34 Weeks Down...

This should have been posted a couple of weeks ago, but here is a quick update as I'm down to Week 34! The baby is starting to move into position now, as I can tell she's dropped some but not a whole lot. What's been interesting now is being able to watch my belly move more and more in such odd motions and feeling the tumbling feelings inside instead of just kicks. I love being reminded of the baby's presence! What an amazing gift from God!!

Here's my 34-week belly pic to wrap this up:

Nearing the End!

The past couple of weeks have kept us hopping around here, preparing for the quickly approaching arrival of our baby. Since the last entry, we have had two more baby showers, one given by the junior high with the clever "What Baby?" theme (inside joke) and one given by my family, mostly my mother. Both were absolutely lovely and greatly appreciated! Our friends the Putnams surprised us with our travel system (car seat and stroller), and we were blessed with more clothes, bath supplies, some feeding supplies, and so much more. This coming Saturday we have our last shower, given by my sister with the help of my friend Becky. We look forward to the time with family and friends and the showering of love upon our child!! I still can't believe how much is needed for a baby! We are so blessed and grateful for the showers of gifts and love to help us out!!

Also these past two weeks included our 32-week checkup with Dr. Funk (Dr. McKelvey is on maternity leave) and the beginning of my Braxton Hicks. I'll never forget that first feeling of a practice contraction! It happened Sunday, November 22, during the sermon at church. I had 5-7 in that small time frame yet went a few days without another one. It's such a strange feeling with no discomfort. I wish real contractions were without discomfort as well! :-) The doctor at the appointment said all is good and we're right on track with 32 weeks, so that was very refreshing to hear. After that appointment, we were expecting to have a 36-week checkup next then start our every week appointments. However, Dr. Funk determined that he'd rather us come in at 35 weeks instead, this time to meet with the last of the doctors in the practice - Dr. McComsey. I'm not sure what to expect after that one!! That will be so close to the end!

JR and I continue to get things ready around the house. As I type this, I'm washing up the first load of laundry for the baby (blankets, burp cloths, and bibs) thinking of the MANY, MANY more loads I'll wash over the years for this child. It's making everything seem so real and close! Last night we also continued our preparation and cleaned out cupboard space for the baby, straightened up a lot in the basement, and organized all of our seasonal decorations and game closet to make room for toys down the road. We also ordered our crib and dresser for the nursery!! We're just elated and so anxious to meet our child. She (or he?) should be here soon enough!

First Baby Shower!

Today my friends at work threw me my very first baby shower! We had a great time of eating, jabbering, and opening gifts. I love it that I have such great friends at work who would care so much about this child to do all of that! We had a great time with veggie tray, fresh pineapple and strawberries, and scrumptious cupcakes. Sue and Ashlee Klein (mother and daughter, both Language Arts teachers), Shirley Burdecki (10th grade secretary), Summer Burris (math teacher), Lindsay Kaya (Spanish teacher), Jess Thompson (LA teacher), Sarah Marsh (French teacher, and Krystal Evans (Spanish teacher) were such an amazing crew of women!! Lexi was given some clothes, books, CDs, socks and shoes, stuffed animals, hooded towels, diaper bag, and diaper goodies to start of her collection of many needed items. I can't wait to start using the gifts and dress her up!! It's so exciting! Today made everything feel that much more real!!! Thanks, ladies, for everything!

30 Weeks!!

This past week JR and I have had a hard time believing we're just 10 weeks away from welcoming our child into this world! And with all the news that happened this week, it's a good thing we serve a mighty Lord and can fully trust that He is in control. (Sorry, child of ours, for the casinos, Fort Hood shootings, healthcare bill passing through House, etc.) As we begin this countdown to the end, which is just an end to the beginning, we are having to make some more adjustments. JR has put up with the addition of even more pillows in the bed, as I attempt to get more comfortable at night (not working so well yet). My energy level is quickly draining, making it harder to keep up with stuff around here. And last, good posture is getting harder to come by. The wonderful thing is that I know this is all part of a very natural process and God is in control! A big thanks goes to my hubby of course for being so patient and understanding.

This week welcomes our very first baby shower! We're so excited to start putting together everything needed to welcome this child. Thank you to those who are so lovingly throwing us these showers! We're eternally grateful!!!

And to finish this post, here's our 30-week belly pic:

Saying goodbye to the 2nd trimester...

Well, these past few weeks I have learned a few things:
1 - This baby LOVES chocolate!! However, the chocolate has NOT loved me. Today was my 28-week checkup and the scales were ridiculous. I have gained NINE pounds in the last four weeks! This just adjusts my way of thinking as a reminder to keep it healthy for this baby of mine.
2 - The weight of my belly is working on the muscles a little further down - never thought possible! This has definitely added to my pregnancy waddle and funky pains. The good thing is that the pains come and go. One day they're around all day while a few days later they last for just a few minutes.
3 - JR's falling in love with this baby already! He's been so precious and adorable. He has had a few opportunities to feel the baby move and really enjoys "talking" to the baby. He buries his face into my belly and mumbles something to her. It's so funny and great!!
4 - Even maternity shirts aren't always long enough. As my belly grows bigger and bigger, my shirts are getting shorter and shorter! Thank goodness for the big waistbands on those pants!
AND...
5 - I'm going to miss being pregnant. Having this child inside of me and constantly reminding me of her presence is such a precious gift. It will definitely be an adjustment not having her with me at all times, but there is a time for every season!
And to wrap this up, quick update from today's appointment: Baby's heartbeat was strong in the 130s, my blood pressure was 110/62, and all is good, other than my 9-pound weight gain! Praise the Lord!!

