5 Years Married to the Greatest Man in the World

Today is our five year anniversary. I cannot believe that we have been married for 5 years. It seems like two or three. They have been the best five years of my life. I have grown so much because of John. He encourages me to be a better person and pushes me to pursue my walk with God. He loves the Lord and that shows through everything he does. He has taught me discipline, self control, patience, and gentleness. He has never really raised his voice to me. I have only heard him cuss two times in the last 8 years (and it was almost warrented because i was being a huge brat). He doesnt ever say anything bad about anyone. He works hard at whatever he is doing. He is rational. He loves others, and tries to live his life to glorify God at all times. I hit the jackpot five years ago. I know he's not perfect, but he is pretty close. His desire to serve the Lord makes him who he is. I cannot imagine being married to anyone else. I hope I get to spend the rest of my life with him.

Over the last week he has taken care of me so well. When I was up at the hospital, he brought me anything I needed and refused to sleep at home. He planned on staying every night at the hospital with me until I had Jack. He never complained and was always positive about the situation. Now that I am home, he watches me like a hawk. He doesnt want me to overdo it and hurt myself or Jack. Every time I stand up he asks me where I am going and what I am doing. Although it is driving me crazy, I greatly appreciate how much he cares.

We were laughing last night as we remembered our promise to eachother. We promised that we wouldn't have our first child until we had been married for at least 5 years. We made it!! Only by about a week, but we made it! I am thrilled that our son will most likely look like him and I pray that he will take after him.

I feel like John really lives out "husbands love your wives as Christ loves the church" He loves me well. I hope that I can submit to him and love him as he deserves to be loved. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have married this amazing man.

Thank you John Herrington for making me your wife five years ago. It is the greatest thing I have ever done!

Dr. Update

I realize no one really reads this stuff, so I guess I'm writing this down for Jackson. Maybe he will appreciate it one day...although he is a boy, so maybe he wont care. We shall see.

Anyways, I had a Dr.s appointment today. Everything looked good! My blood pressure was great. I lost 6 lbs of water weight (which means bed rest is working) and I am a little tiny bit dilated.

The Dr. said if we can get him to drop some that they will induce around 38-39 weeks. She said he is fully developed so they arent worried about him, but they want to make sure he has dropped enough so that I wont have to have a c-section.

I appreciate that because I definitely dont want to have a c-section. Id much prefer to stay on bed rest until he decides to make his debut. I have also decided that bed rest isnt so bad. Its nice not having to clean. I do a little bit here and there, but for the most part, I just sit on the couch and watch movies.

Life is pretty easy:) Thats all for an update right now.

ON a similar note, Jack: you will be very lucky if you get any biological brothers and sisters. There is a very good chance they will all be adopted.

They Sent Me Home!

So, last we were told, we would definitely be in the hospital until Wednesday and most likely until we had Jackson. I was so bummed...see previous posts.. Around 5 yesterday a Dr., who is a specialist, came in and performed a sonogram on me. She looked at every single part of Jackson to make sure he was doing ok. Apparently he was doing great because about 30 minutes later, the nurse came in and said I could go home! We were so surprised. I was thrilled, and then a little sad. I had finally come to terms with being in the hospital and was getting used to being "pampered". At the same time, I knew that being at home would be best. I could take showers in my own shower, sleep on my own sheets, and have my puppies. Plus, I wouldnt have to worry about John staying up there every night and being exhausted at work each day.

So, now I am at home and my lovely husband is watching me like a freaking hawk. Every time I start to get up (to go to the bathroom) he looks at me and asks me where Im going. Its sweet that he cares so much, but Im pretty sure he just doesnt trust me to obey bed or bathroom only. I dont blame him either. I do not want to obey this stupid rule. I mean, if I can walk to the bathroom, why cant I walk to the fridge? Why cant I walk to the back door to let the dogs out?

God is teaching me a lot during this time. He has taught me that I am a spoiled brat. He has taught me that I complain way to easily. He has taught me that I am very controlling, and He has taught me that I have nothing to complain about in life. Im pretty sure Im going to be learning more lessons in the upcoming weeks. Hoping its not more than a week and a half. I would love for Jackson to make his debut!

An update 10 minutes later

Geesh. All I needed to do was spend 10 minutes reading Katie and Renees blogs and I am no longer depressed or feeling bad for myself. I mean what in the world do I have to complain about. Sure, Im stuck in a hospital bed and have to dump my pee into a jar every time I go (quite funny really) but I also have a bed, have food to eat, have a restroom to use, and have air conditioning. These women are serving over in Uganda and work with people who have nothing and who are literally starving! Click on Renee's blog link and see the starving children that she helps nourish back to health. Its eye opening. Click on Katie's blog and see all of the children that she mothers and lets into her home. She the people in the villages around her that she takes care of when they are hurt (even though she has no medical experience) Every time I read their blogs its like the Lord is slapping me in the face. I am so grateful for it every time. It brings me back to the attitude I know I need. It reminds me of how blessed I am and it also reminds me that I need to step up and not just live for myself and my family. Who cares that I'm stuck in a hospital room. Thats nothing! It's pretty much pathetic to even start feeling bad for myself. At then end of this hospital stay, I get to bring home a precious little boy. I am blessed, and these blogs have just reminded me that I need to use the blessings that have been given to me, and bless others. So, while I will probably post a ton more (out of boredom) I will not longer be complaining. God is good.

Depressed...nope just a whiny baby.

