If you're a bird, I'm a bird

We slept in later than we were planning, but still made it to church at 10:00am. We went to Church of the Nations today. The sermon was about the Holy Spirit, which is funny because the church we were attending was also doing a series on the Holy Spirit as well. One church was Southern Baptist and the other was Assemblies of God. Needless to say, the interpretation was different...I grew up A/G and attended an A/G Bible college in Florida. Joe and I attended an A/G church here in Athens for over a year and a half. It's in my blood and it is where I feel comfortable. The congregation and music was lively. I'm used to an altar call (a call to action) at the end of the message. Our pastors used to say, "If you can't stand up in here, what makes you think you are going to be able to stand up in the world?" The congregation was multi-cultural (Hispanic, Asian, mixed families, Caucasian, African-American). The service ended about noon, which included communion and praye...

Joe came home from work at a decent time on Friday afternoon so I asked if he would go with me to the pool. Joe has pale skin and burned a lot as a kid so swimming in the sun takes persuasion. Being in and near water was how I was raised so I have a hard time understanding his lack of interest. It took some spontaneity, but he willingly accompanied me. We swam in the indoor pool first using the kick boards and doggie paddling up and down the lanes. Then we went outside so the sun could dry us off. It had rained the night before so I didn't even attempt getting in the outdoor pool. When we were both hot again, we decided to leave to get ready for dinner. Date Night: We went to TransMet for dinner. We've only been three times in 4 years. We ordered a garlic and olive appetizer. Joe ordered a medium pizza and I ordered a pasta bowl. My pasta wasn't anything special, but I did bring the leftovers home since we paid for it. Next, we walked around Academy. We walked up and d...

Joe woke up at 7 something so I got up too. He overslept from working so long and late yesterday. I didn't make his lunch because I was still groggy myself. While he was waiting for his co-worker to arrive at the house, we talked about our dentist appts. since we didn't get to talk much yesterday. I ate a bowl of cereal and walked around the neighborhood for 30-minutes. The dogs were barking like crazy and stressing me out so I brought them in the house and made them lay in the hallway. I decided to escape to our office for some peace and quiet and drink my water. I'm trying to decide what else to do today. I'm going to make a sandwich soon because it is already 11:36. I need to get the oil changed in our vehicle and buy fuel injector cleaner for the gas tank. That is my job. I need to print some photographs for the Young Yarners. I'd like to fold the basket of clothes that are clean and put the clean dishes away in the dish washer and load the dirty ones. I need ...

My summer vacation officially started on Monday, May 23. I do not count the weekends since I have them off anyways. Monday, May 23 - I woke up at 6:15 since I had a doctor's appt. in Toccoa at 9:00. Joe had a lot to do at work so I went to this appt. by myself. We knew it was just a quick 30-minute check-up so he wouldn't miss anything. My blood pressure was higher than usual (130), which I was nervous about because I had been checking it at Rite-Aid and CVS and it was even higher than that. The end of the school year had me stressed out and we were eating a lot at school. I wasn't getting as much exercise as I should. I could feel pressure in my arms. The midwife didn't seem concerned, but I asked what I could do to lower it because I like it below 120. She said drink a lot of water and eat cucumbers and watermelons. Of course, exercise 5 days a week for 30-minutes should be done anyways. I asked several questions: body acne, which is out of control! blood pressu...

Your Baby Your Mini's hands have grown bigger and stronger and the nerve endings in her fingers have developed her sense of touch. She's in there testing out her newfound abilities by touching her face and grabbing the umbilical cord. Other cool developments: You're already raising a little Einstein. Your baby's brain is developing at a clip this week and will continue to do so until she's five years old (so load up on the Omega 3)! Baby's hair is now a short, bright white crop (Billy Idol, eat your heart out!). No matter what color it will end up—red, blonde, black—all babies' hair lacks pigment at this point. Your baby has started growing taste buds and may be able to detect strong flavors in the amniotic fluid. If you could see inside, you might catch her sticking out her tongue for a taste and then grimacing, a sign that perhaps you should chill on the chili powder. Your baby now weighs almost a pound and measures almost 11 inches from her head...

Your Body Stretch marks are the battle scars of pregnancy. Think of those tiny lines on your belly, breasts and butt with pride, not embarrassment. They're caused by your skin stretching to accommodate your growing belly—a necessary evil! The truth is stretch marks are difficult if not impossible to avoid. But, hey, even if cocoa butter isn't a wonder cure, it sure does feel good going on ... especially if your partner does it for you! And it makes you smell like a freshly baked chocolate cake! And the good news? A dermatologist can help lessen the appearance of stretch marks after your pregnancy. And it doesn't stop there. Other skin changes like acne and rashes are also common while pregnant. So if you're breaking out all over, you're not alone and it will go away. Your Baby This is the week most women get that ever-important gender-revealing ultrasound. If your baby isn't shy, the genitals can be clearly seen at this point. Will the baby pee standing...

because it doesn't have to be. Women choose not to prepare themselves for childbirth and think that they will just "wing" it or let medicine do the job. They end up having a miserable birthing experience (and probably a c-section) and just assume all women will. I don't want to hear that it was the worse pain in the world or hear your negative stories. Your experience was painful because you feared the pain. I choose to relax, be in control, and welcome the pain knowing that it is productive in order to meet my baby.  Media video about hypnobirthing on YouTube When I watched 'The Business of Being Born', which is available on Watch Instantly on Netflix, it helped my husband and I understand the role of hospitals, doctors, and medication in childbirth. We found that the medications given in the hospital end up making you have a c-section whether you wanted one of not. Your given one thing to help you dilate and then once you start speeding up, they give you...