My First Half Marathon!!

My motivation for running, these two handsome men. My family! 

On October 31, 2012, my life was blessed with a sweet little baby boy! I had started running in my second trimester about 1-2 miles each day. It really helped me with all the aches and pains that come along with pregnancy. I had some friends concerned about running while pregnant but my response always was "It's not like I'm preparing for a marathon!" But now I actually am preparing for a marathon!

Who would have thought that I would be training for a marathon? Not me! When Jacob was a month old, I started running again. By January, I was doing distance and signed up for a 10K (6.25 miles).  I had only been running long distance for six weeks at the time of my first race. After crossing the finish line, I couldn't imagine doing a half marathon. Double of what I just finished! No way!

After my race, I felt so accomplished that I started taking it a little too easy. I didn't have any motivation to get out and run distance. I would run, but without motivation it was hard. Then I heard someone say, "You need to always have a goal to be working towards when running." So, I signed up for a half marathon in September.
That should motivate me! But it was only February and the race was in September. Seven months away! Ahh not motivating enough! September was so far away!
I needed another goal...
In April, I set a goal to run 100 miles for the month. Which was really motivating since it was already the middle of the month. That meant, I needed to get movin'!
I hit my goal at 101 miles. Rain, snow, sleet, nothing would stop me now! Then my husband had a crazy idea! He suggested I switch from doing the half marathon to the full. What?! He crazy. Did he realize that was 26.2 miles?!

So what did I do?

I registered for my first full marathon... Yikes! Did I just do that? No turning back now. ( No refunds allowed.) Akron Marathon here I come! 

I was itching to run another race. I started looking for a half marathon to run some time in the summer that coincided with our traveling. I came up with--- nothing! Then as we were planning a completely spur of the moment family reunion to Branson, Missouri, my little eyes spotted something. (Okay my husband pointed it out.)

A half marathon only eight miles from where we would be staying!

As an added bonus, a Baptist church was putting the race on to raise money for their youth group to take a missions trip. And as a double bonus, I called to ask if they gave missionaries a discount on their race, and she graciously gave me the price for the 5K instead of the half. (Thank you, Dave Ramsey!)

*Week of the Race*

The week of the taper was upon me. My favorite week! ( Tapering is a week of rest and easy runs. It helps to rebuild muscle tissue so your body is ready to be pushed on race day.) I had run the distance of a half once and done a couple 11 mile days so I felt pretty good about the distance! I was hoping to run in 2:08 minutes.

Friday came, and I got everything ready, clothes, shoes, water pack, fig newtons and a pack of peanut butter crackers. (Crackers to settle my stomach before the race and fig newtons for energy. My stomach can't handle the GU chews or other energy packs.) I pillowed my head and hoped for a good nights sleep (pending on my son sleeping through the night.)

Off went my alarm at 5:30am, and up I went...at 6:00am!

I hopped in the shower and yes, did my makeup. James was confused why I would shower before the race and do my makeup. Pretty smelling girls run faster, it's a fact. My brother and his wife had gotten up to wish me good luck. I felt so special they would get up just for me!  (And by "up" I mean lying on the couch barely moving! But still so sweet! )
The race started at 7am at the Table Rock Lake. Everyone was starting at the same start point at the race. There was a 5K and a kids one mile fun run. I was a little skeptical of everyone starting at the same point and then running into the trail all at once but it worked out just fine.
We all lined up at the start, and the Pastor came and prayed with us.
And finally the count down started and we were off!

Ready to go! 

The kids were running with all their might! Sprinting towards the trail. And about a quarter mile in, they started panting and trying hard to catch their breath.
Hehee- cute kids.

I was working on pacing myself so I wouldn't tire out too soon and then I would be able to push myself at the end. We had to do 3 loops of 4.37 miles. At the half mile marker for the kids run I noticed I had forgotten to turn on my GPS. Oops!
On went my GPS. I thought to myself, since I won't know exactly how far I've gone that will be good to help me to keep my mind on running and not miles.

Then a little rain drop fell from the sky. It didn't take long for that little drop to be followed by a down pour of rain!  I'm running in the rain, I'm running in the rain, what a glorious feeling...
I was really energized by the rain and was ready to finish the next 12 miles in it!
Then after about five minutes, the rain completely stopped. Not a single drop. We were all completely drenched! (Guess James was right, no need to shower before the race!)

During my training, I had practiced running distance with taking a small walk break to refuel. However, at the pace I was going, I didn't want to stop too soon. I told myself I would stop at about the halfway point. But halfway turned into 8.5 miles and I forced myself to walk. My body felt like it was ready to shut down and I didn't want that, so off I went with only a thirty second break. At the turn around for the second loop, James was there with Jacob and he high fived me as I was running and cheered me on! Talk about sweet motivation! It was great to see his smiling face!

