Sara
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Homepage: http://www.classymama.com
Posts by Sara
Office Party and Stupid Deer
Apr 23rd
Well this little man has about 7 days to be born or he is grounded for life. That’s my update on Mr. Bun-STILL-in-the-oven. And I have to say, the Kitchen is ON FIRE!!!
Wednesday was a long day- I went to see one of my “besties” in town and we went to Steak and Shake. Did you know that you can get half off their shakes for Happy Hour??? I don’t know why, because I was under the impression that Happy Hour applied to alcohol- not Mint Chocolate Shakes. Either way- I didn’t mind.
Shortly after Steak and Shake, Tim and I went to church where some good friends of ours helped us put in the car seat that they gave us!!! 
It is such a cute car seat and its a good feeling to have it installed and ready! Another friend showed Tim and I how to massage our wrists in a way that helps carpal tunnel- which was totally awesome because that was the first night that my hands didn’t go numb at all!
Thursday was the best day I’ve had in a while. My co-workers and boss planned a “Last-Day-Party” for me (since we really don’t know when my last day will be). All of our office parties consist of awesome lunch and desert!!! Yesterday they ordered Canadian bacon pizza, pasta, and bread sticks from Pizza Hut and an ice cream cake from Paul’s for me! I am spoiled! Yes, I ate a lot more than I was hungry for- did you really have to ask? I told them “thanks,” and they just joked that I was the excuse for cake- in which I replied that was absolutely fine with me!
To make the day better, Tim called me while I was at work to let me know he got the job he applied for- WOO HOO!!! And my pay check was bigger than I thought it was going to be! So, being a typical American I had to pick up more food from Paul’s after work to celebrate (shrimp cocktail, Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice, watermelon, and pineapple). That annoying cat that lives outside our apartment really appreciated the shrimp tails.
Now that Tim has this new job, I really need my car fixed by Monday! That is when Tim starts his new job and I have several appointments that day! I could drive him to work, but I calculated all the hours of driving I would be doing if I did that, and it came out to: FOUR HOURS!! If my car is fixed, I will only be driving 2 hours. Tim’s brother is coming over tonight or tomorrow to look at it for us. Perhaps you want to hear the story about why its broken?
It was the night before Thanksgiving (yes- its been out of order that long) and I was driving my friend home- which is on my way home. It was night, very dark out, and the people in the oncoming lane all had their brights on. Needless to say, I was blind. So imagine my surprise when a car in the oncoming lane drives by with their brights on (jerk), I’m blinded, and as soon as site returns there is a DEER COMING AT ME! I had a few seconds reaction time- enough to soften the impact some. I hit the deer (big one- nice set of horns), he flipped head-over-heels off the road. I kind of just sat there for a second- a little shocked (while the people behind me drove in the turning lane to get around me- as if to say, “Whats HER problem??”). I pulled off on the next road to survey the damages. Seeing that my radiator was leaking, I called my father-in-law (whose house is also on my way home). He told me to bring the car over after I dropped off my friend. I did and he surveyed the damages. In the mean time, I drank a coke to try to calm myself down- I was pumped with adrenaline and a little worked up. I’d never been in an accident before. The deer tore up my radiator pretty good (which my father-in-law fixed for me) and also jiggled a lot of wires loose. If I turn my car on, all the lights start flashing as if I’ve just set off a bomb. Its scary. The wires are the only problem the car still has. The good thing about that night- because of all the adrenaline and coke, I felt Levi move for the first time! Poor kid- he must have been pretty worked up to!
That’s about all I’ve got right now- hopefully next time I post I will be telling you that my son has been born! However I don’t seem to be so lucky!
Funny Resignation Letter
Apr 20th
So, below is a copy of my resignation letter to my current place of employment. Some names and places have been altered for the protection of those involved. By the way, my boss is fully aware of my plans, but he needed something in writing just to have on file. So I had fun writing this “serious” resignation letter.
“Dear Mr. Boss Man,
4/20/10
I, Sara ClassyMama, am by this letter informing you of my career plans now that I am a mother. It is my full intention to stop working for a period of three months, starting at either the time my son is born or May 1, 2010. In this three month period, I plan to pursue working from home. If I am successful in this path, I will not be returning to working for The Office. If I am unsuccessful in this path but Tim, ClassyMama’s husband, acquires a full time job apart from his business, I will not be returning to working for The Office. Should both of these paths be unsuccessful, I would like to come back to The Office for part-time work, as I am currently doing. I understand by taking more than the standard maternity leave time, I may forfeit my position in this business as it may become necessary to replace me. I will not hold that against anyone or press charges. Please accept this letter as my notice of leave.
