Life with Max

Life with Max is great!  He has been such a good baby and gets cuter and cuter everyday!  I don't know how he does it!

Max has had a very busy beginning to life.  He made it in time for Thanksgiving, made it through his first move to a new house, and is getting prepared for Christmas!

I know I have said this before, but it is such a huge blessing that both Jason's family and my family live so close.  For Thanksgiving, we were able to have lunch in Adel with the Stopek side and dinner in Johnston with the Rude side.  Max pretty much slept through both get togethers, but loved having aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas, and grandpas, ooh and awh over him!

For those of you who don't know- we moved!  We have had so much help from friends and family to clean, paint, and finish the bathroom on a foreclosed home.  We are so thankful to everyone that helped with the house or spent some time with Max so that both mommy and daddy could work on the house.  We are still unpacking and getting organized so I will put up pictures when we are more settled!

We are looking forward to Christmas!  Max and I have been talking about it and he is pretty pumped for our holiday schedule the next couple of days!  He has been such a trooper while shopping and is excited to wrap the gifts with me today!

Here is a preview of some pictures we did with my grandma, niece and nephew (Thank you, Meghan at GraceJuliet Photography!). I will put up our family ones soon!

Max Robert Rude

Our little man is finally here!!!  Jason and I are totally and completely in love with him!  He is super cute, and such a good baby!  We feel so blessed that God chose us to be this little guy's parents.

As some of you may know, at our 35 week OB appointment, the doctor wasn't sure if Max's head was down or not.  He scheduled an ultrasound for us at 36 weeks to see if perhaps Max was breech.  He was.  They told us there was still a chance that he could turn and so at 37 weeks we went in for another ultrasound.  Since he was still not head down, they told us our options. After some careful prayer and consideration, we decided to leave it up to Max and the Lord to turn him around, if that was the plan.  We scheduled a c-section for November 18, went home and relaxed.

Well... there was a different plan for our family.  At 2AM on Friday (11/11/11), I woke up, took a couple steps and my water broke!  Jason and I had not packed our bags yet because we thought we were going to have more time, so we rushed around throwing our things together and got in the car to head to the hospital!

We arrived, checked in, and I was prepped for surgery (Max was still breech).  By 5:31AM our little guy had arrived!  Looking back on it all, Jason and I are so thankful for the way everything turned out!  I probably only had about 6 contractions and they weren't even that bad before I was taken into surgery.  The worst part was getting the IV in.. they had to poke me 5 times.  Recovery has been great as well, so after such an uncomfortable pregnancy, the Lord really did bless me with and easy labor/delivery!

Jason getting ready for surgery.

Our first family photo.

One of the many pictures Jason took for me while I was in the recovery room.  I hadn't had a chance to take a good look at Max, so Jason took pictures so I could see him!

Some of Max's first visitors!  Aunt Heather and cousins, Hailee and Brody.

My little Man!!!

We first learned of his independent personality when he took that oxygen mask off all by himself!

31 Weeks!

Jason, Max and I are now at 31 weeks.  That means we only have 9 weeks to go until Max is here!  I am so excited for many reasons.  First off, I am just so curious to see what he will look like, how it will feel to hold my own baby, and to see Jason hold him!  Second, I am just so incredibly over being pregnant!  At the beginning I was just so sick.  In the middle, I was still a little sick and then just really tired too.  Now I am still tired, but am starting to get really uncomfortable and as chance would have it, still sick.  (Thank you for holding my hair last night, Jason!)  I also really want to sleep on my stomach again!

With all that said, I really do have so much to be thankful for.  My husband has been incredible throughout my whole pregnancy.  He has served me time and time again and has taken on tasks that I know he would rather not do.  I can't wait to feel better and be just as incredible back to him.

My friends are also really great!  Because of the free time that I have been blessed with, I have enjoyed lunch dates with Katherine, Nicole, and Beth.  Thank you, ladies, for getting me out of the house and updating me on the real world!  I have also been blessed with having other pregnant friends around me.  It is fun to share stories and comforting to have someone that is going through some of the same things!  It has also prepared me that everyone is different and to not get in a rut of comparing, but to be thankful with what the Lord has blessed me with and to rejoice with my friends in what the Lord has blessed them with.