My family making it just in time to see me finish! 

My favorite part was the spirit of all the runners during the race. The other runners would cheer you on as they passed you (going the opposite direction) and say "Good job!" "Looking good!" So I decided to join in and cheer on the other runners as I passed them. Towards the end, the smile and encouraging word turned into more of a head nod and eye brow raise. We were all trying to conserve what was left of our energy! I also liked the face there were no mile markers, so mentally you could concentrate on finishing.

At ten miles, I starting to feel a little tired and thought of my twin sister. My heart hurt as I thought she was the only member of my family not going to be at the finish line. I began to pray for her and choke back tears. I decided to run that mile for her. She became my motivation at that point.

At the 11th mile, I walked for a minute and stretched along the way preparing to push myself for the last couple of miles!
Off I went!
Only two miles left to go.
As I came close to the finish line, I saw the time was at 1:59 and counting! I sprinted across the finish line in just under two hours!! And there was all of my family, standing there and cheering for me! ( I later found out they had all just pulled in minutes before I crossed. Ha! Nothing like last minute. :)

Almost...

I made it! 

Finishing Time 1:59!!! Second in my age group

I later found out I took second in my age group 25-30. And placed about 31 out of 100 runners. Oh and did I mention I did it all in a skirt?! I know you're impressed!

What about you?! How's your running going? Are you working towards any goals? Get out there and run just one mile! Build a base and work your way up! And if you're already running keep it up! Stay tuned for my next post on My Two Cents on the 5K Color Runs!

What a great looking bunch of people!
(This is my whole family minus my twin sister. Mom is on the far left, my sister, Heather next to her hubby, Chet who's holding their cute son Noah. Then James holding Jacob, My dad behind him, My brother, David next to me with his beautiful wife, Charity on my right. And their awesome kids in front. Davey (left) Gracie, Anna, & Jon! 

A day in the life...

Today started off like every other day...

On my run the birds were softly singing, the cool breeze gently moved across the open fields, the wind mills were slowly making their rotations, and the sun was shining bright in the morning sky. Ahh what a refreshing run! This is going to be a great peaceful day!

I came in to make breakfast for my family ( we are staying at my brothers house in Weatherford, OK) since this would be one of the last days we would have with them in awhile. At breakfast my sister in law, Charity, asked if I would watch the girls, (Gracie, 5, and Anna, 2) while they went to visitation because Gracie was a little sick. I didn't mind at all! I thought to myself, I can pack up our things, clean up the house, and get everything ready to leave tonight. And right as they were about to walk out the door she realized the boys (Davey,8 & Jon, 6 3/4) needed to stay too so they could make some visits to a few families from the church. Charity asked if the girls could get a bath and the boys needed to clean their room.

Sure, not a problem! How hard could it be to watch five kiddos for a few hours?
Piece of cake! 
We said our farewells and off they went.
Okay, now to clean up breakfast. 

"Aunt Amber, can we eat our food from last night? asked Jon.
No, Jon, we can eat that for lunch, you just ate breakfast! I said.
Okay, well when can we have a snack?
Later, bud. Why don't  you play with baby Jacob while I get ready for the day. 
Alright, well I'm really thirsty, said Jon. Then Davey piped in yeah me too! Then Anna and Gracie follow with their request for a drop of water. Drinks could wait while I cleaned up the kitchen.

Mentally I'm thinking, hurry and get ready, put girls in bath tub, make sure boys clean their room, bathe Jacob, pack up clothes and clean the girls room. I gave the boys some instruction to clean their room and keep an eye on Jacob, while the girls were watching a cartoon.
All seemed well so I went go get ready.
Then the knock came at the bathroom door...
"Aunt Amber, Aunt Amber"...
Jon was informing me that baby Jacob was getting a little fussy. As I'm doing my best to break record speed to get ready, I come out and pick up Jacob and lay him on the floor to play and find the boys  distracted by the girly cartoon on the TV, so I redirect them to their room and tell the girls when the show is over that they will take a bath (they cheer for bath time) and the boys will go outside to play. "Okay" they all say.
Okay, I thought to myself. 

After the show, the girls came in to take their bath, and the boys went outside to play. Jacob starts getting a little fussy since no one is playing with him and he's getting bored. Five minutes go by, and Jon comes inside.

"Aunt Amber, I'm thirsty."
I tell him to go play and when it's time to come inside they can get a drink then. And Jon goes back outside. Two minutes pass...Jon comes back inside.

"Aunt Amber, I have to go to the bathroom."
Okay, then go back outside and play.
"Okay!"

