Baby Update: Horrible Hormones

How far along am I?  24 weeks (only 3 more weeks away from 3rd trimester!)

How big is the baby? About as long as an ear of corn

How am I feeling?Honestly, the pregnancy hormones have taken a hard hit on me this week. I have like I have cried more this week than the whole year combined. 

What am I craving?  Still no specific cravings yet.

How is sleep going? I haven't found a comfortable position yet. I hate sleeping on my back, but sleeping on my stomach or side is getting pretty uncomfortable. So, I'm basically tossing around throughout the night.

How big am I? My belly has taken a pretty round shape, but when I look in the mirror, I don't think I look like a cute pregnant woman.....I feel more like a fat trailer trash girl with my gut hanging out.  

Symptoms I hate: These baby blues. 

Symptoms I love: That I can feel her MOVE!!!! She is constantly moving about and kicking.

How's the hubs? If there's one pick-me-up that always seems to help is Matt talking to Evangeline each night. Unfortunately, he's leaving on a missions trip in a few days and won't be back 'til Christmas, so I'm praying that I'll do as good of a job as talking to my baby as he is.  

Baby Girl Update #4

Hi guys! You know, there is actually a reason I'm updating this a little later in the week....I wanted to wait until after my Dr's appointment (which was yesterday). I'm glad I did, too! Evangeline Grace has been so active the last couple of days that they had to do a sonogram to check for her heartbeat....she wouldn't stay still enough to just check for the beat. She is fine and dandy! Her heartbeat is strong, and she was even facing the camera for us. I was so excited to be able to see her again.

Also, our baby items are coming together. So far we have purchased her crib, her dresser/changing table, her stroller/car seat, and her bedding set. We have even received 2 ADORABLE baby girl gift baskets from friends! I was completely blown away by the pink cuteness they contained. This part is so much fun! And our church set my baby shower date. How exciting!

So, now for the update on baby girl and me:

How far along am I?  22 weeks (5 and a half months)

How big is the baby? About the size of a spaghetti squash! (Which seems huge to me!)

How am I feeling? Morning sickness is still there...but since I'm off most of this week from home, I'm hoping to have a week off from the nausea. And I'm really hoping my appetite lets me enjoy Thanksgiving! There are too many good dishes to pass up....or throw up!

What am I craving?  Well, the other day I devoured a bag of popcorn...and then a carton of ice cream. I don't know if one-time things count...but I can report that Evangeline seemed to have LOVED the ice cream! (Lots of movement afterwards.)

How is sleep going? Pretty good. I actually slept in really late today! That hasn't happened in a while.

How big am I? Well, even though my weight went down AGAIN this month (that's about 30 pounds total now), I definitely notice that my belly is more full and round than before. You probably can't notice a drastic change, but there is a change. 

Symptoms I hate: Nausea still. 

Symptoms I love: That I can feel her MOVE!!!! Soooooo happy about that! 

How's the hubs? He was even more thrilled than I was to be able to see his daughter on the screen again yesterday. Also, he is working on memorizing the song, "Ma Belle Evangeline" from Princess and the Frog. I cannot wait to hear him singing it to her while she rests in his arms, but for now, he sings it to my stomach....if he's not playing Allan Jackson into my belly button. lol.

My heart is very THANKFUL this evening! What about you? 

More Gender Reveal Insight

Hey everyone! Thank you for the love you have sent our way! We are so thrilled!

I just wanted to add some photos of our fun gender reveal (paint fight). Our wonderful photographer is Mary Pharris, owner and operator of Digital Beauty....and she is amazing. I highly recommend her! All of these photo credits go to her. (Let me know if you'd like her contact information.)

Enjoy!

Getting ready for our show down..I was still in the dark.

Let the fun begin....is that pink I see?

Ahhh! It's a girl!!!!

LOL! I'm so happy...and Matt's so, "Eh! Get that paint away from my face!"

I can't believe it!

Hello little girl! 

I am one happy mama!

Gender Reveal: It's a .....

We had the best time revealing the gender today! We invited friends and family over to our house and Matt and I held a paint fight! I really did not know the gender before hand. We had paint bottles filled with the color pain that would reveal boy or girl. We walked 5 paces away in our show down, then turned to each other and had at it, revealing the fact that.....

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!


I must admit that we were a little surprised. A lot of people, including us, thought it might be a boy, however we were also thrilled at the thought of a girl.

