Preach the Gospel

Today was another shopping day. Another day to beat the crowds, the lines, and my personal budget. A day to do it all by myself and as fast as possible.


I got to Aldi with my shopping bags and quarter. I'm so prepared. I weave my way around a woman wrapped in what I assume to be a burka-type attire-long, plain dress and a cream-colored cloth over her head. Her kids are running up and down the aisle making noise, and they're in the way. I go around them and go about my shopping routine-find item, write down price, add it up before I go to the check out line.


Then I'm on my way to Wal-Mart with my empty gallon jugs to refill with water. Good thing, since Wal-Mart is completely out of distilled water today. Go figure. I get to the flour aisle and there is that same woman with the two annoying kids! The kids are in my way again, and I can't just go around this time. I say "Excuse me" fairly loudly and accidentally bump into the little girl. I say I'm sorry when she looks around, and I quickly go around them and down to another aisle. Mom barely notices. Just as I get to the coffee aisle I realize that I've forgotten to get yeast. I groan (audibly) and make my way back to the aisle where the same woman and her kids are taking up space and slowing me down. This time a man with a ginormous trash can is also blocking the aisle. Great.


I put my cart close to the end of the aisle and walk the short distance to the yeast. The large containers of yeast are all pushed back and I can't reach them. I start to walk away when the woman turns towards me and asks me in broken English about wheat bran. Not being entirely sure what this is myself, my first thought is to tell her "I don't know" and leave. But she says she's making muffins, and I've heard of using other substitutions like oatmeal instead of the bran. We can't find the wheat bran in the flour section, so I suggest she looks with the oatmeal in the cereal aisle. I'm not sure she understood everything I said, but she did repeat "oatmeal" and nodded when I said "with the cereal." She left, I figured out how to get my yeast, and I headed back for the coffee.


Then something-really, I should say Someone-told me to go back and actually help that woman. But I'm in a hurry. I have a frozen chicken in a freezer bag sitting in the car. I can't get rid of the conviction, so I go back to the cereal aisle. I see the woman still in the aisle with her kids, and ask her if she's found what she is looking for. She looks up and seems surprised to see me. Someone comes by and her kids keep screaming. She takes a sigh as if she's tired of shopping with them. I feel both convicted for being annoyed, and sympathy for the woman's situation.I help her find the best option Wal-Mart offers (that I know of) and discuss another substitution for part of her recipe. She thanks me, I tell her to have a good day, and we part ways. I finish my grocery shopping with $2 to spare.


But the entire time I kept thinking about this woman's soul. I kept thinking I should tell her about Jesus and heaven and eternity. Where will this woman and her kids spend forever? Why didn't I tell them?


The woman barely speaks English and wouldn't understand me. She's Muslim and I don't want to be "one of those Christians" who comes across as judgmental and/or preachy. She's tired and I'm in a hurry. These are the excuses that run through my head.


Maybe I could have at least said something-Even "God bless you."

Romans 10:14

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Second Anniversary

Disney 2012

Two years ago today I married my wonderful husband, Alex Barberi. 

We celebrated early (in February) by going to Disney World for almost a week! We had a blast going to so many different attractions, and enjoying a variety of food. By going early, we were able to have lots of fun riding rides and not worrying about a baby on board. So thankful we did that! In six months we will be adding another to our family!

The past two years have been such a growing experience. I have learned much about growing in the Lord, and learning what it is to be a God-honoring wife. Alex has been such an encouragement to me, and has always told me to put God first. We tell each other that we are "second most important, because God is the most important." Alex is a wonderful husband, and my best friend. I look forward to the years ahead growing in our relationship with the Lord and with each other.

I'm so very excited about spending the rest of my life married to him!

Fourteen Week Appointment

Fourteen week doctor appointment was fun, but not super-exciting. The best part was getting to hear the heartbeat again! It was 156.

I didn't actually meet with the doctor today, and I told Alex he didn't need to come with me today either. The nurse tried to measure me, but said that I was too small and not showing yet. She said that she should be able to measure me at my next appointment.

I had some questions, and the nurse helped me answer them.

How do you feel about family members being present during labor and delivery?

Should be fine. Talk to the nurses caring for me.

What are your thoughts on various birthing positions? Do you know how the hospital works with expectant moms who may not want to give birth in the traditional position?