I go and get Jacob ready for his bath, grab his clothes, diaper and towel. Wash Jacob really quick, and pull him out. Tell the girls to play a little while longer in the bath and I'll be back to wash them. Feed Jacob. Dress Jacob. Put Jacob in bed to sleep...

I run back into the bathroom to wash the girls and I hear Jacob crying. In the middle of this, who comes back inside? You guessed it-- Jon.

"Aunt Amber, our friends are outside can we play with them?"
Yes, go play.
Out goes Jon.

I run back and put Jacob's paci back and run back to the bathroom.
"Where are our clothes?" asked Gracie.
Run back to their room, grab their clothes and towels and begin the wash process. Had a fun time playing with them in the tub. We laughed, we cried, we hugged. It was a memorable experience. :)

Jon comes back in... "Aunt Amber, when's lunch? I'm thirsty." Jacob begins fussing again as I'm trying to get the girls dressed and answer Jon. "Lunch is later, I'll get  you a snack and yes, you can have a water from outside."

Jon comes back in. "Aunt Amber can our friends have a snack?"
Yes, go play!!

You get the picture. Jon came in almost every five minutes. By now I'm thinking, I'll be lucky to get anything accomplished today!

Jacob finally gives in and falls asleep. One down. I got the girls dressed and fixed their hair with pretty bows and sent them to color. By now it's 12:30 and I have managed to begin cleaning and packing. Jon comes in (surprise surprise) and asks about lunch followed by Davey. Then Gracie realizes she's "starving so bad" too.
Okay lunch.

I find some iced coffee in the fridge, some liquid energy sounded great. It tasted a little watery since it was from yesterday, but in the moment of desperation anything would work!

I find poor Anna in the hallway fussing and I asked her what was wrong.
" I don't want to get a pankin (spanking)."
Anna, you're not going to get a spanking. Com eat and take a nap.
"Okay," she sputtered out with tears in her eyes.

Lunch was a success. Then I cleaned up lunch, and even put some cookies in the oven. Each kid got a cookie, then the girls went to bed. The boys were reluctant to go back outside and play, but they did.

Sixty seconds later...
Jon came back inside goes to the bathroom, and Davey comes in yelling for his brother.
Jon lets me know that he doesn't like having accidents, so he came inside to go potty.

Finally they go back outside to play and there's a peace and quiet in the house. I had about a solid thirty minutes of time to get everything done. It's amazing what one can do in a small amount of time when you realize you may not get another minute to yourself. I was able to get all packed, lay out clothes for Sunday, and finished all the cleaning I wanted to do and then some! I felt like Super Aunt!! Then around 1:30 the rest of the family got home and all was well. :)

I know most of you are thinking to yourselves, sounds like your typical day, especially if you have multiple children. I definitely gained a new respect for my sister in law who does this same thing everyday along with home schooling, being a pastor's wife, and fighting her allergies ( which usually leave her pretty sick.) I also became thankful, that the Lord gave us one child and not four all at once. :)

So my quiet day turned into a crazy fun one. It was kinda fun to try to balance out my priorities of what needed to get done first and what could wait. Of course feeding and bathing the children took priority then the cleaning followed. Which was hard for me, I really wanted to clean up our mess and get organized first. 

I will definitely miss my nephews and nieces as we hit the road on Tuesday. We may get to see them only one more time before we move to Russia this fall. We have had a lot of fun with them this week, and I'm grateful for every minute I get to spend with them! Even when they come in every two minutes to ask questions, I will miss that!

So to all you mamas out there (especially with more than one baby), my hat is off to you. Children are truly a blessing from the Lord!

Meet my nephews and nieces from the Corley side of our family! 

Anna & Gracie Easter Sunday

Beautiful Gracie! 

Handsome little Jacob!

Coloring the eggs Easter weekend. 

Awe, Sweet Anna

Uncle James and the kiddos last week.

Anna at bath time. Hehee love her!

Jonathan - need I say more?

We got to take the kids to the Air & Space Museum in town the other day. Cute little guys

Davey and I after a run

Noah is my sweet almost 2 year old nephew. ( My oldest sister's son!)
My morning run today

Running my first race!

My journey into running began when I was in the second trimester of being pregnant. Yes, I know you're not suppose to start anything new while pregnant but my doctor and midwife were okay with it. I was only running a mile at first then worked my way up to 1.5-2 miles. It felt great!! It really took all the aches and pains out of being pregnant. I had tried to run before but would always give up after a week or two of running. I tried doing too much too soon and it wore me out. As I began running while pregnant, I gradually worked my way up. I think that was the key for me. Starting small and building on that. Four weeks after giving birth, I began running again. By the end of the first week I was running four miles without stopping! I decided a race would be a fun thing to do! So I signed up for my first race- a 10K (6.2 miles) on St. Pete Beach. The week leading up to the race I was so anxious about making my time. My goal was to do it in under an hour. I had run the distance about four times, so I knew I could do it, but didn't know if I would make my time. So here is how my race went...

