Week 32 and 33

We're approaching the final weeks of my pregnancy! If I carry Claudia to 40 weeks, I only have 6 more weeks before she's here! The waiting game begins! This is getting so real...

I am right on track with measurements, weight gain, her heart rate and my blood pressure. Praise the Lord for His goodness! We continue to pray for Claudia's health, my health, and a smooth delivery. I've reached the stage where I'm simply uncomfortable... no matter what. Claudia is running out of room to move around so her movements make me sore and are quite startling these days. My lower back, hips and feet hurt. I'm short of breath (due to Claudia pressing against my diaphragm which then presses against my lungs). Sleeping is becoming more difficult because I toss and turn trying to find a comfortable position. I've outgrown some of my maternity clothes (definitely wasn't ready for that!). Getting in and out of the car is a joke. So is getting on and off the couch. I'm so blessed that I don't have to worry about going to work anymore. Because I don't sleep well at night, I get a couple of hours of quality sleep in the morning and sometimes even get a nap in the afternoon. I'm really just taking everything a day at a time and extending myself a lot of grace. :-)

Being the self-motivated person that I am, I've wanted to get all the home-projects on my list done at once! A lot of times I'll start something then my body will tell me I need to rest, so I do and then I binge watch a few episodes of 7th Heaven on Hulu Plus, usually with a bowl of mint-chocolate chip ice cream in hand. Ice cream is the only thing that keeps my heartburn at bay, so I feel no guilt in eating it whatsoever :-)

Despite the need for frequent breaks and sleeping in quite a bit, we have managed to get a lot done and enjoy this joyful season of preparation for the arrival of our daughter! The nursery is nearly done (I just lack decorating and putting finishing touches on everything), we've had a lovely baby shower in Birmingham, we've gotten some home improvement projects done, I have done some deep cleaning (like washing comforters, cleaning floors, etc.), and I got us completely caught up on laundry and ironing for the first time in our married lives!

The big things that will happen in the next few weeks before Miss Claudia's arrival are: two more baby showers, our Babymoon, pre-registering at the hospital, birthing classes, a breast feeding class, Jessie's baby shower, maternity photos and getting new flooring installed! Then she'll be here!!!

I am continually amazed at how wonderful my husband is. Its so fun hearing him talk about how excited he is for Claudia to come, how he gently reminds me that everything is going to be okay at the hospital and that he won't leave me alone, and that we don't need to worry about doing everything right as parents. He is such a reflection of the Lord's love in my life and I can't wait to see him in that role in Claudia's life. We just started reading "Sacred Parenting" by Gary Thomas and it is already so good! Besides generally being awesome, I cannot count how many ice-cream/dinner/Chick-fil-A milkshake runs he's made without complaining and the other day he brought me home a stack of chick flicks that he found in a discount bin at a local entertainment store! It's been fun watching through those :-) In addition to working full time and taking care of me, he's been working out the past few weeks so he can be a fit dad! And he got a cool new haircut. I love doing life with him!

This entry would not be complete without a rundown of the beautiful shower that my college friends gave for us in Birmingham on August 16th!

The shower was held at my dear friend Emily's parent's home in Leeds. Everything was decorated so wonderfully! It was ice-cream themed with Claudia's nursery colors of pink and yellow everywhere. Emily set up an ice cream sundae bar, complete with ingredients for a banana split and brownies. There were also coke and root beer floats, all in colorful ice cream dishes and glasses!

I enjoyed indulging with a brownie sundae...

These ladies are SUCH a blessing in my life. Becca and Carter came from Atlanta to be there 

Pamela flew all the way from North Carolina to be there! She is such a beautiful friend, inside and out!

Mom and me! So glad she and Larry drove over from Atlanta! 

With Dad and Anna!

With Mary, Mom and Larry!

Beautiful personalized wreath :-) 

Adorable banner made by Carter! 

Sitting in my "Claudia's Mommy" chair :-) 

Such wonderful friends!!!!

We had a great time fellowshipping with our dear friends and celebrating our little girl.

Week 31: Austin's Birthday and a Family Wedding

Week 31. It’s really starting to sink in how close we’re getting to the end of this 9 (ish) month journey! Soon, we’ll be holding little Claudia Grace in our arms. What an incredible and overwhelming reality!

