Emma Grace has arrived!

I went to my doctor's appointment at 10:45 am on Tuesday morning, expecting to go home because not much was going on with me or Emma. Turns out I had high blood pressure and my doctor wanted to induce. So, I walked across the breezeway from my doctor's office to the hospital and checked in. They began inducing me about 1:30 pm and all went well for a while. Emma was progressing nicely. And then she got stuck! I went five hours with no progress at all, so the doctor recommended we do a C-Section, so that's what happened. Emma Grace Parks was born at 5:48 am on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 (her due date!), weighed 8 lbs, and was 19 inches long. We are all doing well right now. We should be going home on Saturday morning.

Here are some pictures...
For more you can go to Matt's picasa site: http://picasaweb.google.com/mattjparks/EmmaGrace?pli=1

39 weeks + 4 days

You don't have to tell me, I know I'm HUGE! I'm SO ready for Emma to make her arrival!

true love.

I just have to brag on my amazing husband real quick. Our plan for the evening was to clean the house extremely well before Emma's arrival. After I finished sweeping & mopping the kitchen, I sat down on the bed to rest for a few minutes. All of the sudden, I started feeling nauseous and next thing I know I'm spending quality time with the shiny, clean toilet. At this point I became quite frustrated because I really wanted to finish cleaning, but I felt horrible. My sweet, loving husband insisted that I lay in bed while he finishes cleaning. So he has spent the last hour sweeping & mopping the bedroom, cleaning out airconditioning filters, and getting all of the dust off of our ceiling fans. I sure do love this guy.

My love language.

I have to say, my husband knows my love language. Anyone else's love language go into overdrive when you see the "hot now" sign on at Krispy Kreme? Oh my heart melts. And then I go into a sugar-induced coma.

I've lost my belly button!

Here are a few things that pregnancy has done to me in the past month (just to scare all my friends who haven't had kids yet)...

*My belly button is gone, well, not completely. My innie has not become an outie but because my belly has stretched so big, my belly button whole is tiny! Sometimes I can barely find it!

*I now have plantar fasciitis, in my left foot, probably due to my weight gain. Basically my foot hurts really bad and it's not much fun to stand or walk on it.

*My feet have gotten HUGE! None of my shoes fit me anymore, not even flip flops or my crocs.

*The stretch marks have come in abundance!! I went 8 months of my pregnancy without any stretch marks and then they all appeared at once! And my scars from where I had my belly button pierced have stretched to be like 3 inches long! I would like to thank Amy for my Burt's Bees Belly Butter--it is my faithful friend and will continue to be!

I could share lots more, but I'm going to stop at that. I don't want to scare too many people!

Oh yeah, I will get Matt to take pictures of my 39 week pregnant belly today and post pictures soon.

road trip!

I just found out that Jon & Kate Gosselin (from Jon & Kate Plus 8) will be speaking at a church in Shreveport in November. Time for a road trip!

They also have a book coming out in October. Can't wait to read it!

Pain.

This morning I took a drive through the Lower 9th Ward. I do this on occasion to bring back the reality of Hurricane Katrina. Almost three years after The Storm, there is still so much devastation in this city. This city (and the rest of the Gulf Coast) will never be the same. Thinking of it makes my heart hurt. There are no words to describe the pain and suffering that these people have been through and continue to go through. The pain is very real and very raw. Conversations almost always end up going back to The Storm. You do not have to look for pain and suffering in this city--it is right before your eyes--the homeless, mentally ill, poor, hungry, needy, they are everywhere. These people are the reason I love this city. I have such a desire to just love on these people. I desire to sit down and here their stories, their pain, their suffering. I desire to show them there is hope. I want to be their friend and neighbor and a listening ear. I have a passion, a passion for these people. A passion for New Orleans.

Will It Be You?
by Lanaia Lee

I am from a city that used to be
A city, that was famous for Mardi Gras, jazz, and blues
A city, three centuries old, my choices are few, all I can do now is flee
A city, where it's citizens, had to pay tremendous dues.

Being a child of ten, I am very terrified and scared
Separated from my parents, I don't know if they are alive or dead
Looting, shooting, fire, all this, some people had the gall to dare
Leaving those like me, to survive on their own, I just want some clean water and to be fed.