Morning of the Race:

Well Jacob decided he was hungry at 2am and 5am last night. He has been sleeping through the night from 9:30pm-7:30am for a whole week now! But of course the night I could use the sleep the little booger keeps waking up! I still feel pretty well rested! I rolled out of bed at 6:30am and got myself ready. I was feeling pretty anxious and decided I would eat a little oatmeal and half a banana. I thought it was light enough that I would feel fine as I was running. I usually only eat a Kashi fruit and nut bar before I run, but I thought since my race was a good two hours away I would be fine. That was a mistake... (I ended up pretty sick to my stomach after the race but at least it was after the race!) 

We pulled into the Sirata on St. Pete Beach at 8am. We had a good 45 minutes before the race. After killing time by taking photos and stretching, I made my way out onto the street with some of the other runners. Everyone else around me seemed to have a running buddy or someone they knew, so I awkwardly stood there pretending my “date” was in the bathroom. It was awkward since I wasn’t sure what to expect because it was my first race. So I did my best to act like I knew what was going on. A lot of the runners around my had on shirts from previous races- “Women’s Half Marathon; Iron Man; Meatless Runner (I think I saw her eating some grass along the way); ...etc” Some of the runners had on some serious gear for their 10K run, all decked out in name brand gear. My shirt was from Target...but it was a pretty pink color and it matched my shoes- so there! Alright so back to the race...

The weather was perfect, 60 degrees. A little chilly at first but I decided to not wear my jacket which was a good choice. I turned on my music, pulled up my Nike running app, set it for the 10K and waited for the race to begin. I made some small chat with a nice fellow next to me as we waited for the start. That was the last I ever saw him too, he was either super fast or super slow. Before I knew it the people in front of me began to run. I didn’t hear anyone signal to start but I went with the crowd! 

I ran in between some people and made my way to the side of the road. This way others could pass me and I could pass them easily. I paced myself and remembered to not go too fast at the beginning of the run. My throat was really dry as we began and I had to go potty (nerves I think haha). I thought mile one and two would feel like a cake walk and I would push myself to get through miles 3 and 4 then I would be golden for miles 5 and 6. Finally, I hit mile one and my time was 8:21, my fastest mile ever. Oops, so much for pacing myself. So I thought I had slowed down some to pace myself but by mile two my time was 8:45. Okay now to get to mile three, I can do this! And what was before me but a group of angels passing out water! I grabbed a cup and tried to drink it while still running. Bad idea. I was almost choking and decided to slow down a minute to get a sip of water down my throat. One sip successfully down, and off I went. I thanked the Lord for my water and then passed the three mile mark. At the 5K mark my time was 27:37, my fastest 5K to date also. My goal was to get to the 4 mile mark, I knew once I got there the last two miles would be great! Another water stop, so I walked for 20 seconds to drink and then off I went. I felt pretty good, my legs were going in a groove, my breathing was in a rhythm- I was going places! Running to the five mile mark, I started feeling pretty tired. 

To play a mean trick on all of us runners, we had to run past the start line an additional half a mile and turn around and come back through the finish line. (So just when you think you’re done you have another 1.21 miles to go.) It was kinda weird at the five mile mark everyone is there cheering you on like you’ve finished the race. But I tried to soak up the encouragement and use it as motivation. As I was running one way, I kept looking at all the other runners who were running the other way on their way back to the finish line.  Oh how I wanted to be on that side of the road with them! The last mile was a killer. I kept looking and searching for the turn around point but it seemed endless. Would I ever be on my way back to the finish line?!! So I decided to walk for about 30 seconds. My time was good enough that I had a little cushion to walk. I felt better when I saw some macho guy also walking for a few seconds. Okay back to running, and there it was the turn around point!! The hallelujah chorus went off in my head at that moment. Then I kept making little goal marks for myself to get to. I heard the sweetest words from my Nike running app, “You’re almost there, keep it up!” Which means only .21 miles to go! So I pushed myself to pick up the pace. I hit the 10K according to my GPS about .25 of a mile before the actual finish line. My time was 57:44, my fastest 10K to date! A little bit further to go, I can do it! I sprinted towards the finish line to victory! I did it!! A total of 6.44 miles in 59:22!! 

My accomplishments for the day: Ran my fastest mile 8:21, fastest 5K 27:37, fastest 10K 57:44- and barely broke a sweat, thanks to the nice weather! 

