31 weeks

I told myself once I hit 30 weeks I would do weekly updates. It helps the weeks go by and keeps me focused on only 1 week at a time, instead of constantly looking ahead till April.
:)
So my baby boy, here is what is going on with you and me this week!

Today is: January 29, 2013

How far along: 31 weeks

Total weight gain: 16 pounds

Baby is the size of: About 16 inches long and weighs close to 4 pounds!

What's going on with the babe:  My little firecracker is heading into a growth spurt and is now turning his head from side to side. His sweet little arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as fat starts to build up under his skin! 

What's going on with the mama: Pretty much the same with lots of braxton hicks and tons of achy muscles!

Baby is a: Boy!

Maternity clothing: Yeah, mostly. Some non-maternity in larger sizes.

Sleep: Still just depends on the night but not much sleep these days! 

Movement:So many big movements, and I want to be able to remember how active my little guy was. His grandparents call him the little firecracker because most days it feels like there is fireworks going off in my belly. He has been jabbing me all over and even though I would like to sleep, I can't complain because its very comforting to know he is there!

 

Cravings/Aversions: Pretty much the same..give me carbs, fruit and cereal..but please no chicken!

 

Symptoms:

- Sciatic nerve pain.   Just one day this week otherwise none!

- Aches.  All over.
- Fatigue.  All day.
- Frequent potty breaks.  :)
- Some pressure.  Not as bad as last week but he is still making sure I know hes there!
- Braxton Hicks contractions.  The. weirdest. feeling. ever. At least 3 to 4 times this week!
- Shortness of breath. Only when I go up and down stairs.

- Leg cramps.  Have had some pretty bad cramps the last two mornings and yikes, they are awful.
-Heart Burn:   Almost every night..thankfully none right now though! :) 

At my 30 week appointment everything looked really good. Baby boy was head down and very low from what my midwife could tell but everyone looked happy and healthy! She said for as sick as I've been and as miserable as I feel most days I really am the "perfect" pregnant person with great blood pressure and a healthy little boy! She reminded me that I am on the home stretch and to enjoy it as much as possible.
I'm doing my best to enjoy him right where he is but I am still so anxious to hold him. I can't wait to see his handsome little face! 

We love you baby boy!

30 weeks

 30 weeks.

Today is: January 22, 2013

How far along: 30 weeks

Total weight gain: I will find out tomorrow at my appointment! 

Baby is the size of: A cucumber...about 15.5-16.5" long and 3-4 lbs.

What's going on with the babe:  Right now baby has about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid that surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen! His skin is getting smoother and he is getting more and more squished everyday!

What's going on with the mama:  Pretty much same old, same old!

Baby is a: Boy!

Maternity clothing: Yeah, mostly. Some non-maternity in larger sizes.

Sleep: Each night is very different but my days of a hard full nights rest are starting to dwindle! Between some new essential oils, my chiropractor and some new stretches I have been sleeping better than last week, which I'm so thankful for!

Movement: Lots of big movements, usually when I lay down!

Cravings/Aversions: I've been out of clementines for a few days now and if it wasn't below zero outside I would be walking to the store to get some..

Symptoms:

- Sciatic nerve pain.  I have had some really severe pain this last week but one trip to my Chiropractor and its been pretty much non existent!

- Aches.  All over.
- Fatigue.  All day.
- Frequent potty breaks.  :)
- Some pressure.  The last few days I've had some crazy pressure happening, very new to me and pretty uncomfortable!
- Braxton Hicks contractions.  The. weirdest. feeling. ever.
- Shortness of breath. Only when I go up and down stairs.

- Leg cramps.  Have had some pretty bad cramps the last two mornings and yikes, they are awful. 

Overall, we are just so thankful to have this baby boy and we are so anxious for his arrival.

29 weeks.

So as the story goes in my life I don't do anything in any particular order, as in these baby updates. I go weeks with none then randomly decide I should update the blog. I do plan to print some of them to put in my scrapbook I have started so I guess that is sort of a plan, we will see if it actually gets done. Either way it is still fun for me to be able to go back and read some of the first updates, so random or not.. I will keep updating.

Baby boy is wiggling around as I type and in fact is sticking some part of his body as far out as he can. It looks like my stomach is completely lopsided. He did however let me sleep last nigh, which was very kind of him.

Today is: January 15, 2013

How far along: 29 weeks

Total weight gain: As always, I'm not completely sure.. somewhere around 13-15lbs.

Baby is the size of: A butternut squash...about 15-16" and 2.5-3 lbs.

What's going on with the babe: Baby "Fred" (his secret name since we aren't revealing his real name yet) is starting to get cramped! He's growing white fat deposits under his skin, and because of that, his energy is surging. Which I can definitely tell!

What's going on with the mama: My body is moving into full gear third-trimester symptoms and some of the first trimester ones are back. Mostly just extreme back pain and exhaustion. I am still sick 2 or 3 times a week but what a joy its been to take out the trash without gagging. :) God sure knows how to change our perspective on things, who would think you would actually be thankful to do chores. :)

Baby is a: Boy!

Maternity clothing: Almost everything. I do have some shirts I bought just in larger sizes because that is cheaper than maternity clothes and a few shirts still fit me as long as I have a long tank top underneath. Otherwise not much fits these days and I would really prefer to live in yoga pants, leggings, and comfy sweaters!

Sleep: Depends on the night. Most nights I toss and turn a lot or wake up unable to feel my feet. I've been trying different pillows and positions but at this point I am just taking what I can get! I have been using some new essential oils and they have been helping!