Where do I go? What do I do?
Being held prisoner, by the water, that is so toxic and lethal
Please, tell me what to do, to this question, the answer, I have no clue
Life is gone in this great city, now that is nothing but a hull.

I see people below, as I watched from the second story, of a devastated house
Plain people, I am scared, where oh where is my helping hand?
I am trembling, like a timid little mouse
This once beautiful place, is no more, please someone, to me extend a helping hand.

No food, or clean water, will I die from this over powering hunger?
For days on end, I have watched unthinkable things, as they are done
A place, where tons of people used to come, but now today, they must deter
People are desperate, some are even carrying guns.

So see, I am very scared, during this time, I am completely alone
But, I am just a child, I really don't know what to do
This once, beautiful city, the aftermath, life as we knew it, is no more, it is totally gone
Someone help me please, I am so sad and blue.

I extend my hand for help, will it be you?
Giving me a second chance to live?
My parents, I fear, they are dead, someone help me start a new life, I feel I have paid my dues
So, to all the survivors that need help, will it be you?

For real?

Does that countdown really say Emma only has 1 week, 5 days until her due date?!

Kinda scary.

VERY exciting!

Waiting

I went to the doctor yesterday and Emma's not making her arrival anytime soon...which is a good thing (she needs to wait at least until the 14th, right Karina?). Not too much is going on with her. She has moved down just a little and hasn't dropped. I'm less than one centimeter dilated (just a fingertip as the doctor said). My guess is that she'll be coming close to her due date...hopefully not after! As for me, I am just making myself comfortable and hanging out. I'm sleeping a lot and watching lots of tv. Life is good right now. :)

New Orleans

One of my first attempts at digital scrapbooking.

new obsessions.

As of today, Matt and I have new obsessions.

Matt's obsession: scooter (he wants one)
My obsession: digital scrapbooking

Anyone else want to join in? What are your current obsessions?

Only in New Orleans...

This morning, Matt & I noticed a black Excursion parked in front of our apartment. It's actually illegal to park there, but people do it anyway. If a car is parked there overnight, it's usually our neighbors, but Matt and I didn't recognize this Excursion. Well, once I come home from dropping Matt off at work, this cab pulls up beside the Excursion and out come two prostitutes. We usually don't see that kind of stuff in our neighborhood, so it was quite strange. The prostitutes then proceeded to get into the Excursion and drive off. Apparently they parked their car in front of our apartment during their rendezvous last night. Hope they enjoyed the change of scenery in Uptown. Only in New Orleans...

Scrapblog!

I just discovered Scrapblog and this site is amazing! It is a free, online digital scrapbooking program. I have been wanting to try digital scrapbooking for a while now and am excited to have found this program. I've been playing around with it for a little while now and will post some of my creations soon!

Thoughts.

2:03 am--can't sleep.

Here are my thoughts:

• I wish my brain would shut off so I could sleep
• Not quite sure how we're going to make it through the next few months financially, but God will provide
• Pregnancy is not as pretty as one would think
• I can't believe I'm going to be a mom this month. Very crazy!
• I'm a little nervous about this whole labor thing
• I love our cats and hope they get along with Emma
• I continue to fall in love with New Orleans every day and want to raise my children here
• Matt & I are so blessed to have a wonderful church
• I have been blessed by all the young moms at our church
• I love living within 2 blocks of our pastor and other church friends
• I miss my family
• I miss Matt's family
• I miss the Edingers and the Beasleys
• Matt and I are branching out and making new friends here
• I am blessed to have an amazing husband who is willing to make huge sacrifices for me (and our daughter)
• I have decided to continue the MSW program at SUNO (instead of going to Seminary)
• I have to start my field placement this summer (not quite sure how that's going to work)
• Emma will be two years old when I graduate with my MSW
  
• That seems so far away
• Matt and I want to adopt our next child
• I really should try to go back to sleep

Sweet dreams--2:15 am

Guess we're about to bust out the spray bottle...

DJ likes to sleep on sheets too...guess it's time to break out the spray bottle!

Update on Emma

23 more days until Emma's due date. I went to the doctor today (I go weekly now) and she has moved down a little bit but my cervix is still completely closed. That's good news, as I would like Emma to stay in for at least two more weeks. I am doing well right now--not too uncomfortable. I have gotten lots of good sleep the last three nights (and days). It's getting warmer here, so I carry water with me everywhere. That's pretty much it. I'm just hanging out waiting for our precious little girl to arrive.

