Adventures at the Ranch

Just over a week ago, Curtis and I returned from serving for a week at Rancho 3M in Guadalupe, Mexico. The entire week was wonderful! I saw so many evidences of God's grace while we were there. I had been pretty nervous about going, because up until the week before I was still having lots of morning sickness and just generally not feeling good through most of the day. I was worried there would be nothing really for me to do and that I would be more of a burden than a help. But I knew God wanted me to go, and He'd made a way for me to go so I needed to obey that, no matter how inadequate or ill-prepared I felt about the trip. The first morning I woke up, I probably felt better than I had the entire pregnancy. Most mornings were like that, although some mornings, I was glad I had brought my nausea medicine with me. Every morning at the Ranch, I was able to sit outside, in the quiet and spend time with God going through our devotion for the group Bible study. Those were some of my favorite moments, hearing nothing but the cows and chickens, watching the Mexican sun come up, and getting to really hear from God and listen to Him. Devotion time with the group was great. We spent the last part of it every day praying for each other, sharing scripture with each other and encouraging each other.

Most mornings, I worked with Melissa, doing crafts with the kids. It would always start out great, the younger kids would come in, sit down, usually wait patiently for us to pass out the materials. Then about 15mins later the older boys would come in, loud and crazy, grabbing at everything, but eventually they would sit and enjoy the project as well. It always amazed me at how creative the kids were. It was so fun to watch them make their puppets and turn objects into stuff that could entertain them the whole day. After lunch time, we had siesta time, which I took advantage of most days. As well as I felt, I was pretty exhausted most of the week so those naps were greatly needed. Then I was able to help with the work projects. I am very grateful that I got the chance to be apart of those projects as well. I helped to take down some walls in the elementary school and then I painted so picnic tables to get them ready for the new school year. It was nice to feel useful, even though I did have to take many more breaks than normal, but we had a lot of fun getting those walls down :)

Once we were done with projects for the day we got to hang out with the kids the rest of the night. Those were times I looked forward to the most. Most nights, i played cards with the kids for hours. They would get so excited about the games and if I won, they'd have to play again because they wanted to make sure they beat me more than I beat them, so the games would last for hours, but it was so much fun!

The last night we were there, we took all the kids on a hike up to the cross that can be seen in the distance from the ranch. The hike was a lot of fun. And it was so beautiful, every where you looked were mountains.

The whole week was just wonderful. Getting to see all the kids again, I miss them already. They're so sweet and are so willing to love you, they just come up and hug you and run into your arms. It makes me never want to leave when I'm there, and makes me look forward to the day I can return. It's awesome to see what God is doing there for the kids, to see the older ones reading their Bible, enjoying the worship service and actually being engaged during the sermon. It makes my heart happy to know they are taken care of and that the people who work there do everything they can to make sure they know Jesus. 

I cherish the memories that were made, and the friendships that were made and cannot wait till the day that I can go back, and hopefully one day can share it with my love and our son.

Here's just a few pictures from the trip:

Learning how to play spoons with the girls

This was our life most of the week, playing cards with the kids

We sang Old MacDonald with the kids using puppets

The kids loved climbing all over our guys

 This little boy was so cute, he belongs to one of the families who live on the ranch

Working on the puppets

The kids just love Tigre, the ranch cat

We did face painting one morning, all the kids absolutely loved it!

These next few pictures may be some of my favorite. One night, all the boys decided they wanted to fight with Nate, Zach and Jordan. It was by far one of the most entertaining moments of the week.

After the fighting, Nate tried to do some training with the boys, teaching them push ups, sit ups and wind sprints.

The view at the ranch most nights.

Jordan and his favorite little guy.

Beginning our hike up to the cross

Introducing Curtis Richard Norman :)

Today we had our ultrasound to find out the sex of our sweet little baby. The very first picture we saw as soon as the probe was put on my stomach, it was VERY obvious we were having a little boy :) The whole ultrasound was a very cool experience. I can already tell that our baby is gonna be stubborn, the tech had to try for quite a while to get the picture of the heart she needed. She had me turn on my side, lay flat, turn on my other side, she did everything she could to make our baby move, and he just didn't want to, but she finally got the picture she needed. I loved getting to see all the organs and the face and little hands and little feet. 

Our baby's name is Curtis Richard, after both of our grandpas. My Papa was Curtis and Isaac's Nonno was Richard, as well as Isaac's middle name. We are looking so forward to meeting our little Curtis!

