He has dropped!

I've been meaning to blog about a few things, but keep getting distracted.

The newest news, I've "dropped" (that means he's lowered his head into the pelvic area & is ready to come out). Well, that's what the doctor said. He's definitely head down. So, it really is anyday now. Whenever these Braxton Hicks contractions decide to become REAL contractions.

Yesterday, we had one of our childbirth classes & we got to tour the Labor & Delivery area at the hospital. It was really cool. I have to tell you all though, I got a little panicky when we were in the delivery room. It was a little warm in there, but then all of a sudden I realized I'm going to be in that freakin' bed soon! Then it was really hot in there. lol. I was able to keep my cool, but ahh! I'm really going to have this baby! (I know, I'm a genius! lol) As we were ending the tour & heading back to class, we walked by the nursery & one of the couples that is the class was there! She had her baby the day before, crazy!! She was a month early. Talk about making it real.

I figured out a way to describe how it feels. It's like going on a roller coaster. You think it's a great idea & waited in line & are all excited, now you're on it. Then you start going up, clunk-clunk, no big deal your still close to the ground, but after 8 months of clunk-clunk, clunk-clunk, you start to think, "well, this is pretty high, huh?", clunk-clunk, "what am I doing?...", clunk-clunk, "ummm.... maybe they can let me off...", "i don't think i want to do this", "ahhh". (lol). It's that nervousness. BUT as I was describing this to Corey last night, I realized THIS! When you get off the roller coaster (heck, after the first dip sometimes) you are so excited. You may be a little shakey, but you are sooo happy that you did it! You almost can't wait to do it again.

I don't know if the roller coaster should represent just the delivery, or all of parenthood, but I feel better. I am excited to deliver him & I can't wait to meet him, for real, for real.

I wish my friends could be here when I have him. I know some of them are coming eventually & that I'll visit some of them eventually. but you know, right?

Alright, well, I have a few more things to write, but they'll have to wait until my camera is charged so I can add the pictures that go with those things! So check back soon!

34 weeks!

I don't have too much to write, except that I am so stuffed with this baby, that I think he should come soon. hehe I'm sure it's not comfortable for him either!

Okay, so I make my dear sweet husband take millions of pictures of me, so I can find a few useable ones. He's getting really good at photography & directing me into poses he knows I'll like. He is so good to me. So here are the latest pictures or as he likes to call them Pic-toe-so-s.

33 weeks!!

So, It's been awhile since I wrote on the blog. I didn't really feel like there was a lot of things happening, but OH that is not the case ANYMORE!!

I had been praying for snow all winter (not in SC everyone said) & guess what I woke up to this morning?? The blessing of SNOW!!! There is about an inch or two on the grass! YAYE!! If I talked to you about my desire for snow, you know how much this means to me!!! hehe

I'm like a giddy little kid! I know this might sound a little crazy, but I really feel like this is a love gift from God. A little gift showing me I am loved by him. I love it. Thanks God.

Okay, so here's a picture Corey took through the window (he refused to come out & play, I guess he's too used to waking up to snow).

This was Molly's first time in the snow. She didn't love or hate it. She actually rolled around in it, I couldn't catch it on camera, it was funny.

William Update:

He's growing well, perfectly according to "fundus height" I'm not sure what that means. lol. He is starting to kick a teeny bit less, because he is getting very cramped in there.

Actually, the other day I was cleaning & he pushed a heel or elbow or something out. My whole belly was round except one area there was a very defined bump sticking out a lot! It was crazy, unfortunately he was too camera shy to let me catch it on film. hehe

We started Childbirth preparedness class a couple weeks ago, we have a class tonight. It is such a great class, the RN teaching it is sooo FUNNY! Totally frank & we love that. It's also good in that I feel a lot more confident & prepared for labor, motherhood, breastfeeding, & etc. A lot of the stuff we go over, I've already read, but it's more reassuring hearing it from an RN. lol.

God has really comforted me that I am made for this. That children are my passion & that will roll over in a lot of great ways into parenthood. PTL!!

Check out this Belly!!

Look at that belly!! oh yeah I'm so pregnant! I am having a hard time believing I still have 9 weeks left. I think he's comming early, but I'm sure every pregnant woman thinks that. lol.

We are ready for him to be here already, but we do still need to get a few things first. I want to have everything ready for him before Febuary (because, like I said he's coming early, lol).

ah, I'll keep this short, I'd rather be taking a hot shower, lol. Hope you all had a wonderful New Years!!

*Did you make any Resolutions?

None for me, I'm just going to keep with what I've got going on, trying to be healthy & responsible.

30 weeks!

30 weeks!

I cannot believe it! This trimester was supposed to go by the slowest, but it is flying by! We start childbirth preparedness class in Jan. We're hoping to make some friends through that. William's room is starting to come together. I have a friend coming up who is going to help me paint. There are a few things that we would like to have still (rug, dresser, etc.) but in due time, right?

William is still moving around like crazy. I have taken to talking to him. My favorite thing to do lately is just sit or lay and feel him move back and forth while I read or watch TV. Corey found a new trick, he takes a flash light and holds it to my belly to get William to move. lol.

