Third Trimester Already!?

I forgot to add this picture to the last post- I was 27 weeks here.

I know everyone says “the second trimester is the best!” Well, I am very much looking forward to the THIRD trimester. The second hasn’t been too kind to me. I honestly felt just as bad the second as I did the first. (I could complain a whole lot here- but I won’t.) Something positive: The good thing is that I feel like the last few weeks have just flown by! I am now in the third trimester, and honestly haven’t felt better the entire pregnancy than I do now! Yay!



We had another doctor’s appointment on October 14th. I was VERY ready to see my little man. I felt like it had been so long since we had seen him. The last couple of times we went to the doctor, all we were able to do is hear his heartbeat. I am thankful for those times, but there is just something about seeing him move around. I love it. Our appointment was really long this time. We got our ultrasound, but I also had to take the glucose test. I was very nervous going into this test. I was afraid it would taste horrible, and I wouldn’t be able to drink it. To my surprise, when I drank the orange flavored drink it wasn’t bad at all! It actually was kinda good, and tasted just like orange soda. I was excited! After I drank it, we had to wait an entire hour then I had to have some blood drawn. Eric was such a trooper. Sometimes he’s not the most patient guy, but he did great! While we were waiting for the hour to go by, we went to the hospital to pre-register. Everything went fine, filled out a bunch of paper work and got a little “pep-talk” from the registration lady. The funniest part of the whole day was during this “pep-talk”. The lady that talked to us told us how to get into the building if it was after hours when I went into labor.



Everything she told us was very useful to know… except one thing. Right before we were about to leave she told us that if I were to get hit in the stomach with a baseball bat it wouldn’t hurt the baby. Um… what?!? Craziest thing ever. At the time, I was really shocked and concerned that she was the one giving the “pep-talk” to all these first time parents, but now looking back- it’s funny to me. I think she was just trying to make the nervousness go away that comes with being a first time parent. Even though she told me that the baby would be fine, and I shouldn’t worry- I’m pretty sure I would still FREAK OUT if I did somehow get hit in the stomach with a baseball bat! Wow.

23-26 weeks pregnant (Sept. 2010)

I found out this month that my very good friend Stephanie is having a boy also! I’m so excited about us both raising boys together. There seem to be so many pregnancies all around me. I am so happy for Stephanie and Colby! She’s only a few weeks behind me, so we are able to compare stories! Ha!

We had another doctor’s appointment on the 28th. It was another really quick appointment. It was just a measurement of my stomach, and checking his heartbeat. Eric had to work later than he usually does, so he didn’t get to go with me to this checkup. That didn’t stop him from calling me before I even got out of the office to ask me every single detail though! His excitement really makes me happy! I really feel like these last few weeks have gone by so quickly! Lately, Collin has been so active! He kicks, and rolls around which makes these weird hard lumps poke out of my stomach! Ha. Weirdest feeling ever!



The end of September, my mom, sister, and I took off to Branson for a little weekend trip! It was so nice. My dad volunteered to keep Kyndall so that we all three could go. The weather was amazing! The only problem was being 26 weeks pregnant… I was so TIRED! By the end of the first day I was ready to get into that hotel room. My sister had wanted to go see a movie that night, but I just couldn’t do it.



I got lots of new clothes to fit my growing belly. I have been fortunate so far to not need that many different outfits. However, with the weather starting to turn a little colder, I really had NO shirts to wear that were warmer. I am so hot all the time, I don’t need sweaters or anything but I needed something a little warmer than t-shirts! I was able to get several things at the outlet malls. It is such a blessing to be able to go with my mom and sister for a weekend of fun, shopping, and great food!



I also got little Collin some clothes. He really has a collection already, but I couldn’t resist. I love baby clothes! I did get Eric some shirts, but I have to admit, my attention really goes toward Collin now! Sorry Eric!!! Ha!

Naming Baby Jackson

Eric and I have not considered many names for our son. We have always known that if we had a boy, we would name him Collin. Eric has always loved the name Collin. He has told me for as long as I can remember that he wants to name his son Collin. I love the name, and honestly love the idea of our little guy having that name.

As for Collin’s middle name, this has very special meaning for Eric. One of Eric’s closest friends, Blake Benton, lost his battle to brain cancer in 2006, after a five year struggle with the disease.

