Mother's Day, Part 2

Mother's Day happens to fall on the day that I turn 37 weeks pregnant! I recieved my email today that said, "Congratulations, you have a full term baby!" I think when I read that, my heart skipped a beat. I am so thankful to be having this baby...it caught us off guard in the first place and for the little one to almost be here is just crazy to me! It is hard to believe that at this point I am to be looking for signs of labor!!! (Lord, please let it be easy!)

For Mother's Day Keith got me a magnolia tree, which I love! He was very sweet and said that they bloom May to June, which will remind me of the peanut being born each year. I was pretty excited :) By the way, do you love the outfit I'm sporting today? On Thursday we're going to go to Maggiano's, YUM, for dinner to celebrate a late Mother's Day. (Magg's is close to the doctor, so we're just going to kill two birds with one stone!)

I can't wait for next year, when I have an almost one year old to celebrate Mother's Day with! Swies (Aunt Stef) was so sweet to call me this morning to wish me a Happy Mother's Day...I cried, of course!

Happy Mother's Day again to all of you Mommas!! I hope you have a great day!! :)

Happy Mother's Day!

I have been thinking today about the job of a mother...I am so lucky to have so many wonderful women in my life that set such great examples of what it means to be a mom. I love the advice that I get from my sister-in-law, even though she is a little TOO blunt and too the point, the advice I get from Ellen...it just makes me feel like I can do it!

From the moment I found out we were having a baby I have just thought about the kind of mom I am going to be. I just want to be a good mom...I want my kids to know that I always love them, that if I get upset it's for their own good :), and that I want nothing but the best for them always. I want them to know that I love them unconditionally. I know things won't always be perfect, as nothing is, but I will say it again, I just want to be a good mom! I never want my kids to feel like they can't talk to me about something or that I am not there for them. I want for Keith and I to be able to create fun family traditions, go on fun vacations, work on projects together, I just have all of these ideas circulating around in my head. There are so many fun and exciting times to look forward to and from what I hear, the time just goes by so fast!! I don't want to miss a thing!!! :)

I know that when this little peanut arrives it is going to be wonderful!! I really can't wait and Keith is getting very excited too! I don't know what it's going to be like to be a mom, but I am ready for the challenge and ready to do the best that I can!

Congrats Keith!!

Yesterday was a big day for Keith Alexander Kepplinger...after 2 1/2 years of working hard at NC State, he has successfully graduated with his MBA! :) I am so proud of him and I have to admit that I cried when he walked across the stage to get his diploma. (Keith wasn't able to walk at his undergrad graduation at John Carroll, because his mom was so sick at the time.) Needless to say it was a very proud moment for Keith, his dad, my family, and I!

We had to be at the RBC Center by 10:45 for graduation to begin at 11:30. WELL, the graduation that was earlier that morning was running late, so we had to wait in the lobby for about an hour before we could go sit down. There was another family in front of us that kept looking over at me and offering their chair to me, they thought I was going to pop any second! :)

After graduation it was time to get home to get everything ready for the party. It went really well, except when the sky opened right as we were getting dinner out! It was fine though, it all worked out! The food was good, I had lots of great helpers, and by the end of the night I was exhausted!! :)

CONGRATULATIONS KEITH! I am so proud of you and Peanut already appreciates all of your hard work too :)

Every Week!

I am at the point now that I am going to start going to the doctor every week. Yahoo! Before my last appointment I was told that they would have to "check" me from now on to see if I was dialated or anything, plus I had to be re-tested for I don't even know what and strep B. Anytime they say they need to "check" you, that gets me all nervous. I decided that Keith should come along for moral support this time and boy am I thankful he did! :)

We were waiting for the doctor, I got weighed, and had the blood pressure checked, which was a little higher than my normal, but still good! When Dr. H came in he checked the heartbeat, which was steady at 140, and measured my 36 inch stomach. :) Then came the time for the "check!" Keith kind of saw what he was doing, but my favorite line, which I know several of you have heard already is, "I don't know what that metal thing was, but I am glad it was nowhere near my @$$!" LOVED IT! I literally couldn't stop laughing and ladies you know exactly what metal thing I'm talking about!!! :)

So now I get to go back on Thursday for the 37 1/2 week check up. As of last Wednesday I was still closed, not dialated at all. Fingers are crossed that it stays that way until the 22nd so that all of my lesson plans are done!!! :)

One HOT Momma...

Now I am NOT referring to myself as "hot" by any means, but I am HOT!! The air conditioner can not be kept low enough!! Keith is freezing half of the time, but I think it feels great. I can not imagine being big and pregnant in the summer...I am more thankful than ever that this baby is coming in May or June, not August!!

In my trailor at school I am lucky enough to control my own temperature as well, thankfully. The kids were shivering last week and I felt awful, but I literally was sweating! I told them that Baby K is making me very hot and if they are cold to bring a sweatshirt! I know I am terrible, but this momma does not want to be sweating all day! :)

CONGRATS AUNT SANDY!!

I am soooo excited to share the news that my good friend Sandy got engaged on Friday night! We are so excited for her and can't wait for all the wedding details to start taking place :)

It just so happenend that a cookout was planned at her house the next night, so we were able to see her AND the bling!!

Aunt Stef and I :)

We are so excited for you Sandy!! Love you :)

Happy May!

It is so hard to believe, but the month has come! It is MAY, the month our baby is due!! As I was getting a couple things together in the nursery tonight, I just kept thinking that there is going to be a baby settling themselves in this room VERY soon! On Sunday I will be 36 weeks, "full term."

I am feeling VERY overwhelmed with all that I need to have done at school before my last day, which will be May 22!! I know it will all get done, but it's so much paperwork! I just never feel ahead...I guess a lot of people feel that way though. :)

We have LOTS to do this weekend to get ready for next weekends BIG festivities! It's going to be so fun having so many family and friends here to celebrate Keith's graduation from MBA school!