The nurse actually laughed a little as I said that I didn't think the normal birthing position sounded comfortable. She said that the beds can recline up so that I am not lying on my back, and that the staff is open to the mom wanting to try other positions.
She also said to take classes, and to talk to the staff at the hospital.

How do you decide to use medical interventions like pitocin, and an episiotomy?

The nurse said that it is a very high percentage of first time moms who get an episiotomy, because there are often issues with stretching. She said that pelvic massage can help, and described what that is. She told me to do LOTS of kegels to helps with labor and avoid getting cut. Good motivation for me. As for being induced, she said that I am allowed to go to 41 weeks, as long as I have no problems. She said that most medical doctors in Maury County won't push induction unless they believe it is medically necessary.

Will I be required to have an IV, or can I chose to not have one?


is not required, but it is good to be prepared with the part (can't remember the name) inserted, even without the IV attached.

When I come up with a birth plan, should I review it with you before I go into labor? Should I review it with anyone else?
Share with my doctor and then with the nurses caring for me during the labor and delivery. I should have my birth plan done by the 35th week. Also, I should keep in mind that things can change, and the baby often determines the birth plan.


When will we schedule my next appointment? in four weeks (18 wks) or 6 weeks (20 wks)?


I will be scheduled at 18 weeks, and then the appointment after that will be my ultrasound appointment, where I will be 22 weeks along. The 18 week appt will include optional testing, and the nurse encouraged me to read about the testing in my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book.
For my 22 week appointment I need to not schedule on a Monday, since my doctor is doing surgery on Monday. I also need to schedule 2 appointments: one with the doctor, and one for the ultrasound.




The nurse also encouraged me to drink lots of water and keep my heart rate low. She said everything looks great!


Please feel free to let me know what you think about these answers! Thoughts, resources, opinions, are welcome, as well as questions that I should ask at the next appointment!

Last of the First

Yesterday I started week 13-so the last week of my first trimester!

I guess I expected to automatically start feeling better and have more energy. I keep reading posts that say, "You're almost done with the first trimester-you should start feeling better soon!" Now, I never felt absolutely terrible, but yesterday I started feeling about as bad as I ever have. I was super-tired for the first part of the day, and had to eat every couple of hours, which hasn't been the case for the past week. Things improved over the afternoon, thankfully. Today has been great so far.

Here's what I've learned so far:

• Too much sugar/grains at one times gives me terrible indigestion. Small amounts are acceptable, and even help me feel satisfied.
• If I don't have a snack about 45 minutes before I go to sleep, I wake up in the middle of the night and have a hard time going back to sleep.
• Just carb snacks (popcorn, cookies, oatmeal) helps at first, but I still feel not-so-great in the morning.
• Protein and high (healthy) fats help me sleep through the night: something with peanut butter or avocado helps tremendously.
• Meat and vegetables/fruits are my best friends. This is true even sans pregnancy, but my body now feels the benefits even more.
• Sleep is crucial. Not enough sleep=super emotional/grumpy Calista. Naps are helpful.
• Exercise helps wake me up. Also true for pre-pregnancy, but especially helpful when I feel exhausted.
• Most of my pre-pregnancy clothes are not going to fit anymore, unless they were already a little big on me. My clothing options are slimming, but I am thankful to have clothes that I can still wear.

Most important lesson being learned: God is in control. I must rely on Him every day to guide me and make decisions according to His will. Time with my Savior is so important, and prayer is something to be done throughout the day.

Control

Pregnancy for me means that I need to know as much as I can and I need to do as much as I can to have a healthy pregnancy, birthing experience, and child. I don't always do everything right, but I am a bit of a perfectionist.

Earlier this week my mother-in-law came over for a bit and talked babies and birthing stories with me. She's gone through just about everything with her kids. Her final words to me were to do some research, and trust that God is in control and everything is going to be okay. I told her that she might need to tell me that again in a couple of months.

It was incredibly reassuring, and definitely something I needed to hear. As much as I want to make sure that everything is perfect, really God is the one who determines much of it.

The more I think I'm in charge, the more God reminds me how desperately I need Him. The more I rely on His strength instead of my own, the better off I am. His strength is way better than mine.