Eric went through a rough time after his death. He still has dreams about his dear friend Blake. At first this was hard for me to understand. I try so hard to be sympathetic to Eric when he has a dream, or every year on August 15th, the anniversary of his death. I have never lost a best friend. I have lost family members that I was close to, but never a best friend. I have gone with Eric out to Blake’s grave. Every time we go I am an emotional mess. Eric is so strong. I believe that the reason for Eric’s strength is the knowledge that Eric will see his friend again one day in Heaven.

I actually went to high school with Blake. Conway is a big school, Blake was a year older than me, but I still knew him. When my family first moved to Conway we attended Second Baptist Church. This is also where Blake and his family attended. I was not close to Blake, but knew very much about his health problems. I thought about his family many times. I just can’t imagine.

At our wedding, we had a candle in memory of Blake on the stage with us. I am so proud of Eric for continuing to remember his friend. Sometimes we to try to forget the horrible times in our life, but Eric sees it as nothing but an opportunity to learn. Learning to appreciate the relationships we have, and not to take them for granted.

So, our little guy will be named, Collin Blake Jackson. I’m so excited for Eric to share with Collin where he got his middle name, and the stories and memories he shared with his friend Blake.

22 week appointment and painting the nursery

On August 31st, we had our next doctor’s appointment. Dr. Martin was finally back from maternity leave! She walked in the room and said “long time no see!” We enjoyed meeting all the other doctors in the office, but we really missed her! This appointment lasted all of about 5 minutes. All she did was measure my stomach, and find baby Jackson’s heart beat. Everything looked right on track! We did talk a little about the rest of my pregnancy. She told us that we would have one more appointment like this one (just a belly measurement and to listen to the heart beat) in four weeks, then I would need to start coming to the doctor every TWO weeks! Crazy. I feel like this pregnancy is starting to fly by! I wish I had more to report from this appointment, but like I said, it was all of about 5 minutes long!

Here is an update about baby Jackson. I get a weekly email from babycenter.com on his progress. It really is interesting to read about it!

This is 22 weeks:

At 11 inches and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.


We also painted the nursery this weekend. Eric’s dad and step-mom came from Benton to help Eric with the painting. His little sister also came with them! His sister, Tori, and I decided we would hang out while they painted. Tori and I went and got my sister and niece Kyndall. We all went to get a snow-cone! One of my favorite things about summer are the snow-cones!! Kyndall loves them too, so we all had a great time. When we got back from our little outing Eric, Tammy, and Jack had the room finished!!! Eric wanted to put another coat on the next day, but I was already excited. It seemed like they had only been painting for 10 minutes and they had made it look so great!! I wish I had taken a ‘before’ picture, I forgot... but I did remember to take an ‘after’! Better than nothing I guess.

I love it! We are going to paint a border in blue and I have ordered wall art to go above the crib. I’m so excited to have it painted! I'll post more pictures when we get more things finished.

Thank you to my wonderful in-laws for giving up their Friday night to come help us paint! I am so blessed!

Me vs. Target

My sister found the most amazing crib in the Target Sunday sale adds. I was so excited when she showed it to me. Eric and I had gone to Benton Sunday afternoon, so it was Sunday night before I saw my sister. If the crib was purchased, we would receive a FREE changing table!! The picture looked so cute!

As soon as she told me about it I called my friend Robin to see if she was up for a trip to Target. Eric told me it would be a good idea to go ahead and buy it, if it was something I liked. We were afraid they would run out of them quickly. Robin and I went to Target that night- oh; did you know that Target closes at 9:00pm on Sunday nights? I sure didn’t. We walked in with about 3 minutes to spare. We were practically running back to the baby section to get a look at the crib. We looked at the display model, and I LOVED it. So, guess what… they were ALL OUT! Ugh! I found a lady that worked at Target and asked if she could find out if the Target in Little Rock had the crib. I was fine with driving to Little Rock the next morning to get it. However, her exact response was “I have no way of knowing that!” she was kinda rude about it too! I know it was time for them to close for the night, but being that rude was not necessary. Here is a picture of my friend Robin and me. She is such a blessing to me. Maybe one day soon I'll write about all the adventures we have been through together. Ha! We always have fun.

I got home that night and told Eric all about it. I decided that since I was off work the next day for Labor Day, I would spend my Monday searching for that crib and changing table. I started at 8:01 the next morning calling every single Target store in the state of Arkansas. You think I’m kidding? Nope. I called every one. I bet you can guess my next sentence… Every single Target in the state of Arkansas was out of the crib and changing table. I couldn’t get a “rain check” because it was a sale item. I was beyond frustrated by this time.

