Elijah Blaise Grissom!

Hooray for the next of the September babies to arrive! Congratulations to our friends from church, Heather and Michael, who were super excited to meet their little boy, Elijah Blaise Grissom on Sunday evening. Elijah made his big debut via C-section around 8:35pm, weighing in at 6lbs, 15oz. Heather was due on September 5th, and had a C-section due to having a high fever during her labor. Mother and son are doing very well, and Heather is recovering very well from the surgery! Below is Michael being a very proud new father with his son. I think Elijah looks a bit like Michael. Don't they look so happy?!? Another visit to meet a newborn baby makes me all that much more eager and excited to meet little Scout very soon. Praise God for another healthy September baby and for his blessings on the Grissom's! Keep them in your prayers as Heather continues to recover and they adjust to the newest member of the family.

Amelia Leigh Mullins!

Welcome to the world, little Amelia Leigh Mullins! Amelia is the first of Scout's September cohort to make her big debut - 9/7/07, 5:02AM, 7 lbs. Amelia is the new daughter of our friends, Abby and Phillip Mullins. Abby has been one of my closest friends since the beginning of high school, so it has been very fun being pregnant together. Now our little girls will be about 2 weeks (or less!) apart in age. Props to Abby for a successful VBAC delivery...what an answer to prayer not to have to go through another C-Section. Both Abby and Amelia are doing very well! Going to the hospital to see the Mullins family made me want Scout to come very soon! She opened her eyes a bit right when we arrived, but slept most of the rest of the time. Amelia has a lot of hair, but I didn't get any capless pics.
Proud new dad! Phillip showed up with big sister Annie shortly after Lauren and I got there. And what a relief to know this time that he was not "tired unto death!" (inside joke).
Annie is adjusting to her new role as "Big Sister" and I'm sure she will do a great job. She is a bit confused as she calls Amelia, "Baby Annie" since Abby had been showing Annie pictures from when she was born...(shortly before we got married!). I think Annie's favorite hospital activity was climbing up and down from Abby's bed.
We are so thankful for the way God is blessing the Mullin's family through baby Amelia. Keep them in your prayers as well as all the other coming September babies (Grissom's, Wojnicki's, & Balzer's)...and the other dozen plus families we know that are expecting!

A Good Two!

"A Good Two Centimeters"...yes indeed, that's what I am, at least according to the doctor this afternoon. Two and maybe a wee bit more centimeters dilated and still about 25% effaced. That's progress. David's comment was "I'm not pulling out of the driveway on Sunday until you have a packed bag in the trunk!" hehehe...we are going to Brownstown on Sunday for a family get together to celebrate my great aunt's 95th birthday and for a final baby shower. He is convinced that I will go into labor because of all the days activities. :) She's still measuring a bit big, but it's more likely that I am just farther along than originally understood.
So incredibly super excited about tomorrow...I am going to Z's for a prenatal massage, a birthday present compliments of my very thoughtful in-laws. I can't wait. Massages are one of my MOST favorite things, and I can only imagine how nice it will be with all the pregnancy tension and pains. :)
Also very excited about tonight...we are going with Lauren and Chris to the UofL game. It is some sort of special seating area with an inside part too. What a fun treat before Scout comes!
No pictures today. Maybe one soon of our new chair so Grandma and Grandpa Balzer can see what it looks like. It is an overstuffed rocking recliner and it is AMAZINGLY comfortable. Okay, that's really all for now.

Baby Boom! (36 weeks, 6 days)

Two posts in one week...I'm on a roll, huh? So excited about the gorgeous day we are having here and looking forward to planting myself next to the pool later this afternoon. Scout "loves" going to the pool...or at least that is what I use as my excuse for visiting frequently. We are a one car fam for the day, as our Camry is in the shop...we have a power steering fluid leak...crossing our fingers that it won't cost too much to fix. David insists that the car is acting out because it misses him driving it now that he is driving the Sentra - ha! I'm glad we are getting it fixed, though, as I've gotten quite a few odd looks as I have been filling it up with power steering fluid before I drive anywhere I go...the grocery store, looking at various nursing homes, etc. It's funny to observe human behavior in those situations where I am standing in front of the car with the hood up. Sometimes people just look at me strangely, others offer a sympathetic glance in my direction, and a few have actually offered to help...usually after they notice my bulging belly. People are funny creatures, huh?
Last Thursday night was another baby shower for one of the gals at church...the last shower for the current baby boom we are experiencing at Grace. I think I have been to 5 showers since May for church friends...very fun! Stephanie brought her camera, so we were able to get a picture of the September mommies with our beautiful preggie glow. Heather is on the left, due first, on Sept. 5th; Stephanie is next on Sept. 10th; and of course I'm Sept. 22nd! We'll see who makes their debut first...their little boys or our little girl.

