I'm sorry Shutterfly

I got a gift card from Shutterfly included in our pictures we had taken at the hospital. We just got it in the mail yesterday and when I opened it and saw that the expiration date was the 26th (yesterday's date) I was a little annoyed. However, I thought I would just go ahead and put in my order online yesterday before the card expired.

Good thought except...

The baby pages on Shutterfly's website were not working. "page is temporarily unavailable" was the message I got no matter how I tried to access those pages.

Grrr. Now I was doubly annoyed. I only had one day to use my gift card and now I couldn't get that section of the website to work! I thought I'd call customer service and see what they said. Except they had closed 40 minutes prior.

UUGGHH!!! So I gave up and decided I would call customer service today and find out if they would extend my date on my gift card by at least one day since it was their fault I couldn't use it last night.

I got ready to call today and couldn't find their number anywhere on the website. A quick Google search brought it up and I wasn't on hold long. When I talked to the customer service rep I was polite and just explained what happened and asked if she could extend the date just one more day for me. She said she could! Yay! Then she said "your card is valid thru the 26th". I said "right. Can you extend that for me?" and she said politely again, "but maam your card is valid thru the 26th". I said, yeah but can't you just extend it for one more day? and she said "Maam it's August and your card is valid thru SEPTEMBER 26th. (emphasis mine)

I literally got red-faced! I was so embarrassed. I told her as much and thanked her for her time. She chuckled and said to have a good day.

I wonder if I was the talk of the lunch room of "silly customers"...

Yeah, I don't think so either:)

Our little peanut

From my heart

Dear God,
I was wrong.

I was wrong about how You'd teach me to change.

I was wrong about worrying about Greyson being healthy.

I was wrong about how the entire delivery would go.

I was wrong about all of my fears- every last one of them.

You were patient with me.

You never give up on me.

You show me love in more outstanding ways than I can ever imagine.

You love me in ways that I can't ever expect.

You are good to me.

You are good.

Forgive my unfaithfulness.

Forgive my lack of trust.

Forgive my doubting Thomas attitude that had to see the evidence before truly believing.

Thank you God for this incredible blessing that I'm holding in my arms.

Thank you God for the perfect way you made him.

Thank you for the happy, joyful and fun experience that this birth was for us.

Thank you God for my family and friends that you gave me to rely on when my faith was far and my fears were close.

Thank you God for forgiving me when I fail.

Thank you God for still wanting to change me. I am ready and willing to grow as you show me how.

You are good and I am thankful.

Greyson Joshua Vore

Here he is!!!!

36 weeks

Here I am. He sure looks bigger in my belly than 4 pounds 12 oz!

So who thinks I should start posting "shrinking" pictures by week after the baby is born?? Just kidding.

Cute quip

Emma and I were eating breakfast on the couch this morning and she said she wanted a banana.

Emma: Emma wants a banana. (I'm not sure why she still uses third person so much.)
Me: Sure honey!
Emma: I want it in the house.
Me: We are in the house.
Emma: No, I want the banana in the house.
Me: OH! You mean you want the banana still in the peel?
Emma: Yeah! Thanks Mommy.

Let the count down speed up!

So in one week we'll be holding our baby boy!

My doctor appointment today, you know the one I was so sure I didn't need to pack my hospital bag for? Yeah, that one- the ultrasound showed that Greyson has a "growth restriction" that requires moving up my C-section to next Thursday. August 25th is Greyson's new birthday. I'll be 37 weeks that day. That is technically full-term. The doctors aren't worried that he'll struggle. They expect him to be fine and as long as he eats well, breathes well and can hold his own body temperature he'll be able go home when I do. That's what we are praying for: a strong healthy baby. He'll be little. We'll be impressed if he hits five pounds by next week. That means I don't need to bother taking the 0-3 mon outfits. I think the newborn ones will be quite big. My sister and mom were getting excited about the "need" to go buy some preemie stuff.

I'm a little thrown. I expected my c-section in 3 weeks. I thought I had more time to prepare. The doctor told me that I'm now on light bed rest. She told me that I'm done working. I told her that I sit at my desk and she smiled and looked at me and said "you are done working". So I can go in tomorrow to fill out paperwork and pass my work load on and then come home and call it done! At least I'm only facing one week of bed rest. Others I know have had to do it for a long time. I'm already annoyed and it's been 3 hours this evening of doing less. And now that I know the baby is coming in one week I feel MORE urgent to get things done and am not allowed. So I will choose to let go of the unfinished lists. I will sit and play with Emma more and will not lift anything.

Oh, but I'm packing my hospital bag tomorrow.

I have an appointment Friday and another on Monday. They will measure my amniotic fluid and will do non stress tests (which monitor baby's movements and heart rate) and if anything changes from what they saw today the doctor said she'll send me right across to the hospital and we'll do the c-section right then. She thought Jon would have enough time to get up there from Mansfield if that happens. However, our prayer is that everything will stay good so we can wait until Thursday. But she said to bring my hospital bag with me on Friday and Monday just in case.

I see God's plan in this. I have to because He was not surprised today. (Or shocked, which was how I felt.) He knew this was coming. I know that He knows more than the doctors and He knows Greyson intimately. So I am trying to choose to relax.

Thank you Lord for your infininte wisdom and knowledge.

Let the count down begin

In less than one month we will be holding Greyson in our arms! Yay!

We know that means no sleep- although right now I am not sleeping the best anyway. I don't remember not sleeping well when this far along with Emma. Although I do remember poor Jon telling me back then that I started to snore. That kicked in earlier this time I guess. Jon sleeps with ear plugs in and wraps his pillow around his ears! Sorry Honey! He says it's ok though and even says it's "cute". That proves he's a winner of a husband to think that snoring and keeping him awake is "cute".

I am seeing my Akron doctor each week now and next Wednesday they do another "growth check" via ultrasound. I can tell them he's growing. My belly is bigger and it's harder to eat, sleep, breath, etc. So I'm not too concerned about the ultrasound. I know they are looking for signs of "stress" to him. But they have indicated that this is a routine type thing so I'm not planning to take my hosptial bag with me for that appointment. I haven't even packed a hosptial bag yet.

I have made it through many of the items on my "to do" list. The last ones are mainly things I need to do the days or week prior to baby-day.

One very important thing that I am doing now and hope and pray to do everyday until delivery is to stop letting myself even consider the possibility that Greyson will be disabled or sick. Once I let myself consider the possibility, I find that I immediately assume it to be truth. Only the Lord knows anyway but, truth be told, I feel the Lord wants me to assume the baby is healthy. I have no more control over this situation by allowing or forcing myself to consider/plan for him to be sick. It's a very false sense of control anyway, however I want to prove faithful and the only way I feel I can do that is to not even allow the thoughts of Greyson being less than healthy.

So no more permission for me to consider all the options or possibilities. I have to only consider and look forward to myself seeing and holding a healthy baby boy.

A son.

A baby that is a gift from God and one that I'm thankful for.

Thank you Lord for this life inside me.

Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

The perfect "do"

 

I just love Emma's hair in this picture.

Can you tell I was between her and the TV while she was watching Clifford?