I was worried about ordering something so big and important online and having it shipped. I was afraid it wouldn’t make it here in one piece or something crazy would happen. Eric convinced me that ordering it online was our best option. The price was great, and I really liked it. That Monday I ordered it online. The next Friday when we got home from work the crib was on our front porch!! Yay! The changing table had to be shipped separately so we were expecting it the following Monday. Monday came, and so did our changing table! I was so excited. Eric and I opened up the boxes to inspect everything. Not one piece was damaged or missing. Such an answer to prayer! We didn’t want to put everything together just yet because we wanted to wait until the room was painted so that we didn’t get paint on the furniture.

I went to work the next morning so happy about our furniture. Eric had to work late that day, so I beat him home. When I got home that night, guess what was on our porch… ANOTHER changing table!

What?! They sent us two changing tables. Weirdest thing ever. I tried to call them to see how to get it back to them, but couldn’t ever get a reasonable answer from anyone. So, to this day, we still have a second changing table in our living room, still in the box. I have decided to donate it to our church nursery. Target won’t take it back, we don’t need two changing tables, and I’m sure the church will get some good use out of it. Plus, baby Jackson will be in the nursery most Sunday’s anyway! Ha!

I guess I learned a lesson from our crib drama. If you want something out of the Sunday Target add, you better RUN there to get it. We still got the deal by ordering it online, but I like to actually go and pick it up. That way I know it will get to my house safe and sound!

Half Way There! (20 weeks)

A couple of weeks after our last appointment I reached the half way point! I really started to think about how much stuff I hadn’t even started on yet! I had no clue what I wanted to do his nursery in- and honestly, didn’t even really know which room I wanted to be his nursery.

We have a three bedroom house. Our two spare bedrooms are the same size one is just in the front of the house while the other is closer to the back. The front bedroom Eric has “claimed” to be our Razorback room. Together, Eric and I both have SO MUCH Razorback stuff. When we got married we decided it would be cool to have a room for all of it. So, this left the back bedroom for the nursery. Now that this situation had been figured out, I had to stop stalling and actually decide what we were going to decorate it in. I really didn’t want to do any sort of “theme” for his room. I just wanted something calm, relaxing, and simple.

My mom and I went to North Little Rock one weekend to find me pants that actually fit. There is a Motherhood Maternity store in McCain Mall in North Little Rock. I really like the clothes they have, especially for work. While we were at the mall, my mom suggested we just go look at the baby stuff at Sears. I ended up finding the cutest blanket, and set of crib sheets there. The blanket was on sale! (Even better) It was everything I had been thinking about for his room! I bought the blanket and sheets so that we would have some starting point for other ideas! I was so excited! I think I was more excited about the blanket and sheets than I was for the pants I bought! Ha!

So, I had a plan (kinda). I like the color of green that is in the blanket. I want to paint the walls a shade close to this. I would like to do some sort of border with a shade of blue. I decided I wasn’t going to do a theme of any kind-- just calm, simple colors. Everything seemed to be falling into place.




At this point in my pregnancy I had only gained one pound. When I say I had been sick, that was an absolute understatement. I couldn’t go more than a couple of hours without getting sick. I LIVED on KFC mashed potatoes and gravy (a wonderful suggestion by my mother-in-law). It was the ONLY thing that helped my stomach to feel even a little better. My doctor didn’t seem to be too concerned with my weight issue. I was told that if I started losing weight I would need to be put in the hospital to get an IV to help with fluid loss. Thankfully, this never happened. I have always heard that women tend to be more sick with girls than boys… um, apparently nobody told baby Jackson this!



Baby Jackson also started kicking this week!! Friday night, August 13th, I was sitting on my bed getting ready to go to sleep and all of a sudden I felt this little pop. It felt like a little bubble popped inside my stomach. I wasn’t sure at first that it was actually a kick. I sat there and tried to talk him into doing it again, but no such luck. I guess he just wanted to say “hi”. The next day I waited all day to feel it again, but never did. I was starting to question if I had really felt it the night before. Well the next morning at church, Eric and I were sitting in the service and out of nowhere, he kicked AGAIN! I waited for a second confirmation, and he kicked again!!! I couldn’t even wait until we got out of church. I leaned over to Eric and told him what I was feeling. I will never forget the look on his face. He could tell how excited I was, and was equally excited himself. When we got to the car we talked about it the whole way home. I really wish Eric could have felt what I felt that day. It must be so hard for the daddy to not get to experience that feeling. I knew it wouldn’t be long before he could feel it from the outside, but it can’t feel the same as when I feel him kick. I can’t wait for him to be here so Eric and I can experience the same things with him.

