Pregnancy Update

Looking down at my desk and seeing my calendar read "FEBRUARY" kind of freaks me out a bit! Where is the time going? January was a jam packed month filled joy, laughter, tears and pain. Highlights included the birth of Grace Makenah and Lily Sue, as well as our church's One Thing week. Denis and I also brought in the New Year in Watertown NY with the Christopher Hopper Band. We spent new years eve in a quite dorm room talking about what 2010 will bring, while watching TD Jakes online :) What may sound boring and lame, was actually the best new years eve. Just me, Denis and Norah. (and TD Jakes!)

Seeing how time is just flying by i thought i would give a little bit of a pregnancy update cause before i know it, she will be here! Don't think there will be much time for blogging once our little one arrives. (but I'll do my best, mom)

Here is an overview of being a human slow cooker for the past 7 months:

First Trimester:

How i told denis: To make a long story short...it was a Sunday and i was really sick. just didn't feel right all day and ended up throwing up in the evening while Denis was out with Larry for dinner. I asked him to come home since i didn't like being alone when i was sick. He walked in the door and asked me to take a pregnancy test. I refused. I was so sick of taking them and i didn't have any in the house anyway (purposely). I tried convincing him i just had a little bug and that i all i needed was soup and Gatorade. So he drove to the store, picked up soup, Gatorade and SIX pregnancy tests. There was no convincing this man otherwise, so against my will, i peed on those ridiculously expensive sticks! :) I put it on the window sill while i washed my hands. When i picked it back up just 60 seconds later and there were 2 bright pink lines. First reaction= freak out. i thought "i have to push this thing out!" second reaction= pure joy. a feeling i can't describe. Third reaction= dang it, i have to go in there and tell denis he was right. And that is just what i did. I walked into the living room where denis was listening to Stevie Wonder (so fitting)...he looked up and smiled (like he just knew) and i told him he was going to be a dad. He FREAKED and started saying "i knew it!" I crawled up on his lap and we just held each other. I wish i could have frozen that moment in time. We laid around on the couch the rest of the evening dreaming about our little baby.
Her first Nickname: Olive-- given by Rachel, Christy and then again by Meghan Moody. The reason behind the name, because she was only the size of an olive when we started telling people we were expecting. I loved it, Denis hated it. Never once called her Olive.
Favorite Food: nothing. absolutely nothing. i lost all sense of hunger and eating was a form of torture. I would cry at the thought of it.
Favorite memory: Seeing her for the first time. We had our first ultrasound at 10 weeks. Seeing her little self up on that screen was breath taking. watching her move....wow. i still am in awe of it all.
Least favorite memory: having to sleep downstairs for a month because the upstairs of our apartment made me sick...sounds weird...but it was true. and my incredible hubby slept next to me on our lounge just so he could be in the same room as me!
Things i avoided: The smell of coffee and anything from a cow (besides milk...which i drank ALL the time...) Both made me gag until i threw up. And of course, coffee and steak are 2 of denis's favorite things. I am so thankful for an understanding husband.
Hardest part: Having "night" sickness. I was fine all day. I was sick from 6pm to 7am.... like clockwork... but i did help that i wasn't sick at work or church. so that was a perk.

Second Trimester:

My first trimester i had convinced myself that i would never get pregnant again. My doctor promised me that i would start feeling better by week 14. I prayed he was right.

he was. at 14 weeks and 1 day, everything changed. Life was easier. Sleeping was possible. eating was...well...i never did regain my hunger, but when i had to eat, it was easier.
Favorite food: Pizza. (but that was no different than the last 28 years of my life) I also loved Raisin Bran. I would eat it every night for dinner.
Favorite Memory: Finding out she was a "she." Leading up to our ultrasound i was starting to get second thoughts about finding out. i just wasn't sure i wanted to know. But denis NEEDED to know (he is the planner of our family. he read all the books, got the weekly updates and researched everything before we registered..not your normal dad!). She didn't cooperate very well at our ultrasound. it look our tech a while to figure the sex out since she had her little lets tightly crossed. My little lady :) But when she said GIRL...my eyes filled with tears and i just stared at Denis trying to get a read on him. "i have a daughter" is all he said. it was all he needed to say. love him. I would also have to say that feeling her move is at the top of my favorites list. Now that she is bigger, it feels so incredibly crazy. but i still love it so much. Denis said i won't be saying that when i am 38 weeks pregnant and trying to sleep.
Least favorite memory: All the worrying. i shut down before every dr's appointment cause i was sure i would go in and get bad news. but with every visit the good reports kept coming. now i actually look forward to seeing the dr. (who we LOVE...we our dr. specifically so we could deliver at Unity. He is awesome. Denis and I are so pleased...).
Things I avoided: people's birthing stories. for me, ignorance is bliss. I keep telling myself that my body knows what to do, and my doctor knows what to do....there are only a few people i have asked... and even then, i don't go for the whole story. Amy has told me the most and i only pray i am as strong as she was through it all. I will have Denis take pointers from someone besides John though :) JUST KIDDING JOHN! (Arby's)
Hardest Part: having people ask me if this is my first....never quite sure how to answer that...