So, I've got to bust myself out... I was a grouch. I was getting really caught up in the stresses of life & was totally not focusing on enjoying everyday. It was really getting me down & then there was that aha moment. I am so thankful for that aha moment & my Corey who was gentle in guiding me to it, instead of being a punk like I was being. lol. I was focusing on the negatives & stresses, instead of making the best of things & remembering how much we've accomplished. I'm a recovering perfectionist. I am so glad that God overcomes that. Perfectionism is so frustrating & tiring. It's nice to take my issues to God & have him really help me through prayer & reading the bible. Have you ever struggled with perfectionism?

Alright, I'm off to get some ice cream (you know, William is taking 150 mg of calcium from me EVERYDAY now, so I need to up my calcium intake & what a better way than with ice cream. My favorite is Breyer's All-Natural strawberry or mint. lol). Here are some pics from Christmas.

The Boeckh's

Corey & I decorate a Gingerbread house every year!

Corey opened Swing Kids Sountrack

Hideous picture, but I really wanted a little swiss army knife, so happy!

Christmas Parties

I love the Christmas season!
It doesn't fully feel like real Christmas-time, for many reasons. I didn't fully decorate the house & we aren't getting a real tree this year (we are NOT scrooges, ok maybe we are) & I have yet to put out our little fake one. I think not being back home makes it not feel like Christmas too. Reason being is when I lived in Fairfield, I'd go out all the time with friends & you're surrounded by holiday stuff. Not so much here. I stay in a lot more & even when I do go out, there aren't a lot of stores that inendate me with holiday stuff.
Anyway,
We did have a couple of Holiday get togethers so far.

1)20th EMS Kids Holiday Party (corey's work's party for the kids of the squadron)- Yup, we do not have kids & we went. lol. I want to get to know people in general & moms specifically, so I volunteered to bust out my face painting skills I picked up from working in Childcare. Then I volun-told Corey he was helping me, but really he was excited to do it. lol. We were a hit. Some kids came to us 4 times (cheeks & hands) & even most of the parents got their faces painted. lol. I did meet some cool moms & one even offered to give me some of her son's hand-me-downs!!! SCORE! It was really fun.

2)Theresa's Cookie Exchange Hooplah- okay so technically I don't think it would be considered a hooplah per se. lol. A few friends came over & we ate cookies, snacks, drank sparkling cider, decorated sugar cookies, & chatted it up. A full party it was not, but fun we did have. lol

3)20th EMS Adults Holiday Party- Yeah... this was a little depressing. lol. It was in a wierd cold, scary place, bad food, really bad music, boring host, & no bar. Not that I really care about the bar right now, but it would've been nice for the others. Tickets were only $1, so that's not bad. They could have made it a lot nicer if they charged more & I know people are willing to pay more for a nicer party. Corey's all about getting on the planning comittee for next year, lol.

Ok, quick William update for all you William Fans!
He is moving like crazy all the time! He's going to be very active, like Daddy. If you guys were here, you could probably catch him moving, it's easy to see now. He's growing fast. He gives me mild heartburn sometimes & my belly is really close to popping (kind of scary for me)! We've been taking baths almost every night, which relieves my aches & makes it easier to sleep. Yup, we cannot wait to meet William, very exciting times!

Thanksgiving Photos

Here are some great photos Corey's sister, Kelly, took of us and for us while we were in Maryland. I think she's good & I am so thankful for these photos of this precious moment in our lives.

Week 24

So here I am at the end of my 2nd trimester.

It actually went by really fast so far & I would be lying if I said I didn't have a little bit of worry that "It" is right around the corner.
I know I still have 3 months... unless he's early, which I think he's going to be, lol.
I just wonder if we will have things ready when he comes. Well, God provides, so c'est la vie.

He's moving a lot. I love it.
I kind of feel silly, because when he makes a big movement I can't hold in my reaction. I don't really remember my pregnant friends freaking out when their little ones moved. Did they just hold in the excitement/awkwardness of having a baby jumping around inside them while they were talking to someone? Will I eventually get used to it & it wont cause a reaction?

Today was the first day of my "3rd Trimester walkathon" (technically I'm not in my 3rd trimester yet, oh well).
I'm making a commitment to walking at least 1 mile a day, everyday until I deliver. I have been going on walks with Corey throughout the pregancy, but now I'm stepping it up. Lots of reasons why,
health of the baby
health/fitness of me
easier labor & delivery
something to do
energy.
Boy, did I have a lot of energy after tonights walk. I actually came home & did some dancing around the house, because I am THAT goofy! lol. Here's a pic to prove it. lol.


Yeah, that's a little embarassing...
Is it just me, or does my belly look a little fake? lol. (btw, we were washing the sheets that's why the bed is a mess. I know you didn't notice, but I'm neurotic & had to make sure you knew,lol.)

Alright, well I'm off to play XBOX with Corey. Apparently he downloaded some new stuff & I have to make myself an avatar. Je ne sais pas.

