Update...I'm not MIA...just REALLY busy! Baby Showers blog!

So it has been a while since I have blogged (about 2 month to be exact).  I have been super busy getting ready for Madden to arrive, and to think he could be here ANY day now!
So here is what has been going on with the Sterley's the last 2 months.
In April, I had 3 different baby showers (2 that I actually knew about).
The first was hosted by 2 of my lovely aunts and 2 of my favorite people (who are basically like my aunts).

A bunch of my friends and sorority sisters came too! I was SO excited to see them!

The decorations, food, and cake were beautiful!!!



Madden got some wonderful things!  Matt and I are truly blessed to have such supportive friends and family. 

My second shower was thrown by some of my wonderful friends and co-workers at school.  It was a sports themed shower (of course).  Here are some of the cute pictures from the shower:

Some of my sweet hostesses and friends:

It was so much fun!  I am so lucky to have such great friends at school! 

My 3rd shower was also at school, but it was thrown by my fantastic 6th graders.  It was a surprise shower, and BOY was I surprised!  The assistant principal called me to his office on a Friday afternoon to "talk".  He told me to wait in his office for a second, but didn't come back for like 5 minutes!  YES- I was a nervous wreck!  Finally, another teacher frantically ran in the office and asked if I could watch her class while she made a phone call.  I said sure, and walked down the hall to find my kids and about 10 moms in a classroom with food, gifts, and a party for me and Madden.

My teaching partner had the kids write letters of "advice" for Madden and put them all together in a booklet.  It was the cutest thing I have ever seen!  6th graders are hilarious!  They told him to date lots of girls, be a good athlete, and to mind his parents.  I am going to treasure those sweet letters forever and I can't wait to share them with Madden.

Overall, we have learned how supportive and loved Madden is.  We want all of our friends and family to know how thankful we are to have you in our lives.  We are blessed!

**I have more to blog about...more to come soon!

Spring Break Projects

This week has been a MUCH needed, relaxing break from school!  I have been able to do some things for the nursery and clean the house from top to bottom!

Back in January, JCrew, the clothing store that I worked at for almost 6 years closed at the location where I worked.  I was able to get some crates that I was going to use to store things at home.  Well, I decided they would be perfect to paint and put in Madden's nursery!

I think that they turned out pretty good!  I can't wait to fill them and have Madden use them!  And...all it took was a little paint, some foam letters, and wooden sports balls! 

Next on the project list was to paint some frames.  I saw some painted frames at a really cute baby boutique and decided that instead of spending $40 on a cute frame, I would paint a couple myself for a MUCH MUCH MUCH cheaper price!

I'm sure there will be many more projects to come!  :)

I am going to savor the last 2 days of my Spring Break!  Once school starts back, only 8 weeks left-isn't that crazy?!  And only 10 and 1/2 weeks until Madden is supposed to arrive!  Hurry up May!

Stubborn baby!

It has been a while since I have sat down to let everyone know what is going on with the Sterleys!
I have been super busy with school and softball (rescheduling almost every game this last week due to the RAIN!!!)  I am now officially on SPRING BREAK!  I really wish I was taking a trip to the beach, like most college students are, but being the responsible grown up I am (haha...) I have decided that my money would be better spent preparing for my baby!
We went for our 28 week check up last Wednesday.  This is the last of our 4 week check ups-WOW!  Now, we are going every 2 weeks and I have a feeling these next 12 weeks are going to go by SO fast.  Everything looked great, measuring on time, and nothing to complain.  We scheduled our 4-D ultrasound for the same day and we were very excited to get to see Madden for the last time before he comes in June.
We get there at 11:00 all ready to see him and are so excited to see his sweet little (well, not too little) face up on the monitor.  The tech got about 2 great shots and like a flash, he turned away and got camera shy! :(
We tried and tried to get him to move.  Yes, this involved the tech, Matt, and myself all poking around on my stomach, shaking it a little and giving him a "pep talk".  Madden did not want to have anything to do with it!  So, we went to lunch and decided to come back a couple of hours later. 
After waiting to go back in, we get our second chance.  This time, same story!  He was not in a good position and was being a stubborn baby!  I am totally grounding him as soon as he comes out :)  So, long story short, we are heading back up to the hospital Tuesday morning to try again.  I am hoping that he cooperates this time.
On another note, the nursery is looking fantastic!  We have the crib, bedding, and NOW the dresser (thanks to Madden's aunt Kaki and uncle Camille!) We put it together this weekend and I must say that it looks SO good.  It is a dresser/changing table combo and it matches the crib.

