Weird Dreams...

I pretty sure I'm starting to experience those dreams I've heard other women talk about that come during pregnancy. I haven't had too many of them, but the one I had last night topped them all. I dreamed I gave birth to a baby alligator. The alligator in the dream looked just like the cute alligator on the crib sheets I just got. It was a weird experience all together and it made me really thankful that I am giving birth to a human being!

50 days left!

I'm on the countdown. There are only 50 days left till Jackson's due date! I'm trying to prepare everything I need so I'm not stressed out a few weeks before the little Lamberth is due. I already wrote out my birth plan. The Nest Baby.com made that easy for me. I've found recipes I can make and freeze for the time about the due date and after Jackson is born. (If you have any ideas on freezable meals...please, let me know!) Troy and I are still working on our nursery/office. I'd say most of our work is going to be in that project! I'm also in the process of checking out health insurance for Jackson. I've got lots to do! If anyone has any tips on how to get everything done needed before delivery, please share those ideas!

Our Silly Kitty

We've been blessed with such a wonderful companion in the form of an orange kitty. She humors us, loves us, and just plain appreciates us. She is very content and loves to show it. Since I will be posting mostly pictures of Jackson a couple months from now, I thought I would give Cassie the spotlight. So, here she is...

White Bean Chicken Chili

In an effort to make Troy low cholesterol, low fat meals, I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com and I tweaked it a bit for more taste. I thought some of you would be interested in this recipe, seeing as it is healthy! (Note: Even the garnish can be healthier, with low fat cheese and Reduced Fat Daisy Sour Cream) I made it for my husband and a few friends and we all loved it. Click on the recipe card to make it bigger. You can even print the card out to add to your own recipe collection. Enjoy!

Pregnancy Massage

For my birthday (back in June), David and Robyn got me a gift certificate to get a pregnancy massage at Serenity Day Spa. I waited until I was "very pregnant" to redeem it. After not sleeping that well due to pain in my hip last night, I decided that I was pregnant enough to get this massage! The spa had relaxing music, candles and little waterfalls everywhere. The atmosphere was wonderful. They also had special pillows that are contoured for pregnant bellies. It was so nice to "lay" on my stomach again! The massage was so relaxing! I've never had a massage before, so it was a new experience for me. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to relax, but that was no problem at all! David and Robyn....thanks so much for the gift!

Lets Go, Angels!

Last night we went to an Angels game with a large group of people from our church. It was a good game with two home runs. The Angels won the Oakland A's 4 to 3 and it ended before 10:00pm. That is a good game for me because if it goes past 10pm and past the 9th inning, I start to get antsy. Don't get me wrong...I love a good baseball game (especially if its an Angels game), but at 10:30pm or 11:00pm on a weeknight, I'm happier if I'm at home (or on my way home) to head to bed! We had a great time last night, though, and I can't wait till we can bring Jackson to a game with us!

The Great Escape!

With temperatures Inland soaring to 110*F (and at times, over that), I felt like I was going to go crazy. Pregnancy really does make a difference when it comes to cooling off. In weather like that, it is nearly impossible.
In attempt to escape this unbearably hot weather, Troy and I decided to head towards the ocean Sunday evening. We booked a hotel room in Costa Mesa and made plans to go to the beach the next day. My main goal for this "escape" was to stay cool. When we slept in the hotel room on Sunday night, we decided to get our money's worth and set the air conditioner to 62*F. I can definitely say that it felt soooo good to sleep in that temperature. It was well worth the money! Even if we had set our thermostat to that temperature at home, it wouldn't get past 80*F in this hot of weather. Monday morning, we slept in as much as we could (for me, that was exactly 7:19am), and for Troy, it was about an hour later. We got ready for the day and headed towards Balboa Island where we had researched a restaurant called Wilma's Patio for brunch. We were a bit disappointed to find that the temperatures even on the island were approaching 100*F. Despite the heat, we were still able to enjoy a nice meal there. I had an omlette and fresh fruit and Troy had a pancake, egg, and ham breakfast. The food was good and the service was great. I definitely want to go back there.
After our bellies were full, we took the ferry across to Balboa Peninsula. We then found a shady spot on the Peninsula and just sat there for a few minutes to enjoy to cool ocean breeze. That felt amazing. That breeze was exactly what we came there for. Just down the peninsula is a spot known as "The Wedge." Two currents come together here in a "V" shape (or wedge shape) to create huge waves. If you stand at the edge of the sand, the water pops up and gets you wet. Troy and I had so much fun getting wet. It was so refreshing! I think this was the most fun I've had in a long time! The saddest part of the trip was having to come home to the heat. Let's hope its almost over like the weather guys are saying!

September 1, 2007....already?!?

I changed the calendar today. Its already September 2007. Life is truly a vapor. It comes and goes. I remember thinking that age 18 was so far away. Here I am, fives years past 18! Unlike some girls, I didn't imagine what life would be like in twenty years, or who my ideal husband would be, what my house would be like, or what kind of wedding dress I would wear. I never imagined myself having children. It was too far away to think about. It wasn't that I didn't want these things. In hindsight, I think it was that these things seemed to far out of my reach. I had never had a boyfriend and all the boys I did attract were, to say the least, a little on the strange side. One huge problem is I never attracted Christian boys. Perhaps those strange guys liked me because I was a "good girl." Never the less, I steered clear of them anyway.

Then one day, a man caught my eye. He spoke so dearly concerning the things I held so close to my heart. He cared so much for God and God's people. I simply thought to myself, "Why isn't this man married?" My heart fluttered, I admit, at the thought of him, but why would he be attracted to me? I'd never attracted this type of man before. He started to approach me more often. Then, he called me out of the blue...just to "chat." After a little over two hours, we hung up the phone. It had be the best conversation I'd ever had. A month later, he asked my dad if he could get to know me more...perhaps take me on some dates. Ten and a half months after that, we were married. Over two years after that blessed day, we are two months away from having our first child. Life has come quickly, and it keeps on coming! Oh, but how wonderful it has been! I wonder sometimes how I ended up with such a wonderful and caring husband. I wonder how we were blessed to have an opportunity to bring a child into the world. God is so merciful. I deserve nothing....absolutely nothing. Yet, He has given me all this. I marvel at that! I won't ever be able to grasp the vastness of God's mercy! But, oh, I am so very thankful!

I feel I have rambled on. I think it may be because I am home alone and I just watched a sappy chick-flick that made me very thankful for my husband. Or, it could be the simple fact that I've got an extra surge of those pregnancy hormones! Never mind the reason, though. I praise and thank God for the life he has given Troy and I. One thing is certain...I don't need a reason for that!