27 Weeks

27 Weeks?!?!? Holy cow. Time is flying all of a sudden! I think working during the day is helping with that, which is a good and a bad thing. I'm delivering two months after Ashley, so I have been saying all along that when she gets there I know I'm close. She told me today she's officially considered full-term.

I'm still feeling great, though I can definitely see a difference in my energy levels this week, as I had expected. I don't know, though, if it's that I'm keeping busier because of work or if it's because of the pregnancy itself. Naps have been reduced dramatically. I'm sleeping really, really well at night, though! The pillow fort is back, with one between my knees now in addition to the one under my belly and the one wedged under my back. It seems to be working....except Scott (poor thing) is running out of room in our king sized bed. Sad.

Indigestion has hit, too. My oatmeal gave me indigestion this morning.

The baby has definitely grown (Baby Center says she's about 2 pounds and 14 1/2 inches long) and has changed position some, too. I'm feeling her all over the place now, whereas for the longest time it was generally in one spot at a time and usually really low. I feel her bumping around right under my ribs now; because of the strength of her movements and the fact that she's further out there, sometimes her movements cause nearly full-body movements for me. I think she's head down, personally. I think her hands are over on the right and that it's her feet I'm feeling up high. I can't wait to see at our appointment this week if I might be right. (My doctor is good at feeling around and being able to tell where they are. It's amazing.)

We started our childbirth classes this past week, too, and I loved it. It was so, so good to be able to compare symptoms with other women who are more or less where I am in this whole process. One of the girls in the class is due two days before me, so that was neat. I loved being able to talk about my fears and concerns, too. My main reason for being in the classes is for that alone - just to go into this as well-informed as I can be. I know we can never be fully prepared just because every birth situation is different, but it's nice to know somewhat what I can expect. (Note the emphasis on somewhat.) I loved the class, and thoroughly enjoyed the processes we talked though with our husbands about how we can relax and how they can help us. We went through some relaxation techniques with the nurse who is teaching the class and I was practically asleep when we left the class. Needless to say, they worked. I can't wait to go again on Tuesday.

He didn't know he was my muse.

Yesterday, as I manned the Salvation Army booth at another volunteer fair, a man from an adjacent booth approached. He said, "I thought I'd bring you a piece of candy from my table to make you smile. You're making me so sad! Why aren't you smiling more?"

I was hungry, for one thing, and I was growing increasingly concerned that it might not have been acceptable for me to leave my booth long enough to wander over to the food court to get something to eat. (I eventually did. Duh.) I had been there for a couple of hours, too, so I was a little bit spaced out.

Regardless of the reason, though, once said man left, I experienced a flood of emotions. It was all I could do not to cry. I don't know why.

Actually, I do. And here's what I wrote there, on the spot:

You make me happy,
you make me sad.
You make me cranky,
you make me mad.
You bring the tears,
no reason why,
and once one tear falls
all day I'll cry.
You make me laugh
and can make me giddy
and sometimes you even
make me feel pretty.
Yes, sometimes you're good
but more often you're bad.
Without your control I
think I'd be glad.
Just calm down, please,
and leave me alone,
and no more I'll claim,
"Sorry.......it's hormones."

26 Weeks

I had another great week this week, though popular opinion seems to be that this won't last forever. I told someone how I love being pregnant and she said, "I'll ask you again in 10 weeks." I understand that I will likely become increasingly uncomfortable as time goes on and the little one becomes less little, but I hope that I will never say I do not like being pregnant. This time has been such a wonderful, beautiful, miraculous experience, and I'm trying to see the wonder in even the unpleasant things that are happening to my body (such as when someone told me this week that my face is really rounding out). I laugh every time she plays soccer with my bladder, and even inexplicable pains that come at random times of the day and night are a reminder of this miracle going on inside me.

I did have an adventure in, um, gas pains this week. Apparently Mexican food - refried beans in particular - are off limits. For two days straight I had miserable pain in my upper abdomen. It was awful. Eventually it passed (haha), but until it did I was feeling pretty wimpy. I kept thinking, "These are just gas pains.......what's labor going to be like?" I know, though, that while labor will - no doubt - be excruciating and unlike anything I've ever experienced, it will be different somehow. Once the pain subsided, though, the baby moved around like never before. She was relieved, too!

I'm a little concerned about how my energy level will do now that I'm working again. I have a feeling my bedtime is going to get earlier and earlier over the next few weeks.

We're heading into the third trimester this week.........I'm sure there are many other adventures to come!

Getting Used To The Idea - A Post By Kitter

I've been noticing something.

Mommy is getting big. There is an entire room upstairs where I am Not Allowed to go. It is full of things I would love to play in, but I am Not Allowed to investigate. A basket came a few weeks ago that looked like it was for me - it was the perfect size for napping - but I was Not Allowed to lay in it. Daddy is building a closet area upstairs that looks like a perfect playground for me, but I am Not Allowed to play in it.

So I asked Mommy one day what was going on, and she explained it to me.

There is going to be a baby. In this house.

At first, I was very much not happy with this idea. I am the baby, after all.

Mommy told me, though, that this is a good thing, and eventually I believed her. I will be the Big Sister, and that comes with lots of responsibility. I think that I am up for the challenge.

Mommy assured me that even though I will not be the only baby any more, I will still get cuddles. And, she told me, I am allowed to cuddle with the baby as long as she and Daddy are there to supervise. We practiced a little bit.

