Monday, January 23, 2012

17 weeks!

Wow, I feel like we are finally getting somewhere now! I can't believe it has been 13 weeks now since we found out about this little blessing. The first weeks were the slowest ever (thanks to the morning sickness), but now that I am doing better time is starting to fly by!

Some new developments:

Baby: Now measuring in at 5.5 inches and 5 oz! The baby's nervous system is maturing rapidly, baby can now yawn, as well as move all around. I can't wait to feel this little one move! And baby's sense of hearing is more acute... guess I should watch how much I yell at Watson!?! LOL. Or hopefully the baby is just getting used to it now in utero so that it will be a normal part of life by the time he/she is here!

Things I am loving: Moe's burritos (best pregnancy food ever), bottled water, peppermints, eggs for breakfast, cottage cheese, baked potatoes, Greek gyros.

Strange aversion: pizza! not sure why but I can't really eat much of it and can't stand the smell of it either! and I still can't stomach cooking with raw meat. Hopefully this week the hubby can attempt a few meals so we can eat some home-cooked food.

Physical changes: My headaches have subsided!! praise the LORD! Hope they continue to stay away! Nausea is only bad in the evenings. Lots of lower abdominal pain (those ligaments must be stretching like crazy!) and some weird upper back/ rib pain. Obviously, my body is gearing up for some major changes soon! I can't wait to actually have a cute little bump instead of this pudge that looks like I just ate to much over the holidays ;)

In other news, we visited a great church this week. We are excited to go back and are hopeful that maybe we have found one to call home!


And this is our newest addition to the baby room: a beautiful changing table that Patrick's Grandpa and Grandma found! We love it. Thanks so much!

And another few non-baby pics. We were given this BEAUTIFUL chest of drawers by Patrick's parents. It was just taking up space in their garage. It needed a lot of  TLC though before its real beauty could shine through! So Patrick has been working on this since October. We had to strip the stain and polyurethane off (lots of stripper and sanding). Then we brought it back to GA and Patrick  applied the new stain and finish. We found some great new hardware for the drawers too. I am SO proud of him! I think it is gorgeous and I don't think I will ever want to part with it. Here are the pics.


Before


After

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

15 weeks and Counting it all Joy

The inspiration for this post comes from James Chapter 1. I am sure a lot of you have at most of the first chapter memorized. I have meditated and clung to this verse in times past, times of trials and temptations. And to be honest, it is not the subject I would've ever thought I'd need to be meditating on during pregnancy.

Pregnancy is definitely one of the biggest blessings I have ever experienced. So don't get me wrong, I am blessed beyond belief and thankful for each day with our little Baby B. But, who ever said that blessings couldn't be hard, or difficult, or require great endurance, faith and trust in the  Lord? At least to me, at first glance, that seems kind of like a paradox. In my head, times of blessing are mostly associated with the "sun shining down on me" seasons of life (like the verse in Blessed be the Name of the Lord). But I am learning that is not always the case...

I am a few weeks into my 2nd trimester now. I am glad to report that morning sickness has gotten a lot better. I've had a few bouts of intense nausea lately, but nothing like I experienced in my 1st trimester. The recent struggle has been the onset of lingering headaches/migraines. And just to explain, I use those words almost interchangeably. So not to confuse, if I refer to a headache it is a migraine. Normal "headaches" hardly even put a dent in my day or hit my radar.

Anyway, so as most of you probably know, I have suffered from migraines since the later part of college. I've had an MRI, allergy tests, multiple doctor consults, and right before I got pregnant was on a new dietary plan to help. For the most part, the migraines died down a lot in my 1st trimester. But now for the past week I have had a very unwelcome, almost constant companion. And if you are a fellow migraine sufferer, you probably have experienced the dark cloud that a lingering one can bring... the feeling of being trapped, having no way out, no relief,  insomnia at times, the feeling of wanting to bang your head on the wall, or actually banging your head of the wall just desperate for the pain to ease, even if it is only for a few seconds. That is the place I have been for over a week now...

So here I am,... Waiting. Praying. Hoping. Enduring. and as I found out today this is not something I can do. I am only going to be able to endure with the Lord's strength.

I am learning that trials and blessings can accompany each other. And I am determined not to let this temporary trial completely steal my joy of this wonderful blessing. As James wrote :

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds"


This is what I want, but it will only be by the Grace of God...

Friday, January 6, 2012

14 Weeks and Counting...

I can't believe I am already out of my first trimester! As many of you know, I had an interesting time navigating through the first trimester and have gladly welcomed this second trimester's arrival! I began having morning sickness around 5 weeks (just one week after we found out we were expecting). Surprisingly, my normal migraines have eased up. I only had a few in the first trimester and one major one so far in the second.

In general, I am feeling much better. I am starting to get anxious to feel this little baby kick and move. My pants have definitely gotten tighter. I wouldn't say I am "showing" yet, but I definitely feel bloated and just bigger in general.

As far as food goes, I have been eating much better and the aversions have subsided for the most part. Right now I am really enjoying oranges, broccoli, hummus, and cereal. I really need to work on the proteins, specifically eating more meat. I still don't have a desire to cook much. The food I like is usually fresh and easy to prepare (either just cutting it up or steaming some veggies). But the poor hubby loves his meat and potatoes and is usually needing a good meal after work... so hopefully I can get back in the kitchen!

I had an OB appointment this week with a new doctor. I really liked him! Very calm, nice, answered my questions with lots of details. As long as I can, I am going to stick with him (its hard with Tricare and the Army hospitals, you are constantly getting a new doc). I have been very pleased so far. We also signed up for  Bradley natural birthing classes yesterday. I personally am SO excited! The teacher has been incredibly sweet every time I have chatted with her. I am also really excited for Patrick to be a major part of this. I have to publicly thank the Lord for this opportunity,... I know many friends and fellow military wives who have faced their pregnancies while separated due to deployments. I know the Lord would help me through it if that was His plan. And as far as the future goes, it is a very real possibility that someday we will have to go through that. But I am thankful for this season and being able to have my husband home while experiencing our first pregnancy. I don't know how I would've made it out alive of the first trimester without my servant-hearted love! He catered to my every need and helped me more than I can put into words. I am so grateful he is home and is not deployable while he is in school this year. It is a blessing and I do not want to take a single day for granted.

We were so blessed this Christmas by our families with baby gifts galore! We were surprised and overwhelmed with their generosity! My favorite: a 12 pack of BumGenius cloth diapers from Bill&Wendy! I LOVE them and am so excited to be doing cloth with this baby. That is a gift that will keep on giving,... every day!! I just love looking at them and all the bright colors.


Aren't they so cute?!



We also took family pictures with my hubby's family during the holidays. Below are a few. Hope you enjoy! I am going to start taking some "belly pics" here in the next few weeks and I will be sure to post when I do. Until then, God Bless and Happy New Year, 2012!!