Me with my favorite guys! 

I came in 103 out of 272 women runners! And 6th out of 15 in my age division. Not too bad for my first race!

"My mom is fater than your mom" It was suppose to read "My mom is faster than your mom" but Jacob decided to change that. 

My favorite part was seeing my husband all proud of me at the finish line and being able to kiss my little boy! After the race though I was exhausted!! But Oh what a great day!! 

Before it's too late...

As I was out on my morning run, my mind reflected on all that God has done in my life this past year. What an incredible life changing year this has been. Who knew becoming parents to the most adorable little boy would be the highlight of 2012 for us! That little 7 pounds 7 ounces that was placed in my arms on October 31, has changed my life in the best way possible. I would do anything for my son! I would give my life for him in a second without thinking twice. Unconditional love, I believe is what they call that. As a parent, I desire God's best for his life and well being. I never knew my heart could hold such love. I believe I now know a small portion of God's love for His children.

Our finite minds will never know just how much our heavenly Father cares for us. I believe if we did, we would all be much more motivated to give our lives completely to Him. How could One give His only Son to such a wicked world. A world that was created by Him and for Him. I wonder how God could create a beautiful perfect world knowing that one day it would become filled with wickedness. God knew that His very creations would reject Him and yet He still created mankind. (If I were God, I think I would have left mankind out of the equation! What heartache that would have saved Him!) But God still gave each of us life and a chance to choose Him.

As Christmas has come and gone, may we not soon forget the true meaning of it all. God knew that mankind needed a Savior. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" Romans 5:12 Sin had entered into this world. The punishment for our sin is "death" not physical death but a spiritual death- separation from God. "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 3:23a God can not let sin enter into heaven because heaven is a perfect place. God knew that a perfect spotless sacrifice was required. "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 3:23b That gift is the very reason we celebrate Christmas, Jesus Christ. The Bible says that eternal life is through  Jesus Christ our Lord. We can not obtain eternal life through our own good works or through church or through the priest but only through Christ. We are imperfect and nothing we do can take away our sins. That is why we need a Savior to save us from an eternity separated from God. (Insert God's unconditional love for us yet again.)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 

A very "familiar" verse to most of the world, but do those who read the reference "John 3:16" really know the truth behind it? I would hope so. Maybe they do but they choose to reject its meaning. They think if they choose to ignore the truth of God's Word that they will be fine. To many the story of Christ birth, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection is nothing more than a nice story or a fable. However, rejecting the truth won't change it. Truth remains true whether you believe it or not. There will come a time when Christ will return to this earth to call His children home. There will be a judgment day where we will give an account for our sins and our life.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10


God's gift of salvation and eternal life in heaven is simple. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:9,10,13

First acknowledge your sinful condition and need of a Savior. Next, confess your sins to God and repent. To repent means to turn from your old way of living and to put on a life lived for Christ. Believe  in all that He did for you on the cross of calvary. Put your faith fully and completely in Christ alone to save you. Simply call upon Christ to save you.  

What do you have to lose? Nothing in comparison to what you will gain- eternal life, hope, peace, true joy... Won't you accept His free gift of salvation before it's too late?


May those of us who know Christ as our Lord and Savior live each day for Him. Before it's too late, may we go and make sure thy friend. Our life is but a vapor that appeareth for a little time then vanisheth away. 

It is for this reason we are going to Russia. To spread the gospel of Christ to those who have not heard and give them a chance to accept or reject Christ. Won't you pray with us that God would prepare the hearts of the Russians even now before it's too late.

From the heart,
Amber

Becoming Three Part 2 & 3

Twas the eve before Halloween...

The next day was your due date, the day babies never come on. It's an unwritten rule that the day the doctor's say your due, you aren't suppose to arrive. ( This drives mommies crazy!) What are the chances that out of 365 days in the year that a baby actually comes on their due date? Doctors make an educated guess at when you will arrive, they count nine months ahead, close their eyes and point to a day on the calendar and that is your due date. (Well something like that).

On February 25, 2012, mommy found out she was expecting a baby! This was a surprise for me, and I couldn't wait to tell daddy. Before I took the test, I thought for sure I couldn't be pregnant. I was babysitting that afternoon for a friend of mine and on the way to her house, I swung into Walgreens to get a pregnancy test. The lady behind the counter noticed that was the only thing in my hand, and smiled and asked if I was excited. I told her it would be a shock if I was pregnant but babies are always a wonderful exciting thing!

My friend left, and I was all alone with her two girls and the pregnancy test. After taking the test, it instantly turned into a plus sign, no two minute delay, no second to think it was negative. The one line although faded was definitely there, which meant I was definitely pregnant! I kept pulling it out of my purse and staring at it -- still positive. One of the girls I was babysitting asked what it was I kept looking at, I told her it was just a little something that would change my life. She was only five so she was confused and quickly found something else to occupy her.