On a less serious note, I have really enjoyed working for you! As much as I enjoy being a lazy bum at home, I will miss working here! You’ve been a really great boss and I am happy you bought the business! See you in church!
Thanks,
Sara ClassyMama
Former Receptionist and Current World Dominator”
Not a day for good news…
Apr 20th
I’m sorry to say that my doctor’s appointment did not go as I had planned. In fact this entire day has not been very great. Actually, the only thing that was remotely great was that Tim made me breakfast in bed. I love you, Tim!
To start with, the cervical exam was painful. I suppose most you moms probably saw that coming. My cervix is doing what its supposed to, in the sense that it is thinning its last layer. BUT, its not dilating at all yet, so it isn’t ahead of the game. This means that my original due date, May 8th, still stands. Boo. I also didn’t realize that I would need a cervical exam every visit until Mr. Bun-In-The-Oven goes “Ding!” I prefer the ultrasound visits.
I was tested for Group B Strep (GBS- a vaginal bacteria that commonly shows up in pregnant women) last week and I received the results of that test today while at the doctor’s office. Unfortunately the test came back positive. This bacteria is harmless to me, but can be fatal in infants. This means that upon going into labor, I will need to be given antibiotics that will pass through me to Levi, so he may be protected from the GBS when he is coming out. Some infants still get the GBS, but very few whom are treated die from it. While that number factor is comforting, this is the first complication in my pregnancy, and I am worried about my little baby a bit. I will need to go into the hospital a little earlier, to ensure the antibiotics can go through my system to his in enough time, and I will need to stay at the hospital a MINIMUM of 48 hours (NO FUN). My doctor was very good about explaining all of this to Tim and I (my mom came too, which was very nice), and I was therefore comforted by the knowledge of our situation that he’d given. Which really means, I understand our situation and am not crying about it although I feel like it. Please pray that everything goes well! If any of the moms reading this have had GBS during a pregnancy, I would REALLY REALLY REALLY appreciate hearing what you have to say about it!
We also talked to our doctor about pain medications during labor. I am not one to be willing to take anything of possible high risk to me or more importantly, my son. This being said, I think I am set on taking something through IV. I’m pretty sure that given what a physically tense person I am, I will not be able to go natural. I know its best for me to just acknowledge that now and make a plan vs. lying to myself, breaking down, and taking something half way through labor. This could be riskier any way. My doctor recommended the epidural (as many many many people have) and he explained to me why he recommends it. I realize that this has proven, in most people, to be the best relief drug but I still can’t bring myself to do something that could cause me to be paralyzed. While I trust my doctor with my life (he is very trustworthy and has shown his interest is in the best interest of his patient), I don’t trust the hospital staff that I will be dealing with.
So it already sounds as though it was a long appointment, right? Believe or not, in the middle of all this, our doctor had to leave to go deliver a baby! My mom, Tim, and I thought we’d be waiting a while, but the hospital is across the street from my doctor’s office and he was only gone about 20 minutes I think! I’m not very sure though, because we were all talking and therefore entertained enough not to be impatient. Still, I was surprised by how quick he was!
After we got home from our appointment, we received a call from a friend of ours. A guy that Tim and I knew from high school (and through other friends of ours) committed suicide this morning. We went on his facebook and he had even said last night that he loved everyone and was going somewhere no one else could go. We were both very shocked because we saw him just last Friday (for the first time since he graduated) and he seemed very happy. Also, people who threaten suicide don’t often follow through (I thought). A lot of our friends are upset right now, and reasonably so. Since Tim and I were not close with him, I am more concerned about our friends. It feels weird having just seen him the other night. Tim and I wonder if we missed an opportunity to witness to him. So often, people die unexpectedly. Some times it makes me wonder about the difference I could have possibly made if I had tried to talk to them about God when I had the opportunity. I know that their acceptance of God must be there choice, but I could at least say that I tried. I don’t feel responsible for this man’s suicide. How could I know then what he was planning? Still, I do have to wonder if it was a coincidence that we saw him so shortly before he made this decision and if I was meant to speak God’s healing words. Don’t miss a chance and live like every day was the last. What great advice that we so often speak and do not follow.
Hopefully I will have something cheerier to say next time- hope I didn’t depress my audience…
Sigh… the waiting continues…
Apr 19th
Well work was a lot more interesting than I predicted! We were insanely busy, as we usually are, but we still found time to share some good laughs and some good cake! Thank you, Carol- you make an amazing German Chocolate Cake!