Child of Mine

Dearest Little One,
In just a few more weeks I will finally get to see your beautiful face and look into your eyes. I feel like I'm getting to know you more and more though already as you continue to grow so rapidly in my womb. I especially have learned you are definitely a fan of brownie sundaes, as every time I enjoyed one this week you became very active! Your daddy is also getting to know you a little more as he felt you moving for the first time this past week. He does wish though that when I call him over to feel you moving that you would continue to move instead of stopping at his touch! :D
Today I was reminded of how blessed we are to become your parents and the great responsibility that comes with that. I know there will be days when we disappoint you and upset you. We ask though that in all we say and do you continue to love us and see God's love through us. Ever since we learned of your beginning we have prayed that you would love the Lord with ALL your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Today in worship we sang an older song called "Give Me Jesus". May that be the desire of your heart, that no matter what happens in this world and in this family that you desire Jesus, as He will give you all you need and will be the only one to never let you down. He knows all your desires, fears, worries, and enjoyments.
Dear child, may our love for you always be evident to you. We are so blessed to be your parents and so excited to have you join us!!
Love,
Mama

A Week to Remember

I realize I haven't blogged in awhile, but Baby hasn't been very active and there hasn't been much to report...until this week! This was definitely a week to remember. QUICK recap:

Monday - Grammy bought Mama a new maternity shirt and we looked at things on the registry

Tuesday - 24-week appointment! All is well and Grammy got to hear the strong heartbeat!

Wednesday - I felt Baby moving without a doubt for the first time!! It felt like she (he?) was playing patty cake against my belly.

Thursday - Glucose test results in - all is normal and healthy! Praise the Lord!!

Friday - Plans for showers falling together; I found out my favorite junior high advisors want to have a shower for me! I love that gang...

Saturday - Mama and Daddy went to Target to review the registry and make some changes.

As the recap shows, this was definitely a week to remember, but the most memorably part of it was the first time I felt the baby for sure on Wednesday. There have been times when I thought, "Hmm, I wonder if that's the baby or just gas or cramps!" This time though there was no doubt about her movements. My Adobe Design students were giving presentations, so I was sitting amongst the students listening when all of a sudden I felt my child playing patty cake or doing a funny dance in her womb!! It was the craziest feeling ever. I laughed at it because she did it every time a new group of kids got up to present. Then I felt her nearly every period the rest of the day and every day since! It's such an amazing sensation and reminder of God's blessings. We're still waiting for when JR can feel the baby moving, but that should be just around the bend! What a week to remember...

And here's the 25-week belly shot to wrap up this entry. (Sorry it's a week late, but I hadn't changed much since then!):

Sacrificial Starters

I've been told time and time again how many sacrifices we will make for this child and those to come. Well, I didn't realize they would start so soon. This child has been a blessing in so many ways, yet she (he?) is reminding me of her existence more and more!! Earlier this week for the first time I woke up with the oddest uncomfortableness further down. After much thinking as to what that feeling could possibly be, I decided that we are raising either a future Irish step dancer or a soccer player! Our child decided to spend the ENTIRE day (yes, from sunrise to sunset!) doing the happy dance on my pubic bone!! Yes, I just said pubic bone! (Sorry, Mom, if you're actually reading this, but it's the truth!) My students, of course, kept asking me what was wrong, but I would just tell them the baby was dancing around in my pelvic area. :D

Other "sacrifices" are popping up more and more, including bathroom wake-up calls around 3 AM, heartburn, and the infamous gassy bubbles of pain in my tummy! Before I had a stomach of steel and could eat/drink anything without any side effects. Now, however, my child is constantly reminding me of her (his?) bland food needs. If the food doesn't give me the gas pains, it gives me heartburn. The hardest part of this, which is truly the "sacrifice", is DAIRY. Before getting pregnant I drank milk EVERY DAY! Now, however, if I have any dairy, even if it's some shredded cheese on a turkey wrap, it's the welcoming of the gas bubbles within the hour! Gas-X has become my new best friend, but I keep forgetting to add it to my purse! Hopefully, I'll remember to keep those chewable tablets with me everywhere I go. Oh, the joys of pregnancy!

Is it a girl???

Today we finally got to see you, Baby Chamberlain. We had our very first ultrasound (and perhaps the only one during this pregnancy) today. All your daddy and I really learned is that you are as stubborn and active as your mama! You just wanted to dance around in there and were not settling down at all for us to get a good peek at you. At one point you had your fist to your ear as if you were showing off your biceps. Then another shot showed you playing peek-a-boo with me for the first time! Another time you had your hand and arm draped over your forehead like a drama queen. Oh, you're going to be a bleast, little angel!!