I had to be very careful, though, because I could not even see the baby and that made it hard to cuddle with her. However, I was very gentle and very gingerly lulled her to sleep with my purrs. (She kicked me a little bit, though, which I was not sure about.) Mommy told me that the baby will like the purrs when she gets here, but I will be Not Allowed to lay on top of her then. I guess that is a good idea. She will be very little, and I am big. And fluffy. And a little bit not used to babies.

Mommy also let me be a part of this process by letting me help pick out the baby's name. She did not like the idea of naming the baby after me; she said that a little girl named "Kitter" might be weird, so she gave me a book to look at to find other possibilities.

I think the baby should be named "Baby." That is easy to remember. I might call her that no matter what Mommy and Daddy name her.

I was very tired after talking about it and learning so much about babies, but Mommy said I could lay on my favorite blanket and have a photo shoot. I like having my picture taken, and I did a new good pose for this one. I hope that I can still have my picture taken when Baby gets here. Maybe we can have our picture taken together!

I think that I will like having a Baby Sister. I will do my best to be a good Big Sister for her.

25 Weeks

It has been a terrific week! I did go for my glucose test, which was really no big deal at all. (Of course, it was the one-hour one. Had I been asked to do the three-hour one, it would have been another story.) My results were normal, but they did tell me that I need to "beef" up my diet. Literally. My iron is low, and while they didn't say that I'm anemic, I'm treating it as if they had. I'm taking iron supplements now (in addition to the prenatal vitamins I've been on for a year) and am trying to watch my diet to make sure I'm eating more meat and berries and green veggies. It really came as no surprise that my iron was low, and I was just relieved that everything was okay with the glucose.

I've still been feeling good, but there have been some new things going on. My back has been hurting pretty badly, for one thing. Heat helps that, so I'm not thinking about a chiropractor or anything at this point. If it gets worse, though, we may go that route. Baby Girl might be sitting on or playing with a nerve somewhere, too, because the other day I had a couple of spells where my hip/butt area hurt for a second and then my left leg kind of went weak and tried to give out. It hasn't happened since then, though, so I'm guessing the baby either moved or got bored with playing with my nerves.

It is quite likely that she's just moved away from that delicate spot, though, because she is moving almost constantly. Also, she's definitely bigger than she was. (Of course, I know that for a fact because, well, for one thing, growing is what babies do.....but my Baby Center updates are telling me that she's now 14 inches long and almost 2 pounds!) For the longest time, I could only feel her moving on the left side; this week, though, I've been able to simultaneously feel her moving on the left, right, and in the middle. She's moving and rolling around all day, and I absolutely love to watch my belly bulge and roll and bounce around. I could watch her all day, because it's still so surreal to know that she's in there. I love it. I absolutely love it.

She also got the hiccups one night this week. Very cool. My whole belly was jumping and it was a perfect rhythm for a few minutes....definitely different from her normal movements. When I told Scott that was going on, he said, "Poor thing. I hate the hiccups!" It was sweet - it somehow showed me that he's relating to her and thinking of her as a real little person in there.

Scott and I were talking this weekend, too, about how we're feeling about all of this. We're pretty much in agreement that this is still very surreal - almost like someone's playing some kind of joke on us - and that this will stay that way until we're holding her in our arms and can actually see her. There's no way to really prepare for this, because we realize we have no idea how this is going to affect us; all we can do is pray that God will make the necessary preparations within us since He does know what's in store.

As a part of her consistent growing and moving around, she has - of course - affected my body in other ways. For one thing....well, my belly button has popped. (It has been moving that way for awhile now, and I've gotten to see parts of my belly button I've never seen before. It's been flat for awhile, and now it's reaching outward. Pretty strange to look down in the middle of church or shopping and see my belly button through my shirt.) It's weird, though. It isn't always out there. It's kind of like when I first started showing - sometimes I was, sometimes I wasn't. (Now, though, I definitely am! This was the first week that strangers spontaneously rubbed my belly. This might change, but for now, I kind of like it. I love being pregnant so much that I think it's my way of sharing the joy.)

Other than that, things are pretty much just moving along. My hair and fingernails are growing like crazy, my skin is better than it has ever been, and I'm eating what I want when I want to eat it. Life is good, and getting better every day! I've been so blessed through this whole thing. I know that not everyone has such wonderful pregnancy experiences, and not everyone feels so good, so I'm definitely thankful that this is my story.

Fallstalgia

Autumn is, beyond a doubt, my favorite time of year. Granted, here in Georgia it isn't all that it could be, in that it usually lasts about a minute and a half. However, once the weather turns cool, I become a new person. The crispness of the air, changing angles of the sunlight as it casts shadows through the trees, beginnings of orange and yellow in the leaves, cool breeze rustling those leaves across the yard..... I absolutely love it, and if there were a way to make this last - or to bottle it, perhaps, for enjoyment year-round - I would be the first to want to know how. As it stands now, though, it is here for a time and then moves on, as most things do; it seems that God wants to make sure we continue to appreciate the beauty of His creation, and knowing us as He does He doesn't leave anything around long enough for us to get complacent and ungrateful.

When this time of year rolls around again, I am filled with so many fond memories and recollections that it's hard to keep them all in.....so I'm going to share some of them with you.

Back To School - School here always started in August (and still does), but fall's coolness brings back memories of those first few weeks of school when the clothes were still new, the notebooks were still fresh and plasticky smelling, and the year was still a mystery to be discovered. I especially remember many, many mornings waiting for the school bus...in elementary school, playing freeze tag with the neighbors until one of us hollered that the bus was coming from around the corner; in middle school, watching the older kids and thinking how put-together they seemed; in high school, chatting with others at the corner about future plans and current problems.

