holy snapping turtle

So....I saw this strange thing crossing the road on Friday. Not knowing what it was (I thought armadillo at first)...the dog started barking so I went to investigate. Low and behold, a snapping turtle about a foot and a half long was crawling through my front yard with a big mud clump on its back! YIKES! I was freaking out texting all my neighbors, trying to figure out how to get it out. My neighbors -smart as they are- decided they would shoo it into a big bucket face first and carry it back to the ravine across the street. The turtle was not happy. Hilarious Friday morning for all involved (well, all except the turtle)...

if it's not one thing, it's another

What beautiful, amazing, springy weather this weekend! I know it's warm, but I LOVE this weather! I love the freshly cut grass and campfires at night. Our neighborhood yard sale today was exhausting, but a lot of fun. I found my favorite brand new DVD in the entire world- Something's Gotta Give - for $1!!!! Our bake sale was a hit, though I didn't make, or eat any of it.....It brought lots of people our way. So, we may have spent about what we made (which wasn't much) but it was fun sitting out and talking with our neighbors and walking around the block. As fun as it was, I ended up napping the entire afternoon with my feet up, trying to relieve some round ligament pain and chugging water. What in the world do we need a round ligament for anyway? This has been the best week for me since January (with consistent days, so crazy!) and I've been going going going, trying to make the most of it! Nashville was a happenin' place to be this weekend too with the Music City Marathon, the Franklin Street Festival, the Nashville Flea Market, and loads of neighborhood sales. Exhaustion is setting in, but I'm super super excited for my mom to come on Tuesday (yay Mom!) Plus, my parents snagged half-price tickets on Southwest to Nashville in May from Omaha ($61/one way!!!) for the Hillsong United Concert! Lots to look forward to! :-) love to you!

a little something to lift my spirits....

One way to combat the feeling of nausea? Retail therapy, my friends! Well, not exactly....but we've chosen some pieces for the nursery, which is exciting and does, in some way, minimize feeling crummy. After lots of web searching, we've decided on a crib from Stanley Young America. (Mainly because Nebraska Furniture Mart can get it, but also because its made right here, in the US.) I was recently informed that drop-side rail cribs are hazardous, and should be avoided....

See the article here....

But we've decided to go with a four-way conversion crib. I LOVE the way it looks!



We also decided on our stroller and car seat (after test-driving some strollers at Babies R Us last Saturday.) We decided to get the Combi Helio. It had mixed reviews, but I really like the way it folds (to basically nothing), weighs just 12 pounds, and is compatible with the Shuttle car seat. It also has a pretty tall handle (great for a tall mom-to-be like me!) The biggest complaint I saw was that the bag underneath was too small, but why on earth do I need a million and one things with me at all times? I'm planning on getting a diaper bag that can be hung over the handle anyway. So, here they are....





We're finally figuring things out...only 20 days until we find out the gender of our little lawson! Can't wait for that!
Love to you all!

happy huskers

Since over half of my friend network is in Nebraska, I just knew y'all would enjoy this video...here's to you, you happy huskers!

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7266970

when can i de-board this train?

15 weeks, 10 weeks of being mostly incapacitated. How much more can one person endure? I am jealous of all those moms-to-be who are actually enjoying this part of pregnancy. Why can't I be one of them? When people are so excited for me, and the most I can do is force a smile and pretend I'm not feeling absolutely miserable. I feel like a bad mom already. People keep telling me to hang in there, it'll get better...and I'm trying to keep the doubts out of my mind...but it's hard to see the light (it's more of a pin-hole) at the end of the tunnel. And I keep praying...but not much has changed. I hate being undependable. I hate having to bail out on get-togethers.

Chris' mom and dad were here this weekend, which was so great. I just wish I'd felt better and been more social. We did get to go to the Grand Ole' Opry, which was really fun. It took my mind off the nausea, just for a bit. I miss them already and am looking forward to seeing my mom in a few weeks. :-)

fishers of men

Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

Peter, John, and James
Could never be the same
After they heard him say
I'll make you fishers of men.

He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.
He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

Cast your nets aside
and join the battle tide
He will be your guide
To make you fishers of men.

He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.
He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

Jesus bore the cross
To gather in the lost
Oh what a mighty cost
To set us free from sin.

He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.
He said, Rise and follow me
I'll make you worthy
Rise and follow me
I'll make you fishers of men.

This song was sung by Rhonda Vincent at the Grand Ole Opry this weekend, and it really moved me. I highly recommend downloading it.

Blessings this Easter!

overdue update...and a little surprise

Yes, to my three dedicated readers (you know who you are) I apologize for the hiatus. It's been 2 months since I last posted anything, and it's time to get back into it. There's good reason for my absence and as most of you know now, this is the reason....



It's a little Lawson! This ultrasound picture was taken at 9 1/2 weeks. A lot of the reason I hadn't been writing is because the only thing I would have been writing about was how absolutely miserable I felt. I'm 14 weeks now, and it seems as if the worst is behind me. I definitely did NOT expect two full months of not being able to keep ice chips down! After trial and error, and loads of medication, I'm finally on the mend (and on a healthy dose of Zofran). Unfortunately, I lost close to 15 pounds over the course of the first trimester, and was still down 10 this morning at my appointment, so I'm really needing to put on some weight! My midwife was a tiny bit concerned, but overall, things are much better. I'm trying to eat more, it's just hard when the nausea comes and goes in waves (mostly at night).....but hey, I'll take that over what it was ANY day! I had lots of well-intentioned advice while I was going through the SEVERE nausea and vomiting phase, but I definitely did NOT have typical "morning sickness". Thankfully, I don't have any posts to look back through about the nightmare that was the first trimester, because I hope to forget about it completely- most people say you forget ALL about it, and I sure hope they're right!

We heard the heartbeat for the first time this morning (we saw it on the ultrasound at 9 weeks, but the tech didn't turn the volume up...) So crazy to actually hear our baby for the first time! We ARE planning on finding out the gender, and will know on May 13th! Before I got pregnant, I thought I'd want it to be a surprise, but now I MUST know! The baby is due October 6th. I can't thank you (those of you who already knew) for the prayers. I've been praying every day, but to know that people around me are as well, really made a HUGE difference!