Notice the green walls too! My dad painted them!  Nana and I went to the Cottontails event at the BJCC this weekend and got some great stuff there too!  Nana bought Madden this little hat that he is going to wear while he is in the hospital and we got a diaper bag!


The hat that Nana bought for Madden to wear in the hospital



Diaper bag!



Relief!

Official news:  No Gestational Diabetes! (and no getting sick this time!!)
I went back this morning for my 2nd 3 hour test and PASSED!  Hip Hip Hooray!
I am SO glad that I will not be drinking any of that anymore-and Madden is thankful too.  He was moving like CRAZY about 30 minutes after I started the test and when I say crazy, I mean throwing punches, kicking, and moving all around. 
So, no more going back to the doctor for 2 more weeks!

Painting is coming along...not quite done yet!  I will post pictures when we are finished.
This week's picture, the stroller!

This is a gift from my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousin!  WE LOVE IT!

Sunkist, Fruit Punch, or Sprite?

It has been awhile since I have posted.  I have 2 main reasons for this 1. Softball season is in full swing and I am completely exhausted when I get home in the evenings, and 2.  I have not wanted to share what happened at our last doctor's appointment.

Well, I finally have the guts to talk about it.  Hmmm...Does this sound like one of those self-help meetings?
Last Wednesday, I went for my 24 week check-up and glucose screening test.  We arrived at 8:30 after not eating or drinking anything since midnight and I sat down to drink the dreaded "orange drink". Come to find out, they offer "Sunkist, Fruit Punch, or Sprite".  (None of these drinks are carbonated)  Well, I just went with the orange and it was not TOO bad.  I really was expecting much worse.  Well, we went back, saw the doctor, and got a good reporton the baby, growth, etc.  1 hour
later, my glucose level was tested (just a little finger prick) and what do you know, the results came back and I FAILED!  Yikes!  So, here I am faced with the possibility of gestational diabetes.  I got set up to come back for the glucose tolerance test (a 3 hour test) which I went in for this morning.
Well, here I go taking yet another day off school to spend 3 hours at the doctor's office.  Sounds like fun right?!?!-WRONG!  I brought my book and was fully prepared to spend all morning in there just sitting and waiting.  I get there and again I am asked "Sunkist, Fruit Punch, or Sprite?" and I just told her to surprise me.  So here comes another dose of the "orange drink"!! Hip Hip Hooray.  And guess what?  I got to drink DOUBLE the amount I drank last week.  Now most people that know me know that I am not a sweets person.  I rarely eat chocolate, cookies, or cake, so this dose took me a LONG time to get down. 
I get camped out in the waiting room, and start reading my book.  How in the WORLD am I going to make it for 3 hours?  I was already bored to death! 
Oh wait-Let me explain how this test works.  First, you get your blood tested pre-orange drink, then after you drink the orange drink, you get tested once every hour for three hours.
Well, 55 minutes in and I'm thinking that things might not be so bad after all-WRONG again!  I get up to head back to the lab and BAM! Nausea hits me like a ton of bricks and let's just say I barely make it to the bathroom before having yet another taste of the lovely orange drink (I think you get the picture).  Well, long story short, they do not allow me to finish the test because I no longer have the correct amount of orange drink inside me.
I am going back yet again next Tuesday for hopefully a better outcome!  (Yes, another work day wasted)!

On a happier note, we got our stroller/travel system, crib, and crib bedding this week!

Matt put all of it together (while I read the directions!)

Next up on the list is to paint the nursery!  I bought the paint today and taped off the room, so hopefully we will have some pictures soon!
I am SO ready for a relaxing weekend (and SO not ready for my 3 hour test-AGAIN next Tuesday!).  I will update Tuesday!
Peace and Blessings! Peace and Blessings!

What a crazy week!

There was so much going on this week at the Sterley's!
First, this was the first week of my middle school softball practice.  It rained almost everyday or was either too cold to be outside!  Plus, school got out early on Thursday because of inclement weather.  I didn't think it was going to be this "interesting" coaching softball while pregnant.  I am very limited when it comes to hands-on instruction.  "You can't feed the pitching machine.  Watch out for the girls while they are throwing.  Make sure you are being careful!"  All of these thoughts are running through my head, but I still want to make my girls be the best players they can be.  I get very frustrated when there are certain things I can't do.  Does this make me somewhat of a CONTROL FREAK?!?  Hopefully this just means I am too concerned. Haha. 