18 weeks (it’s a Boy!)

After my kidney stone drama we had our official doctor’s appointment on August 3rd to find out the gender of baby Jackson. We already knew he was a boy going in to the appointment, but neither one of us had been able to actually SEE that he was a boy. We didn’t have any ultrasound pictures or anything. I wasn't even able to look at the screen when I had the ultrasound done of my kidney. This was also the time that they were going to check all of his measurements to make sure everything is on track. My mom came with us. She hadn’t been able to make it to any appointments yet, so I was really excited. Eric met us there as soon as he got off work.

During this appointment we were also meeting a new doctor. All of the doctors in the office that we go to are women. Well, now they have hired a brand new doctor who is male. I’ve never really been one that had a preference for a male or female doctor, so I was fine with either one. Dr. Ward measured baby Jackson’s head, heart, arms, legs, and abdomen to make sure they all measured what they should be for 18 weeks. He was actually a week ahead of schedule! Yay! Keep on growing little buddy!

Here are some pictures from the appointment and ultrasound.

I know this one is hard to see. The printer on the ultrasound machine ran out right when he printed this one. It's all wrinkled and everything! Sad thing. Anyway, his boy parts are that white dot right above the "T". Hope you can tell what it is. I was there, and still have a hard time knowing what I'm looking at!

He also got his Very First Outfit this week!!!
My mom has already started shopping. Our family is full of girls, so us having a boy is exciting for everyone. My mom bought baby Jackson a cute little outfit that says “Party in my crib”. It is precious!!!



I think this is the belly picture from 18 weeks. I should have labeled better. :(  

I am so thankful

I’m going to take a little break from my “blog catch up game”. This week has been pretty difficult. Actually, the last few weeks have been full of heartache and devastation. In a few short days it seemed like there were more wrecks in Central Arkansas than I could count. My heart goes out to all of those families involved. I have been in constant prayer for all of them. Many of these accidents involved people that I knew personally. One in particular struck really close to home. Jake and Nikki Pruett were in a terrible motorcycle accident. They had only been married a couple of months. I didn’t know Jake as well as Nikki, but that didn’t keep my heart from breaking for them. After fighting for close to three weeks Jake lost his life to his injuries. It’s so hard to understand sometimes why such tragic things happen. However, I have no doubt that God has an unbelievable plan for all of this.

I can not imagine losing my husband. Eric and I have only been married 7 months- we have so much more to experience! Our lives have felt like a roller coaster for the last year, and it just seems to get faster and faster. Yes, we have our fights and arguments, but most of the time it’s over silly little stuff. Thinking about Nikki and all she has had to deal with over the last month, I can’t even imagine being in her shoes. I NEVER want to take anything for granted. Unfortunately, here lately, I feel like I have been. My family means so much to me. I can’t imagine going on with day to day life without one of them. I don’t tell them enough how much they mean to me. So- I am making a promise to myself. I need them to know how much they mean to me, how much I depend on them, how much I look up to them, how much I learn from them, and above everything else how thankful I am that God has placed them in my life.

Starting with my husband…

Eric, I love you so much. You mean more to me than I have words to express. I am so thankful that God gave you to me. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you. I can’t wait to raise our son together. You are going to be an amazing father. You model your life after our Heavenly Father, and I couldn’t ask for anything more. I can not wait to share many more life experiences with you. Nothing makes me happier to walk into the bedroom and see you watching our wedding video. I depend on you so much for more than you probably know. You are so strong. Thank you for always making me laugh in your silly ways.







To my Daddy…

You are such a Godly man. I cherish all the memories I have from my childhood. When praying for my future husband, I prayed for a man that would treat me the way you treated momma. Thank you for setting that standard without even knowing it. There have been so many times in my life that I have leaned on you for guidance and support. Those times I wouldn’t trade for anything. Thank you for being my rock. I love being a “daddy’s girl”- you make that pretty easy. I look forward to learning more and more from you. I am so thankful for you. I love you so very much!

To my mom…

You are a perfect example of a Godly woman. You have taught me so much. I don’t know where I would be without you. I am so thankful for you, and your ability to listen. Many nights I have cried on your shoulder while you cried along with me. I love you. You have supported me in everything. Thank you for being a mom who sat at the kitchen table with your child and helped her with homework. Thank you for insisting that we ate dinner at the kitchen table as a family growing up, and not in front of the T.V. You are such a role model for me, I hope I am half of the mom you are. I love you so much!

