We are obedient owners

Mark and I admit it, our cats have us trained.
Mackey and Moe play fetch and catch. They bring their little toys to us and then start off in the direction they want us to throw the toys. Then they bring it back for you to throw it again.
Another fun activity is throwing the toy into the air and then watch the cat jump up for it to catch it - either with his mouth or in his paws - imagine a dog catching a frisbee and that's pretty much what it is like.
Occaisionally, I'll round up all of the toys and put them away on the bookshelf in a big crystal vase - it doesn't take long before you see one of them picking out a toy from the vase and bringing it to you for another game of fetch.
Although they drive us crazy sometimes, Mackey and Moe are a lot of fun!

better safe than sorry

Saturday started out being a typical, uneventful day. We needed some stuff at Target and wanted to eat in Little Rock. We drove up in the afternoon, on the way up I occaisonally felt some back pain, I told Mark that my back was hurting, didn't think too much of it. I didn't really feel that great - which is not that unusual these days. We went to Chi's (chinese) to eat and while we were sitting there I kept noticing that my back pain would come and go. After a while I realized that it would come in a wave and then subside. It was what I only could describe as contractions - just guessing since the miscarriage was different.
So, by the end of the meal(or should I say Mark's meal - since I really didn't eat but a few bites) I decided that I should probably start timing the pains.
We did go ahead and go to Target, the pains were from 3-8 minutes apart. We drove home, still having the pains, but now they were consistently every 2-3 minutes apart - I was starting to get a little nervous.
When we got back, I called my OB/GYN and he told me to head to Labor and Delivery at the hospital. By the time I spoke with him, it had been about 5 minutes since the last pain.
While I was being checked in(three hours after the pains started), I felt a couple more pains, by the time I got up to my room - I really wasn't feeling anything.
They did a UA and that was fine, they hooked me up to the "contraction monitor" and we listened to Matthew's heartbeat and him kicking for an hour. No pain or contractions the whole time. A doctor's visit, three pelvics and an hour and a half later - I was on my home.
I'm glad that I called - but, you know, I just felt like an idiot. I felt like I had to prove that I really was having pain, and it really was every 2-3 minutes. Oh, well, it was a great relief to know that everything was fine, we are very thankful for that!

blue dodge spirit

Blue dodge spirit - a call him my arch nemesis when commuting. This old guy drops someone off at the university, presumably for class every morning and picks him up every afternoon. He drives the road that I do to about my halfway point to work - which is about 20 minutes. I wouldn't mind it so much except for the fact that he always(and I do mean always) drives at least 5-10 miles under the speed limit.
It is so frustrating that I leave for work early so that I won't have to encounter him on my way to work.
So, that is how I know that summer is over, I met my arch nemesis on the road when I was coming back from work yesterday ---------- and he had a line of about ten cars behind him.

An attitude of gratitude

Taking a cue from Leanne, I realize that I, too, am too often negative or sarcastic about the goings on down here (i.e. the path that God has currently brought us to). I really do want to develop a thankful heart and project a thankful attitude to those around me.
To me, it really doesn't count to say that I'm content when I'm getting the things that I want - how do I know that I'm content if life is as I think that it should be?
With that said, here is my list for right now. I would like to do this periodically - more for myself - to see it in writing, than for anything else.
1. ...for my godly husband. What a blessing to know that I can trust and respect his judgement - even when he tells me what I need to hear - not just what I want to hear.
2. ...for Mark having a job that he enjoys and not having to have taken a temporary, one-year position like most people in his position. Meaning - we would have just finished moving again - to who knows where.
3. ...for living in an area where housing cost are reasonable - so that I don't have to work full time if I don't want to (which I am not). If he had had to accept one of those one year positions in Indy or Atlanta - I really would not have had an option, not only because of housing costs, but because one-year positions don't pay much.
4. ...for being able to connect with friends and family. Those relationships so often energize me, how blessed Mark and I have been!
5. ...for the job that I do have. Yes, I would rather be working in town and not commuting, yes, I would like to be making more money. But, I actually do like the work that I do.
6. ...for the relationships that we have made/are making down here.
7. ...for our little Matthew, I love feeling him move around inside of me. I'm so glad that Mark can feel him move, now, too.
8. ...for our new central air conditioner!!