DJ is not deterred by daddy's feeble attempts (plastic bags) to try to keep the cats out of Emma's crib

36 weeks

There's that belly of mine!

Babies galore!

Today marks my ninth month! It's hard to believe our precious little Emma is due in 28 days! Some days it feels like I have been pregnant forever and other days it feels like the past nine months have flown by! We pretty much have everything we need, except for a few smaller things. I am having a church baby shower tomorrow night and can't wait to spend some sweet time of fellowship with those ladies. Matt and I have been absolutely blessed to be at Redeemer, where there is a real focus on community and fellowship. We truly couldn't have made it though the past few months without them.

In other news, there is a family in our church that is expecting quadruplets, yes you read that right! They already have a three year old girl and an almost one year old girl. Please, please pray for this family, the McMullen's. They do not have family nearby and our church is really going to have to pull together to support them for the long haul. Pray for Jenny Kate's health and their sanity. Pray for all of the changes and transitions they will have to make during this time (they are looking to buy a bigger house). Pray for these babies health and that they will continue to develop as they should. Finally, pray that this family will have a peace about this entire situation. They are surely going to go through some difficult times, but we know that they will be blessed!

i am.

i am: full
i think: being an adult sucks sometimes
i know: i am loved
i want: to be a good mother
i have: a wonderful life
i wish: Matt had a full-time job
i hate: cockroaches
i miss: everyone in SC and NC
i fear: someone breaking into our apartment
i feel: overjoyed
i hear: the tv-Bones
i smell: pizza
i crave: dr. pepper frosty floats from wendy's
i search: for good deals
i wonder: why it's so hard to find a job
i regret: not being money wise in the past
i love: new orleans
i ache: to see my family
i care: what people think of me
i always: drink lots of water
i am not: sure what this whole labor thing entails
i believe: in God
i dance: almost never
i sing: in the car
i cry: all the time
i don’t always: finish my Bible study
i fight: the desire to want to be a "cool mom"
i write: in a black journal
i win: the lottery in my dreams
i lose: bills...and then they are paid late...oops.
i never: forget to tell my husband daily that i love him
i confuse: needs with wants often
i listen: to the sounds of the city
i can usually be found: sleeping or watching tv
i am scared: at night when i can't sleep
i need: to feel loved
i am happy about: being a mommy soon!

Lock your doors!

I woke up at 5 am this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. So, I grab my laptop and head out to the living room. There I was sitting on the couch when I hear someone come up the stairs to our apartment and hear him burp. This man then stumbles around our front porch (that is shared with our neighbors). I run back into the bedroom and tell Matt that there is a drunk guy walking around on our porch. As soon as I had told Matt, the doorbell rang, and then this guy started trying to get in our door. At this point, I got scared. I called 911 while Matt grabbed his baseball bat and headed out to look at what this guy was doing. Matt stayed in Emma's room and peeked through the doorway to watch this guy. The guy tried to get in for a while and then just stared through our window. That's when I began feeling sorry for the guy. We knew he was drunk and probably thought this was his home. Poor guy. Then the guy walks over to our neighbors door and apparently they didn't lock their door and he walked right into their apartment! We were freaking out at this point b/c here was this stranger in our neighbors apartment. Well, our neighbors obviously woke up and got the guy out of their apartment and back on our front porch. At this point, the cops showed up. Praise God! The cop talked to the man and told him that this was not his home and he needed to go home. Apparently this is not the first time the cops have dealt with this guy before. He has a mental illness and when he goes off his medication and drinks he loses all sense of where he is. The cop said that they have tried to get this guy in an "institution" but they won't take him because his mental illness is not severe enough. It's a sad case and I really feel for this guy. There is such a lack for help for those with mental illnesses in this city and it really breaks my heart. So, while I was scared this morning, I am in a way glad we had this experience to open my eyes to this issue.

But, remember to lock your doors!

Baptist Friendship House

I wanted to share this blog with you all. The Baptist Friendship House is an amazing ministry here in New Orleans and one of the main reasons that I have fallen in love with this city. One of my dear friends, Karina, who was my Sunday School teacher in 7th grade, is a missionary and the assistant director at the Friendship House. I have been so blessed by this ministry and all that they do. The Friendship House truly encompasses my heart and passions for the people (especially women and children) in this city. I can only hope and pray that God will allow me to be a greater part of this ministry in the future. Anyway, you can also check out their website to check out more about what they do.

