Happy Thanksgiving

Mr. C and I have so much to be thankful for, today was a wonderful day spent with family. We started off our day with breakfast at home, french toast & bacon and looking at the black Friday ads. We then met his dad's family at Denny's for a mid-morning snack, and then headed out to Grandma C's to visit since she wasn't feeling up to coming out to eat with everyone. Our next stop was to visit with his mom's side of the family. I ate a little but Mr. C was saving room for dinner at our last stop. After visiting with them for a little over an hour, we headed to our last destination, Mr. C's step mom's family. We enjoyed dinner with them and visited for few hours before heading home. It was a great day shared with family, only one more Thanksgiving to go... which is my mom's family which we do on the Saturday after thanksgiving. At least we got to eat good turkey and all the fixings and not hospital food, but lil miss C can come anytime now...we are anxiously awaiting her arrival. Planning on doing some shopping tomorrow so hopefully that will help her to decide to join us.

40 weeks

Today was a big appointment since lil mis C has not graced us with her pressence yet. Luckily it is raining today so Mr. C was able to go with me. We started with just the regular ob appointment, I weighed in at 152-no change from last Friday, blood pressure was 132/72, fetal heart rate was 130. Still only dialted to 1cm, but now about 50% effaced. Next it was on to have an ultrasound done to check my fluid levels, my doc came and did it and the levels were all okay, i think around 8.7 or something--she said anything above 5 is okay. Then we headed over to another office to have a non-stress test done. The placed what looked like head phones on my belly and kept them in place with an ace bandage that went around my belly. One headpone monitored her heart rate and the other was monitoring for contractions, this lasted for about a half an hour. Mr. C and I thought this was all we had to do, but then they said they were doing an ultrasound, so we got another one of those. The one earlier in my doc's office was very quick, she just measured the pockets of amiontic fluid and called it good. This one they took measurements again of various organs and just checked her out to make sure she is looking good and that we didn't need to make plans to get her out sooner. She was covering her face with one arm again though, so no good face pictures. I say she is hiding from the camera like her dad. They are estimating that she is a little over 7 lbs, has hair and is healthy. We are planning on being induced Sunday evening 11/28/10 at 8:00PM if she doesn't arrive on her own before than!!!

39 weeks

well not much to report from today's appointment. I weighed in at 152 lbs, blood pressure was 128/68, fetal heart rate was 130, 1 cm dialted and have thinned a little. My next appointment is for Wednesday 11/24 if she hasn't come by then and the plan is to have a regular ob appointment and then they will check my fluid levels and hook us up to a monitor to watch her heart rate for a 1/2 hour and then we will schedule an induction for Sunday or Monday depending on how the tests are reading. Keeping our fingers crossed that she will come on her own in the next week without any complications.

All we need now is a baby

The room is all ready and our bags are packed, just waiting for lil miss C to make her debuet.

Her closet & drawers are stocked full of clothes. A friend of our's gave us a bunch of clothes from her daughter, plus all of the new one's we got at our showers. The basket is full of home made blankets, quilts, & afghans.

We can't wait to meet her, hopefully she decides it time to join us soon!

38 weeks

Today was my 38 week appointment, weighed in at 151 lbs, blood pressure was 140/76, fetal heart rate was 140 and I am still only 1 cm dilated and thick. I was not surprised that my blood pressure was high considering everything that has gone on this week. Well see if I make it to my 39 week appoinment next Friday.

The Harvest

Sewn in the earth by skillful hands

Brought fourth by sun and storm

Destined for a harvest day

Fulfilled when ripe grain forms

Golden wheat in sheaves prepared

For winter that will reign

The story of the life of man

Told by the golden grain

Made from the earth by loving hands

Through heat and rain prepared

To face the joys and storms of life

And treasured moments shared

When at last the harvest comes

As the fields receive the dew

A life well lived leaves legacy

The Master plan in view

Sherrie Bradley Neal July 13, 2005

Gramps age 88 passed away Saturday November 6, 2010. Funeral services will be held at 11:00am on Wednesday November 10 at the St. A Church. Burial will be in the St. A cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00 pm Tuesday at the MV funeral home.

He was born August 17, 1922, at the farm, the son of FG & MAB. On February 2, 1952 he married Granny. She survivies. Also surviving are his eight children, 21 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, two sisters. He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers and three sisters.

Gramps was a member of and was very active in the St. A catholic Church and the St. A Knights of Columbus. He also volunteered at the St. A school and served on the following county boards: R-1 school, Coop, Soil & Water and Farm Bureau. He was a 4-H member and leader.

Serving as pallbearers will be MC, JB, SM, AM, JM, TM, TM, and NJ, his grandsons.

Memorials may be made to St. A School or Knights of Columbus #2009.

My sister CJ and I were the readers at the funeral mass. Although it was extremely difficult to remain composed I was honored to be asked to read, as I was very close to Gramps and have a lifetime of memories growing up living and being so close to my Gramps.

His family, only missing one daughter, on our wedding day.
I love you Gramps and will miss you dearly.

Grieving for Gramps

The first week after Gramps stroke he spent at one hospital, my mom is one of 8 so that week they all managed to take turns visiting him at the hospital. On Oct. 28th they moved him to the hospital that my mom works at in their swing bed program. He would stay at this hospital until he was strong enough to return to the farm. I went and visited him on the 28th and then again on November 4th. Last night my mom called me a little before 10:00pm to tell me that Gramps had passed away. Not sure yet when the wake and funeral will be as a lot of my mom's sisters and brother's live out of state. Especially praying for my Granny, my mom, her sisters and brother during this time. Gramps I love you so much and you will be greatly missed forever.