I'm Letting Go of the Life I Planned for Me...

Time Flies...

2009-04-28T21:47:00.002-05:00

Baby Jason is truly growing like a weed! HE is getting so big. I feel like we just brought him home from the hospital yesterday and he is already grown up. On the other hand, he is starting to show more of a personality. He is so sweet and that little smile of his just melts my heart.

I am so ready for summer to get here. I went ahead and enrolled for a summer class in June. I figured it would keep me busy and give me some grown up time. I am trying to keep my 4.0 through Grad school. One to be a member of Kappa Delta Phi and Two so I can stand up when they call the 4.0 GPAs at graduation. I want special ropes this time! :)

I have been scrapping up a stprm lately. I have an abundance of pictures so I figured I should probably get started on some of them. Here are just a few pages I have done lately.

Life is Good!

2009-03-18T23:45:00.004-05:00

Wow! It is amazing how busy you get at the end of a pregnancy. It only gets busier when the baby actually gets here! Baby Jason is finally here! He was born on February 21st, 2009. He weighed 7 pounds and 14 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. I am so happy he is finally here!

I feel like I have waited forever. Motherhood is not exactly everything I was expecting. I love this little guy more than life itself, but I never imagined how hard this was going to be. I hate being up in the wee hours of the morning and having a screaming child that has been fed, changed, burped, rocked, and all sorts of other things and still not know how to console him. I feel like a bad mom for feeling like I already need a break. I should be greatful and know how blessed I am to have a child. I just feel a little overwhelmed. I have no idea how I am going to be able to keep things up when I go back to work. I really hope he gets into a routine before then.

Here are some of my favorite pictures that we have taken so far of our little man:

Blessings...

2008-11-23T20:23:00.002-06:00

Life is full of blessings. There are small ones, big ones, and the ones that come in disguise ;) I have been extremely overwhelmed with all of the blessings in my life recently. My mother found this amazing house right down the road from her. We have our family so close by. We both have really good jobs. Most importantly, we have this little boy growing inside of me. With every wiggle and tickle I get more and more anxious. I can not wait to meet my little man.

I have been super busy lately, but I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving break. We will be staying in Chickasha, so I am hoping to get all of my grading caught up, and get lots of scrappy time in. I am so excited! December 6th Katie and I are going to a Christmas Card/Cookie/Secret Santa exchange and stay all night to crop. I am hoping to have some pictures of the house up soon.

Until next time please keep us in your prayers. I am begining to feel the strain on my pelvic region and my swelling is ok, but not 100% better. I have to go get my glucose test on Tuesday, please pray that everything will be normal and I won't pass out when they take my blood.

Love,
Jess <3

So busy!

2008-11-12T23:20:00.003-06:00

Things have been so busy around here lately I haven't had much time to check in. We have finally moved in to our new house in Chickasha. I am so happy and I love how everything is coming together. The drive back and forth to work isn't as bad as I thought it would be. The only part I do not like is driving back and forth to Edmond for school, so in the future I will be making class night one night a week instead of 2.

I am now 25 weeks pregnant this Friday. I can really feel the baby now when he moves. It is so exciting to know that we will have a little one with us in less than three months! His furniture hasn't arrived yet, but as soon as it does and we get it put together I will be posting pics of the baby room.

I actually had a little time to sit down and scrap tonight. I am going to start trying to do the daily challenges at Just 4 Keeps. One to try and get caught up with scrapping before the baby comes and two so I can try to earn the most scrappy points and get 20 dollars free next time I visit the store! That would be awesome and great incentive to go up there! :)

Here is the page I did tonight. It was for Jessica's Friday challenge. The theme was "Think Big, Dream Big". I have been so consumed with thinking about this baby lately I decided to get some of my thoughts out on paper to look at in the future. Here is the layout:

The Results Are In...

2008-10-09T17:34:00.003-05:00

Yay I went to the doctor on October 7th, and I am pleased as punch to announce to you that we are having a beautiful baby boy. I am so happy! I kinda knew all along that we would have a boy. I wanted a girl but as long as he is healthy I will be ecstatic. He is already ornery just like his daddy! He does not like being poked with a doppler or ultrasound contraption. He kept trying to kick off the machine and go hide in my pelvic region. He waved at his parents and made the most precious little sucking motions. I am so happy to be a mommy! This is going to be such a life changing thing, but I know that I am ready for it. Until next time...

Please pray for baby Jason that he will continue to grow healthily.

-Pray for his mommy and daddy that we will get everything ready to move and not get too stressed out in the process.

Love,
Jess<3

A Whirlwind Weekend!