I know that as soon as I see her precious face, I will fall in love and everything will be worth it. I had to keep reminding myself of that as I sat up all night this week with the worst heartburn I’ve ever had. I look forward to my hips not hurting and being able to find a comfortable position in which to fall asleep. I feel swollen, slow, achy and huge! Getting in and out of the car makes any intense exercise I’ve done in the past seem like a piece of cake. I feel like a crazy woman when I inexplicably burst into tears or get way too upset that Chick-fil-A couldn’t make milkshakes because they were out of domed lids! Yet, I know it will all be worth it. I’m getting so ready to meet our little girl.

We had a doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, which was quick and normal. We’re going twice a month now instead of just once. We got to hear Claudia’s heartbeat, of course! I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing it J.  Her heartbeat was 143 BPM, my tummy is measuring right on point, and her movement is great! We are thankful that everything is progressing so well and pray it continues this way!

This past week was my first week as a “home executive”. It was so wonderful to catch up on rest and really detox from the stress of working full time. I had planned on being much more productive than I was, but just growing a person is work J Thus, the 15 loads of laundry will have to get done this week (you only think I’m kidding!). I did manage to cook dinner for us 5 out of 7 nights which has NEVER happened before! It’s the little things in life…

At the end of the week, we had some very special people to celebrate! On Friday, Austin turned 27! Finally J I was feeling old all by myself with him still being 26. I made him breakfast in bed before he went to work, then we met up at Asahi for birthday sushi (don’t worry, I ate cooked teriyaki chicken!). When he got home from work, I gave him his presents then we headed to Greenfield for Kayla and Brian’s rehearsal dinner.

Opening presents! 

The birthday boy! :-)

The rehearsal dinner was at the church where Austin grew up and where the wedding took place! It was so good to spend time with extended family that we don’t get to see very often. We were both in the wedding party- Austin was an usher and I was an honorary bridesmaid. We were so honored that Kayla and Brian included us in their special day!

In the church foyer getting ready to rehearse! 

The wedding the next day was so special! Kayla was beautiful and the tears in Brian’s eyes as he saw his bride made the moment perfect! The ceremony was totally centered in the Lord and it was so wonderful to be present as Kayla and Brian entered into the covenant of marriage together. We know that the Lord has amazing plans for them as a married couple and look forward to encouraging them in any way we can!

Sunday night, we had some friends over to celebrate Austin’s birthday! I made pizza and snickerdoodle cupcakes and we all enjoyed just hanging out together! Our friends are SUCH a blessing in our lives and we thank the Lord that we get to walk through life together.

Looking ahead to this weekend, we will make our final journey to Birmingham before Claudia is born for our first baby shower! My sweet friends from college are hosting it for us and we can’t wait to see everyone!

My heart is so full! Praise the Lord, for He is the giver of all good things! 

Week 30: A New Chapter

Friday was my last day as a woman working outside the home. It's still sinking in. We made these plans months ago and even decided that I would end my time at Union before the academic year began so I could spend the last two months doing final preparations and resting before Claudia's arrival. Staying at home once a baby was in the picture was a topic we agreed on when we were engaged and its been my dream ever since I was a little girl! Now that its here, as has been the case with so many other milestones in my life, I'm not sure what I'm doing!

For the past 5 years since graduating college, I've been working. The Lord provided me with two wonderful jobs and has taught me so much through them! I know I have been so blessed. I also know that my work-ethic (aka my workaholic tendencies) have kept me feeling torn between devoting sufficient time and energy to work and focusing on things at home. Now that struggle is over and it feels like a huge burden is lifted. Work has been my "normal" for 5 years. It was so strange to kiss Austin goodbye this morning and not head out to work myself.

The Lord's timing has been so amazing throughout my life and I know this isn't any different. Taking these two months to ease into being a stay-at-home wife/mom is exactly what I need. Getting used to change takes time. I think one of the biggest changes is that I will have the freedom to decide what to do during my day! I'm very excited about that. I'm excited about having time to do laundry throughout the day and start preparing dinner earlier. I'm so thankful I will be able to take a nap when I need one (which is more frequently these days!) or even schedule a doctor's appointment any time without having to consider my work schedule. A theme the Lord has been teaching me in recent months is to simplify and that is exactly what is happening.