MaryBeth and I at her shower. (25 weeks for me).

I will have to get some more updated photos as I feel much larger than I look in the picture above!  We had an OB appointment on Tuesday and everything was great!  Max's heartbeat is strong, he is growing just as he should and I am right on track as far as weight gain.  I just can't wait to meet him!  

I will also update with photos of Max's room.  It is coming together quite nicely!

My Bump!

Here is a promised picture of my baby bump:

Mommy and Max at 22 weeks.

I am now at 23 weeks and he keeps on growing and growing and therefore I feel like I keep growing and growing.  I know this is an inevitable part of pregnancy, going into this I knew that my belly would get bigger (not to mention my thighs and hips) but I guess I didn't really realize how much this would affect my day to day activities.  Now that I am finally feeling better (I haven't thrown up for almost 2 weeks!) I have been doing a lot more.  When I drop things, it isn't really worth it to pick it up.  When I walk for long periods of time, the extra weight takes its toll and I huff and puff a little bit.  Also, going from laying or sitting to standing takes some creativity... Where did my abs go?  I understand this is all part of pregnancy and I am sure that the in the end the pros will outweigh the cons, but I really do look forward to the day where I am no longer pregnant.  :)

In the past few weeks my bump has really become noticeable.  Most people say that my bump is still on the small side, but yesterday, I encountered a woman who did not make me feel to good about my growing body.  I was at the mall in the Motherhood Maternity store and the associate came over to help me find my size in a basic ribbed tank top.  I told her what size I was pre-pregnancy which I have heard is what size you should get in maternity clothes.  She told me that looking at me, I probably needed to go a size bigger.  I thought to myself that the top looked big, but then reasoned that she was the expert, so I went to try on the top.  It was too big.  I went back to the pile of tanks, got a size smaller and went to check out.  The associate looked at the size of the shirt and then me and shook her head and said, "You realize you got a size or two too small right?"  I told her that after trying on the tops, I was happy with the size that I selected.  She then told me about how she had friends "wayyyy tinier" than me and they didn't fit into this size.  I looked at her in somewhat disbelief and and told her that this was the size I would like to purchase.  She rolled her eyes and rang up my purchase.  I left the store not feeling too good!  

In positive news, I learned how to knit some really cute baby booties!!!  I will post pictures once I get the ribbon I need to finish the look!  If I can stay motivated on this project, there will be baby booties for everyone!  :)

One more story before I end my post.  This week our good friends Liz and Drew welcomed their daughter Madilynn Grace to the world!  What a cutie she is!  MaryBeth and I went to visit the new parents and perfect little baby in the hospital.  I was eager to see Madilynn, but also had some alterer motives.  With only about 17 weeks to go, I wanted to see how the new mother was holding up.  I needed to know if someone could actually recover from the act of giving birth to a child.  Liz looked great!  She was smiling, sitting up, talking, laughing, it was great to see she was still the same Liz!  MaryBeth (who has 8 less weeks than I do before giving birth) and I talked about Liz on the way out and were both very encouraged at how the whole birthing process worked out for her.  We seriously had just come to the conclusion that it must not be that bad, when, wouldn't you know it, a very pregnant woman and her husband walked past us to go into the hospital and she was screaming in agony from what I can only assume were her contractions.  She looked miserable!  MaryBeth and I just looked at each other and then back at the woman.  MaryBeth told me to look away, but it was like a train wreck, I just couldn't stop looking!  

I guess I will find out in 17 weeks if it is really that bad...

It's a BOY!!!

A week ago today, we found out that Baby Rude is a boy!  A healthy baby boy too!  It was so fun to see the ultrasound and watch him move around.  We were able to see hands, feet, belly, heartbeat, and his little face!  I love him already!

It has been so fun to actually know a little bit about who is in there and begin to really plan for his arrival.  Jason moved around the furniture in the spare room so we could start organizing all of my finds and all of the fabulous clothes that we have received from Aunt Heather, Jami, and Leigha!  Every time I look at the little clothes, I imagine my little guy wearing them and I can't help but smile. :)

I have been able to feel the little guy move around a lot lately!  Not any crazy kicks yet, but a lot of wiggles!  I am so thankful that he is healthy and growing.  It has been tough to be pregnant, but I feel so blessed to have the privilege to raise a son with Jason.  He is going to be such a great dad!  Our official due date is still November 25th, but he was measuring about a week early... so maybe...