So the rest of the day, we're going to finally get to do some planning. We're on our way to Babies R Us to hopefully register for some things and start working on the baby's room :)

 How far along: 19 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 6lbs
Maternity clothes: Still mostly just pants, but i do have some comfy maternity dresses that I like to wear.
Stretch marks: None so far.
Best moment this week: Getting to see that sweet little picture of our baby boy :).
Miss anything: Still missing my coffee every morning, but I'm learning to enjoy an afternoon cup while I'm at the CPC.
Movement: I'm pretty sure I've been feeling some flutters.
Food cravings: Peaches and pasta, always pasta.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Still dog food, that's the only thing that always make me feel sick.
Have you started to show yet: Yes, I definitely have a bump.
Gender: IT'S A BOY.
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Nausea and vomitting, but the last 2 days have been good, it's been nice to not be sick for a little while.
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Today I'm very happy :)
Looking forward to: Shopping for baby stuff and going to Mexico next week :)

Baby Scooter is 16 Weeks

This has been a pretty good pregnancy week. The last few weeks, I've begun to feel a little better. I still have my days when I'm nauseous, but they're getting to be fewer, which is really great. I've finally started feeling well enough to do yoga and work on the house again.

We had another prenatal appt this week. This one was much shorter, but we did get to hear the baby's heartbeat. That was pretty cool!! It's beating at a strong 150 beats per minute. And I made an appt for our next ultrasound in just 3 short weeks. We get to find out if we're having a Curtis Richard or girl name not yet chosen :) Isaac and I have both had dreams about the baby being a girl, although my mom still insist on the baby being a boy, so I don't know, but we are both really excited to find out!

Tonight, we're having our first date night that's more than dinner and us coming back and me falling asleep on the couch since I've been pregnant. One of our favorite places to go is the cinema cafe. Isaac's been wanting to see Man of Steel and I'm looking so forward to a cheese burger, so we're pretty excited about this!

Another awesome thing about the last few weeks, I had an ultrasound at the Keim Center last week. It was so cool to see how much baby Scooter had changed since the 10 week u/s. I could see the eyes and the mouth, the spine, the ribs, the arms and legs. It's still kind of surreal, since I can't feel the baby kick, but seeing the baby move was so awesome. We are so blessed already by this little baby :)

 How far along: 16 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 3lbs
Maternity clothes: I had to buy a pair of maternity jeans to wear on the plane to Mexico because I can no longer comfortably button any of my jeans.
Stretch marks: None. I bought this really good smelling stretch mark cream, so I'm hoping it'll prevent them.
Sleep: I sleep pretty good, but lately I've had really vivid dreams, an apparently I gave Isaac a bloody nose recently.
Best moment this week: Hearing baby Scooter's heart beat.
Miss anything: I still miss my morning cup of coffee. I have been enjoying a nice cup of coffee in the afternoons at the Keim Center, but our coffee maker is not making good coffee so I'm waiting till next month when we get a Kureg. Then I think I'll go back to that coffee.
Movement: None yet, hopefully in the next week or 2.
Food cravings: Pasta, I love pasta and homemade sauce. I've been smelling my sauce simmering all afternoon, can't wait to eat it tomorrow.
Anything making you queasy or sick: My dog's food, most mornings.
Have you started to show yet: I definitely can't deny the baby bump anymore.
Gender: We get to find out in less than 3 weeks.
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: The nausea and vomiting are still there, but not as bad. Exhaustion, headaches and dizziness every now and then.
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time, although I have had a few emotional moments. Isaac is learning to handle those very well :)
Looking forward to: Our date night tonight :)

Plan B, Crisis Pregnancies & My Prayers For Our Children

Most people who know me know I am pro-life. You know I volunteer weekly as a nurse at the Keim Center, which is the local crisis pregnancy center here in Tidewater. Knowing those 2 things, you can probably conclude that I have very strong opinions on abortion, contraception and sexual health on women of all ages. 

In light of that, as I returned home tonight from volunteering, seeing ultrasounds of clients who are considering abortion, medically counselling women who are in crisis pregnancies, I see this article stating that our nation's current administration has just made it OK for women (and children) ages 15 and up to obtain Plan B as an "over the counter" medication. This knowledge breaks my heart. Some you may be thinking, what's so bad about Plan B? Isn't it just the same as birth control? You may be thinking this is a good thing, one more way to prevent teenage pregnancy, one more way to reduce the number of abortions. And, you know, maybe in some instances, it will prevent a pregnancy so that girl(and yes, I used the word girl instead of woman) will not eventually get an abortion, and in some people's eyes, that may be a good things. But I want to present a different perspective on this.