Third Trimester:

I have only been in my third trimester for a week now. That is still freaking me out a bit. I was telling Amy the other day that i am going to miss being pregnant. It is something i have grown to LOVE. The only time i feel "bothered" by it is when i want to sleep on my belly. There are so many pillow in our bed now that i have a hard time knowing if denis is even in the bed with me... So we try to have time each night without the pillows so it isn't like we are sleeping alone. It doesn't help that the man needs his own body pillow as well. aka: the mistress.

Things i am looking forward to:
My baby showers
Birthing classes
Our next ultrasound appointment
Getting her room ready
Kissing her little face.
Watching Denis hold her for the first time.
Being a mom

That's where I'm at. 29 weeks pregnant. Monday we leave for our "Babymoon." Our last trip just the two of us.....even though technically she is with us. She is just really easy to handle right now. :)

Christmas Vacation 2009

This year we decided that instead of using our Christmas budget to buy a bunch of presents, that we would instead all pool our money and rent a cabin and go away as a family for a few days. We are coming to the end of our stay, and i must say that this was one of the best decisions that we have ever made as a family! It has been completely relaxing and we have made some wonderful memories as a family.

in honor of the Christmas season, i will share "a few of my favorite things" about our Christmas.

My favorite moment:
watching Denis with harmony. i love the way she just adores him and calls for him when he leaves a room. she would climb the stairs each morning to go and wake him up.

My favorite Christmas present:
A new vacuum cleaner!!!!!!!!! lame i know...but i am super excited about it.

My favorite meal:
Fried turkey and mac and cheese. so delicious. so incredibly delicious.

My favorite competitive event:
Playing Wii. on the game Wii Play, there is a shooting game similar to "duck hunt" (for those of you who remember that Nintendo game) We played it over and over and over again. the only person i couldn't beat was Rachel. but i think she was cheating.

My favorite holiday dessert:
My mom's classic peanut butter cookies topped with a Hersey kiss. definitely had some for breakfast. i am positive that i gained the weight my doctor insisted i gain in just these past 48 hrs.

My favorite decision:
Allowing time for the things that are most important. i have barely touched my phone or my computer since we arrived. Posting pics on facebook and writing this blog has been the extent of my social networking. plan on keeping this up throughout the week.

Here is a belly pic of me on Christmas day at almost 23 weeks. i have only taken 2 belly pics, so i don't have much to compare myself too. I have definitely noticed this week just how much different i feel. breathing is getting harder, walking up and down stairs leaves me incredibly short of breath, sleeping is getting increasingly more uncomfortable, and i have found i am carrying low so shirts are starting to ride up and show my belly. Denis and i are going to stop at the waterloo outlets on the way to watertown to see if i can find a few more tops to get me through these next few months! Our next stop is Watertown for the week. We are recording a live album with Christopher Hopper. I am looking forward to spending time with some of my favorite people. My biggest fear right now.... Amy going into labor while I'm away. I can't wait to meet Baby Keller! (aka: little bean)

"You make all things new..."

6 months...it has been 6 months since i last posted...and what a six months that has been. There is no way i am even going to try to fill you in on the craziness of life. I can only sum it up in the simple lyrics of my life's song:

"You make all things new, and I will follow you forward."

That is basically where i am at. Moving forward. Plain and simple...not always easy, but none the less, what needs to be done.

Another line of the same songs says this:

"You have risen, with all power in your hands. You have given me a second chance..."

This past years highest high and lowest low wrapped up in a simple phase. Most of my blog followers know that this past year Denis and I lost our first baby. I can't believe that at this time last year i was pregnant and didn't even know it. I carried the baby for 6 weeks before losing our first little life that was given to us for such a short time. But the power of life and death are held only by the Father's hand. In hinds sight, i know now that our first baby had a life and a purpose, and it fulfilled his or her purpose before God took them home. Save in the arms of love. We miss him/her everyday, but we know that their little life changed ours forever. And that is what i cling to.

But as i said before, our God is a God of second chances. We found out in mid-august that we were pregnant again! It has been a wild ride, but i am happy to say that we are almost 22 weeks along and our Doctor has said time and time again that she is PERFECT! Growing perfectly, developing perfectly, and a perfect little beating heart. Hearing the sound of that little heart beating practically takes my breath away. One of the greatest sounds i have ever heard.