I realize that I am a complete baby, but this sucks. I think its not knowing when I'm getting out that sucks so bad. Will I be here for 10 days or will I be here for another 3 weeks? 10 days I think I can handle...more than 10 days and I think I will climb out the window. They keep telling me to stay in the bed, but I just cant do it. Sitting in your bed all day is nasty! I feel gross! I start to feel bad for myself and then I think about the girls in the rooms next to me who are here for months. I cannot imagine. One girl is not allowed to get out of her bed and has to use the restroom in a bedpan. She is here for at least three months. Can you imagine?

John is being wonderful. He is taking care of the dogs, getting breakfast, lunch, and dinner on his own (the hospital food costs too much), getting all kinds of things that I want from home, and sleeping here. I'm going to try to convince him to sleep at home starting Sunday night, but I don't know if he will. He's almost as stubborn as me, but I appreciate it so much. I just don't want him to get exhausted and worn out before Jackson comes, and I want him to be able to work well at work next week.

It's kind of lonely here, so anyone who wants to come visit is welcome!

We've been talking in our homegroup lately about how I don't like to accept help from people. I like to do things on my own. I don't ever want to put people out. Boy is God teaching me a lesson. It's hard to let go and to not try to do it on my own... Guess I will be forced to allow people to do things for me.

On another note...I had to cancel John's 30th birthday party. I'm relieved and really sad about it at the same time. Relieved because I think it would have seriously stressed me out, but sad because he "deserves" to be celebrated. He is such a wonderful person and I'm so glad he was born 30 years ago. I will forever be grateful to his parents.

Tha'ts all I got for now. I'm sure I will be posting again soon. Erin, you've been asking me to update more often...you are gonna get tired of seeing updates:)

Stuck In the Hospital

Decided to post on this so that one day I can remind Jackson of what he put me through:). I have been admitted into the hospital for Gestational Hypertension. It all started on Tuesday when I went in to the Dr and had high blood pressure. She wanted me to come back today (Thursday) to get it checked again to make sure that it went down. She put me on "home rest" (which I obeyed) but apparently, it didnt work. I came in to the Dr.s office today and it was 150/90. So Im sitting there thinking, "ok she'll send me back home again and then Ill come back in a day or two." Nope. She looks at me and says, Im going to admit you and you will most likely be in the hospital for the next three weeks. WHAT?!

Turns out, I will only be here for about a week and a half and then I will be leaving with little Jackson! Im kind of bummed that I dont get to experience the "i think Im in labor" thing, but its also kind of nice to know around when he will be making his debut.

Also, my parents are out of town, which stinks, but they are in Seattle visiting Mark, Erin, and Ryann. Even if I was in labor, I wouldnt want them to fly back. To have to leave the Lamb family early, would be tragic. Im so jealous that Im not in Seattle with them!!! Who knows, maybe Jackson will come early and be born on Mark's birthday April 27th!

Tonight for dinner I had steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli, a roll, and apple pie....not bad. I could definitely get used to the food being prepared for me.

Thats all for now. John and I are watching American Idol together. Its nice having him here. Makes it less lonely. He's a good husband. I think Im going to keep him around....oh man. Just realized Im going to be in here on our anniversary:(

Grateful

John and I have been reading Exodus. I have to admit, at first I was not a fan at all. It has been hard for me to "get into" the Old Testament. I know that He is the same God as the God of the New Testament, but He seems so harsh in the OT. I had been thinking this every chapter I read, when it finally hit me... (Thank you Lord for dealing with me until I kind of got it) The Old Testament makes me sooo grateful for Jesus! Reading about all of the rules they had to follow and the precise way that they had to make the temple and the different clothes that Aaron had to wear inside to make sure God's wrath didnt kill him, and the exact kind of sacrifices they had to make, makes me sooo grateful for Jesus. Once I really started trying to understand (which I never truly will...another reason Im grateful for God and Jesus) I saw how much God put up with the people of the OT. Its like they screwed up again and again and again. I was sitting there judging them, when I realized that that is exactly how I am, except I was blessed enough to be born after Jesus came and died for me. I guess I never would have thought that the OT would make me so grateful for Jesus. I'm so glad that I started reading it before Easter. It gives me a deeper and more meaningful gratitude of God sending his Son and to Jesus for dying for me. Thank you Lord that we cant do it on our own. Thank you Lord for sending your son to satisfy your wrath. Thank you Jesus for laying down your life for us. Thank you for coming into Jerusalem even though you knew what was going to happen to you. Thank you Holy Spirit for working in me as I read the OT.

Jackson's Room

I dont have any before pictures of his room, but you can imagine an empty room with white walls. This has kind of been our storage room for the last two years. I have been dying to get my hands on it, but saw no point until we were pregnant. I was kind of bummed when I found out he was a boy because I was dying to turn that room into a girly girl room. BUT, alas, God has given us a boy and I am now uber excited about that. I made his room as girly as possible without being too feminine. Plus, he's a baby. He wont know any better.

Ordered Jacks crib from Walmart and put it together all by myself. Im pretty sure it would have been quite humorous to watch me put this together, but I did it! I painted the canvas above his letters. I love the Bible verse and am grateful that God chose to give us this little guy. He has been prayed for like crazy, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning of our prayers.

A full view of his room. I love the paint color I chose and am kind of proud of myself for painting it in my third trimester. (I used pregnant friendly paint)

Here is a picture of his dresser and comfy chair! His dresser spells out his name on the middle drawers. Big fan of Hobby Lobby where I got his drawer pulls 50% off. The dresser was my moms when she was a little kid. I painted it white and distressed it.


Here is his bookshelf from Ikea. The bulletin board above was made my sister in law Conni. Cant wait to put some of his new born pictures on it. The diaper cake was made by my lovely neighbor Heather. So cute!