Baby and Food and Money

Today and yesterday were my grocery shopping days. For the second time in a row, I ran out of money before I bought everything on my list. This wasn't a problem before. Here are some of my thoughts:

I think the major one is trying to buy foods that are organic and/or free from nitrates. I think being pregnant makes me even more wary of food. I keep thinking "That food had harsh chemicals in/on it and it's going to poison my baby!" It was easier when I was just hurting myself, but when it's another tiny human inside of me....I have this overwhelming urge to buy the best of what I can. Then I get stressed because I want to stay in budget, but I want to buy everything on my list, and I want it to all be healthy.

I still buy flour, and I still make bread. It's better than what's made at the store, even if it is a not so great grain. I think the white flour was organic, so whatev's.

I bought aluminum-free baking soda, and nitrate-free bacon and sausage. I tried to get my healthy eggs, but the lady wasn't home. I do have regular Kroger-on-sale eggs.

I had a wonderful lunch at Whole Foods with Freya where we talked about pregnancy and birth plans. It was great! Then I decided to do some shopping. They actually do have better prices on some things like peanut butter, but I still spent more than I probably should have.

I can't wait for the farmer's market to start up again. It may be tiny, but the prices are way better. They  may not be all organic, but they are local and taste fresh.

We both like fresh veggies better than canned or frozen. However, I think I'm going to buy some frozen vegetables to help supplement our veggie intake.

Buying healthy and already-prepped food is definitely more expensive. I've been buying ready made salad and already chopped broccoli because I can fix it quickly. This is where frozen will most likely help also.

Websites I have read have talked about buying in bulk. In our little apartment, I barely have enough room for my weekly shopping trip. This is an idea I will save for another time.

I have seen other people's meal plans where they do the $100 a week plan. I check them out. Most of them I think "that would not fill us up" or "that's way too much cheese in one day" or "there's not enough protein." I feel like there is more that I could do to budget down again, but I haven't figured it out yet.


And what did my husband say to me when I started crying because I still needed to buy water and some other things? "It's ok, if we need to add a little more money to our grocery budget, we'll figure it out." Definitely a wonderful guy.

A baby shower

Last Sunday I helped to host one of my longest-friend's baby shower! I've known Bethany ever since I was born! She's a photographer and works at a bank, and is about to have her second child! Impressive.

My part of the hosting was having everyone play a game. I also took the trash from the presents and put it in a trash bag. BONUS: I got to see all the awesome presents up close!

It was wonderful getting to see all the people at the shower! Some people I hadn't seen in years, and I grew up with them! Alex and I got a lot of congratulations for us as well. There were four pregnant people there: Me, Bethany, Freya (our other friend since birth), and Jessica (Bethany's family member who is pregnant with her third and has a beautiful family). So exciting for all of us. I'm very excited for Bethany and Shadrick, and can't wait to meet Connor!

Here's all the preggers:

Bethany, Me, and Freya:

Yeah, I'm not as far along as anyone else in the pictures. I'm pretty excited about being able to show off a pregnant belly though!

week 11 and a half

Feelings: TIRED. Not all of the time, but a lot of the time. I'm not sure why, but I'm way more tired this week than I have been the past month. Usually after dinner I'll clean up the kitchen, take a shower, and be ready to go to sleep as soon as I'm done! Last night I fell asleep before Alex even made it into the room! I told Alex that sometimes it's annoying, but he told me that his boss says this is normal-apparently his boss has a few kids. Funny that I need reassurance for "tired being normal" from my husband, who hears it from his work environment. I had gotten an email from one of my baby websites that said I should start feeling better. I don't feel terrible, just exhausted.

Also, sometimes I get tired of eating food. If I get too hungry, then I feel sick, but then I get tired to finding something to eat. I have procrastinated longer than I usually do to meal plan the past couple of weeks. I felt like I wanted to try something different, but I couldn't think of what! We both are kind of picky when it comes to food...me so more than I'd like to admit. I'm thankful to a website I found recently called Food on the Table. It's nice, because you can use it to plan meals according to sales, and according to dietary preferences. I don't have very  many right now, so I have plenty of meal options to chose from. Plus, the directions are pretty easy to understand. I still use my google calendar to plan meals, but this site is helpful for ideas.

By the way, I'm not sure I've EVER said that I'm tire of eating before. That used to by why I ran a lot...so that I could eat! I think that now that I have permission to eat...I feel like I have to in order to feel better...and for some reason that takes some of the fun out of it. Also, I think being tired may have something to do with that too. My meal plan this week should be easy enough.

I'm planning to meet with a dear friend tomorrow to discuss birthing information! Definitely excited about that.