25 weeks

How far along? 25 weeks yesterday
I'm feeling: still good! I noticed being a little more out of breath this week.
Milestones: nothing big on the outside. But if I could peek, I think it's neat that I could tell what color and texture his hair is. Although based and what William and I looked like, I'm just planning on a bald, big baby.
Movement: He moves a lot! Still pretty low in my belly though. Although William would tell you that he doesn't. Every time William puts his hand on my stomach, the movement stops. Little bugger.
Funny story from the week: I had a great time with Sarah K and her sweet baby Brooklynn last night. We browsed Target and then had a great dinner Chile's. While we were waiting for our food to come. . .a waitress came up to oooh and ahh at her. And then. . .SHE KISSED HER HEAD. Really. Just leaned down and kissed her. Sarah and I sat in shock before we were able to ask, did that really just happen? Who kisses a stranger's baby? Welcome to motherhood.
Sleep: getting a little rougher. Although this week, it could be due more to a stuffed up nose, my husband's snoring, and my crazy cat who likes to sleep pretty much ON my face.
Food cravings: I really just need to start eating healthier. If it's not green and it's highly processed, I'm eating it. I wish I was craving spinach.
Projects: just adding to my list of projects that SHOULD be getting started.
Names: still totally undecided. Grey, Conner, Miles, Benjamin.
Nursery inspiration: My mom is going to help me paint and start all the sewing over my spring break. Here's a few things that are on my to-purchase list for the little man's room. The big pieces are ordered, but I'm still searching for a great glider that doesn't cost an arm and leg.

Not my fabrics, but inspiration color palate:

Love this fabric (From Serena and Lily). The fabric swatch has been delayed, but should be to me tomorrow:

I want to do a little bunting (flags) with leftover fabrics and maybe with his name on it:

Rug from IKEA:

Toy Box (from Argington):

I bought these alphabet flashcards to maybe use as decoration:

William's going to make me little book shelves for his reading corner:


Ok, I gotta stop. I don't want to give it all away! I am SO excited for tomorrow. I decided to take the day off since I love my class and student teacher soo much. :) I'm headed to Lafayette and get to see Becky for lunch and my ladies at school! I cannot wait to catch up with them, no matter how quick the trip! I'll get some belly pics posted this weekend.

weekend update

What a crazy weekend! Every quarter, for VLI, we have to do a leadership project of some sort. When my dad asked me to coordinate the Church Planting Boot Camp, I agreed not really realizing what I was getting myself into. But with the help of lots of other people, and especially my mom. . .it went great!

Friday: I picked up some really pretty gerbera daisies for the weekend. They made me think of spring. I usually really like winter, but I'm getting some major spring fever these days. (Over spring break, mom's going to help me paint and do lots of nursery stuff, so maybe that's why.) The Duluth gang arrived around 5 and the fun began! After a few registration glitches, everyone got fed and we had some great worship and a great talk from Michael Gatlin. I've only ever heard his wife, Brenda speak before, but he's super laid back and has tons of great stories about church planting!

Saturday:
William and I had been talking baby talk with Gabe and Aubrey on Friday. Aubrey and I were trying to convince the guys how important shoes were for babies. Ok, we KNOW that they're really unnecessary, but dang are they cute. Saturday morning over breakfast, Gabe and Aubrey gave us this adorable gift that is the best of both shoe and sock world. Aren't they cute?



Saturday, we got 2 great teachings from Jeff Heidkamp. During the afternoon session, we got some the awesome prayer referenced in my last post. We pretty much ran out of sandwich meat at lunch which about gave me a heart attack, but we survived. For dinner, everyone who's thinking about maybe moving to Peoria had dinner with my parents. It was fun hanging out with some people we don't normally hang out with. The evening was taught by Rand Tucker, who shared his great story and then there was another great ministry time. Overall, a weekend of great teaching and excitement for church planting. It was material I've heard before (at a previous boot camp, in VLI, and just in doing it in real life), but it definitely reminds me how much I love church planting and all the great people in the Vineyard family.

Sunday:We came home and crashed on Sunday afternoon, but I did finally bite the bullet and hit the "buy" button on the baby furniture. I'm starting to feel a little behind in my baby planning. I experienced this with wedding planning. I just have so many ideas, I don't want to have to nail one down! But the crib and dressers are ordered and already shipped!