We found out the day before Thanksgiving that we are expecting a little girl! We almost didn't find out cause she had her legs tightly crossed and wasn't budging. But our incredible ultrasound tech worked her magic to confirm my "gut feeling" that i was carrying our little Nora(h) Kathleen! It is crazy how much i love her already. I started feeling her right at 20 weeks. It felt like being on a roller coaster at first, now it is kicks. When she gets going, she gives it to me. Denis hasn't been able to feel the kicks yet, but Rach swears she did! Right Rach!?

I promised my mom that i would keep this thing updated so she can have another way of stalking her second grand daughter :) So i am going to try and do my best! Here is a picture of our growing girl!

New Look

New look for me and my blog. :)

Headed to Jamaica on monday!!!!! pictures and stories of our vacation to be posted soon!

John Keller... roasted

For all you "Office" lovers out there :)

the other night, The Kellers, The Shipmans, and well... A Johnson all got together for another little get together. It was a nice of laughs, jokes, GREAT food, dogs getting stuck in the dishwasher, and well... Roasting.

Amy did cook a spectacular roast, but there was another kind of roast going on as well.

We Roasted the one and only John D. Keller. oh yes. and boy did i have fun preparing my roast. I actually am going to share my roast with all of you.... well... at least MOST of it. there are some things i absolutely could NOT share here in a public fashion.

So here it goes.


Before we officially begin, let me start by saying that just recently, one of my favorite things about John has been his status updates on his facebook. They are ridiculous to say the least. But i can't stop reading them. So i decided that my Roast would be in the form of status updates :)

John is sitting down to dinner with all his favorite people…
and Rachel.


John is the funniest guy he knows.


John is reading books about vampires when no one is looking.


John giving his wife a loaf of bread before she goes for a walk, not to feed the birds with, but to break up into little pieces and drop as she goes so he can find her later.
*or he will just check chili automotive


John has never regretted letting Becca drive his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Never ever.


John shaves his head…
kind of.


John is spending a quiet night in snuggled up in bed with…
Beckett.


John is taking a shower thinking of what he can break to prove a point.


John in bed showing Amy how much he loves her…
House.


John has asked two people at this table out on a date.


John is gazing at his wife’s ring thinking “third time’s a charm”


John is not deaf… just really really REALLY mean to Becca.


John is thinking of getting his doctorate so he can become the next Mr. Wes.
* His camp will be called Circle D.
D is for Danger

John is running to the baby room to respond to an “emergency”
*followed by giving a 5 minute lecture about “the boy who cried wolf”
ok ok john… we get it. RELAX


John is voting for Obama.
Yes we can, Yes we can, YES WE CAN!


John is your mom


John is BOOM…roasted



So after we all Roasted john, it was John's turn to rebuttal ... He was VERY prepared. He too had a power point presentation :)

First up was Denis:

These apparently these are Denis's inspirations, past and present.

Denis has always been John's favorite Wayan's brother!

Next up: Rachel and Mike

um...not sure if i am going to explain the reasoning behind this picture... YIKES.

John making fun of Mikes obsession with an Iphone

Again, not going to explain this one either.

Rosa Parks :)

John roasting Amy's fear of cats.

The roasters of the evening :)

Thank You, Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving, for me, is just one of those holidays that usually come and go for me. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE spending the day with the Johnson's... my mother-in-law goes all out for dinner! My personal favorite is her Mac and Cheese...yes...we have it for thanksgiving. Some would say it's a bit non traditional, but it is the Johnson favorite.

This year the whole Thanksgiving experiance has just been so different for me. Maybe it was the fact that I have been talking about it for a week and a half now with my kids, or the fact that the Shipmans are here to enjoy this season with us, or maybe it's the fact that we are having Thanksgiving dinner at my house this year. In fact, as i type denis is busy in the kitchen getting things ready :). Maybe it is a combination of all these things and more...it is just that this year...things feel different.

I decided at the beginning of this week that i wanted to take this holiday season to gain perspective. To REALLY stop and think about what i am thankful for. In order to do that, i removed some things from my life for a season (like myspace and facebook that always seem to be calling my name) and use my down time to try and take in the big picture. I have come to the conclusion that i am so incredibly lucky. I have an loving husband, wonderful friends, and i am a part of the greatest family ever. So i would like to take the opportunity to say Thank you...