I find that I am frequently the object of jokes (not mean ones) in the office due to the planet that attached itself to me. Today, we were discussing a certain person who is supposed to come by our office. We all try to avoid this person because no one knows how to make this person shut up. The joke of the day was, “What if Sara went into labor when ‘this person’ came in??” We all laughed that they would just keep talking right through me having the baby. And I seriously don’t doubt it. Then we started talking more seriously about what would happen if I really did go into labor while I was at work. I’d thought about how horrible it would be if my water broke in the office, but not much more than that. Everyone agreed that I should either have Tim come get me or that they would drive me to the hospital- but I am NOT allowed to drive myself home. I started having a few Braxton Hicks contractions after that. I didn’t want to scare them so I just kept my mouth shut. I didn’t want to say anything until I was sure if it was the real deal or not. (Sorry- if my co-workers are reading this- didn’t want to scare you!).
The highlight of work was having lunch with my mom. We go for walks behind my office building- which is really nice. The weather was favorable, too. Its nice getting to spend time with her, even if it is short.
Well I hope I’ll have Levi tonight, but if not- I’ll let you all know how the cervical exam went!
The Strawberry Wedding and High Hopes
Apr 18th
Yesterday was my brother-in-law’s wedding- the one I mentioned in the previous blog. Good news: I did NOT have the baby during the ceremony! That was my only goal yesterday, and I was successful! However, I wanted to have my baby today, and so far that is not happening either. 
My brother-in-law and his fiance used the same church/reception area and pastor that Tim and I had used for our wedding almost a year ago. Tim was the best man, so naturally we were at the rehearsal. I must say, it was very strange to me rehearsing for some one’s wedding in the same situation that I rehearsed for my own wedding. Every time our pastor would announce them by their Mr. and Mrs. last names, I would look at him as if he were doing it wrong and say to myself, “No, that’s me and Tim.” We even let them use the majority of our wedding music! However, I wouldn’t say that they copied us in any way. Tim and I’s wedding colors were blue, pearl, and sliver. They used rose red, black, and ivory. It all looked very good together and they set up the reception area very differently from how I did. The main difference was the food. We had our wedding catered. They set up a chocolate fountain and had loads of beautiful red strawberries all around it, with candy and nut dishes on the side. It looked very beautiful and classy with all the red decor. I wouldn’t have ever thought to have a strawberry wedding, and I never did end up asking the Bride whose idea it was. The ceremony was also different from ours. Our pastor has a different message for each couple he marries, based upon the time he has spent with them in premarital counseling. I must say, if you have a good pastor- I would HIGHLY recommend premarital counseling. It helps you avoid so many issues that could come up later on and really helps with communication between you and your future spouse. Even if you don’t think you need it, once you’ve gone you’ll realize what it was you would have been missing out on.
Above is an ultrasound of Levi’s face at 34 weeks of pregnancy. As I mentioned before, I really wanted to have him today. He never promised me he’d come out today and I realize today isn’t over, but I know its not happening. I understand that I have VERY high hopes of having him any day now and I don’t like to think about the truth. The truth being that I could end up going to or past my original due date ( May 8 ) regardless of the fact that Levi dropped all the way 3 weeks ago. Still, the doc did say he’ll probably be early, so it could happen. I have a cervical exam Tuesday, which I am both looking forward to, and dreading. I don’t want to do the exam, I just want to know the results!!! I will be bitterly disappointed if my cervix shows no signs of being ready yet, but I’ll deal with it. Every one has told me that I am getting my hopes up quite a bit in my expectations of having him early, and I’ve never denied they are right. However, I can deal with letting myself down pretty easily, and I’d rather be excited right now than feel as if things were dragging on and I still have two and half (ish) weeks to go.
I have to work tomorrow, so I don’t know if I’ll have anything interesting to say then! My work days consist of working on the computer, answering emails, taking phone calls, taking a walk on my lunch break, going home, eating dinner, watching a movie, hanging out with Tim, and going to bed. That may sum up my day tomorrow, but who knows? Maybe I will have Levi tomorrow (I know, I know)!
Lamaze, Carpal Tunnel, and MORE Complaints About Heat!
Apr 15th
Man, oh man. My son gets heavier by the day! I went for a walk yesterday during my lunch break and I had to carry my belly the whole time! Not only that, but the MATERNITY pants I was wearing were not comfortably fitting! I guess the band on them is too tight now that Levi has dropped all the way. Poor guy was getting his head a little squished I think.
