Such a Big Boy, Time Flies!

Wow I completely forgot about my blog. Samuel is growing so fast, and is actually 8 1/2 months now, but this was the best shot of him with clothes on (it's been too hot lately to put him in anything unless we go out). He has three teeth (two look like little fangs on top and one bottom), he's still working on crawling but likes standing better, and has had a pretty good routine going until recently. He's in 12 month clothes but I think maybe growing out of them soon. He's so expressive! He's learning so much so fast and looking more and more like a little boy instead of a baby. He loves watermelon and dogs.

David is still at Amazon, but has been chosen to be an Ambassador, which basically means he gets to train new people on how to do tasks correctly (which that place is in desperate need of). No raise or anything, but now at least he can do something about it instead of complaining to people and them not caring.

We are still really liking our church, and can't wait to see the new building go up. I am about to start helping in the nursery, which I'm excited about because I miss it and Samuel will be in there so maybe he will get used to it.

I know this may not be much of an update, and I could go into much more detail, but I'm just writing down what I can think of off the top of my head. Don't want to bore anyone with all the details (unless you want them-but I could go on forever). Seeing as I don't get much adult conversation, and when I do I tend to ramble all about Samuel, I usually just keep it to myself (unless I'm talking to my mom). If you do want to talk just let me know!

Half a Year!

Can't believe it's been six months already! Samuel continues to grow like a weed, and can do so many things now. He's getting closer to crawling, eats like his dad, and you can just see the wheels turning in his head as he learns new things every day. I'm so amazed at how quickly he picks up words and actions.

David is doing okay at work, but isn't necessarily liking it much anymore. The managers and other higher-ups aren't treating people the way they should, and a lot of people there are very lazy. I wish he would look for a new (better) job, but the pay is really good so he doesn't want to. On the plus side, doing all the walking around he does at night and not eating much is helping him lose weight fast! In fact, both of us have lost some weight due to not eating as much and walking more, etc. As for me, selling Tupperware didn't work out, so for right now I'm just staying home, but that's keeping me pretty busy so it's okay. Oh, and we got Samuel's six month pictures done, and a few family photos as well, so I'm really excited to get those back!

Our Growing Boy! (and other news)

Samuel has grown so fast over the past couple months! He's so close to being four months old, and can already do so much! There's nothing better than the sound of his laughter, and he can almost sit up by himself. He's starting to eat baby cereal, and quickly growing out of his clothes.

In other news, David has switched shifts (instead of Wednesday night through Saturday night, he works Sunday night through Wednesday night), so now he can carpool with our neighbor, which saves us both money. Also, I have started selling Tupperware as another source of income (hopefully it will become steady). So if you want to order something or book a party, let me know! As for my New Years commitments, I'm still faithfully doing my devotion every morning, but really not doing anything with the exercising. I need someone to do it with. Any takers?

Time Flies

Here's an updated picture of our little guy! He's two months old now and weighs a lot more than he did when he was born. He's also gained inches. He loves to eat, but we actually discovered that he needs the sensitive formula, which means he could take after me and have a milk allergy. We're discovering he might like lions and dogs. He's sleeping through the night now, and growing like a weed!

I'm getting more and more excited about future homeschooling, especially with what I've been hearing about the education system lately. I've been thinking about everywhere we can take him to really get the experience instead of just reading from a book.

We've made some new friends, and it started because David works with the guy and discovered that they live right above us. They have a baby boy as well, and we're discovering we have more and more in common with them. It's so nice to have friends like this. Speaking of work, David has been doing great at work, getting small rewards for his hard work.

We've also found a church home in Mt. Carmel Christian Church. We're glad we've found somewhere to stay, and this is the first step to us settling down here, planting some roots. This means that in a few more years we hope to buy a home here, hopefully before we have another child (we have no room for another in this apartment). I know it's not much of an update, but that's our life in a nutshell right now.

We're Parents!