Ranch Baked Quesadillas

Matt & I have been making quick and simple meals lately b/c neither of us has the energy to do much more. Here is a recipe we tried the other day from my "Incredibly Easy Chicken" cookbook. It is SO simple and yummy!

Ranch Baked Quesadillas
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (we used cheddar)
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/4 cup diced green chiles, rinsed and drained (we left these out)
4 (9-inch) flour tortillas, heated
Salsa & guacamole (optional)

Combine chicken, cheese, dressing and chiles in a medium bowl. Place about 1/2 cup chicken mixture on each tortilla; fold in half. Place quesadillas on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into thirds, if desired. Serve with salsa and guacamole, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Stuff Christians Like

This website cracks me up. If you have a sense of humor, check it out.

Bathtime and a lizard.

Yesterday morning, I decided I needed to take a bath and shave my legs. I had an appointment with my OB and I needed my legs to look pretty and smooth "just in case" he needed to see them. As I am sitting down in the bathtub, I am holding on to the handle on the wall and BAM! it flew right off the wall and along with it came three pieces of tile! There I was holding the handle in my hand with pieces of tile surrounding me in the bath water! I was in shock and a little disappointed in the handle because you know every pregnant woman needs a handle to get in and out of the bathtub. I then decide that it is a good thing because it will give Matt something else to fix and feel manly about. :) So I get the pieces of tile out of the water and continue on with my bath. A few minutes later I hear one of our cats hissing and look over to see...DJ and Peaches playing with a big green and brown lizard in our bathroom! What?!?! Where did this lizard come from?! And how did it get in my bathroom?! What was I to do but continue on with my bath and let the cats play with the lizard for a few minutes. When I finish my bath and get out of the tub, I try and get the cats to stop playing with the lizard because I just feel sorry for the poor little guy. He looked so old and feeble and my cats were just playing with him like he was a toy or something! I finally get the cats out of the bathroom and here I am stuck with the lizard who appears to be so weak he cannot move (but I see him breathing so I know he is alive). Me, being the woman that is scared of things that wiggle and move, cannot force myself to pick up the lizard and put him outside. So what do I do? I simply close the bathroom door so the cats cannot get in and torture this poor lizard and then I leave for my OB appointment. I was hoping that the lizard would be gone when I get home and he certainly was. But now I am scared that I am going to find a dead lizard somewhere in the house!

Matt's blog

Matt ended up making a new blog...check it out!

http://fixupneworleans.blogspot.com/

Praises

As always, God comes though in our times of need. :) He is the Sustainer and Provider! Matt has been offered a few temporary jobs in the next few weeks, that will help us pull through until he can find something permanent. He will be doing some childcare next week and then working at a new Nike store that is opening (putting up shelves and stocking) the next week and a half. We definitely didn't expect this, but it is another way that God is providing for His children. Matt is still continuing to look for something permanent, so continue to pray for that. As for now, we are just lifting up praises to Him for continuing to take care of us!

Weekend adventures

Last weekend, Matt & I had the pleasure of going on our church's (Redeemer Presbyterian) marriage retreat. On the way to the retreat, we stopped in Baton Rouge to see some sites. We went to the Louisiana Arts and Science Museum, where the Jim Henson exhibit was there from the Smithsonian! We also walked along the riverfront (yes, the mighty Mississippi). We had a great time in Baton Rouge and a wonderful time at the marriage conference. Here are some pictures for your enjoyment...

The old state capital (looks like a castle)...look how small I am!!

It's Kermit the Frog!

It was the Harley-Davidson weekend in Baton Rouge, so we saw LOTS of Harleys!

This random man was on the riverfront...he had his dog in a cage on top of his bike!

Here I am at the Mighty Mississippi (which really isn't that big of a deal since I live 4 blocks from it).

Classic feet picture (though my feet/ankles are starting to swell!)

The Mississippi River again

There were lots of cows at the place we stayed for our retreat and Matt & I tried to go see them, but they kept running away from us.

Our first time seeing a nutria in the wild (not the zoo)...if you don't know what they are,
check this out

These are our friends/neighbors Virginia, Matt & their precious baby Caroline

The entire crew at the marriage retreat

And one final picture of me & the hubby on the dock