To my sister…

You are my best friend. I am so thankful for you. I love our lunch dates. I love being around you. I love our funny inside jokes, our twin moments, and most of all that you are my sister. I am thankful that we have the relationship that we do. You are so sweet, and so kind, and a

WONDERFUL mother. You are strong, and have overcome so much. I thank God you are the person you are today. I love you!! Speaking of you being a wonderful mother, that brings me to my next person…

To my niece …

Kyndall Grace, you are the light of my life. You are almost two years old, and I can’t believe it. You are growing up so fast. Too fast for my liking actually! I love you more and more every day. I am so thankful for you. Nothing makes me happier than when you say “my Be Be” I love that! I depend on you for that little burst of energy you give me. When I am having a bad day, I know I can count on you to change that for me. I am so thankful God placed you in our family. You really are a remarkable little girl. I love you!

**There are so many other people in my life that mean so much to me. I could never write out individually how much each one means. I am going to do better. I am going to appreciate the small things in life. I really am so lucky. God has given me more than I could ever imagine.

Father God, thank you so much for everything you have blessed me with. I ask that you always remind me of these things when I am ungrateful. Thank you for providing safety to the people I love and care about. I am so thankful to call you Father. I am so thankful for the relationship I have with you. I love you.

Kidney Stones= Horrible! (16 weeks pregnant)

Most of the time, my plans don’t really go as planned. God is still teaching me. I am such a SLOW learner…



Thursday night, July 22nd, I went to bed just like any other night. It was anything but “just another night” though. I woke up at 2:00 in the morning with an awful pain in my right side. Unfortunately, I knew this pain all too well. It was a kidney stone. I knew without a doubt. I didn’t wake Eric up right away. I wasn’t sure the ER would be able to help me, like they have in the past. I knew I couldn’t have the hard-core pain medication I usually received when I had a kidney stone. They also couldn’t do an x-ray to see where the stone was. So, I laid there. Miserable. I was able to get a little more sleep before having to get up for work. Somehow I made it to work that next morning. I called my doctor as soon as they opened to get some advice. It was Friday, and the last thing I wanted was for something horrible to happen over the weekend and not be able to talk to the doctor’s office.



The nurse called me back and suggested I come in to see the doctor. I called Eric on the way and told him I was going. I told him not to worry and there wasn’t any reason for him to leave work. My mom met me at the doctor’s office. (I have the blessing of a mom who is a school teacher, so she was still on her summer break!) The doctor decided that she wanted me to go have an ultrasound to see if the stone was small enough for me to pass on my own. My doctor’s office closes early on Friday’s so I was sent to an imaging center across town for the ultrasound.



We waited for a little bit in the waiting room and were finally called back to the ultrasound room. I was in so much pain all I wanted was to get this over with. I laid down on my side so she could get a good look at my kidney. The nurse never found the kidney stone (which was a GREAT thing) this meant it was small enough to not show up, and I would be able to pass it on my own.



HOWEVER, we did find out something very important during this little extra visit to the doctor.



My next scheduled doctors appointment was to be the BIG ONE to find out if baby Jackson would be a boy or a girl. I had so many cute ideas about how we would tell our family. Eric and I had done such a great job with keeping our appointment date and time a secret from everyone. We wanted to share that special moment together first, then with our family. We didn’t get to do anything fun or memorable with our families when we found out we were pregnant, so we were ready to take this opportunity to have a little fun.



During this appointment to look at my kidney we found out that baby Jackson would be a baby BOY!!!  Eric wasn’t with me, but we did call and put him on speaker phone so he found out too. My mom was sitting in the room when we found out, so she got to share in our excitement! As disappointed as I was that our plans had fallen through, I was so excited, and Eric was beyond happy about having a son.



We decided that we would still have some fun with his parents. We got to Benton and Eric’s dad, step-mom, and little sister were the first on the list. I had gone to Walmart before we left and got two cookie cakes. On both of them I had “It’s a Boy!” written. We walked in the back door and set the cookie on the table. They were SO EXCITED to see the cookie. I will never forget the looks on their faces! After spending a little while with them, it was off to Eric’s mom’s house. She was the only one home when we got there, so it was very special to share that time with her. Eric is so close with his mom I really think it made her feel very special. I am thankful to have such wonderful in-laws. I really have been blessed with a wonderful second family!

