekend- there seemed to have been a pattern that many times music was playing - he or she was getting their "groove on"in there. I don't know - maybe I am carrying the next great music star!!<br /><br />Speaking of He or She - Don't forget Thursday, July 15th is the day we find out!! I might cheat a little and do the blog that day or maybe I will make you wait until Sunday :-). Ezra and I have a friendly wager going. If it's a girl ( my thought), he has to go see Toy Story 3. I figure its only preparing him for things to come. :-). If it's a boy (his thought), I have to go see The Last Airbender with him and my nephews. I guess this one is preparing ME. LOL<br /><br />Until Thursday!<br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-12084529657506222552010-07-07T18:06:00.000-07:002010-07-07T19:17:41.029-07:00There is no place like HOME<span style="font-weight: bold;">A trip to the old stomping grounds proves you can go home again</span><br /><br />Whoever said "You can always go home" was absolutely right! At least for me they were right. I'm a little late on my post because I was actually out of town on Sunday. I ventured down to Augusta, GA - my hometown - for the July 4th holiday. It was good to be home. I slept in my old bed (well not completely but it is in my old room and in the same spot as my old bed - you get the idea :-)). All was going well until it was clear that I wasn't 10 anymore and Baby G would require a little more space for tossing and turning. I ate some GOOD food - grits, eggs and sausage and toast for breakfast one day, a shrimp omelet on another. BBQ ribs, BBQ Chicken, squash puffs, shrimp and wild rice, cold slaw, collard greens, baked beans and a homemade peach cobbler (read it and weep :-)) to top it all off. Yes, Yes, Yes, it was SO good to be home.<br /><br />N<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3FJKdsfvFyRkZ0378KTVWxR3ik_jOva-VngAqEekSxRHevy_OXHZzzjaUsBCbTv9WT9L8rMvp8k53B1j-k_JXYl89dJIS3XD6P7Tqe5AkhykQ_6lYPNOl7kLsTpmexcbmeMnXIYFK8s/s1600/100_1294.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3FJKdsfvFyRkZ0378KTVWxR3ik_jOva-VngAqEekSxRHevy_OXHZzzjaUsBCbTv9WT9L8rMvp8k53B1j-k_JXYl89dJIS3XD6P7Tqe5AkhykQ_6lYPNOl7kLsTpmexcbmeMnXIYFK8s/s320/100_1294.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491344562978794626" border="0" /></a>ot only did I eat well, I spent some nice QT with the folks. My folks are tickled pink that I am having a baby. Mom just kept giggling. Dad snapped a picture with his phone as soon as I walked in. Baby Girl is having her own baby. I think they are probably as shocked as I still am LOL. But it is all good. :-)<br /><br />While there I started to reminisce of my own childhood. The games we played in the yard, the friends I had growing up. Everything seems so much smaller now - but I know that is only because I am bigger! We rode by my grandmother's house (Dad's mom), which had been torn down completely. It is just brush and weeds there now but ohhhh what memories we had from that house. It was sad to see that it was just an empty lot. I will just point to where it used to be for my children, but I can definitely fill them with great stories about our time at Grandma's house. It was really the only way to get me out of bed on Saturday morning - literally. We also went to my other grandmother's house (mom's mom) which we are trying to rent out. Many great memories still came flooding back again. Yep! It was good to be home.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWR1D-IC84GoRjTrb92DwT3M8T2IryNNlbBfImNYCplnppwJsluoN1kRs_J-_HQBTyuV-3RaLk9NFC6_20kG-IzKosf8tqrigg15tua2h9O1j9xJRH-g3FKdt9oiFfMykUdVHt_NrBJv4/s1600/Playpen.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 179px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWR1D-IC84GoRjTrb92DwT3M8T2IryNNlbBfImNYCplnppwJsluoN1kRs_J-_HQBTyuV-3RaLk9NFC6_20kG-IzKosf8tqrigg15tua2h9O1j9xJRH-g3FKdt9oiFfMykUdVHt_NrBJv4/s320/Playpen.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491347129037788546" border="0" /></a>Thanks to Mom and Dad, I have my first two baby items. Never did it become so apparent that I am really having a child than <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-EdTOOY_amepEn2-U_bcSEECffJrVVLvcd4dJoXBv7Rq2QRgteHBziFg1UTkvDPpAZuRtBdB_TUT3tbqiePdmsCCm4Fl1QeTYp5_7bUOBIfMAWr77fY4HnI77-dJKi2lR2Vzr7jmZek/s1600/Cadillac+Stroller.