Matt finally got to feel Madden kick this week!  It was SO exciting!  I have to admit that even I, someone who shows very little emotion, even got teary-eyed.  Last night we both watched my stomach move while he was kicking around.  It was extremely weird, but cool at the same time.  I hope he isn't running out of room in there!  Maybe this means I am about to start growing again.  EEK!

We made our first big purchase last night.  We bought the Chicco 4 in1 Lullaby LX Playard.  It has a playard, bassinet, changing table, and removable play area with mobile.  PLUS-it has music, a light and even vibrates!  HOW COOL!

We have already put it together and put it in our room.  We want Daisy to get used to it before Madden arrives. 
Mom and Dad just ordered the crib for us!  It should arrive in a week or two.  Matt will have a lot of fun putting that together.
We are still putting together the final touches on the bedding for the nursery.  I think we are going to get paint soon so that my uncle can start working in there!  We are so lucky that he is going to do this.  I will be taking LOTS of pictures, so be prepared to be amazed at his artwork!

Coming up this week: The Sugar Test!  I am going Wednesday to take my sugar test and am very nervous about it.  I had a dream last night that I had gestational diabetes and was not allowed to eat any more pasta, bread, or cereal.  Actually-it was a NIGHTMARE!  Let's hope for some good results!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Baby Name!

We are officially announcing our baby's name!  After talking over many names, we thought we were completely decided-until this past weekend.  I saw a name that I thought was cute and mentioned it to Matt Sunday morning.  I honestly did not think he was going to like it, but WOW-he LOVED it!  As soon as I told him the name he said, "THAT'S IT!  THAT'S HIS NAME!"  I was shocked, but thrilled at the same time!
I am so excited to tell everyone that we will be welcoming baby
Madden
in late May/early June!
It feels so good to finally call him by his name!!!

This week brought on some firsts for me!  I can now say that I will no longer be wearing my regular pants anymore (unless I use a rubberband!).  It is sort of depressing, but I knew it would eventually happen.  I guess this gives me an excuse to go shopping this weekend.  I mean, how many days in a week can your wear leggings/jeggings?
As many people in my life know, I have had a HUGE food aversion when it comes to sweets.  Well, I finally turned a corner.  Wednesday at school, I had a big plate (yes, I said plate) of vanilla icecream.  I am thinking it was just a one time thing, but who knows?!  I am still walking, so I won't feel TOO guilty when the craving comes around again!

We also did more registering this weekend!  We have successfully registered at Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us.  It sort of reminded us of registering for our wedding (mostly getting to use the scanner!), but this time we had someone else in mind!  It was a LOT of fun picking out all of the things we are going to be using with our little "Mad-Dog" as Matt has nicknamed him :)  Hopefully next week I will be able to say that we have ordered the crib bedding.  I am insistant that we start that soon!!! 

Buy Buy Baby

Babies R Us

Well, tomorrow is FRIDAY!  I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

The Injury Report

For those of you who do not know, my husband Matt broke his knuckle on his right hand about 2 weeks ago while playing indoor soccer.  He has been walking around, working, cooking, and yes, even playing another soccer game without having it looked at.  Finally, this Sunday we went up to the local American Family Care to have it x-rayed. 
I probably should not have gone to that germ infested place while being pregnant, but someone had to fill out his paperwork.  He couldn't even write clearly!  While he was in the back, along with a young man with walking pneumonia, I sat in the lobby hiding my face in my sweatshirt while another girl coughed up both of her lungs.  I almost got up to move, but didn't want to be rude.  Needless to say, I made it out alive!  I went straight home, took my prenatal vitamin and scrubbed myself in a bubble bath. 
Well, it was official, a broken knuckle!  We had an appointment at an orthopedic on Monday and even got to bring home the x-rays on a CD.  They were REALLY cool to look at!
After the orthopedic appointment on Monday, Matt had a surgery scheduled for today at 11:30.  He had 2 pins inserted into his hand to reset his finger.  As I sit here and write this, his fingers are still numb and it is driving him CRAZY!!!  I just hope that when the numbness wears off, he won't be in too much pain.  I am trying my best to play "doctor", but Matt is a stubborn man and wants to continue on with everything as if nothing has happened.  What a trooper! 

