Why must I be so indecisive??

Nick and I have been on the fence as far as inducing Emmy on Thursday ever since we completed our Childbirth Preparation class last weekend. We had to watch a video that said that "induction out of convenience is not a good reason". And that was our reason. So, we have been thinking that maybe we should give Emmy a little more time to come on her own before we "evict her" (I stole that terminology from the Landgrafs!) So, as of last night, we decided that if we are greater than 3cm at our appointment with Dr. Anderson today, then we'll move forward with the induction this Thursday. If not, we will schedule an induction on Wednesday the 16th (that's Dr. Anderson's next call shift) if Emmy doesn't decide to come before then...More to come!! Thank you so much to our cheering section!! We appreciate your love and support more than you know! :-D

Childbirth Preparation Crash Course...Better Late than Never!

We dragged ourselves out of bed early today to drive to Nashville to attend Vanderbilt's Childbirth Preparation Crash Course. We were, by far, the biggest procrastinators in the room...As we went around introducing ourselves and sharing our baby's due dates, most people were due in January, February and even March. We were the only ones to say, "Friday."

We took home a lot more than just immature laughs over the old-school birthing videos. We learned about what to expect in all stages of labor, when to call the doctor, relaxation techniques, the role of a support person (my favorite responsibility is that Nick should get on all fours for me to lean on if I should have a contraction while we are out walking), and some good advice for a smooth transition to life with baby.

Now, we are officially qualified to be parents, and we have a certificate as proof!


Nick's baby bump...He said it's a boy.


Nick enjoying his new "assets".

39 week date!

Nick and I are huge fans of comedian, Brian Regan. He has a hilarious way of making jokes about mundane things without swearing or being crass...Which, to us, is the sign of real talent! We had seen his specials on Comedy Central (and own his DVDs and CDs), but we'd never seen his stand-up act in person. We have talked over the years about traveling to see one of his shows because he has never been anywhere near us, but it has never happened. About a month ago, we decided to go on a fun date before Emmy gets here. For some reason, Nick looked up Brian's tour schedule and what-do-you-know he was to be in Paducah, Kentucky!! Only 90 miles from us! (You get used to driving long distances in search of fun when you live in a small town :-P).

So after Nick jetted home from work last night, we got on the road for Paducah! It was our intention to grab a quick dinner once we got there...Well, little did we know, we'd roll into town about half an hour before the show was set to begin. We stopped off at this little pizza parlor near the theater, hoping that we could grab some food on the run. Something you should know about the south, and particularly small towns in the south, is that people just don't seem to ever be in a rush. About 15 minutes after we had ordered (and fifteen minutes before we needed to be in our seats at the show), they were starting to prepare our order. We were the only two patrons in the place, but the three employees had spent all that time trying to figure out directions to the house of their one delivery order. So, Nick, who was thoroughly annoyed and very hungry, canceled our order and we shared a snack pack of Chips Ahoy cookies from the "concession stand" at the theater. I found the chain of events to be very amusing (Nick, not so much).

Despite our unfortunate dinner plans, Brian did not disappoint! We were rolling around laughing (I think Emmy was laughing, too, she was kicking around like a maniac!) Fortunately, the show was very appropriate even for her innocent ears! After the fantastic show, we hit up Hardees (one of the only places open in podunk Paducah at 9:30 at night). As we drove home, we were marveling over the fact that we were able to finally see Brian Regan, without traveling too far, just a week before our baby girl arrives...It was clearly meant to be!


39 weeks and feeling very ready to pop!

39 week date!

Nick and I are huge fans of comedian, Brian Regan. He has a hilarious way of making jokes about mundane things without swearing or being crass...Which, to us, is the sign of real talent! We had seen his specials on Comedy Central (and own his DVDs and CDs) , but we'd never seen his stand-up act in person. We have talked over the years about traveling to see one of his shows because he has never been anywhere near us, but it has never happened. About a month ago, we decided to go on a fun date before Emmy gets here. For some reason, Nick looked up Brian's tour schedule and what-do-you-know he was to be in Paducah, Kentucky!! Only 90 miles from us! (You gets used to driving long distances in search of fun when you live in a small town :-P).