Dear Baby

Dear Little Man,
I'm starting to feel you a lot these days. Not all the time, but after I eat or drink or when I'm being still I can feel you wiggling around in there. It's been so wonderful actually realizing that you're really a little person in there. The personality you'll have when you arrive in the outside world is the same one I'm getting to know right now in my belly.

Yesterday afternoon at the church planting boot camp, your daddy and I got some awesome prayer from Rand T. and Jenny F. It was the kind of prayer where they read your mail and you have snot dripping from your nose. But the coolest thing was Jenny asked if she could put her hand on my stomach to pray for you. You hadn't been moving much that day, but the minute she put her hand on my stomach, you started moving around and continued to do so for her whole prayer. You're pretty shy when people try to feel you move, so this was quite unusual. She prayed health and life, that you would be a man who will follow God his whole life, along with lots of other good stuff.

It was such an amazing few minutes. I think you already like getting prayer! And I only hope that we can model and show you how important this part of our life is. We pray for you everyday as do your grandma and grandpa. But I can't wait to pray for you when you're actually here. For your boo-boos and bad dreams. And for lots of wisdom to know how to raise up a little guy who loves Jesus.

I can't believe we're going to meet you in about 110 days! I love you so much already.
Love,
Your Momma

Happy Birthday Hubby!

You're the best decicison I've ever made. Love you so much! Happy birthday!


ohh, can we go back?

24 weeks

How far along? 24 weeks today!
I'm feeling: still really good. The gals in my small group were quick to tell me to really appreciate this stage. I'm just feeling like me with a little more padding on the front.
Milestones: Nothing real big to report on. William's milestone this week is his birthday tomorrow. We have class tomorrow, so tonight I cooked a nice dinner and even got him a carrot cake cupcake from Cake Artist Studio.
Movement: it's still really low, like below my belly button. But I definitely feel him everyday.
What no one tells you: all I can say is farting. Holy cow.
Sleep: starting to use a pillow between the legs, but no huge complaints yet!
Food cravings: just eating too much chocolate thanks to our Valentine's party at school.
Projects: does doing stuff for Church Planting Boot Camp count? I'm coordinating the conference this weekend. It's definitely been a little more work than I thought, but it's going to be an awesome weekend and I can't wait!!
Currently Reading: BabyCatcher, an ok read of stories from a midwife and just starting Breatfeeding for Dummies.
Names: For William's birthday present, I *almost* gave in and said that I'm really great with the name Greyson. But I can't quite make the call officially yet.


We've been slackers about taking "official" pictures, so here are some quickies from today. I'm definitely not able to wear many of my normal clothes anymore!

gotta love the ever widening front view:

23 weeks

Is it bad that one of my most productive times is during my VLI class? :) I mean, I really am listening to every word about Pauline literature and theology, focusing tonight on 2 Corinthians and Romans. Ok, onto a quick post:



How far along? 23 weeks yesterday
I'm feeling: About once or twice a school season, I loose my voice and come down with a nasty cold. It hit this week. Thankfully, with the snow day on Tuesday, I didn't have to use sick time until yesterday when I went home at lunch.
Milestones: For a few weeks, Baby Pool has been able to hear things that are going on in my body and outside. It's been fun increasing the amount we've been talking to him. Before bed, William and I try to read at least 1/2 hour before bed. We've been reading him a little book during this time. Better get in the habit how. My little man already has way too big a library with all my books that will be coming from school. But who can resist buying a great children's book?!
Movement: not feeling him quite as much this week. I think it's more been that I've been really busy and on the move and am not to the point yet where I can feel him all the time, no matter what I'm doing.
What no one tells you: Let's see, pregnancy is 40 weeks and there are 4 weeks or so in a month. 40/4=10. TEN. Pregnancy is ten months, not nine. Just FYI.
Sleep: uggh. Not fun this week with a cold and for the first time, not be able to just take a good slug of Nyquil.
Food cravings: while I've pretty much been pop free this pregnancy, this week I've been loving me some cream soda.
Projects: working on a few gifts for upcoming friend's showers before I start on my massive to-knit list!
Names: The names I like this week are still stuck at Greyson(Grey), Garrett, Miles, and Colby (Cole). William keeps calling him Grey, and I keep telling my belly that he does not have a name officially yet but that we're working hard on it.
Just some thoughts: I'm coming up quickly on my due date from my second pregnancy. While thoughts of that little person are always a little sad, I've been very thankful that it's not the overwhelming sadness it used to be. Because then I think of this little man in my stomach now. I love him already and in about 118 days, I'm going to get to meet him! And I wouldn't be meeting HIM if that other baby had happened. Just another time when I have to nod to God who knows what I need better than I do.

why little boys need mommies

Is this what I have to look forward to? Lord help us. :)

I'm a dork

This entry is solely to document that I'm a little nuts sometimes. Well, according to my husband at least. Ok, so here's the story. When I found out I was pregnant in September, our camera was pretty much out of commission. So I took pictures of the "pee stick" with my cell phone. Worked fine for facebook and the likes.

