Novemeber Blessings

Recently, I have reached my one year mark with the company that I work for. I didn't expect anything great to happen other then getting back my vacation/sick time since I have long since used mine up. And I have been very grateful to still have my job even though I had my hours cut to part-time. But when I had my review my boss told me that he didn't think that I was making what I was worth and he wanted to give me a raise. Not only a cost of living raise but an additional raise. He said that he wished he could let me work full-time and would love it if I could but considering the economy he couldn't. But he wanted to pay me more of what I was worth and also give me a little extra to off-set the loss of hours. So over all, I got a 7% raise! We were so excited. That is by far the biggest raise I have ever had. And now that we have a little one to take care of it will definatly help. What an amazing blessing! I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father that truely watches over us and knows just when to send blessings.

Over Thanksgiving Rick had to work Wed-Sat so we didn't get to go home for the holiday and at the last minute our plans with our friends fell through. So Rick worked from 9am-9pm those days and I stayed home and relaxed and tried to catch up on some stuff for Christmas. We are going to celebrate our Turkey Day tomorrow night with a date night. But the good thing about Rick having to work Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving is, he gets Holiday pay for both days. Which is another blessing with Christmas coming up and Madi's arrival soon.

We also went to the doctor today for a check-up and and ultrasound and found out that Madi is right where she needs to be as far as size and weight goes. The doctor said that everything looks beautiful! And even with four weeks left to go, I am already starting to dialate just over 1 cm and I am already 70% effaced. The doctor also said that considering I am already dialating, I will most likely have her sooner rather then later. Which is a blessing because if we have her before the end of the year we won't have to pay as much out of pocket because of all the other medical expenses we have already had this year so we will have already met our max out-of-pocket. Which is another huge blessing!

Thank the Lord for those everyday "Tender Mercies" he sends you. There are more then you think, you just have to take the time to notice them. Happy Thanksgiving!

Big Ultrasound.....

Things have been a little crazy around here the past few months. Rick and I have moved into a bigger apartment and have had to shuffle around a lot of things. Rick was put on a night shift at work so that has been a big challenge. Hopefully it doesn't last too long but from the sound of things at work it could be permenant. (Blah!) But we are just grateful we both have a job right now and that I am staying out of the hospital!

As far as the ultrasound in August went....it was great! Rick and I are having a little girl. I guess it's the Gudmundson tradition to have girls but we are very excited and wouldn't have it any other way. We are going to name her Madeline Coline Kaiser after Rick's grandmother and after my grandma who have both pasted away. According to the ultrasound she is already bigger then average, by about two weeks! So hopefully that means we will be having her before Christmas so we don't have to spend Christmas in the hospital. And maybe my dad will get his wish and have her born on his birthday (Dec 20th). Rick and I were both over 9 pounds and Rick's dad was 11 pounds, so our doctor is going to watch and make sure she doesn't get that big. Thank goodness! I don't know about having a baby that big my first time around, but I guess we'll see what happens. I will try and post some pictures of my baby belly once we can get the essentials unpacked and find the camera. Everyone says I am tiny for being 5 months pregnant but I feel so big! I can't imagine what it is going to be like when my stomach "pops" around 7 months like everyone says it will.

The news you have all been waiting for......

Rick and I were able to celebrate our first Mother's and Father's Day this year because we now have a little one on the way! We are so excited! It is definately a new experience being pregnant and it has been a really rocky road but we are making it. We found out at the end of April that we were expecting...and to be honest we were a little surprised. But it was a good surprise. The baby is due around Christmas time. I will have to say that this is going to be the best Christmas present we will ever get. We find out the beginning or August whether it is a girl or a boy so we will keep you posted...

Can you tell the Rick is already a very proud father?!