My Birthday!

Yesterday was my birthday! Because I am soo important it's also a national federal holiday! (okay, so maybe it was Veteren's Day too).

Anyway, Corey had the day off, We relaxed, ate yummy food, went shopping, watched some of the Office, & just had fun together. It was nice.

Apparently, Corey has made some plans for this weekend, but I'm not sure at all what they are, because it's a suprise! I love suprises, btw. So, I'll probably be posting some really awesome photos next week. But to hold you over... here are some pics of yesterday, including the new belly picture!!

This is kind of a bad picture, but this is my birthday cake, we got it from a local bakery, Baker's Sweets. It's yummy!

Driving to Columbia to do some shopping & starbucks!

This is my hot husband driving. He always does the driving, sweetie!

Here's the belly, getting big!

23 weeks today!

So this week has been pretty uneventful, but it passed by really fast. Corey & I both keep forgetting it's Friday! Today we went on a walk to the park with Molly, so here's some of those pictures!










Corey update:
He switched this week from graves (10pm-7am) to day shift (6am-3pm), which is such a blessing. Before he'd be switching all the time, which was hard on his body. It's also good because now we wont have issues being able to visit churches anymore. Yaye!

William update:
He is doing good, as far as I can tell. He moves a lot more than before. He's growing or at least it feels like it, because it is getting harder to breathe! (not in a scary way, in a i'm-full way).

Other updates:
It's official, I am going to begin painting our room THIS coming week!!! Yaye! I had to put it off because we had to wait for all the moving finances to settle out & because my family was here.

Speaking of which, they should be moving out tomorrow or Sunday! They will be living in Sumter, SC, which is the town outside of base. Brandon & Katie have been out of school for 3 weeks! So they need to go back pronto!

So, Can I just say I LOVE this time of year!! It kind of starts with Halloween, but it really kicks off with my birthday!! Right after my birthday is Thanksgiving (hopefully we will be going to MD to be with Corey's family & visit my grandma), then it'll be the Christmas Season!!! The shopping!
The colors!
The smells!
The music!
The baking!
Remembering Jesus being born!
Spending time with friends & family!
AHH, it's just so wonderful! I love thinking of what to buy, or make, for the people I love. I'm such a gift person, it's definitely a love language of mine. (Have you read the 5 Love Languages? If not you should! It's great!)

Well, all that to say, I'm baking up a storm lately! I'm testing out cookie & bread recipes that I am going to be sending out to loved ones! This is the first year that I'm going to be able to do that! I'm going to write out reviews, on here, of the things I bake. If it's a good batch I'll post the recipe too! Stay tuned!

One more great thing for today!

Corey felt the baby move today! We were cuddling looking at the ultrasound pictures. Corey's hand was just resting on my belly & Will decided to give his dad a high-five or something. Corey can't stop talking about it & I am SOOO glad that he was able to feel it! Yaye for today!

We're Having A...

BOY!!!

Yaye! We are soooooooOOOOOoooo very excited!

It was AMAZING seeing him in the ultrasound & I was able to see everything! I am so in love!

It's so real now. We know how we are going to so the nursery & everything already. We have his name picked out already! Mr. William Thomas Shipe, with the only acceptable nickname being Will. hehe.

He was sleeping during the ultrasound. I was able to see all his fingers & toes. When I saw his hands, it hit me, those are the little hands that I am going to pretend to eat to make him giggle!

Ah, it's so great. So now, what you're all wanting... PICTURES!

Clear evidence, no?

One more day!!

So I had my first official OB appt today. I was supposed to have it last week. It went alright. They went over my history & did a couple of tests. I've gained a total of 1 pound so far, but the baby is growing & we definitely heard the galloping heartbeat.

The sad news is we did not get to have an ultrasound, even though they said I would. The good news is that I have my ultrasound tomorrow! yaye! So hold your breath for a phone call, lol. just kidding.

I'm really excited & a little nervous. You know, it's permenant once they find that little peter or va-jay-jay. It is so exciting though.

So I'll be telling the world tomorrow what we find out, so you can check here if we don't have a chance to call you!

We're off for a walk with Molly dog.

19 weeks & kicking!

I probably should wait to post this since I'm going to have more news on Wednesday, but...
I can't.

I'm 19 weeks & this wonderful baby has started kicking away!
I thought I was feeling kicks, but wasn't sure.
The last few days, I started to KNOW it was the baby doing acrobatics.
I'm so happy!

I looked at the old ultrasound pictures and I got a little teary eyed, I can't believe it's a human being in my belly! A real baby, like the ones I see all the time, except it's mine! Mine & my Corey's.

The one person that I am closest to in the world, the person I love the most in this world, my husband and I are having a baby. Our child will represent the love between us. Ahhh! I love it.
This is such a blessing. I feel very lucky to be able to have this. All of this. But, I know it's not luck, it's a blessing from God.

So, I'll be posting another post Wednesday & hopefully there will be ultrasound pictures, but if not, this pic will have to hold you over, the belly IS growing!