We also have the name picked out. Honestly, we've had our girl name picked out before we were married. We both were inspired by this name from the adorable movie, Princess and the Frog. Looking at the meaning of the name even closer, we were sure it was the name for our future daughter.

Evangeline Grace.

Her first name means "messenger of good news." This is our prayer for her: we pray that she will indeed be a messenger of good news - of God's grace.

Also, the radiologist said that all images look great. Nothing appears to be wrong, so I'm very happy about that. And she is moving in there, as the camera revealed, even if I can't feel it yet.

My heart is full right now! We're having a little girl!

Baby Update #3

Hello, hello! Another week, another update! I just love filling out these things; it helps make my pregnancy journey seem more real. During the work day, I forget ALL the time that I'm pregnant...partly because I'm very focused on my students, and partly because I'm expected to keep my condition a secret from my class for as long as possible. But when I'm here, sharing this wonderful news with you, I'm reminded again, and it brightens up my whole week!

I will be honest and tell you that this week hasn't been very exciting as far as progress goes. However, NEXT week is set to be VERY exciting because next week I will be sharing the gender reveal! Yup. If all goes well on Thursday, Matt and I will finally know the secret...and we're planning an awesome photo shoot on Saturday pass it on with our loved ones. (I'm extremely excited about it!)

Before I finally share my little weekly survey, I do want to ask for prayers. This is going to be the first sonogram since our first doctor's appointment when the pregnancy was actually confirmed at 9 weeks. I'm battling fear again because I still have not felt the baby move inside me. The heartbeat has always been fine, but I can't help but worry a little that something might be wrong. When we see our baby, I pray that we will also see that he or she looks very healthy and fine. (And in case you are wondering, I have chosen not to do the blood test that could reveal anything wrong, such as down syndrom, because of a couple reasons: 1) the test would not change our view of the child or our decision to carry the baby to longest term possible, and 2) I feel that it would only cause me stress...I've known many parents who were told that their children would be born with special needs, and the babies were born to reveal it was a misdiagnosis....so I denied that certain test, and my doctor was very understanding. He also said that most of the time the sonogram would reveal anything majorly wrong. I also ask that you don't try to change my mind about the blood test, because I'm not going to change it. It's our decisions as parents.)

Ok, now for the official update:

How far along am I?  20 weeks (5 months)

How big is the baby? About the size of a banana...and again, I still haven't felt any movement.

How am I feeling? Morning sickness has been more constant than ever! At the same time, it's only in the morning...the rest of the day I am fine. I'm also slowly getting my normal appetite back, so that makes me happy. 

What am I craving? Not really anything in particular, although I'm trying very hard to DRINK a lot more water.

How is sleep going? Fine...until about 5:30 - 6:30 a.m. when my achy tummy wakes me up if my alarm hasn't already. 

How big am I? Still about the same; I have a belly, but it's not any bigger than the one I already had. lol. Just firmer.

Symptoms I hate: It's more so that I hate the LACK of the symptom I've been waiting for: I hate that I haven't been able to feel my baby, which is supposed to happen 17-20 weeks. 

Symptoms I love: ....hmm...well, I love that I get to see him or her in a couple of days! Does that count?

How's the hubs? He gets sweeter every week. Right now he's cleaning the kitchen while also cooking dinner...after getting home from grocery shopping. He's very protective. When he greets me now, he says, "Hey babies!" It's cute. 

Baby Update #2

It's been so wonderful to be back at blogging again, especially since I am in the middle of such an exciting time. Well, it's been about a week, and since the doctor tells me to measure everything by weeks, its is TIME for a new update!

How far along am I?   19 weeks on Monday

How big is the baby? About the size of an heirloom tomato; arms and legs are now pretty proportionate to the body, and the scalp could possible be growing some hair!

Just to answer this question off the bat...although the baby is moving, I still do not feel any movement. No quickening, no kicking, no hiccups. But I'm looking forward to the moment (which could be any time now) when I can feel it. Don't worry; I'll let you know when it happens. 

How am I feeling? Ugh! Seriously, this morning sickness needs to stop! I had to leave from work on Friday because it was really bad ...the whole day. Not every mom-to-be stops feeling queasy around week 14...so we'll see how long it lasts for me. 

What am I craving? Milk. It's not that I crave it all the time, but I definitely want a couple of glasses of it a day. String cheese has also been high on my list...I guess I have a thing for calcium. Hm.

How is sleep going? I wish I could stop my habit of rolling over on my belly because it wakes me up since it's uncomfortable. 