With this new freedom comes new responsibility. In some ways, I feel like this will be easier once Claudia arrives. Her needs and her schedule will dictate my work throughout the day and will make each day productive. The challenge these next couple of months before she arrives is to still live intentionally. Being intentional was very easy for me at Union because I constantly had opportunities to serve and talk to coworkers and students. At home, it's going to require more effort. I want to find a good balance between resting, working, and investing in relationships. I know that spending time with the Lord is going to be more important than ever. Now that my work outside the home is done, I'm already being reminded that He is the only one that can fulfill me. I pray that I will find so much joy and contentment in this new chapter in my life! I know He has wonderful plans- I'm so excited to see what they are!

I already feel much more physically rested. The days since Friday have been so restful and I'm so thankful for that! Claudia is growing and getting heavier. I feel her move constantly. I'm getting so ready to meet her! Interestingly, I'm getting nervous about the actual delivery and everything that will go along with that. I just want everything to go smoothly and to do a good job. I think I'll feel better after we take our classes at the hospital. Those will start in September.

Now for some updates!

On Wednesday, my wonderful coworkers took me out to Picasso's for my farewell lunch! It was great fellowshipping over good food. At the end, they presented me with an Outback gift card and a sweet card they all signed. For Claudia, they each brought a children's book (either their favorite from their childhood or their children's favorite) to add to her library! I was so humbled by their thoughtfulness and can't wait to read them to Claudia!

Thursday, I wrapped up things I'd been working on for the past couple of weeks, cleaned out my desk and said my goodbyes. It was strange walking out of Union for the last time. I am planning to come back and visit, though! Especially when I can bring Claudia with me! Austin and I had a celebratory dinner at Outback that evening.

On Friday, I joined most of the other stay-at-home moms in Jackson at Hobby Lobby (really, though- it was the first day of school) and bought some fun things for Claudia's nursery! I did some crafting over the weekend :-) I'm getting so excited to do a post on the nursery in a few weeks. It's really coming together! Yesterday, Austin and I organized her clothes by month and started putting things in her chest of drawers. I put pictures in frames and we tied the bumpers on her crib. Her little lamb toy is already waiting for her in her crib!

This upcoming week will be fun! Today I have a doctor's appointment. Once you pass 28 weeks, you begin going every 2 weeks instead of every month. I'll be seeing my regular doctor, who I haven't seen in a while. Friday is Austin's birthday so I've been plotting about that! Saturday is Kayla and Brian's wedding! We're so excited to celebrate them and all the Lord will do in and through their marriage!

Now I'm going to make some lunch and get ready for my doctor's appointment! Until next week!

Week 28 and 29

On Saturday I began week 30. What? That means that Claudia could be here in just 10 more Fridays. I'm so excited to meet our little girl, but I'm glad that she is staying put for now! 

I've decided to abandon the list of questions because I'd rather just express what's going on without the constraints of answering specific questions and, honestly, I don't want to share how much weight I've gained! :-) 

The past two weeks have sort of been a blur. Not enough has been going on to warrant two separate updates, so that is why I'm writing this combined one, but you probably figured that out by now. To be honest, its been a pretty "normal" two weeks.

Right after we got home from our Virginia vacation, Austin started working at the Jackson Youth Villages office. It has been SO GREAT having him in town and I don't have to worry about him commuting everyday without cell phone service. We actually get to spend our evenings together again (and baby gets to eat earlier too, which is a plus!). We're currently re-watching "Chuck", our favorite show EVER. When Austin is not home, I'm enjoying the PBS Specials on the "Secrets of (insert historic British home or landmark)" on Netflix. I'm a nerd, I know, but I've learned so much! I particularly enjoyed the episodes on the mansions (Highclere Castle, Althorpe (Diana Spencer's Ancestral Home) and Chatsworth). Now I want to go to England more than ever!

Anyway, having good material to watch on TV has been a blessing because I've just been physically so much more exhausted. Claudia is growing and moving all the time and, by the end of the day, I'm worn out and sore! July 31st is my last day at Union, so hopefully having more time to rest throughout the day will help with this. I've reached the point where I'm pretty uncomfortable most of the time, it takes a lot of extra effort to do basic movements (getting in and out of chairs, turning over in bed, getting in and out of the car). I feel like I'm supporting another person all the time, which is a GREAT thing, but hard in the moment many times! 