I realize it's been quite a while since an update, but he's here! Samuel Ryan Havener was born on Sunday, October 13, 2013 at 1:40 am by c-section. He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and was 20 3/4 inches long. I was a week overdue so I had to be induced. We went in Friday evening and got the Cervidil put in, and by Saturday morning I was on Pitocin. My goal was to go natural, but nothing went according to "plan" that weekend. I did, however, manage to get to 8-9 cm with only something to take the edge off. I think going that far with no pain relief while on Pitocin is pretty good. Although, by that time I couldn't relax between contractions, and I was in so much pain that I did end up getting an epidural. That experience was bizarre; being able to see someone move your leg but not feeling anything messes with your head a little. After waiting a little while for me to relax and my body to respond the way it needed to, I was ready to bring Samuel into the world. Unfortunately, after pushing for two hours, he just didn't want to come out that way. By this time I was severely fatigued and, earlier, had already been sleeping between contractions, so I just wanted to "get it over with". I wasn't worried about the c-section until I was actually in the operating room; then I was a little scared. I was so sleepy I probably mistook "lots of pressure" for pain, but I slept through most of it anyway. I woke up enough to hear them say they were about to get the baby out, to hear him cry, see him, and see David tear up. I wish I could have seen him more and see David's reaction more, but I was so exhausted that I didn't really see anything or anyone until later that morning because I was asleep.

I do have one thing to say about everything after having Samuel, and that is that David is such a good Daddy! Every day I fall in love with him even more, all over again. He has a way with Samuel, Daddy's touch you could say. I'm so proud of him, and honored to have him as the father of my child (and future children). That being said, my parents are over the moon about Samuel and can't get enough of him!

God has blessed us more than we could have ever thought. It's hard to believe we've lived in Ohio for a year now. Looking back to last year, we were looking for jobs, wanting to start a family, and getting used to a new city. Reading some of my posts from back then, we had so much going on and it was interesting to see what was important and how things have changed. My focus has totally shifted in some aspects, and stayed the same in others. David has a good, steady job, I stay at home with Samuel (although I would go back to work seasonal at Macy's if I could), and we think we've found a church God wants us to be a part of. God has really brought us a long way in a short time.

It's Almost Time

We've been so busy and I've been so uncomfortable that I've practically forgot about updates! I'm now 34 weeks and been having Braxton Hicks contractions. We've had both our baby showers, and gotten plenty of great stuff for Samuel! It's been so exiting getting everything prepared, set up, and put together. It's becoming more real by the day, especially now that the nursery is almost done and the car seat and stroller are put together (just have to install the car seat now). Samuel's been giving me all kinds of pains and discomforts as he's gotten bigger. Most all of his rolls, movements, and kicks hurt, but he definitely responds to Daddy! We are both ready for him to be here, and not just emotionally. I'm getting anxious, but having the Braxton Hicks actually help to get me ready, which I guess is the point.

David's been doing well at work, despite some of his co-workers not pulling their weight. His supervisors and others have changed some rules and policies, which works in David's favor. Now he is able to take two weeks of extended leave for when Samuel comes, which makes both of us happy. David has been so great to me! He's been a huge help around the house, and loves talking to and playing with Samuel, which of course is entertaining but painful sometimes.

Life is Moving Fast!

So this is my six month picture, roughly 26 weeks I think. Time has gone quickly, and this month is going to be no different. We have classes starting tonight, appointments to go to and showers to have. I also have an appointment with a new asthma doctor since I've not been seen for it since being diagnosed, and that fact that I'm pregnant. Samuel's getting so strong it hurts when he kicks! David is going to be such a good dad the way he touches and kisses my belly and talks to him. It's so wild that Samuel's already responding to certain things we say or do. We're so ready for him to be here!

Some other good news, David is now a permanent employee at Amazon, so now he has some job stability. He's also had some discoveries when it comes to God's plan and will is for him concerning working with youth in the church. He's come to realize that maybe he was interpreting it wrong, that maybe God doesn't necessarily want him to be a youth pastor, but just to be involved with the youth. It actually started when we were looking for a church, and when David checked out the youth page on their website, their basic philosophy was "we don't need you". In other words, they don't have a youth pastor, they get the parents involved. From the history we've had with parent involvement (or lack thereof), this was very appealing to us. That got David to thinking about the pros and cons of having youth pastors in the church. He did some research and some God seeking, and decided he didn't want to be a youth pastor anymore, but just wanted to be involved with the youth somehow. I fully support him in this decision, since I've been by his side throughout this whole process.