Just returned from the doctor...got to see the one that I like today. Sad news...she's leaving the practice! That makes me think I will probably leave as well after Scout comes and I finish my follow up appointments. I haven't been thrilled with the other two docs. In baby news, Dr. Bruneau confirmed that Scout, "...has a very big head" and that if I go til my due date, "...will be a large baby." I'm about 1cm dilated, and it appears that she has dropped a bit.

Good news! (I've written this post throughout the day). Our car is ready. The mechanic called a couple of hours ago and said it was going to be either an easy fix and relatively inexpensive or a more difficult fix and over double the cost of the easy alternative. They tried the easier fix first, and it worked! It is so amazing how God continues to provide for us and meet our needs. Now, of course, even if it would have cost more, things would have been okay and God would still have been providing...but I'm so thankful that He chose to provide in this less expensive way this time. :)

She must be very smart!!! (36 weeks, 3 days)

Scout must be one smart kiddo...at least that is what our ultrasound last Friday indicated! She is measuring in the 65th percentile in weight (approx. 6.9 lbs +/- 1 lb), her torso is on the small side for gestational age, arms and legs fairly normal, but oh her head!! :) According to the ultrasound tech, it's big. So, I figure she must be very intelligent. I read early on in my pregnancy that omega-3 fatty acids are good for brain development, so I made sure to get them every day during the first and second trimester by putting them in my yogurt at lunch. It must have paid off! The ultrasound was lots of fun...David was able to come and it was neat to see how much she has grown. The whole time she was sucking on her hand so we weren't able to get a super clear picture of her face. The estimated "due dates" based on all the different measurements they took varied greatly...from September 8 - 23/24, so who knows when she will actually be here. Most of them were earlier than 9/22, which is my actual due date. I was hoping to find someone with a scanner to put up one of the pictures, but no luck there.

Things have gotten a bit more on the hectic side this week, as we are now looking for a new placement for my dad. Things just aren't working out for him at Atria, and we have about 30 days to figure things out...but the bigger time crunch is that Scout is coming in likely 25 or less days! Prayers for wisdom and discernment in decision making are much appreciated as we navigate through the murky waters of nursing homes, Medicaid, Social Security, etc. Not something I anticipated for these last few weeks, but know that God will provide and take care of all of us. Hopefully Scout will stay nice and cozily put inside mommy for a couple of weeks more til we get things ironed out!!

I decided to tote my camera along to church on Sunday to get a picture of David and me. It was a beautiful day and we sortof looked color coordinated. We don't have too many pictures of both of us throughout this pregnancy, and certainly none that I really liked...but one came out sortof okay. We are both a bit "squinty."

Then I realized that this is the same outfit I'm wearing in practically EVERY picture that is posted thus far. I really do have other maternity clothes, I promise! That's all for now, I suppose. Time to go make some dinner...turkey and rice "something" is on the menu...not sure exactly what the "something" will be. Oh yeah...just a random bit of information for you...I know 14 gals other than myself who are either expecting or who JUST became moms very recently. How fun is that? Whoa...don't drink the water. :)

Showers and such....34 weeks, 6 days...but who's counting?

Hello! It's been awhile....July and August have been very exciting for the Balzer's. We are finally getting more settled into our new home and are so thankful for how God is providing for us each and every day. My last day at Seven Counties was August 7...woohoo! I loved my team out at Oldham County, and know that they consider me INCREDIBLY old fashioned but I am SO into the staying at home gig. I love being able to have time to do the things I never did before...clean, organize, run errands, and get ready for Scout! Not once have I been bored. David insists that I have officially entered into an insane state of nesting....getting all of Scout's things organized, clothes washed, room set up, etc. I'm not a naturally organized or tidy person, so this time is giving me a chance to be intentional about getting our home ready for her arrival. Better now than when sleep deprived!