Since we are both putting on weight and its getting hotter all the time, I am really swelling up. Especially in my hands- last night I experienced carpal tunnel syndrome and I did NOT enjoy it. I felt as though I could hardly curl my fingers and the numbing feeling was a little painful in a small, irritating way. The good news is that we did get a new AC unit- thanks to my father-in-law! Because of the set-up of the apartment, the air doesn’t circulate back to the bedroom. So in the summer we drag the mattress out on the living room floor- right under where the air comes out! Its so nice to actually desire a blanket. Sorry to say that no amount of AC seems to help the swelling though. Oh well.
However much I complain about the heat, I am happy the weather is nice and warm outside and everything is green again! I usually enjoy each season, but am never sorry to see one go. And now that its so nice out, I can eat out on the deck and play with my neighbor’s dog- who seems to think she lives here half the time! No, the picture above isn’t my neighbor’s dog, but how cool would that be???
Last night, I heard the most interesting thing about Lamaze classes. When Lamaze classes were originally put together, women were not always given drugs during delivery. The breathing techniques they teach you (the hyperventilating sort of thing) make you light headed. Feeling light headed makes you a little euphoric and you seem to think and feel as though you’re in less pain. Like all it does is redirect your concentration and alter your state of mind. Has anyone ever heard that before? I was never planning on taking Lamaze classes anyway, but I just thought I’d pass on what I had heard about them. Interesting…
Birthing Classes and Saturday Mall Shopping
Apr 11th
Yesterday Tim and I went to birthing classes at the local hospital… It basically felt like the Child Developement class I took in high school because we mostly just watched videos on pregnancy, birth-giving, and postpartum. The main difference between this class and the high school class: you had to PAY to go… I vote that hospital classes should be as free as possible. However, I don’t really care for our local hospital, so it is no surprise to me that it wasn’t free. On the bright side, it did me some good to be reminded of a few things about birth that I had forgotten since high school.
Well, as in high school I was terribly grossed out by a lot of what we watched in those videos. From the time that I accepting the fact that I was pregnant, I pushed the fact that I would eventually have to deliver from my mind. Until yesterday. Its just not a pretty thing until its over… Idk… I will more than likely not come to complete terms with that until it just happens. Pray for me please!
One of the video’s mentioned playing music and having aroma therapy when you are having contractions and in labor. Tim thought these were good ideas and so he bought me speakers for my MP3 player (no I don’t want to upgrade to Ipod thankyou) and a scented spray for the room. I think the music will be helpful to me, but I was wondering if any one reading this has tried the aroma therapy and if so, was it helpful?
We got out of the class early (we ducked out of the breathing excersizes part) so we went to The Children’s Place in the mall. I had never been there and a friend of ours got us a gift card for our baby shower! I REALLY liked the store. We didn’t stay too long because it was Saturday and therefore very busy! Despite my husband not enjoying being in over-crowded clothing stores, he surprised me by really getting into picking out cute outfits for Levi! I found a really cute striped hat I liked, but he found a camo fishing one that he liked better. I was just happy that he liked picking out stuff for our son, so I let him get his hat instead of the one I wanted. I’d like to think that I’m a good wife for that. I REALLY liked that hat. But, go me for excersizing self control and not buying additional hats when we have plenty.
At my stage of pregnancy, those classes and shopping took most of the energy I had for the day. Despite that, I still finished the baby shower thank you’s (wich were a month and a half late). Still, that is ten times better timing than I did on our wedding thank you’s!
Mail, magazines, mail, and MORE mail!
Apr 9th
Got home from Branson a few hours ago! The drive was nice- not too hot unless in direct sun and not cold at all! However, we still had to get some ice cream on the way home to cool down. We just HAD to. Yes, it was chocolate. Are there other flavors?
On our way home we stopped by my father-in-law’s house to collect our mail. If you’ve ever been gone on a two-week vacation, you know that mail can really build up! I received MORE baby magazines- these things come in like CRAZY! I don’t even pay for them so I’m not sure why they treat me as though I’ve subscribed! The two main ones I get are “American Baby” and “Baby Talk.” I usually just flip through and search for all the coupons, then throw them in the stack of baby magazines I’ve built up. This still can take a while because I do get caught up reading an article here and there, or looking at the pictures thinking, “Oooh, I would really like one of those for my baby,” or “I REALLY want a house.”
On the topic of magazines, I would like to ask anyone reading some questions. My first: If you have or read baby or motherhood magazines, what are your favorite ones? What do you mainly do with them (ie- I look for coupons)? What do you do with them AFTER you’re done with them? Would just like some feed back on that… you don’t have to sign up to comment either! I know signing up stops a lot of people, it sure does me.