Rowing On The River - In high school, I joined the rowing team and spent many, many cool afternoons and cold mornings in a tiny little boat in the middle of the river in tiny little shorts and tank tops. I fell in love with crew instantly and we still have a lingering affection for one another. Fall always tries to rekindle the romance between this sport (which, admittedly, is sometimes cruel) and myself. It never works, though, since crew requires both a team and a boat...and I have neither. (Crew is a demanding lover.)

Off To College - Naturally, it was fall when I first left home and headed off to college. This was a time of serious struggle for me, but the beauty of the campus in which I found myself wrapped around me like a warm blanket and somehow made me feel at home. Fall accentuated this beauty, and any time I see a maple tree clothed in brilliant colors I remember this time of my life and realize how far God has brought me since then.

Walk To Emmaus - This is a spiritual retreat in the Methodist Church which, because of the blessings of the weekend, I am not allowed to talk much about. However, I went on this Walk in October of 2004 and experienced so much love....so much grace....so much of God's power.

Scott - We started dating in October (well, November, if you ask me......but that's another story), and I always think about that fall with extreme fondness. My completely passive approach to pursuing him....his cluelessness....our friends' persistence....and the eventual connection that was made. I remember lots of walks that fall and winter, and lots of excitement as I realized that this man - this wonderful man - was every bit of what I had hoped for...and more. Today, fall signifies both that first fall together and the fall that followed, as we were then newlyweds and exploring all that married life had for us.

And, next year, fall will mean....

Pregnancy - Anticipation. Excitement. Uncertainty.

Thank you, Lord, for Your faithfulness and Your blessings.

Let There Be Light

Infinite Grace

The following is a true story of what happened this past weekend at the Women of Faith conference in Atlanta. True story, and very powerful.

As the speaker told her story, illustrating her point, she held the audience in rapt attention. The story was a good one, full of gesticulating and humor, and the women to whom she spoke were eager to hear the end of it. How would the story come back around? How would she tie it in to her talk? How would this one speak to their hearts?

Then, at a pivotal moment in the story, it happened. The word came out. The word that no one expected to hear at a Christian women's conference. The word that could have been easily substituted but which, in all honesty, was true to the way it had happened. She said the word that everyone probably would have said in that situation, but no one would admit to.....only she had said it in front of an arena full of women.

Before the word left her mouth, her complexion turned a surprising shade of crimson. Something had obviously gone wrong, and she was obviously mortified. Her hands flew to her face and covered her mouth as her eyes grew wide. "I'm so sorry," she said, over and over, clearly humiliated that such a word could have escaped her mouth at such a moment and in such a place. "I'm just so sorry. Please know that I am very sorry."

As she stood in horror and eventually made her way off the stage, unable to finish her talk, the arena burst into thunderous applause. This woman - who, moments ago, had been on a pedestal few could live up to, and who had a reputation within the Christian community as a woman of tremendous influence - had become vulnerable. Suddenly, she was real. Suddenly, she was just like the rest of them, and they had never respected her more. She was not perfect, but in her flaws she gave them hope. Cheers and applause escorted her to her seat, despite her obvious embarrassment and desire to escape the entire scene.

Then, in a moment more powerful than any moment of the conference, the audience began chanting.

"Grace. Grace. Grace. Grace."

Tears poured from the speaker's eyes as she realized what was happening. Though she had just spoken and sung of God's grace in her presentation, the audience was demonstrating grace unlike any she could have expected in that moment. Despite her grievous error, they forgave her. Despite her clear imperfection, they loved her.

And in the middle of it all, a young woman in the third balcony came to understand grace in a way that she had never understood it before.

Grace. Infinite grace.

Hair-raising

Fact: I have begun experiencing indigestion.

Fact: According to BabyCenter.com, our baby's hair now has color and texture.

Fact: Scott and I have said for years that if our children's hairis as quirky as our hair, it will be very, very interesting. We have even been calling this little one "Quigley" at times, which is an actual name that means - no kidding - "one with messed up hair."

Old Wives' Tale: When the mother has lots of indigestion during pregnancy, the baby will be born with lots of hair.

Something to think about, huh?

24 Weeks

Another great week.....about which I have no complaints, but I'm afraid it doesn't make for a very interesting weekly update.

Symptom-wise I haven't had too many new developments, I don't think. I have had that neat ligament pain down my side a couple of times, though; once, it actually came during the day and kept me from being somewhere that I needed to go. Over the past couple of days I've gotten a tightness in my chest - right at the bottom of my ribs - that feels almost like someone's pressing down on my rib cage. It hurts at times and makes me feel short of breath. Scott told me, though, that I seem to be winding up on my back more often as I'm sleeping, though, so perhaps that's part of it.

She's moving a lot, and I'm eating a lot. No change there!

I had a first this week: I signed my first permission slip for our little girl. I had to go to the hospital to preregister for the delivery (!) and I had to sign consents for them to treat me and for them to treat the baby. That seemed huge somehow. (It was also a little surprising that it was even time to do that. When they gave me the preregistration form at the doctor's office at 12 weeks, they told me that it wasn't urgent that I get it done, but that I had until 25 weeks to do it. At the time, that seemed so far away!)