13 Weeks and THE Announcement

Five short weeks after our first doctor’s appointment, it was time to go back! Okay, confession- it was five weeks but was not short or fast by any means. It seemed like our next appointment was months away. With the shots I was getting weekly, I was anxious to go back to the doctor just to make sure everything was okay with our little baby.


Our second appointment was June 29, 2010. We got another ultrasound done, and was amazed by how much our baby had grown! I had been keeping up with babycenter.com, so I knew about how big the baby should be, but it was so different seeing it for ourselves. It was an incredible difference from 8 weeks to 13 weeks!


Our doctor, Dr. Martin, was out on maternity leave so we got a chance to meet one of the other doctors during this visit. Eventually, we would have to meet all the doctors in the office, just in case Dr. Martin is unavailable when I go into labor. (Hopefully this won’t happen!)


Here are some pictures of this ultrasound.

Baby Jackson's heartbeat was 156!

Full body, side view of that precious face!

Cute little baby!

Here is my very first “belly picture”.

Because I had reached 13 weeks pregnant, and the doctor had decreased our chance of a miscarriage, Eric and I felt comfortable telling everyone about the pregnancy. Eric was NOT good at keeping this secret anyway, so instead of getting upset with him, I just decided to go ahead and join him! So, we did what would be the easiest way to tell our friends… Facebook! So, it was “Facebook official”!

Yay, for Baby Jackson on the way!

First Doctor's Appointment

Our first doctor’s visit was May 25, 2010. I was very nervous, and still thinking this whole thing might be a joke. Eric and I waited in the waiting room for what felt like an hour! Finally my name was called, and back we went.


After we answered about 1,000,000 questions about our medical history, it was finally the moment we were waiting for. Ultrasound time!! I was still very nervous, but took comfort in the fact Eric was so calm. He really helped me so much that day- I don’t thank him enough. He is amazing.


Here are some ultrasound pictures from that day.

Gosh. My first thought "that looks like a gummy bear!" Baby Jackson's heart beat was 184 that day.

My due date was set for January 2, 2011. I was offically 8 weeks and 3 days pregnant. According to babycenter.com Baby Jackson, in this picture, is the size of a kidney bean. I can't even describe the feeling I felt while we were looking at our little baby. Such an emotional time. I needed someone to remind me to take a breath! Ha! Thank you Lord, for this wonderful blessing.

Oh- funny fact. When the nurse saw that our due date was so close to New Year's Day, she made the comment that if we were to have the first baby of the year, we would have our picture in the paper, and possibly be on the news. She thought this was a wonderful thing! I on the other hand, didn't really agree. With my emotions all over the place anyway, this was not the time to tell me I could be in the newspaper hours after delivery. Ha! Bless her heart, I know she was trying to excite me, but it kinda terrified me instead.

Bound and Determined

I am on a mission to get this blog caught up to present day! So, this means lots of blogging to do in order to get there. I know it will totally be worth it in the end. I really want this to be something I can look back at one day and remember special times in my life. So much is happening…wow!
I just found my USB cord so I can finally add some pictures from the first few days after I found out I’m pregnant. I wish I had put these with the last couple of posts, but oh well. They are here now, so enjoy…

This was at work, right before I went to tell Eric he was going to be a daddy.

This is Liz. I would like to take a second and say a BIG THANK YOU to her. She was with me right after I took the test. When I was totally freaking out. If it weren't for her, I may have passed out. Ha!

Thank you Liz!

My reading material for the next 40 weeks (actually, probably way longer than that!)

My sister added to my reading collection. She packed up all her maternity books and passed them along to me. I really have had so many people to be so encouraging. I am a lucky girl!

Here Comes Baby (Part 2)

Things were happening so fast, I could barely keep up. As I mentioned in my last blog, Eric was already so excited about me being pregnant. However, if I got real honest with myself, I was pretty far from excited. I was very scared, felt very unprepared, and felt completely blindsided.

Here we were two months after getting married, and I have taken a pregnancy test that says I’m pregnant. I called and made a doctors appointment to have some blood drawn just to confirm the pregnancy. The next day I received a phone call with the news. I was in fact pregnant, 5-6 weeks to be exact. SO… it seems that Eric and I went a whole three weeks being married, and not pregnant!

