34 week update

Ok, I know I'm closer to 35 weeks, but I thought Friday I was looking a little lower and Sarah noticed it. Then Ryan mentioned I may've dropped a little yesterday, and my mom asked me today, so I thought I'd do a quick update. I do feel more pressure in my pelvis and hips than I did, and the heartburn seems to be a little better, too. So, I'll hold off on my normal questions until my next update, but for now here is a lovely Sunday-no-makeup picture of my dropping belly.

Also, I got the nursery all organized, so here are some pic's of our new pictures and some of the sweet things we've gotten.

TSA Step 5

I think everyone experiences those moments of faith that call them to cry out for a glimpse of God’s mercy and His listening ear. Such was the case with my prayer this morning. There have been a few prayers lately where even though I believe with all my heart that God is listening and in control, I haven’t really heard the answers yet, and so my human nature is seeking the Lord to affirm my faith. This is why I cried when Ryan called me this morning to tell me that TSA called him today to come in for the assessment, which I believe is about step 5 out of 7 or 8 in being hired. I am praying that he will be well rested for the interview and God will give him any mental or physical stamina that he needs, that the Holy Spirit will be with him in giving his answers and He will prepare the interviewer/s and that God will confirm quickly whether or not this is the job for Ryan. This is more than just pre-baby planning and wanting to work out our finances. Ryan is really unhappy and very stressed where he is working now, and I’ve been praying for the last few days that God would remove Him from the car industry if that’s His will. I don’t like to see my husband that stressed out. So…if you’re following this, any prayers would be appreciated. Hopefully the Lord will continue to move Ryan through the process quickly and we’ll hear something soon. The Lord is so sweet to answer my prayer this morning and care about the little things. He is so sweet to affirm my faith when I am undeservedly blessed to be given this faith in the first place. To Him be the glory for the things He hath done (& is going to do).

It's raining baby stuff!

(Get it – cuz’ I had a shower??) Sorry I didn’t post yesterday. After Jenni left, I went home and literally worked in the nursery all day until about 9:00 last night, except for a brief dinner date with my mom & Sarah. I will post some finished photos of my nifty organizational skills (of which I am very excited) at a later date. :) I received some wall hangings, and I need to figure out where I’m going to put them.

First of all, I mentioned I picked up Jenni on Friday. It is always so great to be able to hang out with her in person. We talk frequently on the phone, but as anyone knows, time spent one-on-one with a good friend is precious. My grandma asked how long we had been friends, and it’s already been 6 years – wow! We did a little shopping, had lunch and had some good conversations and, typical for us, some goofy ones, too. I appreciate her coming down here and hosting the shower so very much. I won’t ever be able to express my full gratitude. She took very careful steps to ensure the shower would be awesome for me, and it was that and more. From the invitations with the little cats on them to the bookmarks she included for people to write their advice, as she knows my love of reading, the fun sash she had me & my mom wear to the adorable, personalized favor bags, her detailed care was so appreciated. She really took my personality into account in her planning. Of course, the best part was her being here in person for the event. Mine & Ryan's friend, Charlie, graciously offered her beautiful home for the shower and made an adorable little “bouquet” of baby mittens, hats and socks. It was the cutest thing I have seen yet at a shower. The food was great, and she was a lovely hostess. I so appreciated her generosity! She also planned a really cute game in which she spelled out “baby girl” on paper bags and everyone had to write a baby item that began with the letters to win a prize. I got to keep the items in the bags for the baby, things I’ll really need – like an aspirator, a bottle, etc. Very fun! My friend Joann got the cake, and as you’ll see from the photos, it was adorable and matched the invitations and theme with the cute pink cat. Such a good idea, and the red velvet cake was amazing! I do love cake… She was also sweet enough to call to follow up with some of the people who didn’t RSVP, so everyone could have a good count and be able to prepare. That was so appreciated by me! My mom also lent a hand with the planning and setting up, and I know Jenni really appreciated her input. My mom knows be so well, and I could totally see her hand in the planning, too.

It was so fun to catch up with some people I haven’t seen in awhile and to bond with those I see regularly, too. There was lots of laughter and smiles.  As far as everything I got, it would be impossible to list it all here. We got so much fun stuff, and I can’t wait to put it all to use. I am incredibly thankful and feel very blessed for all we received. A slideshow at the bottom of the page offers you a quick view of the event. It was so much fun, and I can’t believe it’s over!

I washed all of her things and put them away yesterday. It was such a special time of excitement to put it all away. I pondered over each little outfit in disbelief that something could ever be so small as to fit into them – how we all fit into something that small at one point is amazing. I pictured our daughter wearing the little outfits I received, pictured her swaddled in her little receiving blankets and her tummy time on the soft blankets we received. Ryan received a lot of diapers from his pamper party yesterday, as well, and the thought crossed my mind that even though it seems like a lot of diapers now, those diapers probably won’t last very long. :) I washed her sheets, bedding & bumper pads and pictured the sweetness of her lying there asleep in the crib…and I’ll be honest, the not-so-sweet moments I’ll probably have of trying to change her bedding in the middle of the night when she throws up or something. I cannot wait for her arrival, and my excitement grows every day. I know I’ve said it before, but it is so hard to believe that time has moved so fast. Wednesday I will be 34 weeks! Before we know it, I will be in labor and we will be driving to the hospital full of nerves, excitement and anticipating the joyous moment we get to meet her and hold her in our arms!