I did have a doctor's appointment this week, which went really well. Baby and I are measuring perfectly for this point in the pregnancy; this was the first time he actually used a tape measure to look at that. I've gained a total of 16 pounds, which he says is "perfect." Her little heartbeat was just going, going, going, too. The doctor asked us some questions that were a little.....jarring....surprising.....exciting.....something.....to hear from him. "Do you want an epidural?" "Are you going to nurse?" "Do you have a pediatrician picked out?" I was thrilled when he told me that I would be able to nurse. I hadn't thought it would be a good idea since I'm on medication for anxiety, but he said that the medication I'm on won't pose any problem. (Besides, I'm taking the medication now, so she's already being exposed to it.) I'm very excited that I can at least try to nurse her. The doctor is sending me for my glucose screening, too, which I'm less than thrilled about. I wasn't expecting it quite yet, for one thing (I thought it would be next month), but I've heard lots of horror stories about it so I'm not particularly eager to do it. Lots of people have told me that it's not bad at all, though, so I'm clinging to those stories and not worrying about it. (After all, stressing about it only raises my blood sugar and increases my chances of failing the test!)

Consignment Extravaganza

For a long time I've listened with interest as women from my church talked about a consignment sale held by an area church twice a year. It is all children's items - clothing and toys and books and the like - so until now, I never had a reason to consider being a part of the mayhem that ensues when coveted items are marked at ridiculously low prices. Now, though, needing to build up a "layette" for our little girl, such things have new appeal.

As such, when I heard the sale was coming up soon, I marked my calendar and made plans to go.

Friday morning, I was out early and was there when they opened the doors. (I had to battle soccer moms in the parking lot and a stampede of strollers to get to those doors, but I made it. Finally.) When I stepped inside, I was breathless.......the entire church gymnasium was full of clothes. Row after row after row of clothes, starting at newborn size and going up to much older kids' sizes. (I didn't pay any attention to those racks. There were onesies to find.) Another room was filled to the same extent with toys and baby equipment (think strollers and car seats and swings and walkers). Breathless though I was, there was little time to consider the magnitude of what lay before me. I had to dive in.

An hour later, I emerged with my treasures. And they are treasures. Excellent baby items in excellent condition for excellent prices.

It was so good, in fact, that Mom and I went back Saturday for the 50% off sale. That's right. 50% off the already awesome prices. I didn't think there would be much left at that point (day 2 of a two-day sale doesn't always promise much) and thought that I would have to battle more soccer moms and strollers to get what was there. To our delight, though, there was still a lot there to look through, and there were few others there to search through the inventory.

An hour later, we emerged with many more treasures, gleefully stating and restating how little we had spent.

Over the course of two days, this is what I managed to accumulate:


Because I know it really just looks like a pile of junk on a kitchen table, I've done an inventory:

~ 16 outfits (By "outfit" I mean ensembles of two or more pieces, be it a jumpsuit and a hat, or pants and a shirt, or skirt and onesie, or whatever.)
~ 17 sleepers (including gowns, sleepsacks, and footie pajamas)
~ 11 onesies
~ 3 pairs of pants
~ 16 bibs
~ 8 hats
~ 17 pairs of socks
~ 2 pairs of shoes
~ 3 blankets
~ 1 diaper bag

The amazing thing - and I do mean amazing - is the price at which I managed to steal it all away.

$84.

It sounds like a lot of money, maybe, but I've done some research and found that outfits are somewhere between about $10 and $25 at stores like Target and WalMart, while outfits at specialty stores like Baby Gap and Gymboree run about $50. Several of the outfits I found were from Baby Gap, and several items were from Gymboree. I think I did pretty well, especially considering the range of sizes I was able to get.

Here are a few of our favorite items:

Recognize this pattern? Yup. It's a "Guess How Much I Love You" sleeper.........

...........with bunny feets!

A brand new Gymboree hat - .50

baby Keds - $1

Gap overalls - $2

3-piece purple hippo outfit....with hat! - $1

The moral of the story: Consignment sales are good. Very, very good. I'm no pro at this whole "bargain hunting" business, but I feel pretty good about all of that.

23 Weeks

I'm still feeling good, but I do feel different this week. She has been moving around so much, which has been wonderful (and has led to many attempts, in vain, of catching her moving on camera). I think she's actually moved into a new position yesterday or today, because I'm feeling pressure and cramping in weird places. I'll leave it at that.

I've had a lot of tendon pain, too, and the beginnings of foot cramps. I think some of that is due to the fact that I didn't eat any bananas for several days. I won't make that mistake again. It only takes one or two nights of waking up unable to move because of searing pain in my side to make me think about what I can do to fix it. All I know is that when I was eating a banana a day, that didn't happen; when I laid off the bananas for a few days, it happened again. That's all I need to know!

I'm still hungry all the time, but I think I'm getting used to managing it. For a little while it seemed to blindside me every time I felt like I needed to eat, as though I had subconsciously thought, "I just ate, so I'll be good for a long while." Now, though, even if I've just eaten when I leave the house and only plan to be gone for an hour, I have snacks stashed everywhere, just in case. The strange thing about the hunger, though, is that it never seems to go through that slight feeling of "getting hungry." There seem to be three stages: 1)I've just eaten, 2)I am eating, or 3)I must eat immediately. I go from feeling full to fully experiencing that gnawing hunger that threatens to do me in.

Since the baby has been moving a lot, I think I'm starting to notice a pattern as to when she moves most frequently. After meals are always active times, of course. Late morning and during the evening are also good times for her, as those are the times I'm most consistently able to feel her moving around in there. She does not like my seat belt, I don't think, and she is either really fond of the laptop computer or really, really does not like it. Those two things seem to bring on miniature fits.