How big am I? Well...I went to the doctor this week, and I've lost more weight, which normally would make me ecstatic. lol. I'm hoping to carry this luck AFTER the baby is born. Anyway, the doctor's not worried about it. My belly is still growing more firm, and I'm pretty positive I'm going to need to buy a new pair of jeans soon. So, it's not overly obvious yet (remember, I started with a belly), but it's cool to see the growth from my eyes.

Symptoms I hate: Ugh Ugh Morning Sickness!!!

Symptoms I love: I love poking my belly to feel how FIRM it is. lol. .....is that weird?

How's the hubs? Oh so very anxious to find out the gender...which could be next week! And he, as well as I, love to go to our doctor's visits. Even hearing the heartbeat is the highlight of our month!

My Pregnancy Chapter 1: Overcoming Fear

...It's not that I've forgotten I had a blog.

...It's not even that I've been too busy to write.

It has more so to do with the issue that I was too afraid and too unsure to post anything about my amazing news. I hadn't been able to even realize what the issue what until this morning when I shared a brief testimony with my church today. After sharing, I realized that I needed to share it further.

It is true ladies and gentlemen! (In case you haven't heard) I am so happy and unbelievably blessed to share that I am now carrying this child that I have prayed so fervently for (what feels like) so long!

Honestly, a few months ago my husband and I were making plans for a whole new life of ministry because we wanted to make the most out of an infertile life. We wanted to go do things and go places that families with children cannot do very well. However, God's voice became clear when He put those plans at least on hold to say, "I'm giving you a child."

The moment I found out was indeed everything I dreamed it would be! I begrudgingly took what felt like the thousandth pregnancy test in my life, and as my husband and I watched the digital screen "calculating," I kept saying over and over again, "I'm not pregnant. I'm never pregnant." But when that digital screen DID read, "Pregnant," I gasped...like long and loud. I jumped up and down. I squealed. I shouted praises to God. I hugged my husband. I giggled. And I soon calmed myself so my husband and I could pray over my belly.

...Of course, it didn't take long for fear to set in and grip my heart. I've shared my story of my last pregnancy on here already, so you know that I've experienced loss in this area. Even though God has given me peace to overcome the grief....the experience is never forgotten, and those memories have become even more vivid lately. I was freaking out at any possible sign of losing this baby, and those who have gone through a loss like mine understand why.

I have always struggled with fear; it's the main reason I often struggle to live worthy of my name (Joy). I know the devil uses it to not only steal my joy, but to weaken my faith in my amazing God especially.

I was very hesitant to share my news with others. I was happy...excited...but very scared that if I told people, I would have to turn around later and withdraw my news. To be honest, that fear is still not completely gone, even in my second trimester.

Very recently, God provided me with the chance of hearing a Christian female speaker preach of assurance...assurance that we, the children of God, have! That message blessed my heart and freed me so much. Since then, through the Word of God, God is daily strengthening my faith so that I can OVERCOME my fear. I cannot say that as of this moment, my faith is stronger than my fear, but I can testify that my God is! And He is growing my faith daily.

I really did not want this blog to stop and go to waste. I wanted so to share my blessings, especially this one, but I just couldn't. But I can! I'm doing it! And now, I can bask in the joy of sharing updates on my journey to motherhood. I'm already learning so much.

My heart has been filled with joy lately, but probably more filled with fear and anxiety. Today, my heart yearns for God's Word that always reminds me of God's assurance. What's in your heart today?

Top 10 Blessings in Winter

Hello everyone.

It seems that almost every season, I remember how much I love writing these "Top Whatevers," so I am happy to write one for winter.

Before I begin, though, I wanted to give you a little follow up of my last post. I was kind of hesitant about writing it at first, for I feared that I would have a page view of angry parents telling me I didn't know what I was talking about. However, I had the apposite reaction, and I was extremely encouraged with comments inspiring me to BE one of those voices I talked about wanting to hear. I'm still young in life, in marriage, and I still have a few years before I embrace or give up on parenting. I don't know if I have the experience yet to write much, but I am thinking and praying about it. What insight from my life could I share with others?

Hmm....anyway...I just wanted you to know that I'm contemplating my life's story, particularly my life without kids right now, and I'd appreciate any prayer you'd be willing to offer up for me as I pursue God's will in this.

Ok now, let's get back to the fun post. (Well, fun for me anyway. lol.)

My Top Ten Praises.....yeah, I decided to keep it positive.