Last weekend Nichole, MaryBeth, Leigha, and I went to Babies R Us.  It was so nice to have Nichole point out the things that MaryBeth and I would need (and Leigha was great comic relief!)  I feel like little by little, I should be ready by the time Baby Rude gets here!

I will try and post some pictures soon of my growing belly and the in progress nursery!

4th of July -aka- My Favorite Holiday

A year ago, I remember going to the fireworks at Raccoon River Park and getting butterflies in my stomach when Jason Rude walked by and sat just a couple feet in front of me.  I wanted to sit by him so bad!  This year... I got to spend the whole weekend with him and although I still get butterflies when I see him, this year the butterflies in my stomach have been joined by Baby Rude! A lot can happen in a year, ya know? :)

We started off the weekend by celebrating my brother-in-law Bobby's birthday Friday night.  It was really fun to see the family and I always enjoy seeing my niece and nephew although my nephew was almost unrecognizable in his cool shades!

This is Brody, my nephew.  This wasn't taken at the party, nor is he wearing his shades, but he is still so cute!

This is a throw back picture of Hailee, my niece, celebrating the 4th.  I think she is about the same age as Brody in the picture above!  So cute!

Saturday, Jason and I got some much needed cleaning done around the house.  We also went over to our dear friends' John Michael and Rachael Hall's house to celebrate Rachael's birthday with some homemade ice cream cake!  To top off the night, we borrowed The Patriot from our friend Marc so that we could really get into the patriotic spirit!

Sunday, my wonderful husband took me to see the fireworks at Jordan Creek.  We got there early and listened to some live music and enjoyed each other's company.  There were no signs of where the fireworks were going to be shot off, so we didn't know if we had a good seat but... WE DID!  When the fireworks started, we realized we were in the PERFECT spot!  I had so much fun being right up in the action with my best friend!

Jason and me at Jordan Creek

Monday came and I got to spend some time with some of my closest girlfriends while Jason braved the heat in the Windsor Heights parade.  After the parade we went out to the church camp to help with the festivities our outreach group had planned for our church.  The night was a success!  After the talent show, Jason, our good friend Marc, and I went to get some 59 cent drinks at QT and what would the 4th be without sparklers?  We got back to the camp in time to celebrate with the sparklers and watch the WDM fireworks.

Jason and me at the camp!  With our tattoos!

It was a great weekend!  Thank you to my amazing husband for making my favorite holiday (and 5 month anniversary) very special!

2 Weeks....

We have two weeks until our next baby doctor appointment and you know what that means?!?!  We get to find out if Baby Rude is a boy or girl!  This whole pregnancy things seems to be going quite slowly, but I feel like finding out the gender is really taking a long time.  Perhaps this is because all of my pregnant friends are at least eight weeks ahead of me and hit all the milestones before me.  One of my pregnant friends (yes, I have several!) will tell me their baby is kicking a lot, or I will see their big belly, or they have their nursery all decorated... I will think to myself, "oh, that will be soon for me!" when in all reality it is at least two or three months away.  Come quickly November!

Here are some random pictures that have been on my camera for a very long time, be sure and check out the honeymoon pictures that I just added to the blog post "I'm a Rude!"

The place cards all set up for our wedding.

The tables without the decorations.  I don't have on with the decorations and I am super sad about that! :(

Dad vacuuming!

My awesome friends cleaning all the vases for the tables.

Jason at the airport on our way to our honeymoon.

Our honeymoon milkshakes!

Brody and Uncle Jason at Brody's first birthday.

Brody Man digging into his birthday cake.

Hailee got her ears pierced!

More of my wedding set up helpers!  Thanks friends!

We're having a baby!

Jason and I are going to be parents! On the morning on March 16, we took a test (more like I took a test) and it was positive!  Our first calls were to future grandmothers- Karen and Nancy, followed by other family.  What an incredible thing to share with those we love!