We have a doctor's appointment this Friday, so we're excited about that. It should be a really straightforward one - in and out - so there aren't really any nerves or jitters about this one.

One Track Mind

My answer: "I eat."

Her question, as I perceived it: "What do you do?"

Her question, as it actually was: "When are you due?"

Much laughter ensued.

22 Weeks

Incredible. These pictures will never not be weird to me, I don't think. Last night, as Scott was taking the weekly profile pictures, I lifted my shirt for the bare belly shots as I do every week. Last night, though, his eyes got really big and he waited for a minute before he took the picture. "Wow. That's really big!" he said. This is one time in my life that he's allowed to say something like that. I like it.

I've been feeling great this week. Frequent movements from our little girl give me lots of peace of mind, and I'm starting to feel more connected to her as I know she can hear me and I can feel her. I sing to her and talk to her and read to her all the time. It's so special.

I've had an absolutely insatiable appetite. Absolutely insatiable. I eat constantly and even if I should get full, it doesn't last long at all.

A few days ago I was feeling so much movement and pressure, too, that I actually thought something was pressing up against me from the outside. I looked down and instead of seeing something pressing on me, I saw a humongous bulge on my baby bump. She was repositioning herself, apparently. Then for a couple of days I didn't feel her moving nearly as much, but I had a stomachache.....and then yesterday the stomachache went away and I've felt her almost constantly since then. Yesterday I actually tried to take a nap but couldn't because she was moving so much!

We're getting more and more excited, and it's seeming more and more real.

21 Weeks

Oy. We're definitely thickening up. I'm thinking that those shorts are going into hibernation, and soon. Yikes.

In any case, this was another good week. Lots of movement from little one, and lots of fun for mommy as the mother-daughter bonding commences in full force. Scott has even felt her move around a couple of times, too, which is exciting for me as he can experience this in a new way.

I feel really good! I've been eating well, I think, and am really trying to be good about drinking a lot of water. I've had some random pains - mostly in my back - but it's normally short-lived and relatively easily remedied. Really, my biggest challenge of late is getting a good night's sleep. I've tried cutting back on my afternoon naps (some) and that's helping a little. Really, it's the dreams and random shooting pains through my sides that are the problem. A couple of times a week I get such strong pains in my side that I really think I'm going to have to wake Scott up to help me roll over in hopes of getting to a better position. The pain only comes during the night, which is good and bad.

My shape is definitely changing, as I am starting to fit rather nicely into some of the maternity clothes I've inherited. My belly button is definitely starting to do something weird, too.

I had one scary incident this week, which I have every reason to believe was a random occurrence. Saturday I was at the church working on stage design for our new series with a couple of others from the Worship Design Team. I was holding up a dowel with some fabric on it while John stapled and rigged it to hang from the ceiling. I started feeling really, really dizzy and just generally weird, and I told everyone there that I wasn't feeling so good. The next thing I know, I see my friends Joy and Sabrina hovering over me, with Scott standing and looking pretty alarmed. Joy said, "Honey, are you okay? Are you with us?" Gradually, as I came to, I understood what had happened: I fainted. John caught me by the arm so I didn't fall on my belly and Joy laid me down; it was only about 3 or 4 seconds before I regained consciousness and full awareness of my surroundings. We think it was a combination of delicate factors that caused it. I was getting hungry, I was hot from the lights on the stage, and I may have locked my knees. None of those things are great, but together they proved to be my downfall. I was well taken care of, though, and I'm not worried. I'm told it's pretty normal.

We've completed our baby registry, too. That was fun and a relief. After we picked up the crib last week, too, Scott brought it inside piece by piece. It's not put together yet, since the nursery hasn't been painted, but I can tell you already that it's beautiful. Very exciting.

We're basically busy just anticipating our little girl's arrival, throwing names around (we think we've really got it this time), and enjoying this season of life. It's a whirlwind, but it's wonderful.

A new list?

Things I've said since being pregnant that I wouldn't have said before:

"We need to stand somewhere else, because this trash can smells really good."

Making Room For Baby: Project #1, Phase #2

Remember this?

And this?

And, finally, this?

The closet project continued a couple of weekends ago. Scott had been working on the closet a little bit at a time, and on Saturday morning his dad came to help him put the floors down.

Poor thing had to work in the nasty insulation.

He had to reroute the air vents so that they wouldn't get in the way of the walls and floors. He impresses me!

See the tape measure? The closet will be HUGE! It's 11 x 4 1/2....or 11 1/2 x 4. I can't remember. Either way, it's going to be amazing!

Dad joins the party.

A floor!

Almost ready for walls......

to be continued..........

A Letter

Dear Executives of Babies R Us, Inc,

I would like to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your generosity. When I attended the World's Largest Baby Shower event yesterday, I did as any expectant mother would do and registered for every drawing and giveaway I saw. Never in my life did I expect to win anything, but I thought it would be silly to go to an event like that and not take advantage of the offers.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I got a phone call from one of your community relations coordinators informing me that I was the proud owner of a brand new crib!

Imagine our delight, too, when my husband and I went to the store to pick up our prize this afternoon and discovered that the crib we had won was, in fact, the very kind that we had looked at online and had decided on for our baby! The color is even right!