1. I love being able to work out at the gym again! I especially love doing this with my husband. It's been tough these past couple of days due to some minor health reasons, but I'm determined to get back at it. It's reshaping my life.

2. I've been finding some great life organizational tips that are working great, and although I still don't have it all together everyday, I'm getting better.

3. I'm still thankful to be a teacher.

4. I'm so thankful for my extremely understanding husband. He listens to every intimate detail of my life when I want to share it with him, and he doesn't complain.

5. I've been eating better for about a year now. Desserts are extremely rare, there are less carbs in the day (especially at dinner time - worst time to eat carbs it turns out), better-for-me meats, and more fruits and vegetables.

6. I love how an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts can keep me going STRONG for 12 hours straight....although I hate that I can't afford to have one everyday.

7. I am finding blessings in life..slowly...when before I counted them as hardships. For example, if my day goes according to how I like and plan it, I go to work to teach, then paperwork/planning a couple hours, then go home to cook & clean, then NAP, then get up and go to the gym 'til about 11 p.m., then sleep 'til about 6 a.m. Now, could I do that if I had kids. NO!!! But I don't have any, so I'm counting my blessings.

8. I am thankful that Jesus has promised to come back, for I'm not sure how much longer this world is going to last. (a.k.a. people get dumber and more sinful by the SECOND).

9. I love the cold weather. Yes, even the wet, cold weather like today. LOVE it!!! I'd much rather be cold than hot.

10. I'm thankful for the good, pleasing, and perfect will that God has for me, even when I'm only half sure of what that might be for tomorrow.


I hope you can find at least 10 things to be thankful for today.

What's in YOUR heart today?

Rant from a 25 year old married woman

Ok, so this may be random, but after the last failed google search, I decided to write a rant.

First, let me start off with a warning: This is in no way meant to offend ANY parent. I love parents. I want to thank all parents out there for at least choosing life for your child and devoting your life to them. However, not all of us have that choice, and that's kind of what this is about....

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of free advice about how to have a great marriage, especially a Christian one. I am thankful yet overwhelmed with a wealth of information on that.

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of free advice about how to raise children and be a terrific wife/home maker. I like these articles, but again, it's not like I often find a "diamond in the rough."

There are also MANY, many, many articles and books and studies and posts for single Christians. Oh my goodness. Before I met my husband, I at least knew that there was a lot I could do with my life if I was single. (I'm glad I'm not, though, 'cuz I love being married.)

So, if you are married or having children, pick an article. Go ahead. It's not like you're limited on choices.

If you're not married, that's ok, for go ahead and pick an inspiring article or book that explains how God has a "better" plan for you, and some great things to focus on, and some great testimonies from amazing, single Christians.

....What about married people who can't have children?

There are hardly any articles, blogs, books, posts, and even fewer testimonies, of married couples who figured out how to be happy being infertile.

I've looked. There are a few books, and there's a few really sad websites that sympathizes with infertile parents, but they either end with, "Keep praying. It might happen eventually," or, "Here are some websites on how to adopt."

After searching and researching, I'm pretty sure that the overall Christian stand point on infertility is, "Just be sad....it''s ok to be sad about this. The end."

This frustrates me.

I'm not posting this because I'm infertile. I really don't what I am; I haven't had much time to know. However, I find it really sad that in the 21st century where there's a wealth of information for almost everything and every problem, there's not much for this. What if I can't have children? I don't want to live my life being sad, and adoption is REALLY hard to do!

I'm NOT getting tired of seeing baby and pregnancy posts. It's so great! It's so exciting!

I AM getting tired of moms acting like it's so easy. It's not, and when you act and talk like it is, 'cuz maybe it was for you, it's really annoying to women who don't have the choice to become moms.

Also, it's really annoying when moms give the advice, "It'll happen when you stop trying." Uh....who said I was "trying?" (And what the heck does that even mean?) I believe the answer to your question of when I'm having a kid was, "It's in God's hands and His timing." I did not want to start an intimate conversation about my married life, and so please don't assume I'm doing something wrong. Is that too much to ask?

I truly believe that if God planned some couples to not bear children, that he designed that plan according to His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Who knows - I could be one like one of those couples. Maybe even you could, too. I know there are many childless, Christian couples out there. I want to hear THOSE stories, too! I want to hear how God used them and how they were able to see how blessed they were and how their pain diminished! Even if I have 10 children one day, I want to know those stories, too!!!!!

Anyone else agree?