Another way that we have been so blessed is through some wonderful baby showers! David and I are so thankful for all of those who have helped us get all of the things we need for Scout. I wish I could post pictures of all the fun festivities, but unfortunately, I stink at remembering to take pictures...this hopefully will be remedied with Scout's arrival. Due to my lack of pictures, I am forced to rely on stealing pictures from other people and so there aren't too many...especially after eliminating all of the "preggie" pics that I don't approve of. But, here are a few...

My first Louisville shower was given by Abby and Lauren and many of my high school friends were there. I was surprised that so many were able to make it...it was the biggest group of us that have been together for awhile! It's amazing that we all still are friends after 7 years, especially considering there were only 57 in our graduating class...(i think?). Fun side note...the three of us on the couch are all expecting; needless to say Katy is a bit behind Abby and I. My next shower is unfortunately the one suffering from lack of pictures. It was on August 4 at church, given by our awesome friends, Jason and Jodee Upchurch. Jodee did so much planning to make it a special afternoon and it was just that. We had a cookout for both gals and guys, enjoyed some yummy treats, and enjoyed spending time with friends. It was neat feeling so supported by our church family.

Last weekend I headed up to Indianapolis for a great night with my girls. Bridget and Sarah gave me a shower with a handful of college friends. It was fun to catch up with everyone, especially those whom I have not seen for a long time!

After the shower, Bridget and Sarah insisted we take some belly pics...(no worries, no bare bellies included). Here is one of me at 34 weeks. You might notice that I'm wearing the same outfit at all my showers...it's my favorite, but I do have other maternity clothes, I promise. Bridget and Sarah decided they needed to experience what it was like to be 8+ months pregnant. Too bad the pillows weighed less than a pound. We had fun being silly. And though very "posed," I put this picture in to compare to the one in an earlier post. I guess I look a little more pregnant here. Scout is definitely growing quickly nowadays. She's wearing me out...I'm definitely tiring a bit more quickly and I'm a bit more "waddly" that just a few weeks ago.
So there are some baby shower bits for you. Too bad I don't have any recent pictures of David to include...I should have taken one of him yesterday. We had horrible storms right as he was getting off of work and he got drenched walking to his car. Poor guy looked like he had jumped in the pool with his clothes on even when he got home. Maybe we will get a pre-baby family picture in the next couple of weeks. I had a dr. appointment this morning, and all looks well. Scout is still measuring a bit big, so we are going to do a growth check ultrasound next Friday...though it isn't anything to be super concerned about. This time she only measured about 1cm big, which isn't surprising since they moved my due date back at the beginning. Hopefully I can talk someone into scanning those pictures for me so everyone can see our baby girl!

OREGON 2007

Hello! Several weeks ago, David and I returned from a lovely vacation in Oregon. We were blessed to be able to spend almost 2 weeks enjoying time with family and the amazing mountains, beaches, lakes, and clean air that Oregon offers...David's home sweet home. Here we are standing with Grandma Balzer outside of Elmer's restaurant. Grandma Balzer treated us to a very yummy breakfast/lunch here shortly after we arrived in Portland. Elmer's has lots of delicious choices, but I have to say...mine was by far the most superior. I had Hazelnut stuffed French toast drizzled with Vanilla Creme and covered in Huckle- and Boisenberries. ohmygoodness is all I can say about that.