We could not be more excited about this newest acquisition for our daughter's room. We love the crib and cannot wait to be able to put it to use once our little one arrives.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

P.S. I should tell you, however, that the only thing worse than having a get-together for pregnant women and not having food is telling said pregnant women that there will be food and not ordering enough for them to have any. I am okay now, as I would much rather have a crib than a couple of slices of pizza. However, there were many angry hungry hormonal pregnant women in your store yesterday and it is in your interest as much as theirs that I recommend that there be much more food next time you hold this marvelous event.

Thank you again, though, for the beautiful crib. I am so excited!

20 Weeks

The baby...she is a-growing! She's moving more and more every day, and I'm absolutely loving it! I actually could see her moving the other day, and I think Scott will be able to feel it soon, too. I don't know how this could ever become "normal." I get so excited every time I feel her move; I start smiling and giggling and talking to her. (This is nice.....except when other people are around or, for instance, it happens in church, like it did this morning.)

Other than the frequent movements from within, there haven't been other new developments. My "pillow fort," as Scott calls it, is working well to help me sleep at night. I've nearly got the itching under control - thank goodness for lotions. My doctor is happy with my weight gain, though I have gained a record 4 pounds this week. I'm watching what I'm eating, though, so at least those pounds are coming healthfully.

Scott and I have been working on names since we first found out we were expecting a baby, and had decided on the complete boy's name and the first name for a girl. We had decided, that is, until we went to the appointment last week and found out we have a daughter. Now it's up in the air again, and we're throwing around all sorts of new combinations of names again. It's somewhat different trying to decide on a name as I can feel the little person it will belong to rolling around.

I still can't believe the changes happening for her and for me. Apparently she's about 3/4 pound, and is about the length of a carrot (though less pointy).

I have to say that writing these posts has taken on a new meaning now that I know I'm preserving my thoughts and feelings for my daughter. Someday, I'd like to think that she'll be glad that I did this.

Everybody likes to make the pregnant lady cry.

It's a...................

The verdict is in!

In January, we will be the proud parents of a sweet little girl!

We are so excited. SO EXCITED. We were pretty surprised, though. You should have seen Scott's face when the technician told us. It was sheer shock. We had both really been thinking it would be a boy. I've had a couple of dreams in which it was a boy - one was a dream of the sonogram, and one was a dream of the birth. Scott has really felt that it was a boy. I just had a hunch.

Last night, though, I had another dream about the sonogram......but this time, it was a girl. I had never had any inkling that it was a girl until that dream. Never. And then? It's a girl.

So yes, we're thrilled, but still surprised.

I would have been thrilled either way. Had the technician told me that it was a boy, I really believe I would have been equally delighted. The thing is, I'm just happy to know. I'm happy to be able to say "she" for sure....to be able to look for pink things and know it's appropriate....to anticipate hair in pigtails and Daddy's little girl.... I'm really just glad to know for sure.

And to be able to see her again.... There is nothing in the world like seeing that little face and those little arms and feet and heart......that little heart beating a mile a minute inside her little chest, inside this growing bulge of mine.....

I can't get enough of it.

It's just such a miracle, and getting to be a part of it is indescribable.

Crossings

Recently I was driving into town on a fairly busy segment of highway. As I approached a bridge over a small creek, I noticed something in the road ahead of me. Drawing closer I saw that it was a large box turtle struggling to cross the road.

Had the road not been as busy as it was, I would have stopped and helped the turtle across. I’ve done it before and would gladly do it again. Once I passed, though, the turtle remained on my mind as I prayed that he would make it across safely. I envisioned a horrible scene if the other cars didn’t respond as courteously or attentively, and I dreaded the wave of guilt that would come if I should see the aftermath as I returned home later that evening.

As I drove, I thought and thought about that turtle. I thought about how brave he was to set out on his journey across such a busy portion of highway. I thought about how badly he must have wanted or needed what he saw on the other side to risk such a perilous journey. I even thought about what the other turtles he left behind must have thought as he began his trek across the road, and that his instincts are stronger than his concern for risk.

As I thought, a song played on my radio that caught my attention. As Jeremy Camp sang, “I will trust in You and I will not be afraid,” I saw the parallel between my ambitious amphibious friend and all of us on a journey with the Lord.

Aren’t we all somewhat like that turtle? I know that in my walk with the Lord, there are uncertain times that require bold moves. There are times that my goals and dreams are unattainable but through a difficult and risky path the Lord has set before me. There are times that require courage beyond what I knew I had, and there are times when it’s just best to keep my eyes focused ahead than look to the side and see the things that threaten to steal my dreams. There are people I’ve left behind as I’ve stepped out to do things they couldn’t understand. There are those who breeze by unaware that I’m struggling, just as there are those who want to help me on the way but realize that there’s really not much that they can do. Most importantly, there is One who has asked me to take a risk and go after the dream He has placed in my heart and within my sights.

Moments like that one, driving down the road with a turtle on my mind, make me aware of the commonality of my struggles. While the details of my circumstances are almost certainly unique, the general idea is not. Faith would lose its meaning if it did not require risk and trust. Dreams would lose their meaning if they did not have an object. We would lose them both if we didn’t realize that one requires the other, and we would lose ourselves if we took our eyes off the things that call us beyond where we are now.