So after Nick jetted home from work last night, we got on the road for Paducah! It was our intention to grab a quick dinner once we got there...Well, little did we know, we'd roll into town about half an hour before the show was set to begin. We stopped off at this little pizza parlor near the theater, hoping that we could grab some food on the run. Something you should know about the south, and particularly small towns in the south, is that people just don't seem to ever be in a rush. About 15 minutes after we had ordered (and fifteen minutes before we needed to be in our seats at the show) they were starting to prepare our order. We were the only two patrons in the place, but the three employees had spent all that time trying to figure out directions to the house of their one delivery order. So, Nick, who was thoroughly annoyed and hungry, canceled our order and we settled for a snack pack of Chips Ahoy cookies from the "concession stand" at the theater. I found the chain of events to be very amusing (Nick, not so much).

Despite our unfortunate dinner plans, Brian did not disappoint! We were rolling around laughing (I think Emmy was laughing, too, she was kicking around like a maniac!) Fortunately, the show was very appropriate even for her innocent ears! After the fantastic show, we hit up Hardees (one of the only places open in podunk Paducah at 9:30 at night). As we drove home, we were marveling over the fact that we were able to finally see Brian Regan, without traveling too far, just a week before our baby girl arrives...It was clearly meant to be!

38 week Doctor Appointment Update!

So, it seems we are sloooowwly but surely progressing...1.5cm and still 25% effaced. Dr Anderson said he feels comfortable scheduling us to be induced on December 10th given our progress already, if Emmy doesn't make her debut before then...I am usually against inductions because I have always believed that a baby will be born when they are ready to be, but I feel equally as strong about having Dr. Anderson deliver Emmy. After working in the nursery and getting to know him throughout our pregnancy, I agree completely with his delivery philosophy (no rushing to do a c-section for "failure to progress"!) and don't want to become acquainted with a new doctor on D-Day. So, we are scheduled for an appointment with Dr. Anderson to check our progress next Tuesday afternoon...And it seems that our baby girl should be here in a little over a week!

So Thankful

Because our travel days are over (for the time being :-P) Nick and I were so lucky to be graced with the company of Kris, JP, Andy, Claire and PJ Sacksteder this past week! The Sacksteder clan drove in on Wednesday afternoon and hung out until Sunday morning! Aside from spending some quality time here at the house, Nick helped me to prepare our Thanksgiving feast (he has perfected his turkey-carving technique!) that we shared with Matt and Marin (Molly and Sara joined us for dessert!), the boys met up with Ryan and Derek for some beers and good laughs, and we braved the crowds at the Opry Mills Mall in Nashville for some day-after-Black-Friday Christmas shopping!

Before we left Nashville, we headed over to the Opryland hotel to take the annual Sacksteder Christmas picture. We got some good chuckles out of trying to entice Andy Sacksteder to a) sit next to his family, b) sit still, c) smile for the camera. It was especially hilarious when, after we finished wrestling Andy into his own family picture, he readily sat next to Nick and I (with his lollipop prize in hand) when we took a picture to mark the occasion! Too funny!

We hope that everyone enjoyed a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday!! We are so very thankful for all that God has blessed us with--topping the list are our wonderful and supportive family and friends!


Proof of Andy's determination not to sit next to his family


Who is this strange child crashing our Christmas picture?? It seems Andy wants to be a Horn now ;-)


Group shot!

37.3 week doctor's appointment update!

I went to visit Dr. Anderson yesterday afternoon and everything is going great!! Emmy's measuring at just the right size, her heart beat is strong, and she has settled in the proper position...I apologize in advance to anyone who gets squeamish for the next tidbit of information, but because I get personally interested in tracking these things, and know that there are other nurses who are the same way, I thought I'd share...We are dilated to 1 centimeter (with the goal being 10 centimeters :-P) and 25% effaced (it's go-time at 100%) at this point in time. Dr. Anderson said that we are doing really well-especially considering it's our first baby. He predicts that Emmy will be here by her due date of December 11th...Of course that remains to be seen! :-P We'll see Dr. Anderson again next Monday afternoon to check and see how we are progressing!

Nick has been swamped at work between his acting commander duties with his current company and transitioning to take command of his next company in the beginning of January...He has his last training flight with the Regiment scheduled just a few days before our due date, so hopefully he'll get to complete it!! How crazy that a little peanut can influence so much...Never a dull moment! :-P