But fast forward to this week. I'm starting to put pictures into a photobook that I'll print after the baby is here. While I LOVE to scrapbook, I'll be honest that my wedding book isn't completely done yet, so I'm not even going to attempt to scrapbook this pregnancy. I already feel guilty that I haven't knitted a single item for my little guy. Anywhoo, so I was uploading the pictures and got an error because the resolution was so bad on the picture. So, yesterday while I was at Target buying KY jelly for Eric and Amy Kauffman's reception, I happened to notice that the pregnancy tests were on sale. So I grabbed one and hid it in the bottom of my bag. I got it home, peed on the stick and got some pictures with our new camera to replace the bad ones in the photobook. Whew, William didn't find out I basically just peed on a $10 bill.

Fast forward to this morning at church while we are talking to Tia (my little bro's girlfriend who we love dearly). We were talking about delivery (not pizza kind if you know what I mean) and I somehow said "I hope I can say after he's here that I want to do it again!" Then William piped up that I had just bought a pregnancy test yesterday, so he was worried I was already thinking about it. Totally busted. How he saw the box, I have no idea. So, here's the proof (again) that I really am pregnant.

 

22 weeks

Yesterday, I had my monthly checkup. It was a super short appointment, which I guess I should be thankful for! I met the midwife, Ellen, who was super nice. She was the one who had talked me down from the ledge while I was at the ER in Texas. :) She found our little man's heartbeat right away. It was really steady at 140 bpm. But then she made a comment about being laid back and I laughed and his heartbeat changed. It was neat to hear how everything I do affects this little guy growing inside me. She felt around a little and then said we'd get out that lovely measuring tape at our next appointment. She said we're kinda on auto-pilot now. What a reassuring thing to hear!

How far along? 22 weeks yesterday
I'm feeling: good! Pretty much normal.
Milestones: there have been a few this week! I've had 3 people now touch my stomach without warning. In most of my outfits, I didn't think I was quite big enough to be touched, but alas. I'm thinking about taking Anne D.'s advice and just touching their stomach in return. Ok, but the big milestone is that William was able to feel our guy move this week! It's only happened once and not again, but he clearly felt a little kick as we were laying in bed one night. I think the spicy Thai food I had made helped.
What no one tells you: That sometimes when your bladder is full and you laugh really hard or sneeze, a little of that pee may sneak out. What happened to my bladder control?
Sleep: uggh. First week of noticing a difference in my sleep. I woke up one night on my back and both my arms were tingling and asleep. I guess some minor detail of when you sleep on your back, all the extra weight from the baby/uterus/random fluids push down on a major artery. Ok, so sleeping on my side is going to have to work.
Weight: ok, ok. So a friend so nicely told me that I should take this section off as pretty soon since I'll want to blog about my weight gain about as much as I'll want to stab myself in the eye with a fork. I'm definitely feeling like I'm rounding out in places that shouldn't be. But for once in my life, I'm totally ok with my rounding out body. It's such a great feeling to not be as concerned about every morsel of food going into my body and just watching the amazing thing that it can do - grow a baby!
Food cravings: does everything count?
Currently Reading:
for VLI: New Testament Theology: Many Witnesses, One Gospel
for baby: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth - a little too granola for me, but still some interesting information
for fun: what's that?
Current projects: trying to officially decide on a color scheme and get this furniture ordered! Such pressure since this furniture is hopefully going to be around for a few kids.
Names: The names I like this week are Greyson(Grey), Garrett, Miles, and Cole.
Fun things about being pregnant: every time you go to your mom's house, it's like a baby shower all over again. There are always clothes and toys and shirts for my growing belly. I mean, dad if you're reading this, that's only happened like once. And no, Mom's not spending money left and right on this little guy. :)

Last but not least, a quickie picture before I head off to VLI tonight. Had to crop because of my goofy face and bad hair day.