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. I trust in You, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat. No one who trusts in You will ever be disgraced…Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord, point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You. (Psalm 25:1-5)

19 Weeks

This week was wonderful. Hands down, the best thing that happened this week - or any week! - is the repeated nudges from the baby. It's not every day, but it's often enough to remind me that there really is a little one in there. Sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right, sometimes in the middle.....and always a welcome little surprise. It seems like the more active I am, the more active the baby is. He or she is particularly fond of sweets and cold drinks. I don't think Scott has felt it yet, though. He's tried a couple of times, but I think it's still too subtle for him to be able to feel it yet. It's so amazing, though, and I can only imagine how my face must light up when I get one of the little nudges. Scott's lights up just seeing me get excited; I can't wait for him to be able to feel it, too.

My email updates tell me that this week, the baby is growing to the size of a banana, which is amazing to me. Until now the measurements have been "crown to rump," meaning essentially "head to butt," and this week the measurements changed to "head to toe." Thinking of it that way - in addition to feeling the little movements in there - has made this a lot more real.

I'm feeling good. I'm hungry constantly, which is still hard to get used to. I actually had to get up twice in the middle of the night last night to eat! I'm making a lot of smoothies to help get my fruits and veggies, so I at least feel like I'm getting the nutrients I need. I am, um, eating other.....perhaps not so good for me things. Not a whole lot, but enough to satisfy us both. Ice cream and banana peppers have been big for me this week.....but not together. I haven't gone there yet. Yet.

I'm seriously rethinking my resolution to not buy one of those fancy pregnant-lady pillows. It's so hard to get comfortable, and even when I think I've figured out something reasonably comfortable I wake up with a miserable backache. I don't know what kind would be best to get, though, so that will take some research.

We're gradually accumulating things for the nursery, and I'm getting more and more excited. I won these on eBay this week, and am so glad I got them:

They're the same ones from the book, and they have little velcro pads on their paws so you can pose them together. So cute! I'm really not going to go mad with stuff that matches our theme or anything, but these were a must.

My doctor's appointment - THE doctor's appointment with THE sonogram - is this Thursday, and we're so, so excited. Scott says I'm more excited than he is.....but he's the one who tells me every day how many more days until we can find out if we have a son or a daughter. I think he might be a little bit excited, too.

The Old Wives Weigh In

Because we'll see the baby again in less than a week and should (fingers crossed!) find out if we have a little boy or a little girl, I've been thinking a lot about this. As I thought about it, I looked online to see what sort of prediction those old wives might have on the subject. Here's what they had to offer:

*Take the year of conception and the mother's age at conception. If both are even or both are odd, it's a girl. If one is even and one is odd, it's a boy. 2008 and 26. It's a girl.

*If your legs resemble tree trunks, it's a boy. If they are trim and fit, it's a girl. I still have chicken legs. I guess that counts as trim, so......it's a girl.

*If you're extra crabby, you're having a girl because all females are crabby and you're doubly so. If your disposition is pleasant, you're having a boy. Depends on the day. I can be very giddy......but I can also be very, very cranky. This one's a toss up.

*If you crave the heel of a loaf of bread, you're having a boy. If you like the middle, it's a girl. I ignore the heels. Always. It's a girl.

*If you're carrying low, it's a boy. If you're carrying high, it's a girl. It's a little hard to tell, but it seems low to me. It's a boy.

*If you crave salty or sour foods, it's a boy. If you crave desserts, it's a girl. Anything vinegary is sounding pretty good.....so it's a boy.

*If you can't tell you're pregnant from the back, it's a boy. If you look pregnant all over, it's a girl. Scott says you can't tell anything from the back. It's a boy.

*If you feel pretty, it's a boy. If you feel ugly, it's a girl because she's sapping all of your beauty. I actually feel really pretty. It's a boy.

*If you prefer to lay on the left side when resting, it's a boy. If you prefer the right side, it's a girl. I always like the left side, and it's no different now. It's a boy.

*If you have the linea negra, you're having a boy. If not, it's a girl. Nope. Not yet, anyway. It's a girl.

According to all of these, there's a 40% chance it's a girl. Roughly.

But goodness gracious.....there are tons of these myths, and lots of them contradict each other. My conclusion? It's a baby.

Your thoughts?

Just for kicks.

The man at Blimpie who told me that no one would like me if I ate my sandwich with banana peppers and the tractor that was going 20 MPH on the highway and the seedless grapes that were chock full of seeds don't bother me.

None of that bothers me because when I got home and was eating a bowl full of the seeded seedless grapes, the baby moved! Really and truly moved!

This was no flutter. This was an all-out kick, over and over. I immediately called Scott and made his day. (He wondered if the baby likes grapes, or if he or she didn't want any more and was trying to kick the bowl off my lap.) Then I called Mom and told her and Ashley. They were excited, but I think they were more amused at my excitement than excited outright themselves.

I can't wait to eat more grapes.

18 Weeks

Just cruising along! I don't really even have a lot to report this week, which I'm considering a good thing.

Sleeping on my side and not rolling over has gotten easier, but I now move ree-ea-lly slowly in the morning because I'm stiff from staying in one position all night. Last night, though, I did roll over and poor Scott, instead of dealing with my mountain of pillows, had to deal with his lovely wife snoring all night.

Funny what pregnancy does.

Really, sleeping is the worst thing I can talk about. All other symptoms are better, if not completely gone.

I have entered into the world of.....cravings. I've eaten Arbys' ham & swiss melt and potato cakes 4 times this week. Truthfully, I'd love to have some right now. Really.

