Reality Check

On January 12th, a friend of a friend, let's call her Susie (age: 28ish) went to the doctor for a migraine that was making her nauseous.
On the 13th she threw up a lot from said migraines.
On the 14th she was admitted to the ICU.
On the 17th she had brain surgery.

Today she was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Brain Cancer.

Whoa there, back up... 5 days passed.  Right? I mean did I miss something? 5 DAYS from symptoms to malignant brain cancer diagnosis.

Thanks, life, for that reality check.

Please pray for her. She has an amazing spirit and has been extremely strong so far. Even posted on Facebook "Just a little brain surgery, no big deal". But hard times are ahead. She will need strength to come from places she doesn't know exist. So, please pray for her.

How are things?

Well, things have been "back to normal" around the Stephens house since we got home from Houston.
William left for Arkansas (for work) on the 3rd which happens to be the same day I went back to work too. It's rough having him gone (and being pregnant) but we make it work. For the most part I'm still able to do everything on my own... so it's not too big of a deal.  Luckily, William will be coming home this week and hopefully staying home for a while.  He will be working in North Texas on the rig he was working on before December. That will make things a lot easier for us.

This weekend my dad, brother and brother's girlfriend came to visit. It was nice to have a little excitement for the weekend. My dad was kind enough to get a veyr nice surround sound system for Christmas. And he came to install it this weekend! So head to our house if you want to be surrounded by sound!

This next week is going to be full! Tomorrow I will officially be 34 weeks pregnant!! Yikes! Wednesday my school is throwing Levi and I a shower! I'm very excited! Thursday I have my OB check up! This weekend, William has drill in Waco. I may or may not join him for Saturday night depending on his hotel arrangements.

Here are a few pictures/updates around the house!

 Levi's new owl lamp! So cute!

 William's Christmas present to me! 

 Lucy's new bandana

 Levi's mobile

William practicing with a "baby"

The room... ALMOST complete!

Pregnancy Update:

Weeks: 34 

Where we are at: 

Baby's room... basically ready, we need a few more things, but the bedding/clothes are washed, everything is put together and batteried up... and so on!

Bags... laid out and stuff is starting to get packed in them! 

Car seat... ready to be installed

I'm having some braxton hicks contractions... but nothing too crazy yet. I'm definitely getting anxious about him getting here! I'm ready! 

I'll update later in the week with a pregnancy picture and fun stuff from the shower! I can't wait! 

You know you're 8 months pregnant when...

...You spend your Christmas money on new pajamas and underwear and couldn't be more excited!

... You spend a whole Saturday in your pajamas.

.... You define events in your head as pre-baby and post-baby.

.... You forget that at important events coming up (like your brother's college graduation) you will HAVE a baby.

.... You are lucky to sleep 3 hours consecutively.

.... You wish people would stop asking you if you are excited about the baby... Of course you are excited... But you are in a little shock that he'll be here in 50ish days.

.... You don't want to cook.

.... You pass time by trying to determine which body part is being stuck out at you currently... A butt? Or a foot? Or maybe a hand? Definitely not his head... You know right where that sucker is located ( and it's not blog appropriate)!!!

.... You stare at ultrasound pictures trying to decipher whose features he has... Although you aren't making much progress.

.... You are beginning to wonder if a scheduled c-section might just be easier.

Goals: 2012 edition

1. Have a healthy baby.

2. Get back into shape and run a half by the end of the year.  No, I don't mean I'm going to run a half in May... I mean seriously by the end of the year.  I figure that's realistic.

3. Go to church. Period. End of story.

4. Help William accomplish his goal of a new job.  I don't know what that looks like exactly... but we will be successful on this front in 2012.

5. Maintain the financial goals and obligations that we have laid out with the help of our financial planner.

6. Pay off loans in May when I return from "maternity leave".

7. Finish getting the house in order.

7 is a "lucky" number right? 7 goals sounds good to me.

Goals: Review of 2011 goals

Did not accomplish 1. Read a devotional (Thanks Nicki for the recommendation - hopefully you will keep me accountable)


Definitely accomplished 2. Run more.  I'd love to run at least 10 miles a week and run about 4 5K's and a half this year. 

I'm not sure what percentage we paid off... but it was plenty.  And the rest will be gone by May 3.  Pay off 65% of my college loans.  Why 65%? I don't know... it just seems like a good number that's more than half but not getting too ambitious.

Not so much 4.  Read 12 books. More on that later.

Did this for sure 5.  Organize the closets of junk in my life. 

Always trying... never know if I'm succeeding 6.  Plan more for therapy and try to be a better therapist for my kids at school.

Done! 7. Buy a house.  This is definitely a goal for 2011... but is completely dependent on job/military situations. 

I lost 20 lbs. and then gained it back in baby weight.  I"ll call it accomplished though! 8. Eat healthy.  Step one... I will be cleaning out my pantry this afternoon. 

We have learned so much this year. 9.  Be a better, more supportive wife. I love William so much.  I will die trying to be the best decision he ever made.

I'd say we did this! 10.  Have fun. Afterall... life should be more than work.