In our pre-marital counseling we talked about having children one day. We talked about how Eric and I felt about how long we should wait, how many children we both wanted, and financially how we would support a family more than just the two of us. All of these questions we had talked about, and had answers for. We wanted to wait somewhere around two years, we wanted one (possibly two) children, and financially we both felt better about being married a couple of years to kind of figure out the whole marriage thing before adding a child into the mix. Eric and I had a plan. We were ready to stick to that plan. Well, God had a much better plan in store for us. Honestly, it took me way longer than it should have been to fully embrace God’s plan as my own. I had just started a new job, I didn’t have any sick time, no vacation time, and for sure no maternity leave! I wasn’t even eligible for health insurance yet!! I had so many excuses I’m really ashamed of my attitude looking back. God had blessed us so much. He had provided for us in every single way. I had NO REASON to doubt that this would be any different.

We made our first official doctors appointment for three weeks later. The doctor’s office told me they would like for me to be 8-9 weeks for our first appointment. The blood that that tested to make sure I was actually pregnant also showed a low progesterone level. Basically, they like for the number to be around 20, and mine was around 13. This meant I would need to receive a shot every single week of progesterone until I reached 12 weeks. Low progesterone levels made my risk for a miscarriage pretty high, so we decided not to tell very many people that I was expecting right away. We did tell close friends and of course our family.

I really wish I could say that I only felt scared and blindsided for just a week or so, but that really wasn’t the case. It took me a while to not cry every single time I thought about the fact all of this was happening. This was supposed to be a happy, wonderful time in a couple’s life- for me, it was anything but. With some wonderful words of encouragement from friends and family, and many, many hours of prayer, being silent, listening, and finally letting go and letting God do what He has always done for me, I had an overwhelming joy and peace about the entire situation. You see, God will never give me something that I can’t handle. He will always be there when I need Him. He has promised this to me over and over. I just wish I had taken this outlook from the very beginning. The cool thing though, is that in all of this, God taught me so much. He gave me this situation to go through so I could learn and grow in Him. How amazing! What a mighty God I serve! Amen.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then...

comes a BABY in a baby carriage!! Oh my!

Let me back up just a little... The Monday after we returned from our wonderful honeymoon, I started work at a brand new job! I now work for Community Service Inc. in Conway. We are a mental health facility for youth. I got a job as a Behavioral Specialist. Basically, I help youth (ages 14-18) who have been expelled from public school. All of them have felonies, and are on probation. We help them to get their GED's and also help them behaviorally. The afternoons are dedicated to groups on anger management, social skill, empathy, and character education. I am finally able to use my degree I worked so hard for in Psychology. My job is very rewarding- but also VERY challenging. I love it. I love the kids, and I love helping them to become productive members of society.

Okay, so we come back from our honeymoon, and I was off to work at a new job! Needless to say, I had lots of new things in my life! (a husband, living with a boy, new job, LOTS!)

A couple of months after we got married, I started not feeling really well one day at work. I ignored it at first, and kept pushing through (I also didn't have any sick time yet). A couple of days later, I decided I would call my doctor and see if I could get in on my lunch break. I explained my symptoms to the nurse, and the first thing she asked me was "are you pregnant?" um... NO! No way! I can't be pregnant. I started thinking and realized I should have started the week before. The nice nurse then told me to go buy a home pregnancy test and to call her back. UGH! I didn't want to go buy one! I was scared out of my mind.

So, off I went to Target. So many questions were running through my mind! "What kind do I buy? Should I get more than one? Should I call my husband?" I was freaking out! (that's probably an understatement) I ended up buying one that had three tests in the box. Sounded good to me. Plus, I think I had seen a commercial about this particular test.

I got back to work and decided I couldn't wait till that night to take the test. So, yes... I am one of "those girls" who took a work home pregnancy test at work! Three LONG minutes later, I got a second little line on the sick. Meaning I AM PREGNANT! I took the other two, just to make sure, and then it was off to tell my husband.

He was still at work, and I was a nervous wreck. I had no clue what he was going to say! We hadn't exactly planned this- in fact we had taken the precautions the doctor had told us would be effective. Apparently, I am in that 2% of the population that birth control doesn't work on.

I pulled up to the McGee Center and walked in to tell my husband he was going to be a daddy just TWO months after we got married. Ha! I'm getting nervous again just typing this out! Okay, so I ask him if we can go talk somewhere. We end up walking around for a while, and then finally going outside. We sit down and this is how the conversation went...
Me: "You know how I haven't been feeling real well lately?"
Eric: "Yeah, are you okay?"
Me: "Well, I called the doctor today and she told me to take a pregnancy test. I went to Target and got a test. I already took it while I was at work... and... well... it says I'm pregnant."

And that is when Eric laid down. Right there, on his back, just laid down.