McD's vs. BK

It is my humble opinion that I think that, although the Mocha Joe Iced Coffees from Burger King are good, the large Iced Coffee from McDonald's is a better deal.

A year here

Wow, it's hard to believe that this week mark's our first year in Arkansas.
So many new experiences, so much has changed in our lives. I wish that I could say that it was been a wonderful experience, that we've found "our place", that this is where I want to be for the rest of my life.
I came into this knowing that it would be hard - not really knowing anyone, small town, different culture, etc.... I wasn't dreading it, I just knew that it would be hard - not in a pessemistic way either.
Well, I confess, it has been a really difficult year for me, particularly the last half. You know, the first six months are basically survival months, trying to figure out where everything is and how things work down here, lots of adventures. After those first six months, reality sinks in - "this is it?"
Compounded with the miscarriage, I was an angry person and God knew it. I felt like was on the verge of drowning in a sea of anger and bitterness - trust me when I say that I was pleading with God to change my heart - I don't ever want to be a bitter and angry person. And I know that my "problem" was with God and no one else.
I also know that in times like those, often it's learning to wait on God, work diligently on Pil 4:8 thinking and make myself - with the grace of the Holy Spirit - think about all of the things that I do have to be thankful for.

So, now I am happy to say that life is better than it was - in my attitude. I still have a long way to go toward saying that I am truly content - and I do want that - but, I know that God is faithfully working in my heart - despite my faithlessness to Him.
And I don't want anyone to think that I'm doing better because I'm pregnant - I don't want to come across as thinking that the pregnancy solved anything - I'm thankful that I had - by God's grace - decided before I knew that I was pregnant, that it would really be okay if I didn't get pregnant for a while.

In the end, I don't know how long God will have us here. Mark and I really do want to end up closer to our families, we know that that is in God's hands.

Nice visit

My parents came to visit last week. We had a wonderful time. They came down on Wednesday - so they were at our apt when I came back from work. We went to the infamous Burger Barn for dinner. Thursday morning, we headed up to pick Mark up at the airport - from his uneventful flight :o). We laid low the rest of the day and ad yummy vegetables from Indiana gardens for dinner. Friday afternoon, we headed down to Texarkana and had dinner at Zappata's - Mark's favorite!
I made breakfast Saturday morning and then Mom and Dad headed back be 10.
We had thought on Friday, that I had a leak in one of my tires (one of the new ones, of course). It was a fast leak, too. Upon further inspection, my detective father figured out that it was a broken valve cap - when he put it back on, you could here the air rushing out. Thankfully, that's all that it was, and 67 cents later, we have new valve caps and a full tire.
Thanks, Mom and Dad for everything we love you!!!

Pregnancy notes

I had a routine OB appt today. It worked out well because I had some spotting yesterday and this AM. My doctor did a pelvic and found a big cervical polyp. He said that that was the cause of my spotting. He sent it off and I'll call on Friday to see if results are in. Most polyps are benign, and frankly - I'm not too worried.
I didn't know if vacation would "do me in" as for weight gain - I've only gained 5 pounds in total - could be worse - all of that walking in New Haven and NYC saved me from more pounds, I'm sure.
As for Matthew Terry, we listened to his heart beat on the Doppler and the doctor was pleased.
I've been feeling Matthew on the inside moving around since about the fifteenth week. Just last Thursday or Friday I put my hand on my abd and felt him move. Mark got to feel him once last night, too. That is the fun part :o)
I have a little swelling in my feet from time to time; I thought that the nausea was all gone - but it's not - it's still not as bad as what it had been so I can't complain.
My next planned appt is Sept 7 - I will be finising my 27th week, Lord willing.
I think that I'm actually looking pregnant now - that's nice.

Pictures added

I added pictures of our journey to the entries.

Luggage returned

Just to update - I did receive my luggage yesterday afternoon.
One little thing that I didn't mention in the previous entry......somehow, I had misplaced my driver's license in the Harrisburg airport. I was convinced that it had fallen between the inner and outside liners of the suitcase - but I couldn't get it out. That was really the low point. I realized how difficult everything would be if I this itinerary didn't work out and I had to go through the whole process again.
Thankfully, I had my boarding pass by the time my license was gone - so the ticketing agent put a note on the boarding pass and I just had to have everything searched while going through security.
I was soooooo happy to be able to unzip the inner liner of the suitcase and see the license slide out!