I've been so blessed with a healthy, uneventful pregnancy up until this point and I praise the Lord for that every day! We had a doctor's appointment on Wednesday afternoon and everything looks good! Her heartbeat is back to 143 BPM, I'm measuring where I need to be and I passed my glucose test. Everyone freaked me out about that, but it was really just like drinking a really flat orange soda. It amused me that the lab tech had to sit there and watch me drink it. I finished off the appointment by getting my Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis); Austin had to go the pediatric office down the hall to get his :-) 

This weekend Mom and Larry came to Jackson to help set up Claudia's nursery! It was so much fun to see everything come together! Mom is so detail oriented- she touched up paint and hung the curtains and canopy over the crib. Larry and Austin put together the crib and changing table and moved the chest of drawers (which belonged to Austin's great grandmother) into the room. I washed the bedding and made up the crib (although we're still waiting on the dust ruffle because it was back ordered). The room is really starting to come together! I've looked in there so many times over the past 24 hours, imagining Claudia in there. :-) 

Week 27 and Singing

How Far Along? 27 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +14 lbs

   

Baby Related Purchases: Because this week was comprised of returning from vacation, Austin starting work in a new office, and preparing to go to Birmingham, we didn't purchase anything for Claudia. Does buying food for me to eat count?

Sleep: I've been waking up at least once in the night this week. I think its because I either need to turn over or I'm just uncomfortable. I definitely have taken turning over with ease for granted! Moving my body, in particular, my core, takes a little more time and effort these days :-)
  

Movement: I've been able to see her moving from the outside more recently. She loves waking up at night and making her presence known :-) Feeling a lot of movement from her is my cue that its almost time for me to go to sleep. Lately she's also decided to dig her heel up into my left rib, which isn't my favorite. 

What I miss: I've never been a stomach sleeper, but this morning, I missed having the option to lay on my stomach. Sometimes its just a comfortable position to be in when you're waking up! Its the little things sometimes...

  

Cravings: The strange craving for root beer continues....

Anything making you queasy or sick: No, thankfully! 

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: No!

Symptoms: Fatigue, Heartburn, Soreness

Happy or Moody most of the time: I think because we had a late night travelling on the way home from Virginia then went to Birmingham over the weekend, I was pretty tired last week. I'm happy that things are continuing to go well, but the physical burden of being pregnant is affecting my energy and, therefore, my mood.

Worries: Now that Claudia has reached the viability stage, I don't worry about something happening to her as much. The fact that I will be going into labor about 12 weeks from now is starting to sink in, however! I want the labor and delivery to go smoothly and for both Claudia and me to come out great on the other side! 

Best moments this week: 

When we returned from Virginia early on Tuesday morning, Austin went to work at the Youth Villages office in Jackson! He doesn't have to commute nearly an hour and half to Linden every day any more! He was able to transfer offices within the company and is now a Transitional Living Specialist (Counselor). In this role, he will be helping young adults (most of whom have aged out of the foster care system) learn independent living skills. We're both so excited and thankful that he's working in Jackson now!

This weekend we went to Birmingham to visit Dad and to sing as a family at Raleigh Avenue Baptist Church. We did a similar worship service last July. We're becoming semi-professionals! :-) We sang some of the same songs and some new ones. We enjoyed practicing with our extremely accomplished pianist, Anna, on Saturday afternoon, then ate a delicious dinner at Iguana Grill. Sunday, we went to First Baptist Church of Birmingham where Dad led the music for worship. After our traditional lunch at Jim N Nicks, we took quick naps, then prepared for the service! It was a quick trip but a good one. We always enjoy spending time with Dad and singing together!

At our Saturday practice in Buchanan Hall at Samford :-) 

We're famous! Almost... :-) 

The Rhea Family Singers! 

After the service, we presented Anna with flowers as a thank you :-) 

The Ward Family- all three of us! 

Week 26: Virginia Vacation

Week 26 was a very eventful one! Monday afternoon, I went to the doctor for my monthly checkup and got to hear Claudia's heartbeat. She really loves running away from the heartbeat monitor- haha! It took nearly 3 minutes for the nurse to be able to count her BPM because she was so squirmy. Love my active little girl! I also got the final okay to fly from the doctor and he gave me instructions on what to do if something happened while I was out of town. That really helped put my mind at ease!