Me: "I have the test in my pocket if you would like to see." He nodded.
after a few seconds that seemed like an hour, Eric finally responded.
Eric: "Well, I guess we are having a baby!"

And from that very moment on, Eric has been so excited!!! I needed a little more time to get to that excitement level, but Eric was excited from that day on. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful guy.

Honeymoon!

After a very busy week, we were both so exhausted. We were excited to spend a week in Eureka Springs! We rented a Treetop Cabin not far from the downtown area. We had the best time ever! It was so peaceful and exactly what we both needed! Here are some pictures of the outside of the cabin.

It was so cute! It was perfect for us.

They had placed cute little notes all around the cabin for us. This one on the outside of the door says "Eric and Brittany, Welcome to the Hidden Oak Treehouse. Please enjoy your stay".

The heart shaped jacuzzi that Eric NEVER got out of! Ha! He loved that thing!

It was such a wonderful week. I wish we could go back. I would recommend these cabins for anyone! They were wonderful! Here's the link if you are interested. http://eurekaspringstreetopcottages.com/

It's Wedding time!

Razorback theme? I think so! Such a great night. The food was amazing!

Even Kyndall was decked out in her Razorback gear!

My mom's bestie, and the lady that helped us make it through the week. My second Momma, Ms. Jacqui!


Our wedding day was AMAZING! I wouldn’t change a thing. Yes, several things didn’t go exactly how I would have liked, but that’s what makes for entertaining stories to tell our future kids!

I started the day by going with my sister, and Rachel Cox to get our hair done. It was great! My dad came by and made fun of my hair during the many steps to get it perfect. Only my dad can make me laugh so hard on a day that I just knew I would be a wreck! Thanks Daddy!

Then, it was off to the church to get ready. My niece Kyndall was there to keep us company. I am so thankful for her. She was the BEST petal princess ever!

Eric getting ready, YES, he was about to wear WHITE SOCKS.

Thankfully someone had an extra pair of black ones. HA!

So, somehow in the stress and craziness of the day… my mom came down with PINK EYE (in both eyes)!! Bless her heart. She was trying her best to get to the church on time. P.S. She had my dress with her. Haha! I knew she would make it, and everything would be fine- she was the one stressing.

Me waiting patiently for my dress. Love you momma!

As our wedding present to each other, Eric and I gave new Bible’s with our names on them. I had the idea that we would each write a sweet message in the Bible’s and that we would exchange on our wedding day. Poor Eric. He didn’t understand that. I had his Bible with me- waiting to exchange… Where was my Bible? In his truck at the Peabody. We had reservations to stay there for our honeymoon night. He thought we were going to exchange them later, in a “more private setting”. I’m still not sure if he really thought that, or if that is what Derek told him to say, to keep him out of trouble! Ha! I love you Eric!

It was finally time to walk down the isle to my man! Oh, what a wonderful time. My bridesmaids… Rachael Myers (Maid of Honor), Jodi Brewer (Matron of Honor), Rachel Cox (Bridesmaid), and Stephanie Ungerank (Bridesmaid). My junior bridesmaid Tori Jackson (Eric's sister). I couldn’t have done this without each of you. You all played such a vital role in this day for me. I will never be able to thank each of you enough!

My honorary bridesmaides... Casey Slayton, Anna Rogers, and Courtney Jordan! I love you each more than you will ever know!

Eric’s groomsmen… Brock Jackson (Best Man), Derek Cox (Groomsmen), Justin Kimbrow (Groomsmen), and Cory Cox (Groomsmen). Such great guys! You each mean the world to Eric!

Brother Jason Aultman officiated the ceremony. I am so thankful that a man I have known for so long was so excited to be a part of our day.

Dr. William Collie, and his wonderful wife Sarah were a huge part of our ceremony. When I walked down the isle, we wanted to have a family prayer. Both of our families joined us for such a special time. Katie Fleming sang our favorite praise song “Wonderful, Merciful, Savior”. It was an amazing time of worship and prayer with each other, and our God. Thank you Katie, David Attebery, and Jerene Reddin. You all made the day so wonderful. I love that you are using your musical talents for the Lord.

BIG KISS!! We are officially Mr. and Mrs. Jackson!

Thank you to Leo Cummings III for doing such a great job introducing us to all our friends and family for the reception. Here are a couple pictures of that!

Finally, with the help of our friends and some sparklers... we were off to the Peabody!

An amazing day. I wouldn't change one thing.

Thank you to EVERYONE to made this day so special for both of us. We love you!