“No soup [or milk in this case] for you, [Baby Kate],” as the soup nazi from Seinfeld  would say.  It seems as though Miss Kate a.k.a. Miss Piggy has been eating a bit too much since she was born. But I guess I can’t blame her since I’m the one supplying the surplus of white soup.  Over the past few weeks, she has been getting increasingly more cranky. She cries when awake and is only soothed by being held, upright, against the chest. If you put her down, she is not a happy baby, for long that is.  So today I decided I was not supermom and I could not cure whatever was ailing her, so I called the doctor. When I took her in he informed me that she had gone from being in the 8th percentile of of weight to the 52nd percentile. Meaning she had caught up with other 7 week olds that were not premature. So when he found out her symptoms of spitting up often, diaper rash, irritability, and fast weight gain, he quickly diagnosed acid reflux. So now Kate is taking zantac for acid reflux and is on a new  cream for her diaper rash. She will now be fed every four hours instead of every two to three, so I can only imagine how angry she will be at me for awhile. I know if people withheld my food for any length of time when I was starving I would be furious. But all I can do is tell her I’m sorry for getting her into this predicament and I wish I could take her pain away. My advise for all new mothers is to call your doctor as soon as your worried. I wish I had of instead of listening to lactation consultants, friends, family, and the  well-informed internet. Sometimes doctors do know best.

As most of you know by now Matt and I have welcomed our new baby girl into this world. Kate was born on April 6, 2009 - exactly one month before her due date. Who would have known that on that Sunday morning as I performed in church service all day and went to luncheons afterward that I was actually in labor. Later I realized that those stomach pains were actually contractions. I mean how was I supposed to know. But later that evening there was no doubting it that something was about to happen. My water broke at home around 9 p.m. and after that it was on. My contractions went from every six minutes to every three minutes in the time it took Matt to drive me to the hospital, which was about 15 minutes. We got to the hospital around 10 p.m. and checked in quickly to find out I was well on my way to having a baby. Matt and I were shocked to say the least. I really was not prepared. I only had one day off from work and I was supposed to have one month. This was not the plan - and I like things to go my way.  In that wonderful leisurely month off of work I had planned on nesting and resting. But, God had another plan in mind and I soon realized there was nothing I could do to stop it.

My contractions became constant with no relief from pain around 11 p.m and that is when the nurse told me that my baby would be here soon and I would not be able to get my much anticipated epidural. No drugs, lots of pain, definitely not what I had expected. I had imagined being laid up in a hospital bed for hours listening to my mp3 player, watching tv, chatting with family and friends, as my epidural did its job.  But life is usually not at all what you expect, and if it was that wouldn’t be very exciting at all. So at 12:12 p.m, Katherine Joy Forbis entered this big bright world with all ten fingers and all ten toes. She was perfect and beautiful and Matt and I were filled with indescribable joy.

As I look back on Kate’s first few weeks of life it seems like a cloudy daze. I was tired, in pain, and was not feeling like the mother I wanted to be. I was irritable at Matt, at myself, and at the world, but I kept praying that God would bring me through this tough experience, and of course he did. Kate is now six weeks old. My hormones are back where they are supposed to be and I feel an overwhelming peace about my new life. I love being a mother. It has brought me more joy and taught me more about love than I ever imagined. How can anyone look at a newborn baby and not believe there is an awesome God that created them. I know Kate is a blessing from God and one that I will be thankful for everyday for the rest of my life - well, at least until she’s a teenager. Thank you Lord for this blessing and help guide me to the wisdom, patience, and love I need to be a good mother. Amen.

I never thought that a period in my life would revolve around my belly. I swear I can see it growing daily and the more it grows the more it gets in the way.  Sleep, definitely less; bending over, much more slowly; hugging my husband, not quite as close. But with all of these inconveniences I know the end result will be getting to see my beautiful daughter. One thing that this pregnancy has helped with is the big 3-0 birthday. It didn’t bother me whatsoever like I thought it might. I guess all of the excitement about seeing my first child trumps the woes of getting older. I can’t wait for the next 30 years, to see my children grow up, maybe even become a grandmother some day. But who can think about that now as I sit uncomfortably on my couch awaiting to see Baby Kate!