2008-09-28T20:54:00.002-05:00

Holy guacamole! Who knew that such life changing decisions could be made in one weekend. If you want to know the story I suppose I should start at the beginning, so here goes...

Friday morning, my mom calls me when I am on my way to school. "Hey Jess! I think I have found a solution to your saving money and moving here!" I was shocked! I was like "what are you talking about?" She told me that she was going to buy a house and we could move into it and pay rent for what our mortgage is now while still saving money to eventually buy land and build our dream home. I didn't know what to say! It was exciting to think that I could possibly be moving home and then it was scary because I had to get Jason on board for it to happen. I called Jason after I got off the phone with mom and told him about the proposition. He didn't like the idea and frankly wasn't too thrilled about it. I called my mom and asked her to meet us for dinner that night with an example of what she might buy so we could see what she was talking about.

That night we met for dinner and mom brought a print out of a house. She beings by saying that she really feels that God wouldn't have blessed her in this way if he didn't want her to help other people and she proceeds to tell us that she has bought this very house! It looks really nice on the outside and we were intrigued. Mom told us that she had made an appointment to see it on Saturday at 1:30 if we wanted to come and look at it. I was super excited and Jason got to see the demensions and specs of the house and he was also interested.

Saturday we meet in Chickasha and have an awesome lunch at Pawpaws! Good burgers go a long way! We then go over to the house to look at it. The outside is gorgeous and the yard is immaculate. There is already a fenced in yard for the puppies and a cute little covered deck on the back to sit out on. When we finally get the key and go inside I am awestruck! This house is amazing! There are the most beautiful beams and woodwork. A huge living/seating/dining area greets you right when you walk in. Now I don't know if you know this but men are very visual creatures. Jason is already turned off by this woman's eclectic style. I must admit she had a very random mish mash of furniture and knic knacks everywhere, but I could see the potential. I kept trying to describe my vision to Jason so he would know what we could do with a place like that. Plus we would be like 4 blocks away from my mom and David. They would be able to help us tremendously with the baby coming and all. I wanted this house!

That afternoon, Jason goes hunting with the boys and mom and I go shopping for maternity clothes. We worried all afternoon about how Jason would decide. I just knew that he would way the pros and cons and eventually see that this was the best choice for our family right now. The men finally came home around 7:30 that night and we were all enjoying some great SOONER football and discussing what we could do with the house. I finally get up the nerve to "jokingly" ask "so, when are we going to move into this thing?" Mom says she closes on the house on the 15th and we could move in anytime after that. So Jason says I don't have anything going on this month and finals aren't til december. I was shocked! He just said we were doing this!

So long story short...we are moving back to my home town November 1st and 2nd. YAY!

Please keep us in you prayers and keep little peanut in them as well. We get to go for our next ultrasound on October the 7th and figure out if Peanut is a he or she. Yay! I can't wait!

NO WATER!!!!

2008-09-18T21:21:00.004-05:00

How can a school of over 600 children and 50 teachers and staff run wwith no water you ask? Very carefully is all I can say. We were right in the middle of our reading block this morning around 10:00 when our lovely secretary came on the intercom and told us to NOT let the kids go to the restroom the men building the addition to our building had struck the water pipe and the water had to be shut off. WHAT?!?!?! I am pregnant and don't you know that when you tell me I have to hold it makes me have to go even worse? I tried to be calm and just ignore it, but around 11 the nurse (who is also pregnant) came knocking on my door. "Ms. Violett told me to come down here and pick you up so we can go somewhere to use the restroom." Let me tell you I almost cried! I had to go very badly by then and I was willing to go to any potty at that point. Well the water never turned back on all day and our lovely district waited until 2 to bring out porta potties. Thank you OKCPS. Just as I was getting ready to leave I got word that the water turned back on. Thank God! I did not want to be bussed to Roosevelt tomorrow. I swear, there is never a dull day at John Adams Elementary.

As for Peanut, I am so ready to find out what it is! It is litterally driving me crazy! I hope I can convince the Dr. to atleast tell me the sex. My doctor's appointment is officially one week away. Yay!!!

What an AMAZING Weekend!!!

2008-09-14T14:32:00.004-05:00

I have had the best weekend. On Friday night Jason and I got some QT time in watching a Notre Dame game together. I love football season and I am so happy that I grew up as a football coaches daughter and know how to appreciate the sport. It is definetly a fun way to spend some time with my hubby.