Return of the dreaded morning sickness

I am crabby. Why? Because my morning sickness has returned. I thought I had overcome. I thought I was in the clear. I believe it started a couple weeks ago, when I thought I had a stomach bug. But it just keeps coming back - the nausea, the middle of the night nausea...especially when I am hungry. I guess I will need to be more diligent about mild foods and frequent meals. Only 6.5 weeks until my due date. I can tough it out!!

If it weren't for exhaustion, a lovely house guest and the morning sickness, I'd update on the shower - which was so AWESOME! I will have to update at a later date, though. :)

33 week update

How far along? 33 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +about 30 overall
Maternity clothes: Yup.
Stretch marks? Nope.
Sleep: Starting to experience some “pregnancy insomnia” – peeing 2-3 times a night, heartburn…seeing how God uses this time to prepare you for an infant.
Best moment this week: Being told by the doctor that I’m one month from being term. I don’t know why, but it really made it sink in and made me more excited! Non-baby wise, my friend Jenni got in yesterday for her visit.
Movement: Lots of it! No problem getting my kick counts. I’m also really noticing her hiccups this week. She’s had them almost every day after lunch.
Food cravings: Hmmm…nothing in particular this week.
Gender: It’s a girl!
Labor signs: None; just those Braxton Hicks.
Belly button in or out? In.
What I miss: Not having heartburn all the time.
What I am looking forward to: MY SHOWER IS TODAY!! YAY!
Weekly Wisdom: Babies are such a gift, but it’s important that the baby doesn’t interfere with your time with God, maintaining relationships (especially with your spouse) and taking care of your body.
Milestones: I’m 8 months pregnant!

Hormones are annoying. I am flitting between tears & wanting to deck someone today. Maybe I'll level out if I have some chocolate... :)

55 days

Sometimes it feels like time is creeping towards my due date, but then I'll open my computer and my homepage will give me my countdown and I realize how fast time is truly moving. I had lunch with a friend and her baby yesterday. I picked her brain about a few things that I've been thinking a lot about lately - breastfeeding, how you know when to do what, swaddling and soothing...many other things, I'm sure. She is a very godly woman, and I greatly appreciated the advice she had to offer, especially the reassurance and encouragement not to be nervous. I watched her interact with her little guy, and it really struck me that I'm sure you research as much as you can and try to get as much info. from the "experts" that you can, but when your baby arrives a lot of things come to you out of love.

I have really been struck by the overwhelming peace that God has given me through the majority of my pregnancy. Oh, sure, I have my freak-outs sometimes when I feel a new pain or I hear about complications in others' pregnancies or babies, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is God and Him alone who has removed anxiety from my life. Even now I can see how He fit all the pieces together, and how this baby is totally part of His plan. I remember the year before getting pregnant how my desire for children increased, but my prayer remained that God would show us His timing for kids by matching Ryan's desire to mine. God worked on my heart regarding worry and anxiety the prior year through our Bible study in Matthew through many things in my life, and I constantly heard His voice saying, "Trust me." Last year, through the Moses study (as I've mentioned before), God worked on me all year regarding the area of trust, and as I read the things that Moses went through and how he had no choice but to trust the Lord, God instilled a higher level of trust in my heart as well. Then Ryan's desire matched mine, and we were given this blessing. I cannot imagine the level of worry I would've had if I had tried to push my plan on my own. I wish I could put into words how it feels that I've been given this freedom from Him. I know things could happen to me, to the baby, to Ryan - however, we are GOD'S. Our lives are in HIS hands and always have been, even since the moment of my & Ryan's conceptions. I've just seen Him do too much in my life and the lives of others to believe any different than His ultimate control is best.

In our childbirth classes, everytime the teacher would say something like "Mother Nature designed it this way..." I scoffed but then had a rush of thanksgiving and awe at how GOD (not M.N.) designed this process. It is just such a blessing, and I am relishing every moment, even the pregnancy discomforts. It will soon be over. I can't wait to meet our daughter!

31 week update

How far along? 31 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: +/- 0 lbs. last week; 26.3 overall
Maternity clothes: Yes, and now I need larger shoes due to swelling.
Stretch marks? Not yet.
Sleep: Though not uncomfortable, I’ve been waking up to use the bathroom then start thinking about stuff and can’t go back to sleep.
Best moment this week: Our childbirth classes. It was fun to do something different together, and it calmed my nerves a little bit about childbirth. Also, finding out private health insurance costs less than I thought it did – very reassuring.
Movement: Lots – always exceeding her kick count expectations.
Food cravings: Oreos.
Gender: It’s a girl!
Labor signs: Braxton Hicks, according to my class, nesting also counts.
Belly button in or out? In.
What I miss: Being able to bend over to put my shoes & socks on.

What I am looking forward to: The shower.
Weekly Wisdom: It was nice to learn all the “comfort techniques” at the childbirth class, because even though I’m a stab-me-in-the-back labor plan type of girl, I’m still going to have to go through some pain before I receive my epidural.
Milestones: Less than 10 weeks to go! My uterus grew 3cm over the last 2 weeks, so Baby had a growth spurt.

On a side note, our living room is almost done! We're just waiting on the throw rugs. Then I will take some pictures to post.