For 24 years, I had never been worried about getting hit by a car in a parking lot or been so aware of babies everywhere (seriously- they are EVERYWHERE!)  But after that test, newly armed with the knowledge that there is a special someone growing inside of me, I have become hyperaware of anything that could harm my baby and super excited to see babies!

Unfortunately the not so great part of pregnancy, the morning sickness, has set in and has been pretty relentless.  Jason has been incredible taking care of me (and Peanut, and the house, and the laundry, and the cleaning and everything else...)  We have been to the hospital twice and have tried everything we can think of or that people have told us that helped them.  Hopefully this will only last a few more weeks and that it will stop when I get into the second trimester.  

Our due date is November 25th!  

I am a Rude! :)

Being married is so great!  Jason and I have just celebrated our two month anniversary and it has been the best two months of my life!

Here are some highlights:

Our honeymoon was so fun!  We got to go to Daytona Beach the day after we got married.  We got bumped from our flight, and made it to the hotel in the wee hours of the morning but we still had fun on the way there!  When we arrived in Orlando to get our rental car we were informed that all they had left were minivans... but then after they learned we were on our honeymoon, they surprised us with a really fun car!

While on our honeymoon, we went to Disney World!  It was my first time and I LOVED it!  We went to Hollywood Studios and Epcot.  We were there all day and the night was capped off with some amazing mexican food and FIREWORKS!  We got VIP seats down on the dock to watch the nightly fireworks at Epcot.  So cool!

This is on our way in... It was kind of chilly!

24 and I finally made it to Disney World!

Jason with his "Happily Ever After" Button

Our 3D Muppet Adventure

After Beauty and the Beast

Jason's scared face at the Tower of Terror

My scared face

At Epcot

Jason sporting a moo moo (sp?)

The end of our fabulous day! Our VIP seats to the firework show!

When we returned from our honeymoon, we went to my parent's house and opened up our wedding gifts.  People were SO generous!  Even though a note could never express our thankfulness to all our friends and family that helped to make our day so special... official Thank You's will be out soon!

Getting settled in our home has been fun!  I have learned a lot about how Jason organizes and his daily habits I did not know about before.  Truth be told, the more I find out about him... the more I LOVE him!  People have been asking a lot, "how is married life?"  Married life is great!  I get to see my best friend every day and night!

I still get excited whenever I hear Jason call me his wife and can't stop smiling when I say the phrase, "my husband."  Looking forward to a lifetime of being married to my best friend!

You guys! We are getting married in 6 days!!!

It has been exactly 3 months since Jason purposed and we are getting married in 6 days!

Planning this wedding has been so wonderful and great.  With experience in planning weddings and other events, I have always dreamed of planning my own wedding, and it has been so much better than I ever thought it would be!  The main reason it is so great is because I get to plan it all with my bff, Jason!

The living room and kitchen table are full of wedding packages and supplies!  Sometimes I wonder how it is all going to get finished but have been reminded that God is in control.  Thank goodness!

My Little Wedding Planning Helper!

The boxes in the Living Room

Hundreds of Little Chairs...

A lot has happened in the three months we have been engaged!  I have a new job, and a new place!  I moved in to what will eventually be me and Jason's first home and with the help of Peanut, we have been keeping it warm until Jason moves in after the wedding.

We celebrated our first holidays together!  We went to visit my dad's side of the family near Cleveland, Ohio for Thanksgiving.  Jason got to experience the 12 hour drive with my dad, mom, and me.  Peanut had to stay home for this trip.

Christmas was great!  Jason and I realized how blessed we are to have both our immediate families live so close to one another.  We were able to go to church with both of our families on Christmas Eve and then go out to dinner with my family and back to Adel to open gifts.  Christmas morning we were at the Rude's.  It was a great time to relax with the family, open gifts, and watch movies.  Christmas night we went back to Adel, where we ate dinner and Hailee talked us through Toy Story 3.

Jason and Hailee (and cat.)

Heather and Me

Little Brody man's first Christmas!

In between Christmas and New Year's, Jason and I got the opportunity to go to a church conference in Omaha called Faithwalkers.  We got to spend time with our friends and learned so much!

With all this going on, we have still managed to plan our wedding and we are both so excited to see our friends and family and celebrate with them in 6 days!