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-EdTOOY_amepEn2-U_bcSEECffJrVVLvcd4dJoXBv7Rq2QRgteHBziFg1UTkvDPpAZuRtBdB_TUT3tbqiePdmsCCm4Fl1QeTYp5_7bUOBIfMAWr77fY4HnI77-dJKi2lR2Vzr7jmZek/s320/Cadillac+Stroller.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491347863748596610" border="0" /></a>when packing up the playpen and the "cadillac" (3-wheel walking stroller) as my parents call it. This time I wasn't taking this to my house to hold it for my sister (who has the kids in the family) or to give it to one of my friends. No, this playpen and cadillac were going to my house and staying... SAY WHAT?????? LOL Yes, they were staying. Now THAT started to make it real for me! Ezra took it out of the car on Tuesday morning and put it in the office for now. Tux (my pooch) went immediately to it to sniff it out. Yes Tuxy, it's staying and so is this person growing in my tummy. But how he will adjust is for a later post.<br /><br />Yes, Home is definitely where the heart is - Home in Augusta and Home in Nashville. It was good to go home and it was good to come back. November will be here soon enough, when Mom and Dad will come to stay for a spell to prepare for Baby G's arrival. <br /><br />Until then, as it all settles in that I will soon be a mother myself, I'll let the time with my parents linger with me, creating exciting thoughts of my child who will create their own fond memories with my parents. I only pray that I will instill in them the values that my parents instilled in me - one of which is the fact that yes, you can always go home!<br /><br /><br />MarciaM. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-88681495889125687912010-06-27T18:49:00.000-07:002010-06-27T19:07:16.657-07:00A new study to reveal Baby G's gender<span style="font-weight: bold;">Tests will confirm 'boy' or 'girl'</span><br /><br />Hello Hello Hello! It's been a good week! I had a doctor's appointment on Thursday. I heard the heart beat again - which I might add is quite surreal. It was a STRONG heartbeat that I was happy to hear. I tell you, the time between those monthly visits can really wreak havoc on your mind, especially until you start to feel the baby move (which I have not yet). But I am managing to get through it :-)<br /><br />The doctor said all was looking good so far and we set an actual date for the 3D ultrasound and to find out the Baby G's gender. July 15th is the Big Day so be on the lookout for the post that will come after that. You still have time to place your vote on the ballot box to the right of the post. So far Girl is winning. I knew I liked you all for a reason - as they say "GREAT MINDS think alike"! :-)<br /><br />Well this will be a short post. Not much happened last week.. it was pretty quiet for me and Baby G. But I am sure things will "kick in" (pun intended) over the next couple of weeks. Until then... we're off to get some sleep!<br /><br />Goodnight!M. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-58410464775546398762010-06-20T16:58:00.001-07:002010-06-20T18:06:27.295-07:00DESPERATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />EXPECTANT MOM TAKES MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS<br /></span><br />I'm back! Albeit a little late but I'm here! I quickly realized that Wednesday posts are probably not going to work for me. Well at least this past Wednesday surely didn't. I sat at my computer for almost 10 hours straight (with breaks here and there) reconciling the books for our business where 2 transactions were off. If you know anything about me, you know I wasn't going to rest until I found them - which I did! Needless to say, by the time I was done, the next thing I wanted to see was the darkness from under my closed eyelids! And so after I was all caught up there, the next couple of days were spent catching up on all that was neglected on Wednesday. Yes, I would say Sunday afternoon is probably the best bet for me.