As far as the baby goes, he has now turned into the Next Karate Kid!  He has begun to kick like crazy and every time I wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night (average 3 times-UGH!) he likes to wake up too and start kicking away!  Then, we have to stay up for about 10 minutes until he calms back down.  He is still resting very low, basically right on my bladder, and my bladder seems to be the target for many of his kicks these days.  I have heard that it won't get any better, so I am settling in for the long haul. 

I am hoping for a peaceful and pain-free night, but only time will tell.  Keep us in your thoughts and prayers! 

20 weeks and counting!

Today was the BIG day!  We had our anatomy ultrasound today to see how our little guy was measuring and to see if all of his organs were there and functioning.  Well...he passed with flying colors!  I think I even got to see all 10 fingers and 10 toes.  We are SO blessed that he is physically healthy right now. 
We got to see feet, hands, the heart (and all 4 chambers), the kidneys and bladder, measured his head and even got some up close on his nose and mouth.  Ultrasounds are truly amazing!  I am very thankful for technology.  It can help to relieve some stress.
Our ultrasound technician was fabulous.  She spoiled us and let us look at some 4D images of him!!  IT WAS SO COOL!  (we even got 3 print outs!)  We are definitely going to be going back at 28 weeks for a full 4D session (DVD included).  I can't believe we are half way to meeting the little one, it seems like yesterday we were telling everyone that we were having a baby.
I will be going back in 4 weeks for the dreaded sugar test.  This means that I won't be able to eat or drink after midnight until my appointment at 8:30 am.  Now, some people might think that it is super easy, but don't ever tell a pregnant woman that she has to go 8 or 9 hours without food.  Talk about torture!  Plus, I have to drink that nasty orange drink-YUCK!  I'm sure it will be here before I know it.
On to more exciting things.  We hope to start working on the nursery this week or next.  I am ordering everything from Pottery Barn Kids and we are going to be doing a sports theme using primary colors of red, yellow, navy, and light green.  A sports theme-imagine that!  With both parents who are HUGE into sports, there is no way that this boy won't be exposed.  Now his only is decision is Alabama or....well that other school down south.  (I am hoping this mama's boy is smart and pulls for the Crimson Tide).

Here he is!! BABY BOY STERLEY! (Still working on his name!) Isn't he precious!!!!

Back to school....AGAIN!

We have made it to 19 weeks!  I can not believe that in 1 week, I will be half way to meeting my baby boy!
Well, school started back today and I am TIRED, but I had missed my daily routine and my sweet students a lot.  All of the girls wanted to see if I had a "baby bump" today, but I think they were slightly disappointed.  One girl even told me that all she thought about over the break was what I was going to look like when I got back.  I have some students who are completely obsessed with my pregnancy (it is actually kind of cute).  They want to know if I have cravings, what the baby's name is going to be, and if I am going to bring him up to school next year so that they can meet him.  There is one boy who checks on my "hormones" on a daily basis-haha.  Overall, it was a great day back!
On another note, I have made it my mission to start walking 5 or 6 days a week for 45 minutes.  I have heard that it helps with labor, so I will do ANYTHING!  Daisy and I are hitting the trail everyday after I get home from school.  Wish us luck!
Finally, I have to brag on my wonderful husband.  Last night he made homemade beef jerky!  YUM!  It was fantastic!  He is quite the chef!  It will probably be gone in a couple of days, maybe hours.
Next week is our 20 week appointment at the doctor's office.  We are getting our big ultrasound session, so I will get to see my little man again.  Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures of him next week. 
Have a fabulous week everyone!!!!

New Year's Resolution

I have decided to start a blog!  It is my New Year's Resolution to document events more, so what is a better way to begin? 
Here is a little bit about myself:
My name is Jordan and a little over a year ago I married my amazing husband, Matt, on December 19, 2009.  We bought our first home together and have had a FANTASTIC first year as a married couple.
On September 26, 2010, we found out that we were expecting our first baby.  We told our parents and close family a week and a half later and eventually made our big announcement to all our friends and family on Thanksgiving.  Currently, I am 18 weeks, 5 days along and due May 31, 2011.  We were lucky enough to find out the gender of our baby on December 15, 2010-just in time for all the great Christmas shopping!
WE ARE HAVING A BOY!!!!  I am beyond excited and can not wait to hold him. 
Santa and our family got the baby a TON for Christmas!  I really need to stop buying things for him, but there are SO many cute things out there!  Santa also brought me a little present and Christmas morning I finally started to show a little bit of a belly (although I am still wearing all my normal clothes).  We will see how long that lasts!
Well, here's to an exciting year and fulfilling my resolution!  Happy New Year everyone!