21 Weeks & Feeling Great!

I have been feeling really great these past several weeks. I'm so grateful! I felt so good after my first trimester with Cam, so when I didn't start feeling better by then with this pregnancy, I was a little worried. But I'd say around 18 or 19 weeks, I got that little burst of energy. The nausea has pretty much ended, and I haven't been feeling all of those stretching/pulling pains that can be really annoying! Baby is really active, she puts on a show for us nearly every evening! Hopefully she won't be too fussy in the evenings when she gets here!
My friend Jenn brought me her bassinet today that we will use for Baby. Thanks Jenn! Our main office told me today that a 3-bedroom will mostly likely open up for us in mid-January....great timing, huh! So I'm really not doing much as far as decorating until we move, sad!! The move will be pretty easy though, probably just across the lawn! Since Cam is still in the crib, we aren't going to buy any crib bedding right now for her. She'll probably use the Papasan and the bassinet for the first few months, and then we'll get Cam switched over. They won't be sharing a room now (atleast not for the first year), so I'm trying to think of fun color schemes for her room. Any ideas? Anything but baby pink!
So for those of you who took birthing classes, did you find them useful? I didn't take one, but during labor and delivery, I remember thinking that it wasn't a huge deal, and I wondered what people learned that was so valuable. Not to mention, I didn't think ANY sort of special breathing would have made some of those contractions any better!! Let me know!!

Just for Fun....

Nate and I have 2 girl names that we're pretty set on, although we're not sure which one we'll be using yet (you might hear me randomly call her one or the other just to feel them out). But I still want to hear some suggestions! What Girl Names do you like??

A Hot Topic....

This morning I was watching Good Morning America, and they were talking about working moms vs stay-at-home moms. So I'm just wondering what your opinions are on this topic??
Here are my thoughts, and you are welcome to agree or disagree with me!!

In general, I think that children should be raised by their OWN parents. I feel that if parents make the decision to have a baby, then it is their responsibility to raise it, not somebody else's. Children DESERVE to be raised in a loving environment where they can feel safe and valuable.

However, I understand that it's not always possible for a mom (or a dad) to stay at home with the kids. But this is also where it gets blurry.....because it becomes an issue of whether both parents are working because they HAVE to or because they enjoy a lifestyle that can accompany duel incomes. It's a tricky issue. In most cases when the couple is young and trying to get on their feet, it becomes necessary for the wife to work while her husband is in school. In fact, I think that is a great idea for wives to help hold the family above water while the husband is getting an education (or vice versa if the mom is in school....I know a LOT of women who are in school while their husbands are home, especially around here). I don't think that moms who work are "bad moms" or are selfish. Most of the time, they don't even want to be working, but they are doing what their family needs at that time. I have been babysitting for about a year now, and I've made a point to only babysit children who's moms work only part-time, or they or their husbands are in school. I also don't see a problem in mothers working (perhaps part-time) once all of their kids are in school for the day.

But it breaks my heart when I see overly career-driven women who drive VERY fancy SUVs and shop at expensive stores and have large, luxuriously-furnished homes....but they never see their children. I've seen children call their nannies "mom". That's when it becomes an issue of selfishness vs necessity. I just think that some people aren't willing to give up the "luxuries of life" to stay at home. You might not have the biggest house on the block, have the designer clothes or drive a BMW, but I think true happiness comes from making sacrifices for your family and spending time with them. I have a friend who's mother-in-law makes her feel like a failure for being a stay at home mom. She thinks that "successful women" should go earn degrees and have driven careers while a nanny raises the kids. So sad, I think.

Now, that being said, I will admit that staying home all day every day is NOT easy. When Cam was 3 months old, I went back to work 2 days a week until he was a year old. The extra cash was nice, but we didn't NEED it to survive. Looking back, I think I did it mostly to "get out of the house" and feel "useful". I decided to quit when Cam was a year old, and it was a real struggle for me. I loved the idea of being a stay-at-home mom, but at the same time, I struggle with it. I don't enjoy being home all day. There are days I want to go back to work. But I know that Cam (and now Baby) need to be raised by their mom and need to feel that security. Nate and I made the decision to get married and have children, and in my opinion, I am obligated to raise my children. It's a real sacrifice for me some days. I get tired of playing with cars and Legoes and watching Signing Time day after day after day after day.....and wiping bums and noses and doing laundry and dishes. I pray daily to find JOY in that....but I know it's what the Lord wants me to be doing. He has provided a way for me to stay home, and I am grateful.

I would LOVE to go back to school someday. I have always planned on returning to school when the kids are grown, or perhaps do some online classes when they are in school or something. I don't think that moms should stop learning EVER.

And my final note is that I think the word "mom" in this post can be swapped with "dad" in any case. I know a few stay-at-home dads who raise the kids while Mom goes to work. As long as they feel that is best for their family, I think that is excellent.

Cute Outfits

I just bought these....only $4/each! They are size 6-12 mo, so I can just put a white onesie under them (my daughter won't wear tanks alone, Nate and I have agreed on that). CUTE, huh!! I will probably hit Target on Saturday and then I have to STOP!!!!

LOVE these!

I'm taking Bethany's great advice and just going to splurge on an outfit. I thought I'd have to spend some cash, but look what I found at Target, I LOVE THESE, and I am going to go get them soon!!
So the question is, what size? Should I get them in newborn or in an older size that she might wear for longer???

Resisting

I am having a hard time resisting the urge to go out and spend every penny in our bank account on Baby Girl clothes! I'm going to the outlet mall in Park City on Monday to do a quick errand, and I have a feeling that I might have to stick around and browse a bit....maybe I should leave my wallet at home?? So many people have offered to let us use their baby girl stuff, plus with her being due right after Christmas, I expect that we will have PLENTY for her, atleast for the first few sizes. It's just hard to resist....
Although today I went through all of Cam's baby clothes and organized them all to either give away or sell, and it was a little bit hard to be getting rid of his stuff. I think little boy clothes are SO CUTE. But we just don't see the point in keeping it boxed up for another 4 years or so....and our 3rd could be another girl anyway. So we might as well free up the space, and let some other little boys wear it all.

She's a Girl!

I wanted to blog the details of today on our family blog, so I will do that tomorrow, but obviously I had to mention on this blog too!
We all guessed right....good job! We've decided that for our 3rd and 4th, we aren't going to find out...fun!