Movement: So many big movements, he sure knows how to make me laugh!

Cravings/Aversions: Cravings come and go and change daily but grapefruit, clementines and oranges are still at the top of my list, along with cereal..Most days I feel like I could live off of cereal alone. My biggest aversion is still chicken. I can usually eat it fine once its fixed and dipped in BBQ sauce but I wouldn't say it ever sounds good. Thankfully that didn't stop me from wanting Chick-fil-A while in TX and though it didn't taste as good as usual, I was still able to really enjoy it. :)

Symptoms:

- Sciatic nerve pain- Thankfully none of this. I get a few moments here and there but then off I go to see my Chiropractor and then its gone!

- Aches & pains. All over all the time. My back pain has definitely been the hardest...
- Fatigue.  Almost all the time!
- Frequent potty breaks.  :)
-Heartburn-  Within the last two weeks this has been at its worst. Tums don't even touch it and some nights its so bad I end up throwing up..although not the best for me, I did find that chocolate milk really helps. 

I know I still have months to go, but thinking that I only have at the most 11 or 12 weeks left really encourages me. Being pregnant has not been my favorite time of life but I am so thankful God has continued to give me endurance through it all. I was just telling K that my goal for the end weeks is to really focus on not complaining..but so far I'm failing miserably. The more anxious I get to meet my baby boy the harder it is to be pregnant. Thankfully I know many, many, many woman have gone through it and I can do it. One of my friends has said.. " I am praying that you can lean on the Lord and not on the calendar". And that's exactly what I hope to do! And for the first time since being pregnant I actually had thought that I will miss feeling him move everyday and having a constant buddy everywhere I go. I already love being his mom, and I would do this several times over just to have this sweet blessing in my life.

So long 2012...

It's funny how everyone gets so mushy and reflective as the new year approaches. The joy I have in Christ is that I am so thankful I don't have to wait for the new year to start fresh, His mercies are new every morning and as I fail daily, He is there to give me my fresh start.

As I was thinking about 2012 I didn't think I would even have anything to write about. I couldn't remember anything that exciting happening or any big moments I wanted to remember. Then I started to think back on all that has happened and I think to myself "God you have taught me so much". So here are just a few things that happened to me and the truth God brought out of them! 

K was facing the possibility of losing his job, and was traveling close to 3 weeks out of the month.
This is where God continued to teach me that He is my Shepherd and with Him I shall not want. We had to put our faith in Him as we searched for new jobs and began new changes in our lives.

He found a new job, and we found a new apartment. This was a blessing that we weren't even asking for. Well, the job was well prayed for but we had no thoughts of moving till this apartment pretty much fell in our lap that came with an basement and a garage plus more space to make us feel a little less cramped. God taught me that a house really is just that, a house.. you make it a home with the memories you create and the people you create them with. We have loved our new place and even with a half flooded basement..we are still thankful for it. :) 

I witnessed some beautiful weddings and beautiful babies enter the world. Both miracles in my book..it was so fun to watch fellow believers enter into a covenant with Christ and start this new journey. And well the babies, we all know how I feel about them. It was such a joy to see some of my friends become parents and have the honor of loving on their little ones! 

Kevin and I were/are a part of some amazing Bible studies and small groups that have been more of a blessing than anyone realizes. I have watched my husband create great friendships with Godly men and I have made friendships with some of the best ladies around. I have learned the importance of having Godly fellowship and having friends that you just don't have fun with, but that keep you accountable and help build you up on the principles of truth. Kevin and I are so thankful those friendships.

 My brother continues to succeed in his military career and is getting closer every day to full filling his dream of becoming an helicopter pilot. I can't say what a blessing it is that he and I have been able to build a good relationship and I can't say enough about the man that he is growing into. He has worked so hard to get where he is now and I am just so proud to be his sister. 

With living close to most of our families K and I are usually able to see them a lot and we can't tell you how  much we love them. It's not the norm for your husband to actually WANT to go spend the afternoon at his in laws but K never hesitates to go over there and we both love our time with family. Between holidays and family visiting we love the memories we make with them and feel so blessed to have such an incredible family. 

2012 did bring our first big injury.. Kevin slicing his hand wide open at work and me nearly having a panic attack when I couldn't get a hold of the hospital. Though it could have been WAY worse and we know that God was protecting his hand that day it was still many weeks of pain and suffering for my poor husband. It also brought our the "in sickness and in health" part in our marriage as he couldn't use his right hand for some time which meant I needed to do everything for him. 

I finished my first half marathon with my brother and great friends and this was truly a huge accomplishment for me. I am not much of a runner but it was a goal I have had for many years. It was such a blessing to stick to something and actually complete it. Crossing that finish line was just more proof that through Christ all things are possible, for He was the only reason I made it! 

And of course the biggest change for us in 2012 was finding out in July that I was pregnant. It was something we were planning for in the next year but did not expect it to come so soon. It has been a pregnancy that has kept me on my knees (literally) and pushed me to my limits. I have never been so sick in my entire life..but I have also never been filled with such joy. We found out it was a boy and though it hasn't been easy, it has been one of the most incredible journeys of my life. You have to stop thinking about yourself, and suddenly put another persons life above yours. I can't begin to tell you all the ways God teaches me through this baby and I know those lessons will only continue.

So Glory be to God for everything HE has done in our lives this past year. We know that none of it is by our own doing but through His grace and mercy on us. I expect 2013 to bring just as many lessons from above and even though being out of our comfort zone isn't easy, it always pays off.

If you are reading this then you are a part of my life one way or the other and I love you dearly. You have helped make me who I am and for that I am so grateful.