Also in my mail was a card from my “mumsie” (as I like to call her), sent to the wrong address. The front of the card had a funny (but not inappropriate) joke about thongs… the inside of the card mentioned something about how the thong joke made her think of me… What does that say about me? Well if you were wondering, she didn’t send the card just to let me know thongs remind her of me, but to tell me how much she loves me and Tim and is happy we are part of her life. Considering she lives about 30 minutes away, it meant a lot that she went through the trouble to send that to us (to the wrong address ). I plan to do such things for my kids as they get older. I feel that I’d be lucky to be half as good of a mom as mine is. LOVE YOU MOM!
Speaking of mom, Mother’s Day is May 9th- ONE day after my due date! I’m still getting my hopes up that Levi comes a few weeks before that, though. Only one week from term today!
Branson’s production of Noah’s Ark causes cute and violent goat protest!!!
Apr 7th
Still enjoying this incredible Branson vacation!!! Today we went to the Sight and Sound Theatre and saw the production of Noah- can I just take this time to say, “WOW”?!!! The size of the stage was incredible- a wrap-around-stage- and the scenes showing the inside of the ark were definitely the most impressive in both size and creativity! Many, if not most, of the scenes include live animals- which was definitely a HUGE plus for me (LOVE ANIMALS)! I would put in a picture, but they wouldn’t allow cameras during the production and all the pictures of the outside are on my cell phone… which makes for a complicated conversion process. So got you this pretty picture from google!
My favorite scene was the scene where I was not in the slightest attentive to what the actors were doing. Allow me to give you a quick mental image: We are seeing the inside of the ark- many rooms are stacked on top of each other. Most all rooms have animals- some live and some animated (it was fun looking at all of them trying to depict the real animals from the electronic ones). Now that you have that mental image, here is what was happening during my particular favorite scene. I know the actors were singing but my focus was elsewhere. On the second floor of the ark were two cute little goats- live ones. One thought to the other, “Hey, we’ve seen this production before. I’m bored, lets butt heads!” The other hastily agreed by pushing his head into the other’s head. For about 10 minutes, the two of them playfully butted heads and I was entirely entertained by that! I always said I wanted a goat (and a goat caretaker). I am definitely bringing Levi back to see this show when he is old enough to remember it!
I must say the intermission was a little short for such a large theatre. I was a little worried when I was at the back of the line to go to the bathroom! However, upon seeing that I was pregnant, a very sweet older lady took my arm and lead me to the front of the line and took me to the first open stall! I was pretty grateful and it proved helpful because after using the bathroom and getting snacks (in which case some one jokingly commented that I didn’t need to count my calories anyway), Tim and I still only made it back to our seats a minute before the show started up again!
I’m not particularly looking forward to leaving on Friday, but I suppose after nearly two weeks of being alone, that cat needs to be fed. (Just kidding- my brother in law is feeding her!)
The Last Hoorah in Branson
Apr 6th
My husband, Tim, and I are expecting our first child! He is a little boy named Levi! I’m about 2 weeks from term and 5 weeks from the due date (May 8). Although entirely unplanned (how many children aren’t?), my husband and I are very excited and can’t wait for these last couple of weeks to be OVER WITH! Of course there are several reasons we want to be done with the last couple of weeks. Tim’s main thing is he can’t wait to hold him and yes, that is one of my mains too. However, I have to selfishly admit that one of the biggest things I can’t wait for is to be rid of this incredible weight hanging onto my stomach! I’m quite circular in my tummy area and am therefore very off-balanced. I find it difficult to sit up sometimes and of course bending down is no fun (waddling isn’t my thing either). Being a first-time mom, this is all new to me and I would like it to be OLD to me- as in history, done and over with.
On the other hand, Tim and I realize these last couple weeks are our last weeks of just the two of us. While we don’t mind this, we do want to spend this time just being together and relaxing. Therefore, we decided to take a trip to Branson, Missouri. Thankfully, it has thus been a very relaxing trip and it isn’t over yet!
The other day we went to Table Rock Lake State Park. It is a truly beautiful undeveloped lake, and we really enjoyed just being around the water. The “shore line” is entirely rock- no surprise- and we decided to climb around the rocks along the water. Needless to say, I was very careful to watch where I put my feet, being so off-balanced and it being essential that I not fall down. Tim was a ways ahead of me when he looked back and asked (jokingly) why I was so far behind. I complained that I have a really large belly that really throws me off and it is all rocky and bla bla bla. He too was looking down at where he was walking and therefore didn’t see ahead of him when he called back to me, “Yah, well I have a big belly too and you don’t hear me complaining!” He then looked up to see two not-so-skinny ladies looking at him, completely horrified by what he’d just said! The ladies hurried off and I couldn’t help laughing (thankfully I was far enough behind that they couldn’t hear me).
I hope the rest of the trip will prove to be so entertaining!