Saturday Jason had a masonic meeting so I took the opportunity to have a girls' day out! Katie and I had a wonderful time. It was Just 4 Keeps' 3rd birthday. They had 3 make n takes and April Massad came down for a photo shoot. I love her pictures! She has done them for me twice before and I absolutely adore all of them. This time Jason wasn't with me so I took the opportunity to get some good "belly" shots in as well as the first pictures Katie and I have had together besides my wedding shots. I am so excited to get the CD this week. I will post pics as soon as I get them. That afternoon we knew we wanted to scrapbook. We were planning on scrapping at the house, but we just asked if they happened to have 2 spots left at the crop that night. Wouldn't you know it! They did! We met 2 new awesome friends, that hopefully will bring good times in the future. I got some of my Dad's calendar completed for Christmas. Now I just have 3 and a half more to go.

Today I am getting laundry done and trying to get ready for school tomorrow. I have to get lesson plans done and sent as well as grade a ton of papers. Jason found an ultrasound technician in Edmond that could do a gender determination ultrasound as well as a 4D ultrasound in the future. I am so excited to find out. I don't know if they will do it but we'll see. I found out today that my good friend Mindy is having a little boy! He is a beautiful baby and he looks just like his daddy. Congratulations Mindy and Ryland Isaac is adoreable!

Until next time please have these things in your prayers for us:
My stepdad David's health.
My little Peanut. That his or her development is going right on schedule and we will be able to find out the sex soon.
Mindy Ryland Isaac and Gurt.
My best friend Katie and her family. Her aunt was suddenly killed in an accident last week and her uncle is still in critical condition in the hospital.
My class this year. That these children will have open minds to learn everything I can offer them and that God will give me the wisdom to teach them what they need to know.

My First Doctors Appointment August 21, 2008

2008-08-28T21:31:00.002-05:00

Well it turns out I am more pregnant than we originally thought. I went to my first doctor's appointment today and we got to have an ultrasound and hear the hearbeat! I have never been so happy in my life! I am really going to be a mommy! We are 12 weeks and 5 days pregnant and the official due date is now February 28. The doctor said she had an "inkling" of what we were having but wouldn't spill the beans. She said she didn't want to be wrong and us go buy all kinds of stuff for the wrong sex. We will get to find out the sex in a month and a half. It was so cute today the baby kept putting it's hands in it's face because it didn't like being poked. lol Peanut didn't want to take a picture!

A good day...

2008-07-31T18:37:00.003-05:00

Today has been a good day. I woke up and my back was hurting but I thinkit is because I slept wrong last night. I hate it when that happens!

I met my friend Kathy at Chillis for lunch and it was really yummy! We had lots of fun catching up and of course we had to go to Just 4 Keeps afterwards for a little shopping. I had my punch card full so I got $15 for free! I love it when that happens! I bought a cute little wooden BABY sign that I plan on altering for the baby's nursery. I am going to wait and see what the sex is before I start on it though. I am still thinking that if we have a little boy an OU nursery woould be super cute! I found the neatest website with tons of OU accessories. I just haven't found any crimson bedding. I might have to find some fabric and get someone to make it for me.

I talked to the Tuff Shed guy today. He thinks finishing one would be a great idea! I am super excited for sprinng to get here so we can get started on it! We will run electricity to it and put a wall unit in so it will be comfortable out there. It will be so nice for Jason to have an office to disappear to so he can study for finals. It will be nice for me to have the room I need for all of my scrappy stuff. You sure do accumulate a lot after working for 3 scrap stores! Plus half the fun of scrapping is collecting all of the goodies! lol

Jason came home with a little present for mommy and Peanut. He brought home a brownie and cookies and cream icecream for desert tonight. Yay for thoughtful daddy! He knows what mommy's favorite is! Until next time please keep us in your prayers!

I love shopping!

2008-07-29T17:19:00.003-05:00

Today was a fun day. I got to go to lunch with my little sister and her roommate Boom. We went to Charleston's. I thought I wanted a chicken salad sandwich and a baked potato. When it came out I took a bite and realized I didn't really want that. lol. I ate my potato and got full anyway.

We then went to Hobby Lobby and I just browsed for a bit. I am supposed to be looking for Safari themed things for my classroom. They had quite a bit of stuff, but I just can't bring myself to buy anything yet.

After that, we went to Just 4 Keeps my local scrapbook store. I love this store! I have been in here too may times to count, but I have never browsed in the baby section. Today I did! I found some of the cutest pregnancy paper and stuff. I can't wait to use it and post some pages here for yall to see.

I am going to go to Target tonight. Jennifer the owner of J4K told me about a daily pregnancy journal that you write in and it tells you what is happening with you and your baby on a day to day basis. I can't wait to start journaling! I want my baby to have something to remember when they get older.

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Suprises are fun!

2008-07-28T16:21:00.008-05:00

I am so falling in love with this little being inside of me more and more every day. It is kind of silly how I find myself talking to my little "Peanut". I even have begun to sing to him or her and just be silly. I love being pregnant and I can not wait to be a mommy!