I have only been apart of pro-life ministry for a little over a year so my experience is limited, but even in my limited experience I have learned more than what most people know about birth control, the lack of birth control and the choices girls and women face once their chosen method chooses not to work anymore. I have seen women ranging from ages 12 to upper 40s who are in crisis pregnancies. These women have taught me about life, about heartache, about struggle, about independence, but most of all, these women have shown me that, at no matter what age, we all want the same thing(with a few exceptions). We want love, we seek love in one form or another, young and the not so young all seek after someone to care about them, someone to marry and spend the rest of their lives with. And when that pregnancy happens, it shatters the perfect image they had in their head of what love was suppose to be. Some choose to embrace a new type of love and learn to live with their new reality. Some, however, choose to kill their baby, thinking all will go back to normal, and they can still have that picture perfect life one day with a husband, 2 kids, a house a dog and a white picket fence, but they quickly realize life will never go back to normal.

Ok, back to Plan B as an OTC available to 15 year old girls and why that is a bad thing. Medically, there are a few things I've learned in the past year about teenagers. Maybe TMI, I don't know, one side effect not often talked about of birth control pills is weakening of the cervix. The cervix function is to keep a pregnancy in and to keep infection out. A woman's cervix is not completely developed until age 21( I think, don't quote me on that, but I know it's later teen years if not early 20s). If she is taking birth control from the age of 13, 14, 15 and then taking a medicine which is stronger than birth control(Plan B) she is at a potential risk of weakening her cervix and which can cause miscarriage when she's ready to have children in her 20s and 30s because the cervix never had a chance to fully develop. Another really bad thing about this is that teenagers do not correctly use any type of birth control, ever. (That's a broad generalization but in my experience it's true). I don't think I've met one teenager who uses birth control pills correctly, or uses condoms correctly 100% of the time. So with Plan B, 1 of 2 things could happen. It's over the counter, the teen has for the 10th time chosen not to use a condom, so for the 10th time is using Plan B, exposing herself to the cervical weakening, as well as ectopic pregnancy.Or If the teenager is not using normal birth control correctly, what makes the FDA think she will use Plan B correctly? In my experience, she will not, and will still end up pregnant either seeking an abortion or going to a Crisis Pregnancy Center hopefully getting the help she needs.

Medical stuff aside, my heart is broken for the message that is being sent to teenage girls. It terrifies me to possibly raise a teenage girl in the culture we live in. Making Plan B accessible to 15 year olds without parental knowledge or consent is just one more way to tell a teenage girl to go ahead and have sex with who ever you want, whenever you want, however you want. It says, don't wait for love, definitely don't wait for marriage because who does that anymore? It says don't look for a man to respect you, don't respect yourself because he obviously will not. It says don't chase after your dreams in a healthy way. It says if you make a mistake, here's something to cover up the consequences  so no one else has to know. It says don't take responsibility for the choice you made. These are NOT messages I will teach my daughter(or son, whatever this child may be). I want so much to tell the girls who come to the crisis pregnancy center that there is so much more out there than this boy who has broken your heart, so much more out there than this moment of fear, that God has so much more planned than a life mistakes and cover ups. I will teach my daughter (or son) that God wants more for them, that he calls us to more than this world has to offer, that sex in it's right place within marriage is wonderful, but outside eventually leads to nothing but heartbreak and shame. I will teach my daughter to respect herself, and that no man is worth her time if he does not respect her and her choices. I will teach my daughter that if she does mess up, God can still redeem her. She does not need to cover it up with a pill or procedure, but that God can give her a beautiful gift of a child.

 I pray every day for our child that, in the world they will grow up in, they will fall in love with God before anyone else and seek after Him. I pray that this overly sexualized, post modern culture does not squealch that belief and faith. I pray that our children will see themselves as God sees them, worth more that a one night stand in the back seat of some guys car, worth more than selling yourself short for a guy who will not call you back or leave you at the first sign of trouble. I pray our children will see themselves how God sees them and protect the very precious gift God has given them and see that true meaning in life is finding their purpose in God, not in the things of this world. 

Baby Scooter is 14 weeks :)

The last few weeks have been crazy busy, but absolutely lovely. 

The week before Memorial Day, I spent with my family and with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Karlie, getting ready for her wedding!! The wedding may have been one of the sweetest weddings I've ever been to. It was such a fun day getting to celebrate with Karlie and Scott. She may have been one of the most beautiful brides I've ever seen; she was so excited, so bubbly, her love for Scott was so evident. I love being apart of weddings and attending weddings of couples where it is so obvious that God has brought them together and where God is right in the center of the relationship. 