When I got home, I wrapped up the test and put it in a gift bag for daddy to open. I told him I bought him a little gift that only cost $12.99 at Walgreens. I was hoping to throw him off, but he suspected it might be a pregnancy test. He was very excited and shocked when he saw the positive test. We waited (well mostly waited) about twelve weeks to tell our family and friends the exciting news. And even though you were an unexpected surprise, it took only a moment to fall in love with you! I began dreaming of your future and what you would look like.

On April 6, 2012 we had our first doctors appointment. You were 11 weeks in the making and we got to see you on the ultrasound. Your little arms and legs were flying everywhere and you were alive and healthy! It truly was love at first sight. Once they told us your due date, Halloween, I kept trying to change the date of my LMP so your due date would be different. But every date I tried to give them kept coming up with a Halloween due date. I finally accepted it ( besides babies never come on their due dates, remember?!).

When we first found out we were expecting, it seemed the end would never get here! It seemed so far away! But here we were the day before your official due date, awaiting your arrival. It could be any day or moment now!

We arrived home at nine o clock in the evening and were watching Netflix. I started to feel my stomach tightening and some pressure down low, but it felt just like the Braxton Hicks contractions so I didn't think anything of it. I thought they would go away. Around 10:30pm they seemed to be pretty consistent and I told James about the contractions I was feeling. He asked me if I wanted to pack my hospital bag, but I told him no. I said if I packed then the contractions would probably go away, it would be too good to be true. I did make a list of everything I wanted to make sure I brought to the hospital right then. Around 11pm, we got ready for bed. As soon as I laid down the contractions got stronger. Laying down was really uncomfortable. Around 11:30pm, I decided to try to time the contractions and see how far apart they were. (Which in active labor is hard to do! Who wants to think about watching a timer when going through contractions?) I noticed some blood in the bathroom and I knew this was the real thing!! Labor!! I was so excited I ran to the bedroom and told James, I was really in labor. And it's a good thing I made that list, because it gave James something to do while I was having my contractions. We called my friend, Bethany around 11:45 to give her a heads up about being in labor. (She was my doula or labor coach.) Then we called the midwife at the hospital and waited for her to call us back. Around 12:45am, we decided it was time to head to the hospital.

We arrived at the hospital at 1:30am, and I was checking in while James parked the car. I could barely sign my name as the contractions kept coming. As we finished signing everything, we were waiting on the nurse to come down and take us up to the birthing center. While we were waiting I had about four contractions and as the last one came and went, I threw up on the floor in the ER. A little gift from my heart to theirs. Normally, I might have been embarrassed, but when you're in labor all of that goes out the window. Finally, the nurse came and wheeled me up. She said it had been a busy night with women in labor.

Part 3: This section I will go in detail about my unmedicated water birth. I have had many ladies ask me to share the details of my birth story and how I was able to do it. So if you don't wish to read the nitty gritty of my delivery then I would stop right here and fast forward to the last paragraph. :) 

After checking me for about 20 minutes, she told me I was 7cm dilated and 90% effaced. I was relieved when she told me how far dilated I was. I had planned on a water birth so they were filling up the tub and I couldn't wait to get in. I hated laying down! I was breathing through the contractions like I had been practicing and trying to keep my body relaxed. The contractions only lasted a minute and were like a wave. They would start out not as intense and at the peak be the strongest and then it would fade away. During the contraction I kept telling myself, just thirty more seconds. I figured anyone can handle pain for 60 seconds. I was able to get in the tub a little past 2am. It was so warm and cozy, such a relief from laying down on the bed. James took a moment to pray with me as I was getting in. It was such a sweet moment, as we prayed to the Lord to help us and give us strength.

My doula recommended that I get down on my hands and knees and sway my hips during the contractions to help the baby move down. Easier said than done! That was pretty hard to do when the contraction came on but I managed. I kept thinking during the contraction that soon I could snuggle with James for a couple minutes and rest in between the contractions. After the contraction would fade off, I would sit up against the side of the tub and hold James hand as he rubbed my back. Then as soon as another contraction started, I would get into position and let go of James. ( I didn't like any touch or talking during my contractions. That was the best way for me to stay focused on relaxing and breathing.)