Well, the past month has been filled with time consuming construction of Kate’s nursery.   Matt and I have had a blast working on it together. The colors I chose are green, pink, white, and brown. These must be some of my favorite colors because I seem to use them for all major events in my life (wedding too). I must say, I think we did an awesome job. I decided to use the antique furniture that I used growing up. I know it came from my great-grandmother but I’m not sure how old it is. I also have an old painting of a girl hung on the wall that came from my great-grandparents as well. I’m passing down my Madame Alexander dolls to Kate and have put some of them on the shelves that Matt built for her.  I hope she grows to enjoy it as much as we have so far. Tomorrow I will be 26 weeks pregnant. She is kicking more and more everyday. With every kick I feel closer and closer to her, she now feels so much more “real.” I can’t wait to meet her, hold her, kiss her, and love her. Only 14 weeks to go!

Ok well this post is goign to be a little different. I am all about funny videos and here are some of my favorites from http://www.mercyme.org/blog/category/cover-tunes-grab-bag/. They are a group called Mercy Me doing covers of older songs. It is a great example that Christians have a great time in life. I hope you enjoy.

Don the accordion rocks.

Mercy Me - Jump

Mercy Me - Crazy

Mercy Me - Time of my life

Mercy Me - Shout

For all who do not know, Matt and I are having a baby. It’s a girl and we are naming her Katherine Joy Forbis and will be calling her “Kate.” The past five months have been a whirlwind; doctors appointments, ultrasounds, telling the big news, then telling the fam and friends it’s a girl. I’ve had so many emotions. Fear, doubt, elation, relief, complete joy, and fear again. You would think that me being a therapist and talking to other parents for years about the “appropriate” way to raise their children that I would be ready to take on this task. I guess all new parents feel unprepared and a bit afraid that they will screw up their children in the long run. I know I have a great partner in crime though. Matt will be a wonderful dad, and a great help to me during the whole process. He is one of those guys who will do whatever he can to make sure I’m happy. Those guys are hard to find, and I plan on keeping him around for a while. I think our greatest and most amazing moment of pregnancy came last night. We both felt Kate kick from the outside. I had been feeling her kicks for about three weeks, but to actually feel her and see my stomach moving was truly a miracle. There is no doubt she’s in there now. Matt and I laughed out loud and just sat around giggling at her movements. We would wait in anticipation for her next kick. If pregnancy is not a bonding experience with your spouse then I don’t know what is. I thank God that he has been keeping Kate and I healthy. My overprotectiveness of my belly and my health in general is annoying at times, but it’s just my way of feeling I’m doing everything I can to take care of her. We have so many tasks to complete before she arrives, so keep us in your prayers as we start this new journey of our lives.

Just wanted to let everyone know that our wedding pictures are up. Please check them out. Our big day was on April 26, 2008. We were married at First Baptist Church in Franklin, KY. It was a beautiful evening wedding and our reception was at The Brickyard Cafe in Franklin. Hope you enjoy!

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. When I was a kid it was all about Santa, presents, snow days, Christmas carols - well, not too much has changed now that I’m all grown up. I’m definitely starting to understand though that Christmas is not all about what I want. Becoming an adult is a slow process. I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. The older I get, the more I actually want to give instead of receive. The gift of giving is one my husband and I are trying to make sure and set as a precedent in our family. We have a baby on the way, and I hope we are able to pass that tradition and way of life on to them. During this time of year giving is on everyone’s mind. I hope I will be able to carry it on throughout the rest of the year. I hope I can be less selfish and more selfless. Helping instead of complaining. Giving instead of receiving. Of course there’s nothing wrong with getting gifts and taking care of ourselves, but in moderation should be the goal. But no gift is greater than the gift God gave us in his newborn son, Jesus. The greatest gift in the world is his love, his forgiveness, and his grace. I hope that each one who reads this has received that awesome gift. If not I hope you are able to this Christmas season! MERRY CHRISTMAS!