I also rediscovered peanut butter this week. From very early in my pregnancy, I haven't even been able to stand the smell or sight, much less the taste, of peanut butter. Many friends have told me that peanut butter was their saving grace during their pregnancies, but until Friday, this was not an option for me. At about 3:00 on Friday afternoon, though, this changed. I peered into the pantry looking for a snack, I spied the jar of peanut butter and had to have some. I made myself a divine PBJ and huge glass of milk and was one happy camper.

That's sounding pretty good right now, too.

Scott and I have done some browsing and decision-making on items for baby, and I feel much better after having found both our car seat and stroller today. We didn't buy them, but we've decided which ones we will register for, and that has eased my mind a lot. I was starting to feel really behind, but I think if we take 30 minutes here and there to browse in some stores, we can get this done in a reasonable amount of time. It's kind of overwhelming despite our vow to keep it as simple as we can.

Only 11 days until we can see the baby again! Not that I'm counting or anything........

Pepperspective

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead.

I read this in my weekly email newsletter the other day, and I happened to have a bell pepper on hand. Strange how a bell pepper doesn't seem that big........

.......until you hold it up next to my belly and realize that there's something that size in there.....

....and then you realize that the something is a baby.

Wow.

I'm so amazed.

17 Weeks

Wowza. Every week Scott takes these pictures and I'm shocked when I look at them. It's not as though I don't see myself in the mirror all week, but somehow seeing the whole effect - that everyone else sees all the time - is always surprising. Every week I look at the picture and say to Scott, "Look, sweetie! LOOK!" and he says, "Yeah! I know!" Somehow he's not as surprised as I always am. I told someone at church today that I feel like I'm looking at pictures of myself that have been doctored in PhotoShop. I've never seen myself look like this! I had literally been the same shape and size since 9th grade, but all that has changed. Whoa, has it.

It's been a good week. I'm feeling little flutters, I think, but I feel like I'm eating constantly. Constantly. As I'm eating one meal I'm thinking of the next one. The "hiccup warning" I wrote about before is still in effect, but the margin of time I have to act on it has definitely narrowed. Once I hiccup, I must act quickly.

I'm also getting the famous "round ligament pain" I've read so much about. Yeah, buddy.

The itching is better than it was, but not gone. I did read in one of my books this afternoon that I'm at least not the only one who gets this, but I haven't found anyone in person who has experienced this phenomenon. The little itchy bumps are the most bothersome part. I feel like I'm getting bit by something, but I'm not. Yuck.

Shortness of breath? Check.

I'm having trouble getting a good night's sleep, too. Comfort isn't as big an issue as dreams have been. I'm still having dreams that include random people from my past. Every night it's like I'm on the show "This Is Your Life." It's very weird and very unnerving. Sleeping on my back is officially Not An Option; stomach sleeping has been less than ideal for awhile now. I try to stay on my side but roll over a lot, smothering poor Scott with my plethora of pillows in the process. I have looked at those special pillows designed specifically for this purpose, but I can't bring myself to do that unless it gets really, really bad. In the meantime, I take naps during the day and try to keep my pillows off Scott's head so that he, at least, can get some sleep.

Scott put together the glider rocker this week, which was very exciting as it was the first official addition to the nursery.

I could get used to this!

Right now I'm excited but trying not to think about our appointment coming up at the end of this month. I can't wait to find out if we have a daughter or a son! In the meantime, I read to, play music for, and talk to the little one.

16 Weeks

I can't believe we're this far! I've held this week in my mind as a sort of landmark week, because Ashley was 16 weeks when we told them we were pregnant. She told me then to get the book "Your Pregnancy Week by Week," which I did and I love. Anyhow, when I looked at the picture of where her baby was at that point, I was amazed that she had a little person that looked like a little person, whereas I had a strange manatee-looking creation. Now we have a little person!

This week has been all about hunger and itching. Itching and hunger. More itching and more hunger. Michelle told me that when she was pregnant her doctor (who is also my doctor) told her that when the mother feels hungry, the baby has been hungry for an hour. Holy cow. The natural question that arose in my mind, then, was this: "How am I supposed to anticipate that I'm going to feel hungry in an hour so that I can go ahead and eat now?" My little one, it seems, has developed a little system for helping Mommy out on that one. I hiccup, a lot. Nearly one hour after I hiccup the first time, I feel ravenously hungry all of a sudden. When I hiccup, then, it's time to eat. Think it's embarrassing to have your stomach growl loudly in the middle of church? Try uncontrolled hiccups. Nice. It's actually a very nice system....as long as I can hiccup discreetly and not let everyone in on what's going on. Scott tells me, though, that pregnant women are somehow excused from making weird noises like that (and are almost expected to do so), and that I shouldn't worry. I don't know.

As for the itching, we're working on that. My doctor told me that it's normal, courtesy of pregnancy hormones. (What isn't?!)

The other night I came home and was sorting through my clothes to see what I can still wear and what, of the maternity clothes I've inherited, I have grown into. I had a sundress in mind for our trip to the beach next month and decided to try it on to see how it would work. I bought it a year or two ago, and while it fit then I knew that because of the cut it would work well as a maternity dress. From my memory, I thought it would work well next month. When I tried it on, though, I was in for a surprise! It fits now, and probably will not fit next week, much less next month. Scott escorted me out to the backyard and seized the opportunity to have a pregnancy photo shoot. The sun was going down, so the quality wasn't wonderful, but we got some pretty good ones.

I think Mommy should be on bed rest. - A Post By Kitter

I've decided I don't care what Mommy's doctor says. I want her on bed rest so that we can cuddle.

There's no medical reason, per se, but there's definitely an emotional one. I want cuddles. Period.