Around 3:30 they checked me again and I was at 8-9cm dilated but there was a part of my cervix that still hadn't softened yet. So I got out of the water to labor on the ball for a few minutes and then I had a few contractions standing ( I would lean against James and sway.) My water was close to breaking so the midwife asked if I wanted it broken but I told her no. ( I had been recommended that if it can be avoided to not have them break your water because it is a cushion for the baby during the contractions.)  I got back in the tub for a few minutes but the water seemed to be relaxing my body too much and slowing the contractions down. So I got back out and just as I did, my water broke. By now it was a little after 4am and they recommended I labor out of the tub a little longer. Around 4:30 or so they wanted me to practice pushing on the bed so I would be prepared to deliver Jacob in the water. But after a few "practice pushes" I was staying put! I did not want to get up. They gave me the option if I wanted to deliver in the water but that wasn't a big deal to me, and the bed was just fine.

It was like a pep rally in there with each push. The nurse,Emily, James, my friend Bethany, the midwife all cheering me on. "Oh I can see his head!" " He has a full head of dark hair!" "Good push!" "Just one more deep breath- push he's almost here!" "Okay rest...Okay one more...Good push!" "You're doing great!"

Now believe it or not, pushing was my favorite part. The entire time I was in labor I felt the urge and intense pressure down low and I could finally give into that pressure- it was such relief! And after thirty minutes, the crowd went wild, as Jacob head had finally come out! Success! Someone said to look down, but all I could see was my giant belly still. One more push and his shoulders and the rest of him came out. Just then the loudest cry ever heard to mankind filled the air. His lungs were in good working condition! The time was 5:14am (which is pretty neat because our anniversary is 5-15!)

They placed this beautiful crying baby on my chest and were wiping him down as I was holding him. He started calming down right away as I talked to him and tried to soothe him. I finally got my "moment". The one I had dreamed and prayed for, this moment with my son in my arms, it was priceless. I looked up at James and he was grinning from ear to ear. I asked James if he wanted to hold him but I was forgetting he was still connected to me! (I hadn't delivered the placenta yet. oops) Instead James reached out his finger and Jacob held on to it. It was so sweet.

After a few minutes, I delivered the placenta, and James cut the umbilical chord. The worst part I thought, was all the pushing on my stomach after I delivered. Just when you thought it was all over, those evil nurses torture you a little longer. ;) I was able to feed him right away and held him for almost two hours before they took him away to get all cleaned up. Twas the happiest day of our lives!!

 The best advice I heard during my pregnancy was that labor is all mental. I had mentally prepared for labor through lots of prayer and positive thinking. I had to ignore the millions of nay sayers who said it was difficult and painful. I told myself this is what the Lord has designed my body to do and with the Lord's strength I can do it! And it really was tolerable. I don't remember thinking in labor about wanting an epidural. I had already made up my mind that it wasn't an option and I could do it unmedicated.

To all you who are wanting an unmedicated delivery, you can do it! The best advice I could give you is to pray, practice relaxing (find what relaxes you, music, a specific scent, etc), and practice breathing!  I would practice breathing through pain when I would stub my toe or hurt myself. So then it became a reaction that when I was in pain, I would breathe and relax. And be excited about labor and delivery, don't be afraid of it. It's what our bodies were created to do! Fear makes pain worse.

We proudly welcomed Jacob Daniel Pranger into our arms on October 31, 2012. Yes, Halloween and his due date. What are the odds?! He weighed 7lbs and 7 oz and was 19 inches long. He had the most perfect round head and a little chubby body. He has his daddy's lips, and eyes, and mommy's nose and ears. The hair color looks like daddy's but it might be mommy's as it is lightening up. His eyes seem to change a little every day but are a dark grey/blue/green. What a blessing from the Lord our son is! We are cherishing every moment with him, including the middle of the night feedings. He loves his mommy so much he wants to spend most of the night with me. I'm a milk slave, what can I say? But he is worth every minute!

Our first family photo ;)

Praying together

Our sweet boy!

Brand new! 

Newborn Photo by Mommy

Our Family of three! 

We pray and hope we can raise him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. May Jacob see the Lord in our lives and desire to serve Him with his life as well. We look forward to raising him on the mission field of Russia. He has stolen our hearts! And we can't thank the Lord enough for this precious gift.

And that is how our family of two became three!

Becoming Three Part 1

The day before you came into our lives...

Well, Jacob, every one thought mommy and daddy were pretty crazy to be doing all the traveling we did when I was so close to my due date. And rightfully so, you could have come at any moment! But the Lord gave mommy a peace that you would come after we were done traveling, so I wasn't worried- most days! I was certainly anxious to meet you. My midwife said you could come early and every one and their mom's told me how low you were and I could go any time. My favorite was always hearing "You're still here" (meaning you haven't had that baby yet!?) and I wasn't even past my due date! But like a good missionary wife I smiled and said, "Yes, still here and so are you!" :)

Our last missions conference was in Mansfield, Ohio and it was only an hour drive back home. It was such a wonderful and encouraging conference, but I was anxious to get home and rest! After services on Sunday night, I remember thinking to myself, we made it, we finished all our meetings and now we just wait until Jacob decides to come! I was so excited on the way home that night just thinking of you being in our arms soon!

