2.05.2011

one little word

strength

so how was your day today? i have to say, mine was really good. though i woke up with a small amount of anxiety thinking about the things that could go wrong knowing i have placenta previa, i was able to snuggle up close to b. and have him hold me... he reminded me, "God got us this far, so just leave it at that. any thought that arises after that, should just be let go if it is causing you to get away from that one thought... he's not gonna just let us go now." {paraphrased} he was and is so right.

anyway, we had the nicest day together. he made himself some coffee and i made my hot chocolate with whipped cream {and i finished off my second delicious-beyond-words butterscotch chip cookie from last night's dinner outing}.

after that, we watched the film expelled: no intelligence allowed, narrated and created by ben stein. if you have not seen that film, let me highly recommend it to you! no matter what your world view or scientific view, you can not help but be provoked to thought when watching this film. we enjoyed so much about it... mostly the way it made us laugh out loud in certain spots... we are both big fans of ben stein and his dry sense of humor.

after the film, b. made me delicious scrambled eggs with cream cheese. we toasted a couple slices of bread to eat with butter and jam. and i drank my o.j./grapefruit juice like a good mama... with all my prenatal vitamins and supplements.

then i did a little online catching up while he showered and got ready for the day.

THEN CAME THE BIG EVENT OF THE WEEKEND!... tackling the man cave to convert one half of it into a baby room. oh, my! so much work was involved. {don't worry... i did not do any lifting. in fact, while he did all the heavy labor, i cleaned out the hall closet so that he could have it all to himself, as he is giving up his closet in the man cave for the baby to have a closet.}

of course, we did not finish. but we got very far on things... mostly his side of it all. baby's side will wait until we start to get the things we need for the nursery. but oh, my goodness... was it exciting to start envisioning it come together! 

and b. said the sweetest thing. he told me while we were working that he had no doubt i was going to make it the sweetest little nursery of all time. man, i love that guy!!

well, after several hours of work, we decided to call it a day and have a frozen pizza. {actually, we cooked it first. then we ate it. *wink*} when i'm done writing this post, we will sit down and enjoy one of our favorite animated films... prince of egypt.

but as it is saturday, i just wanted to first post my one little word image {similar to my last o.l.w. image in theme}. it's only my second of the year, and with this little project, one is supposed to post an image that conveys their word for the year every saturday. but i've had a few other things going on. maybe i can start doing it more consistently from here on out.

i loved how this one leaf was hanging on in the midst of the snowy, windy day... long after all the other leaves had fallen. i just saw such a picture of strength in that. i STILL have yet to write about the word strength and why i chose it as my word to focus on this year. but until i do, i can at least post the images i find that convey the concept of strength.

one more thing... thank you to all who commented with encouragement and wishes of good outcome on my last post... or e-mailed me to encourage me privately. all your thoughts and personal stories were tremendously helpful to me... putting my mind a little more at ease.

i did want to clarify one thing. it's not so much the scarring of a c-section that makes me not want to have one when the baby is ready to come out. i do get a little concerned at how my body will probably heal a little more slowly from that surgery than it would have fifteen years ago. but that is not at all what makes me not want the c-section. in fact, it's not "not wanting a c-section" that is the issue at all. it's "wanting the experience of giving birth vaginally so badly" that IS the issue. i had seen a video shortly after i got pregnant that followed a woman on her entire pregnancy and explained all that was happening to her and the baby throughout. at the end of the film, her giving birth was shown, and i was so moved by it, i began to cry out loud. i could not fathom me being that person in just under nine months. and though it freaked me out a little, i so looked forward to it. i still do.

i do know how much i want a healthy baby, no matter how it is delivered to me... and i realize when the time comes, it won't matter how, just as long as everything goes well and i and baby are healthy. but i do long to have that experience of a vaginal birth... especially because we feel that this could very well be the only child we ever have for so many reasons.

i just wanted to clarify... i'm not so much afraid of a c-section, and i am not at all concerned about a scar or anything like that... hec, i'm 39. who is going to see or care if i have a scar there anyway. i certainly don't. but i do want to know the feeling of giving birth to a child naturally.

all in all, i hope and trust that i and the baby will be healthy and that the doctors make the best decisions when it comes to our health. and it is only in God that i can put that trust.

‎"it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."
~psalm 118:8

. . .

on another note, are you watching the super bowl tomorrow? i have not decided yet if i will. i'm not even sure where i will be yet. but probably one way or another, i'll watch {even though i am quite sad that my chicago bears will not be in it when they came so close *sniff sniff*}. it's been years since i watched one, and i should tune in just for the commercials alone, i guess.

whether you watch it or not, have a blessed day!

16 comments:

Hi Kooky said...

I know just how you feel about the c-section. I was like you - I wanted to experience it all!! But that wasn't to be. My first kiddo was 2 weeks late and my body simply wasn't going to deliver him. I never progressed past a 2. After 24 of induced labor and NOTHING, I had an emergency c-section.

I was 32, and yes, it was tough to recover from, but I haven't looked back. We scheduled a c-section for baby #2 and that was actually easier to recover from since I knew what to expect.