Tuesday evening after work (also Austin's last day at the Deer Valley campus of Youth Villages!) we packed our suitcases and went to Dickson so we could be closer to the airport for our early Wednesday morning flight to Virginia! 

We went to visit Catie and Charles Thompson in Newport News on the Chesapeake Bay in southern Virginia. I had actually never been to the Newport News/Norfolk area before! Catie and I have been best friends since we were fourteen (we figured out that is now half of our lives- haha!) and we hadn't seen each other (shamefully) in nearly 3 years!!! Not okay. We finally went for a visit and we had a lovely time! 

Catie and Charles were so gracious to us! We stayed with them in their beautiful home, Catie cooked and baked all sorts of delicious food and Charles drove us everywhere and was our tour guide for our visit to the naval base in Norfolk. We enjoyed being a part of their lives for a few days- visiting military bases (which neither of us had done before), going to church and getting to know their sweet group of friends! 

We planned an activity for each day and it turned out to be a great balance between being out and about and relaxing! Here are some of the highlights: 

In Nashville about to board the plane!!!

We had tons of fun in Catie's kitchen! Here we are modeling two of Catie's Williams Sonoma aprons :-) 

Strolling among the shops in Colonial Williamsburg! I loved it!!!

The Candy Shop!!! We had to sample a few items before we left, of course! We particularly enjoyed the air conditioning in this shop! 

In front of The Cheese Shop, where we had an amazing lunch! It was the best sandwich EVER! 

Williamsburg is full of beautiful gardens! They inspired me to do more in our yard :-) 

The Episcopal Church- such a beautiful building!

Catie and Charles in front of the Governor's Palace

My favorite house in Williamsburg! So quaint! 

The guys had to take a picture in such a great climbing tree! 

The courthouse and gunpowder magazine

Catie in front of her favorite house! 

The elegant Willamsburg Inn

The Christmas Mouse, where I bought some wooden cranberry garland for our Christmas tree this year!

The monument at Yorktown on the 4th of July! Look how blue the sky is! 

Catie prepared a delicious (and super cute) picnic dinner. We found an amazing spot right on the river!

Our dinner: BBQ sandwiches, cole slaw, fruit, creamed corn and Peach Tea. Yum!!!

The Alliance! I love how the light is hitting the sails

Claudia's first 4th of July! 

The pavilion at Ft. Monroe. There are concerts here during the summer.

Ft. Monroe!

Soaking up some sun at the beach! It was the PERFECT day!

At the Norfolk Naval Base! I love being near the water! 

Love this sweet couple! I feel like this belongs in a magazine! '

How Far Along? 26 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: +14 lbs

   

Baby Related Purchases: Catie and Charles gave us an entire box of things for Claudia! There were three adorable outfits, pink baby hangers, bassinet sheets and Claudia's first monogrammed stationary! 

Sleep: I slept so great on vacation! We did a lot of walking and I think that really helped me stay asleep through the night.
  

Movement: Claudia Grace loves to stick her heel (or something!) up into one of my ribs on occasion. She definitely doesn't let me forget she's there! She was also quite active when we would take off and land in the airplane. I love feeling her move!  

What I miss: Being fast and having endurance! When we went to colonial Williamsburg, we walked everywhere, of course! It was frustrating having to stop as much as I did to rest. Fortunately, there were benches under the shade all along the way! When we were in Yorktown for the Fourth of July, with thousands of other people, I wished I could walk quickly as we were leaving after the fireworks. I'm really reaching that point where it feels like I'm carrying another person. 

  

Cravings: No strange cravings this week :-) 

Anything making you queasy or sick:  No, thankfully!

Gender: Girl!

Labor Signs: No!

Symptoms: Tiredness, some swelling, some heartburn, leg and foot cramps on occasion

Happy or Moody most of the time: I have been very happy this week! However, I can tell my emotions are shifting more easily these days. In the Charlotte airport, they have friendly bathroom attendants who are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the restrooms, greeting people, and they have some mints, lotion and other toiletry items you might need. Austin told me that the attendant in the men's restroom was a sweet old man. As Austin was washing his hands, the old man gave a peppermint to a small boy and said, "Stay in school." I started crying right in the middle of the food court in the airport when I heard that story!