Then Monday came, and it was like a switch went off (pregnancy hormones, I'm sure) and I was so sad you weren't here yet. I began to think you'll never come. I looked at your crib in the corner and imagined you being all snuggled inside. Then in the car at your carseat and thinking how much you'll be in it. All of this depressed me because you still weren't here. Ho hum... and this was only day one of waiting! Tuesday rolled around, and I was determined to be in a better mood! I had a wonderful time of prayer and asked the Lord to forgive my awful attitude from the day before. And the Lord gave me a joy all day long! (Funny how when we keep our focus on Christ and not ourselves how we have joy!)

Daddy and I decided to go to lunch at mommy's favorite fast service restaurant, Chickfila, and then go to the mall to walk around. You see Hurricane Sandy was causing a lot of storms in our area so it was pretty gloomy outside. So the mall would be a perfect place to exercise! After walking around awhile I spotted a little spa that said "20 minute foot massage for $20" and I thought to myself, that sounds nice but $20- get real. I mentioned the foot massage to James knowing for sure he would say, "I'll rub your feet when we get home for free" which would be fine with me. Instead he said insisted I go! I was really shocked to say the least. So off I went thinking to myself maybe this could help induce labor! This little lady had magical hands. After twenty minutes of her working on my feet and hitting a lot of pressure points, I felt like a new woman. Recharged and ready for the rest of the day!

After walking around the mall a bit longer, we headed out to Beachwood to meet some friends for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Our friends insisted we order what we wanted because it could be our "last meal" before Jacob came. Little did we all know she would be right! After a great dinner with our friends, we headed back home. It was only seven in the evening and I wanted to walk some more. So James and I stopped at a different mall on the way home and walked around for another hour. By the time we got home it was close to nine o' clock and I was exhausted. I started to feel a few contractions but they felt just like the Braxton Hicks, so I thought they would come and go like they always did. Little did I know in a few more hours our lives would change forever.

Looking back, James and I were able to have a perfect last day together before Jacob came into our lives. We had such a great day being out and about and enjoying each others company. I'm so thankful I didn't waste the day pining for Jacob to be here or I would have missed out! I felt so special the Lord would give us that day together to make a few more memories of "just us."

"This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Two Week Notice

Dear Mommy & Daddy,

   Consider this your two week notice. Ready or not, here I come!
            - Jacob Daniel Pranger

My Sweet Little Pumpkin,

   My mind still can't comprehend, seeing your sweet face in just a couple of weeks! The big question, will you be early or late or right on time? Such a mystery! We know whenever you decide to come, we will be ready! My eyes get all teary eyed every time I think of holding you and kissing your sweet face. I have prayed for that moment and look forward to it so much. In that moment, you will be placed in my arms and into our lives forever. Seeing you will be the sweetest moment of our lives.

   Secretly, I will be watching your daddy. I can't wait to see his expression when he sees you for the first time. I have been blessed and spoiled to carry you in my belly for the past 38 weeks. And we have become pretty fond of each other. Mommy is so in love with you! And I can't wait for daddy to feel that same love when he gets to see and hold you for the first time. Daddy has been playing with you almost every day. He likes to feel you move around and poke you in hopes you will kick him. He prays for you and talks to you too. (He's the more manly voice you hear. The sweeter gentler voice is me :) ) At first daddy felt a little silly talking to my belly, but he got over that. A few weeks ago, daddy put his hand on my side and you kicked him right away! I was cheering you on as you played with him- it was really cute. I'm pretty sure you have long legs too, because you sure like being spread out!

   The midwife said last week, your head is down and in position. I am 1cm dilated and 25% effaced! Which means you are getting ready to meet us!! And you are super low! Yesterday when I went for a run, I thought you might fall out. (And yes, I am still running! Go me! I'm taking it easy so don't worry.) And apparently, I have been getting Braxton Hicks and didn't even realize it, my midwife pointed it out to me. So what I need you to do is to make labor really easy for mommy, okay? If you could just make the real contractions feel like the fake ones that would be great.

   My sweet little boy, I can't tell you enough how excited I am to meet you. Two weeks left! Your baby shower is this weekend, then mommy and daddy will be as physically prepared for you as we can be! God has been so good to us to bless us with you. We love you with all our hearts.

Until We Meet,
Mommy

Whose pumpkin is bigger?

Aren't these the cutest shower favors ever? And daddy helped decorate all the cute faces!