And I have to say - aside from getting my kids... :) my favorite thing about my c-sections are the scars. I just think they rock. :)

p.s. I can't wait to see pictures of the nursery - you're going to show us, aren't you???

georgia b. said...

i sure am going to show pics of the nursery, jen!

i can't wait to take pics... even of the planning stages! getting so giddy!

thanks for you thoughts about the c-section. a scar is kind of cool, i guess... nature's tattoo... proof of what we went through as mamas.
=)

Mae said...

oo the nursery! what fun! if it looks anything like the rest of your home, it will be a fabulous nursery indeed! welcome back to the OLW captured thing. i'm interested to hear why you chose strength as you seem to be embodying it pretty well with all that's going on. and, as i was told, you're the baby's mama no matter how it comes about: c-section, vaginally, adoption, you name it. your experience is yours alone -- well, you and your family's. whatever it takes for healthy baby and healthy mommy! take care!

penandview said...

My friend Jon was the producer for Expelled. A wild ride for him and his buddy who worked on it together. Huge spiritual battle. We've had discussions over the journey they took to make that film. Pray for him if you think about it.

georgia b. said...

oh, gosh, mae... thank you! it is my prayer that strength marks this year. so to hear you say that means so much. i know i have so far to go in learning about strength, though. but i do believe God is bringing it to the forefront in me... helping me learn about it so much right off the bat!

tracey, that is so cool. i know you are in california, so i guess i'm not surprised to hear you have that connection. can't wait to tell b. he will think that's pretty cool! and yes... when i think of him, i will definitely pray.

jillconyers said...

That is the perfect shot for strength. I'd love to see shots of the nursery. And with the OLW challenge, I'm happy to have you join whenever you can.

Jill said...

Thanks for stopping by and following my blog - I am now following yours. I LOVE your leaf photo. Your photos in PW inspired me to get photoshop and explore processing techniques. I'm such an old-school purist when it comes to photography, I need to stretch out of that and try new things, so thanks! I, too, enjoyed "Expelled." I'm a 6th grade teacher at a Christian school and so that was right up my alley. I'll be praying for your pregnancy. Thanks for connecting!

beth said...

i know you and your tastes....
and i can only imagine how adorable your nursery will be....with vintage love.....oh it will be so cute !

and one more thing on the delivery...they assumed my second delivery would be long since my first one was. so right away i was given an epideral, only to deliver him in lightening speed....i didn't feel a thing. so if you can deliver vaginally and if you really want to "feel" and have the "experience" don't ask for drugs.

georgia b. said...

thanks jill and jill.

jill #2... i'm so glad you got photoshop and are experimenting more with your photos! you will be amazed at what photoshop allows you to do... the fun you can have with it!

beth, thanks for more sage advice. this is on area i have not yet decided on. epidural or no epidural. i get mixed signals, messages and advice from everyone on that. i think it's going to be one of those things that i will decide when the time comes. wish we could make it to one flea market before baby gets here... i know i would find some great things for the baby room!

stacey said...

Loved hearing about your day and the sweet words from your hubby and your plans for the nursery. So exciting to decorate a room! Can not wait to see it!

As you know, I had a c-section due to complications with my labor. I, like you, really really wanted this beautiful vaginal delivery. I dreamed about what it would be like when the doctor put my daughter up on my chest. I actually went through a little grieving period b/c it didn't end up that way. However, I know now that this was God's plan. Sure, a major surgery sucks, I won't lie, but in the end it made me stronger and I was able to spend more time in bed cuddling my babies and letting other people take care of me where with a vag delivery that wouldn't have happened. And I personally love my scar. Everytime I look down at it I'm reminded of my babies. I go back to when they came out. The tears as the doctor lifted them above the curtain and as Darin brought them over for me to hold.

I have lots of opinions about epidurals being a labor and delivery nurse! I won't go into all that now, this has already gotten way too long! Plus, my opinions don't really matter. It will be up to you when the time comes!!

georgia b. said...

thank you stace... i thought the very same thing yesterday... when that baby is put in my arms, i'm gonna melt to pieces, and it will not matter how he or she got there... just as long as he or she is there.

you all are getting me excited about having a scar now! the proof of what we went through... the reminder of what we have to be thankful for. i LOVE it!

julie said...

Love your strength shot...really beautiful edit. :)

Deborah Tisch said...

Georgia, I just read your post. You are in my thoughts and prayers. So fitting that you posted your "strength" photo and then wrote this! It all fits together. Blessings ~

georgia b. said...

thank you, julie.

thank you, deb.

mrs mediocrity said...

oh georgia, keeping you in my thoughts here as well...your words show the great strength you have running below the surface. hugs to you.

Lisa said...

I forgot to say in the last post how much I love the baby pics! Eeeep! I can't wait to see him/her in person. (Or rather...in pictures, but outside of the woom, hehe. :P) I didn't watch the superbowl because it was my birthday and that's not really my "thang." Haha. We did go to a pizza joint where the game was playing so that the boys would not feel jipped. :P I can't wait to see what you do with Baby B's room! I am sure you will make it just lovely and I can't wait to see pictures. <3