We spent several nights on the coast with Mom and Dad B. and Grandpa and Grandma Shelton in a small beach town called Waldport. We rented a home just a short walk from the beach. It was so nice...very well furnished and comfortable. David and I were given the privilege of the Master Bedroom. The king-sized bed was AMAZINGLY comfortable...with lots of room for my slightly-bulging baby belly. During these few days we had some nice beach walks, reading on the porch with a lovely view, and lots of family time...with ROOK of course! This picture just below is from our drive down the coast at a lookout called Cape Foulweather. As you can tell, the weather this day was certainly not foul. :) One very fun activity while we were on the coast was going to the Newport Aquarium. Our favorite exhibit was the sea otter's...no doubt. David and I had some much fun watching them swim around and play. We decided that Baby Scout was our little sea otter because of the ways she moves around inside...I think she must be very playful.
Here we are outside of Georgies Restaurant after another very tasty meal. This restaurant sits right on the beach and we were entertained throughout dinner by the residential whales just off the shore....we couldn't see them but saw lots of spouts!
One afternoon we went to the Rose Gardens and Japanese Gardens. Portland is famous for their roses, fyi. There all sorts of beautiful types of roses and people are always getting married in the gardens. David likes to take pictures of all the roses. :)
This picture is overlooking the city of Portland from the Japanese Gardens. David and I planned on being color-coordinated for pictures this day....haha....or maybe it was totally coincidental. (seriously, not at all intentional).
And this is a bit of the Japanese Gardens. David and I enjoy all the little waterfalls. It is a very relaxing place.....lots of pretty scenery.
One day we drove up to Marion Forks to the cabin David's family stayed in for the summer when he was 5 years old. David and Dad B. went on a search for the ever-elusive Gooch Falls. Last summer we got close enough to hear it, but couldn't quite get there. As you can see, this summer's seach was much more rewarding! Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it. We didn't think Scout could handle all the hiking to get there. That evening we had a cookout with some family friends and roasted marshmallows. After sunset we drove up to Horn Ridge to enjoy the amazing stars.
This is a view of Mount Jefforson from a place called Pamelia Overlook. It's quite a drive up there....one spent praying that the car doesn't overheat or get scraped up too much by the overgrowth on the narrow road up here. We enjoy spending time up here together because it's so quiet, deserted, and peaceful....not to mention the majestic mountain view. We also drove to Lost Lake one day. As Bridget, Sarah, and I would say...Beautiful! Gorgeous! Wish you were here! It's pretty amazing. The lake is this great deep blue color...much different I have to admit from your run-of-the-mill KY lake. This is one of the few preggie-pics that I don't dislike, so I thought I would include it.

We rented row boats and spent about an hour rowing on the lake. Here's a little romance for you...who said you're done being newly-weds after a year. It was really fun watching the osprey dive for food. They are pretty amazing.

David and I took off on one of our last days in Oregon to head to Canon Beach. We treated ourselves to lunch at a special restaurant there called The Wayfarer. Very fancy and very fun. We had a great table with a view of the ocean. The day was very blessed because the weather wasn't supposed to be all that nice, but as soon as we got their the clouds started to break up and the sun came out for our LONG walk on the beach. Baby Scout made Mommy very tired on this one, but we had a great time and saw lots of little critters at Haystack rock, which is behind us to the left in the picture.
Mom B, Grandma Shelton, and Darla gave me a baby shower on our last night in Hillsboro. Lot's of family and friends came. For dinner we enjoyed "SNOW ON THE MOUNTAIN." This is Grandma Shelton's famous chicken dish in which you build a mountain and add toppings as you move around the table. Isn't the table lovely? And the cake was delicious....white cake with raspberry filling...I wish I could have eaten more!!! (I did have a few bites the next morning before going to the airport...I couldn't resist).
Oregon 2007 was a great trip.....it was nice to get away from all the stressors in Louisville and have some nice R&R. Spending time with David's family is always wonderful and we were excited for them to get to meet Baby Scout before her big arrival in September. Since our return, life has gone back to its normal busy-ness. This past weekend we moved out of our first apartment into my dad's condo. Poor David had to do most of the work since I'm out of commission when it comes to lifting and carrying. He did a great job though. And props to Jason Upchurch and Matthew Manche for their help too! Things went much more smoothly and quickly than we expected. Now we are busy getting settled into our new home.

In other news...Lauren and Abby gave me such a nice baby shower this past weekend as well. It was so much fun getting together with so many of my high school friends and catching up. Most everyone was able to make it! I am blessed to have such great friends! There is certainly a baby boom right now...I know at least 9 pregnant women and friend at church just had a baby.

In more news...I put in my resignation at work this week. My last day will be either August 3rd or 7th. It's hard to believe my time at Seven Counties is ending. It's all I've known since college, but I know that God has great things in store for our little family and I am so thankful to be able to stay at home. We decided that I should quit working a bit early because of some unforseen stressors at work, moving, and lots to take care of before Scout comes. I'm blessed to have a husband who wants me to, "take walks, go to the pool, take naps, and relax" during the last few weeks of my pregnancy. (personally, I think he's looking forward to more of my yummy food...hehehe...just playing).

I think that's about all for now....we've got about 9 1/2 weeks until Scout's arrival (or less)! Definitely we are excited to meet our baby girl, but we will certainly keep busy until that time comes.