The next week, our wonderful friends, Juan and Brenna and their sweet daughter Lucy, came to visit. That was a wonderful few days of catching up, shopping, a beach trip, a cookout and making fun memories with some of our best friends.

Pictures will eventually come of both weeks.

For now, there's just pictures of both mine and Isaac's baby bellies. Since he's been back from deployment and eating real food, his stomach muscles have relaxed just enough that he can push out his stomach to make a baby belly. So far, his is still bigger than mine, which makes me happy :)

 How far along: 14weeks
Total weight gain/loss: still just the 2 lbs
Maternity clothes: I've given in to maternity pants and it is so much more comfortable, I'm glad I let Brenna talk me in to buying some!
Stretch marks: None. I bought this really good smelling stretch mark cream, so I'm hoping it'll prevent them.
Sleep: If I've worked that day, I'm so exhausted that I sleep pretty good. But most nights I'm wrestless and apparently I've started talking in my sleep.
Best moment this week: Buying a new couch and starting to dream about baby furniture with Isaac.
Miss anything: Coffee, the smell makes me sick. I'm hoping that goes away with the 2nd trimester.
Movement: None yet, hopefully in July.
Food cravings: Anything cold, like berries and frozen yogurt, and chips and salsa.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes, coffee and the tube feeding from the hospital.
Have you started to show yet: I definitely can't deny the baby bump anymore.
Gender: We'll find out next month.
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: The nausea and vommiting are still there, hopefully they will go away soon. Exhaustion, headaches and dizziness every now and then.
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy most of the time, although I have had a few emotional moments. Isaac is learning to handle those very well :)
Looking forward to: Hearing baby Scooter's heart beat at our next appt in a few weeks.

Introducing Baby Scooter Norman

The last few weeks in the Norman house have been crazy, wonderful, busy, and absolutely some of the best of my life :)

Easter weekend Isaac and I moved into our new house. After packing and cleaning, cleaning again and unpacking, we are finally somewhat settled. The whole week before we moved, I was tired, a little more moody than normal (which I attributed to the stress of moving) and was constantly hungry. The whole week Isaac told me I was pregnant. I kept telling him I wasn't, but that Sat, while Isaac was on duty, I decided to take a test. When I saw those 2 pink lines, I could not have been more excited! I told Isaac on Easter morning and so our journey began.

I felt pretty good for the next week or so, which was good so I had energy to unpack the house some before the morning and all day sickness began. I'm hoping that will stop in the next 2 or 3 weeks, at least that's what most people tell me should happen so I'm pretty hopeful :)

We had our first u/s today, and I'm 10 weeks a long, and due Dec 5th, another Dec birthday in our family. I'm hoping Taylor will be ok to share, maybe she'll think she's getting a baby cousin for her birthday.

Since all our family and a lot of our friends live so far away and it's hard to update everyone, I'll try and post regularly here. Hopefully next time, I'll have a little baby bump to post :)

 How far along: 10 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 2ish lbs
Maternity clothes: none yet, hopefully that won't be for a while
Stretch marks: None
Sleep: Some nights are uncomfortable, and I wake up when I move, but while I'm sleeping, it's been good.
Best moment this week: Seeing our sweet baby's heart beat and little arm buds moving on u/s
Miss anything: Coffee, the smell makes me sick. I'm hoping that goes away with the 2nd trimester.
Movement: None yet, it'll be a while before that.
Food cravings: Pizza and carbs. There's a wonderful bagel place besides the Keim Center that I am enjoying getting a blueberry bagel from on Wed mornings.
Anything making you queasy or sick: Yes, coffee and the tube feeding from the hospital.
Have you started to show yet: I have a little baby bump, but I think it's just fat, I don't think it's an actual baby bump yet.
Gender: Not yet, but early July, we should find out.
Labor Signs: None
Symptoms: Nausea and exhaustion, and headaches when I don't have time to drink enough at work.
Belly button in or out: in
Wedding rings on or off: On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy pretty much all the time, esp this afternoon after seeing our sweet baby.
Looking forward to: The lovely second trimester :)

Bebo Maternity Shoot

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of doing a maternity shoot for my sweet friend from work, Lynsey, and her husband, Jason. Lynsey is about 39 weeks along, so I was glad baby Jordyn didn't decide to come before I could get some pictures of her sweet baby belly :)

It was one of the first pretty days of {almost} spring. We went to Oakgrove Lake Park in Chesapeake, and it was such a perfect day for pictures. It was a fun afternoon and I enjoyed getting to know Lynsey, Jason  and there dog Rambo a little better. Baby Jordyn is due next week and all of us at work are looking so forward to meeting her :)