<br /><br />Last Wednesday, I turned 16 weeks. Prior to that, I spent much of my time, fighting the outbreaks on my face that seems to be magnified with pregnancy. Pimples everywhere and to top it off, I had a canker sore - or fever blister as we used to call them back in the day. YUCK! I felt so terribly unattractive and spent much of my time trying to find home remedies to get it gone like yesterday. I was familiar with some medications but as a first time pregnant lady, I am cautious about everything... Was I supposed to eat that, drink that, ooh no... Is my baby ok I ate that apple TWICE today! LOL Ok the apple was an exaggeration but you get what I mean. So I asked the pharmacist at the nearby Walgreens what I could take/use - because you know, I'm pregnant. (HAHA) So she tells me Abreva is good and it's topical so it won't harm your baby. GREAT! Where can I find that? Last aisle up against the wall. SUPER! Thanks. So I stroll over to get the Abreva and go on my merry way to fast healing of this "beauty blemish". Hmmmmmm Abreva.... Found it.. Great.. wait a minute ...TWENTY BUCKS???????? Are you insane??? Where is the CARMEX??? It's topical.. doesn't that have medication in it somewhere? So I quickly put the Abreva BACK on the shelf and start perusing the knock offs! Hmph- I have used Camphophenique years ago... Yeah... Let's go with that AND a thing of Carmex for good measure!<br /><br />Other than that, I am still doing well. I did throw up maybe twice the last week or so. That darn sinus drainage has reared its ugly head again. I still haven't felt the baby yet, though I do keep looking out for it. It may be moving and I am just totally oblivious (which seems to be what my mom thinks) but I truly am waiting, sitting still, lying still, all the still I can be, I have been.. so far not so much.. You'll be the first to know when I feel it. Well maybe somewhere in the 1st line up.<br /><br />For those of you who aren't in Nashville, it is HOT here.. Not even the first day of Summer yet and we are already hitting the late 90s. I'm told it is supposed to be 100 tomorrow. While the heat doesn't completely turn me off like some people (since I grew up in GA, this is Spring compared to there), I have never been hot and pregnant. THIS is going to be different. I had come to terms with how I would manage everything until it came to my hair. What will I do with this all summer and on top of that, when the baby comes?? The in between stage was not my friend and braids were not in my budget. Putting heat on it to curl it and keep it straight sounded HOT and trying to twist it every night sounded tiring. I was almost at a lost and getting desperate but old faithful stays in my back pocket. Yes everyone... It's gone! Bye Bye, See ya later, chop chop!! The Friday before last I had my barber of 11 years come to my house and cut my hair off (Thanks Mike). Yes I said 11 years. The first time I went "natural" He cut my hair and has been cutting it ever since. "Don't ever cheat on your barber" Ezra says. I learned that lesson the hard way one Valentines day - but that is for a different blog. But yes, its gone and I'm free and LOVE it (as I always do when I cut it). So I'll leave you with a few photos of my hair and the beginnings of Baby G poking through :-) See ya next week - Probably on Sunday to be safe.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4EjpyX4sEo6aMDsL0Moka6vUqRJdsK_K0QK1FAQuZDFsbSn-BLmVmvTlKXK0hl4FtVmtd02SNYHDiregDD_WZA1Ognve1_dcI3Fsm0JBqN0xTRAbsoBYV6Wi5MuUVnaIpmzaLZPdsIM/s1600/Marciashort2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS4EjpyX4sEo6aMDsL0Moka6vUqRJdsK_K0QK1FAQuZDFsbSn-BLmVmvTlKXK0hl4FtVmtd02SNYHDiregDD_WZA1Ognve1_dcI3Fsm0JBqN0xTRAbsoBYV6Wi5MuUVnaIpmzaLZPdsIM/s320/Marciashort2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485022337102354978" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqvzB1DGqo31n04jBqotfktrv-931jCsW6SLBi5l1yII8YpIoiYYHBOF37oGh4J5oLk9NEpzOdwsXoKM2qiAG_xDKgNzgKc7rebhdbEvHKZeu6ZBJ2n9YL5YgkjJDpVAt6QnLTxMezCA/s1600/Marciashort1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqvzB1DGqo31n04jBqotfktrv-931jCsW6SLBi5l1yII8YpIoiYYHBOF37oGh4J5oLk9NEpzOdwsXoKM2qiAG_xDKgNzgKc7rebhdbEvHKZeu6ZBJ2n9YL5YgkjJDpVAt6QnLTxMezCA/s320/Marciashort1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485022672896588802" border="0" /></a>M. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6000241835948997548.post-47673402536371753492010-06-09T20:03:00.001-07:002010-06-09T20:43:26.582-07:00Expectant mother blogs about her experience<span style="font-family: georgia;">Welcome to the Baby G Chronicles! I created this blog in an effort to "chronicle" my journey to becoming a mother for the first time that I can share with family and friends, including some pics along the way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I named the blog The Baby G Chronicles for many reasons. 1) The Chronicles of Baby G was already taken. 2) I like the word "chronicles" - it sounds big time and not too many people use it. 3) it brings back memories of my hometown newspaper - named the Augusta Chronicles. I like the whole newspaper feel of it all which is why my post names will look more like headlines that regular titles. Neat huh?? 4) It explains precisely what I will do here - chronicle my life and the life of Baby G. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">And so it will go.. I will try to blog once a week on the day I turn the next week in pregnancy weeks. If that makes any sense at all. My tracking date is Wednesday for all intents and purposes. So today, I am 15 weeks pregnant. Next Wednesday, 16weeks. So I will try to "chronicle" on Wednesday or shortly there after. But for now... let's get started.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Week 15 - I will keep this brief because its late - its the first one and I'm sleepy.. LOL But as I stated, I am officially 15 weeks pregnant. A little shy of 4 months I suppose. Which reminds me.. NEWSFLASH (no pun intended.. or maybe it was) WEEKS is the new way of counting how far along you are. Every time someone asks me "how far along are you?" And I say "oh I am so and so weeks" I get a response "tell me in months I hate when people do weeks" Well I hate to break it to you, but that is how the doctors do it these days so that is what you will be getting from me! It's roughly 4 weeks in a month - you do your own calculations. I am saving my brainpower for something more useful -it's a precious commodity these days you know?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, I feel great! I didn't throw up too much. I had little to no morning sickness, just a nasty sinus drip that would cause me to gag and then throw up (was that TMI? - sorry). But other than that, I was/am good. I was winded sooner than expected.. I thought I had to be WAAAY bigger for that to happen but my OB says some ladies experience it early in the pregnancy. I guess that "some" would include me this time. And so far I can't even stand the THOUGHT of chinese food. Just thinking of it makes me want to hurl. But besides that, so far I am eating regular foods. I could do a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit daily for some reason but I limit myself.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I would venture to say that my pregnancy (PRAISE THE LORD) has gone quite well so far. I really haven't even snapped on anyone (well that one time in Walmart - but not since then). But you could ask my husband and sis and those who are around me most and I think they would agree with me. So maybe the snapping comes a little later in the pregnancy. Who knows.. this is all greek mixed with swahili to me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">I haven't felt the baby move yet though I get mixed info on that. Some say I should feel it already (just the butterflies) some say it's still too early. Though I bought in to the "I should feel it now" and could have SWORN I felt something earlier today. Maybe that was my food digesting. I should probably wait a few weeks huh?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Well that's it for now. The next few weeks will be exciting. Week 18 is the big 3D ultrasound. We are scheduled to find out the sex then too. I am SURE and would love a girl but Ezra is SURE it is a boy. We will see.. Care to place your wager??</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Goodnight!</span><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;">Marcia </span>M. Gipsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13357342281795688790noreply@blogger.com7