To my Family:
I look back on my life and i see a house that was filled with laughter. Laughing with all of you is my favorite thing. Whether its when we are playing games, or dad telling his silly jokes, or when someone says something completely ridiculous and we can't contain the urge to make fun of them for it! (90% of the time, it is rachel or i saying the ridiculous thing...shocking i know!) I look forward to the holidays when all of us can be in the same house. I love what our house sounds like when all of us are there. I love the way mom will cook all of our favorite foods. I love the way dad sit at the table just a little longer than usual to be with his kids. I love the way Allison loves to organize our big outings and our games. I love the way Josh just shakes his head at this giggling sisters. I love the way Denis and Mike will hide downstairs because being around the Freer woman just seems a bit overwhelming. I love the way Rachel tells stories from our childhood like they just happened and laughs as if it is the first time she has told it. I love harmony and they way she expanded all of our hearts. We love her in a way we never thought we could love. So to my family. Love isn't a strong enough word to express what my heart feels toward each of you. I am so thankful to call you mine.

To my Friends:
Each of you are my living, breathing treasures. Each and every one of you hold a very significant part of my heart. I love that i can be myself with you and that you love me just the same. Flawed and all. I used to think that the more friends i had, the better i would feel. So i tried to maintain all these friendships because i thought i would find purpose in that, but i never did. These past few years i have learned that it is about quality, not quantity. I consider myself so lucky to have each of you in my life. To amy and john-- for always making me laugh, even when i don't feel like it. John, you are like a brother to me. thank you for always bringing me back to reality. Amy, thank you for all my "free refills!" Your timing is always perfect. To Jaime-- thank you for giving me the excuse to escape life and revert to my childhood. To Heather-- thank you for a continual shoulder to lean on, cry on, and laugh on. may our quote book continue to grow. To Finer Things-- We declared that 2008 would be best yet! Thank you for all the many meals we have shared, for our conversations and our inside jokes. I love you all!!! To Leandra-- i don't deserve all the love you give me. I hope to someday return to you all the love you deserve. To Kelly-- May God continue to show His faithfulness. I stand firm believing that your best is yet to come. To Christy-- i'm not even sure where to begin...thank you for being the best listener i know. i don't know where i would be without you. To Aimee and Shane-- COME BACK! I miss you terribly...

To my Pastors:
Pierre and Marlize-- For so long i dreamed of being a part of the Fathers House. I consider it a privaledge to not only serve with you, but to call you friend. Here's to many many many more years of ministry and friendship together. We love you both!

and last but certainly not least...

To my Husband:
You are my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, my toughest critic, and my greatest treasure. Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you THANK YOU for choosing me. Being your wife is such an honor. I love you more today than ever. Thank you for sharing your life with me.

** when i started writing this blog, it was early this morning, and i had to put it aside to prepare for the day. I am currently ready for bed after a very successful thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Transformation?

Two years ago exactly i posted a blog titled "how much have i changed in 10 years" I answered a series of questions as though it was 10 years earlier, and then i answered the same questions for what was then, present day. I thought it might be interesting to see if much has changed in just two years. Here we go....

*** i have left the answers from two years ago for comparison purposes :)

How old are you?: 25 1/2
--- 27 1/2

Where do you work?: Pearce 4 Kids
--- Pearce 4 Kids, The Father's House, RachelAnn Photography :)

Where do you go to school?: NO WHERE! I actually teach school now....look how the tables have turned!
--- I still don't go to school, even though i practically live on RWC campus.

Where do you live?: North Chili NY
--- North Chili, but I've lived two other places in the past two years...

Where do you hang out?: church mostly. and applebees! :) and at home with my hubby
--- I'm still at church quite a bit, but at least we aren't doing six services a weekend anymore :) other than that, you can find me at Mike and Rachel's playing hide and seek with Harmony.

Do you wear glasses? still don't wear them...don't even have a clue where they would be....
--- i have come to the conclusion that i need glasses... i have a hard time seeing the menu on my TV....and seeing street signs... i wasn't a licenced driver two years ago!

What is your hairstyle?: semi-long, and brown....not by my choice though...just the way it turned out when i colored it myself.
--- jut below the shoulders, newly brown, done by a professional :)

Still talk to any of your old friends?: Just a few of them. I guess only a few decided to stick around! :)
--- facebook and myspace are a wonderful thing (mostly just facebook these days), but they have really helped me stay in contact with alot of my high school friends. We have our 10 year high school reunion this summer...wowsers...

How many piercings?: just my ears still....but if you ask John, my voice is piercing as well...whatever!
--- still just my ears...but not my voice :)

How many tattoos: none!
--- still a big no!

What is your biggest fear?: Losing someone I love
--- still my number one fear....

Has your heart been broken?: Yes
--- yep

Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter: MARRIED!!!!!!!!! to the most wonderful man alive. we are coming up on our 4 year anniversary!!!! I am so lucky....
--- proud to say i am still married to my best friend. My love for him grows everyday. I am still So lucky....