I have the best husband and step-brother in the world! They worked so hard this weekend while I was in Dallas on my mini-vacation. I came home to find the back chain link fence down and a brand new shiny privacy fence up. I also stepped out onto a professional looking built deck. I am so spoiled! These two men must really love me and Peanut to work so hard for 3 days straight just to get these suprises done for me. I am going to try and post pictures of them below.

That is my little man Willie in the above picture. He loves the new deck and is already enjoying hearing himself "click" across it.

As unexcited as my mother was to hear the news of our new little addition to the family she sure did try to get past it. She has given Peanut his first real baby gifts. She wants to be called Kiki so this first gift is from Kiki and Papa David.

I love the little hiking boots. I hope that we have a little boy so he can wear them! I told her thank you and we really love it all, but she should wait to see what we are having for sure until we buy anything else.

This baby is going to be so very loved and there are many people who are anticipating its arrival. I can not wait to find out what we are having and see when I am due. It will put some of my worries to rest I think after my doctor's appointment in August. So I guess for now I will just hurry up and wait some more. I love you guys who read this. Please feel free to leave a comment. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers please!

Waiting...

2008-07-21T14:27:00.002-05:00

Well, I called the doctor today for a refferal and it is going to be awhile before they can get me in. My appointment is going to be August 21. I am so ready to see how far along we are. I want to know how my little peanut is doing in there. I went to the two maternity stores in town today and it is amazing how expensive those clothes are. They were cute though. I want a shirt to wear to announce it to the staff at work. They will think it is cute. I am finding it so hard to concentrate and get these last 2 projects done for class. I need to just sit down and DO it. So that is what I am off to do.

I HATE Morning Sickness

2008-07-20T10:17:00.002-05:00

Who ever decided to call it morning sickness was sadly mistaken. How about 24/7 sickness! I really hope it goes away soon. I am finding I can't eat anything or think of eating anything without getting queasy. Baby Peanut needs to eat. Pray for me that I will start to feel better soon.

God has a sense of humor...

2008-07-19T17:47:00.002-05:00

Well, today has been a whirlwind of emotions! I will start with last night.

We went to go see the new Batman movie and I thouroughly enjoyed it. I totally reccomend it. We came home and I was exhausted so I brushed my teefers and went to bed. Well sure enough I woke up all night long either having to pee or feeling sick to my stomach. It wasn't good. Well somewhere during the night I decided that I would go to the doctor today but first I would take a pregnancy test to rule that out.

Well, I woke up this morning with Jason and helped him get ready to go to his skeet shoot. When he left I got out the test and took it. As soon as I started to pee on it the thing turned positive. I was thinking" surely this is wrong, this can't be right." So I called my Best friend Katie and we went to Wal-Mart for another test. Maybe a different brand would have a different result. I took it home and tried this one. Sure enough it told me flat out, "PREGNANT" Oh my gosh! Now I am really excited and I have a rush of emotions going through me. What is Jason going to say? My mom? How am I going to tell everyone? How am I going to pay for a baby? Well just to make absolutely sure we went to the urgent care clinic to get a blood test. It took forever but the nurse came in and said she had a positive. I asked her what that meant and she said, " honey you are pregnant!"

Well I have been on birth control this entire time and Jason and I were wanting to wait until he graduated so this was definetly not our planning. God has decided that now is the time for the Marshall family to grow. We will obey and do as he plans for us. He has always provided and taken care of us. He will continue to do so. God is good.

Watching the rain...

2008-07-09T18:23:00.007-05:00

Today has been a great day. I started off the day at school. Two weeks ago I started my Masters classes in Education Administration. I am taking Fundamentals and School Personnel. At first I was completely overwhelmed and I didn't know if I could handle it. But, like always God is taking care of me. I feel that he placed me in the right classes with the right professor and guess what I am actually doing it!

This afternoon storms rolled in and I have been sitting on my sofa watching the rain trickle off the roof. God is everywhere you look! He is in the rain, in the wind through the trees, with the little animals that scurry in the yard. I have recently finished reading a really good book. It is called The Shack by; William P. Young. It is about a man and how he deals with tragedy in his life. I have not had much tragedy in my life thank God, but I do want to have closer relationship with my God. I feel that I have a long way to go and I am hoping that through this blog I will be able to monitor my progression.

Prayer Requests:

My friends Mindy and Ryland. They are having a baby and are adopting a child. They need prayer for guidance when choosing their child.
Pray for me. I have two mid-terms tommorrow. I need a sense of calm. I get test anxiety really badly sometimes.
My stepbrother and step dad. They are getting baptised on Sunday.