Worries: No new worries here- I'm still struggling with the same old same old. Going on vacation was such a gift! Sometimes just getting out of your normal routine helps! 

Best moments this week: Um, all of it!!! :-) 

Week 25: Making Room

How Far Along? 25 weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss:.+12 lbs
   

Baby Related Purchases: On Friday I picked up a few more yards of the fabric for Claudia's nursery from Hancock's. Now I just need to send it off to Mom so she can start making everything :-) 

Sleep: I'm still waking up at least once during the night and my heartburn has affected my sleep as well, sadly. Now that we've had hotter weather, it gets warmer in our bedroom, so that's probably affected sleep quality too.
  

Movement: Claudia is a little gymnast! I love feeling her move! During the yard sale, Mary put her phone up to my tummy (while it was playing a song from "Beauty and the Beast") and she danced! Literally. It was so fun :-)  

What I miss:  Feeling comfortable. Its harder for me to get comfortable these days- the pregnancy pillow is worth its weight in gold in this regard. I feel impossibly full after meals (so much so that I've burped more in the past month than I have in my entire life!), my hips ache and now my back has started aching. I can't sit on the floor without having something to lean up against. Its just interesting getting used to all the changes happening with my body! 

  

Cravings: Yesterday was a big day for cravings. I think my hormones decided to go on a roller-coaster ride! I NEEDED brownies- Austin went to Kroger and got the mix (Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Chip- hands down!) after I explained how cravings are a real thing and a chemical demand!

Chinese food has sounded terrible to me pretty much the entire time I've been pregnant, but I really wanted it for dinner last night. With a root beer. Specifically a root beer. Nothing else. It all worked out because dinner was delicious! I'm so thankful that Austin is willing to go get the things I crave! 

Anything making you queasy or sick: I'm particularly sensitive to smells and food textures these days. 

Gender: Girl!!!

Labor Signs: No, and it needs to stay that way!

Symptoms: Stretching, Swollen Feet, Fatigue, Hip and back pain, Heartburn :-( 

Happy or Moody most of the time: This week, I was definitely more moody and emotional. I think it was a combination of a lot of things along with the stress of preparing for the yard sale.

Worries: See my most recent post about fear. 

Best moments this week: It was very encouraging to read people's responses to the post I wrote about my fears. The Lord used so many friends and family to encourage me and to remind me of who He is and that He is faithful, no matter what :-)

On Saturday, we had the long anticipated yard sale to make room for Claudia! Most of the week was spent preparing for that- it was a lot of work! Nothing compared to how wonderful I felt once the clothes had been taken to Goodwill, the extra stuff had been picked up for the Jackson Service League, and we had taken showers! The only thing left to do is put away our tent. We've been waiting for it to dry since it rained all of Saturday afternoon and yesterday.

Mary was such a gem for helping us! She got up extra early to get us breakfast from Chick-fil-A! A few minutes before 7 we had our first customers. We were still bringing some stuff out!

We made signs and placed them on all the major roads surrounding our house, and placed ads on Jackson's Craigslist and YardSale.com. We were really busy most of the morning! It was fun meeting people and bargaining. We practically gave a lot of stuff away, but when I thought about the fact that they were paying us to haul off our extra stuff- it was all worth it! 

Things got interesting around 11 when a storm blew in. It started raining HARD and the wind made the tent come off the ground a few inches more than once. A few brave souls still came out, though, including a precious family from Mexico who are missionaries in West Tennessee! It was such a blessing to talk to them. I even got to speak to them in Spanish :-) 

We had some friends drop by during the rain, which lifted our spirits and helped us to persevere! 

Mary and I were glad when the rain stopped and we started drying out a bit! 

Austin, however, got even more wet when he got some collected water off the tent's roof. Love him!!!

We waited around for another hour and a half, and no one else really came. When it looked like another round of rain was on the way, we decided to call it quits. I'm really glad we did! We put all the clothes in my car to take to Goodwill and put the rest of the stuff in boxes for our friend, Katie, to come pick up for the Jackson Service League. Then we secured the tent, changed into dry clothes and treated ourselves to lunch at Five Guys! 

Our hard work paid off because we made a good chunk of change to put away in savings! I feel like we actually have room in our house for things now! I'm sure as I continue to go through things before Claudia's arrival there will more stuff to be donated, but the big purge is over. And it feels GREAT!!!