Even better the ultrasound technician did say you look very healthy. Your daddy and I got to see your brain, heart, diaphram, bladder, stomach, spleen, and whatever the other blobs were. We also thankfully saw two arms, two legs, your spine, bones, the whole shibang! We are so blessed and ecstatic at how healthy you are. You are such a bundle of joy already! We can't wait to meet you!!

And drum roll please for the revealing of our up and coming star...

Baby Melon!

I can't believe our child is growing so fast! This week, our 20th week of pregnancy, our child is now approximately 10 oz. and 6 1/2 inches from crown to rump. If the baby is a boy, his testicles are beginning their descent; if the baby's a girl, her uterus is now fully formed with a million eggs waiting to make her own family one day.
This week is extremely exciting in our household as this Friday is our first ultrasound and we should find out the gender! I've had quite a few people tell me they think I'm having a girl, but the heartbeat is reading a boy as well as where I've gained my weight. All my weight gain is in my belly, which usually is a sign of a boy. I think JR and I both are to the point where we're excited to just see and hear that the baby is healthy and don't really care what gender God chooses. Our only concerns are that the baby is healthy and will love the Lord! May God use us to teach our child His ways early on!

And the 20-week pose...

Dear Baby...

Dear Baby Mango,

Your mother hasn't been very good recently at writing to you in this blog, but I haven't been reminded of your presence as much as earlier in the pregnancy. The only sign of your presence I have now is my ever-growing belly; thank you for not making my stomach upset anymore! You are now about the size of a mango and are developing your thin coating to protect your skin while in my womb. Don't worry though, you'll shed that white gunk once you are born! One great thing though is that I have started to feel your presence in my belly a little bit here and there. However, it would be nice if you made your presence known a little more and were a little more active! I'm sure I'll regret asking that of you once you get a bit bigger, but the thought of feeling you inside of my baby belly fills me with joy and delight.

Baby, another strange thing that has been happening lately is the increasing number of people, including strangers, wanting to touch my belly! People are already so excited to meet you and hold you. You are truly going to have LOTS of people to love you and pray for you!! Please know this though - your mommy and daddy, or "father" as he prefers to be called, already love you with an eternal love and pray for you every day. We look forward to looking into your eyes and holding you for that first time! For now, though, we wait for September 4, when HOPEFULLY the ultrasound technician will be able to tell us if you are a boy or a girl. It sure would help if that day you are sure NOT to be shy and spread those legs! :) We are so blessed to have you join this family, Baby Mango. We look forward to seeing you for the first time in just 12 days!

With all my love,
Mommy

New Sensations

We're now 16 weeks into the pregnancy and are watching the belly get bigger and bigger. Though I miss fitting into the smaller pants without having them unbuttoned, it's comforting to remember that this evergrowing pouch is due to a baby growing healthily on the inside. I had another checkup today with Dr. McKelvey. The heartbeat was still good and strong, and everything looked good with me. I did have a few questions for her though. As I get further along in this pregnancy, I'm getting these weird sensations in my legs every once in awhile where it feels like everything from my hips down are tingling as if it's restless legs syndrome or something. When I asked her about it at the appointment today, she said the baby is probably sitting on a nerve when I feel that. How annoying but how even more exciting, to hear about the baby moving around in there!!!! I'll deal with the funny tingles if it means my baby being healthy and mobile! I have to go back later this week for the blood test. My next appointment is Tuesday, Sept. 1, but even more exciting is that our first ultrasound is Friday, Sept. 4! We should know how many and the gender before I leave with the junior highers for Camp Patmos at Kelley's Island!!! We're thrilled about that and just praying that the baby be extra cooperative that day!

And to leave with a laugh, here's my newest belly shot at 16 weeks. It's grown quite a bit since 12 weeks, yet the doctor said I've only gained ONE POUND in the four weeks!! I just may lose weight with this pregnancy!! Here you go...

God Bless this Baby!

Now that all the symptoms of pregnancy are subdued (other than the ever-growing belly), God has given us an opportunity to just fully enjoy each moment of this pregnancy and focus on the health of the baby and his/her future. This week Baby Sunkist (the size of an orange) is looking less and less alien-like as her eyes and ears move to where they should be and she (or he) begins to wiggle her fingers and toes and make breathing motions! Every week our baby is growing something different or learning something new. Just the idea of someone growing like this inside of me reminds me daily of what an amazing God we serve and how loving a Creator He is! JR and I are reminded through this of our huge responsibility to raise this child to love the Lord and serve Him in everything he/she does and says. That is our prayer, that Baby Sunkist have an ever growing desire to serve and love the Lord Almighty and rely fully on God and His grace. We pray that God allows us to show this child God's grace and mercy, teaching him/her early on of the Creator we serve. May God bless this baby abundantly!

What Baby?

Baby Peach (for the 13th week size) has just returned from her first missions trip in West Virginia and her first experience with junior high craziness!! The entire four days of our trip the junior highers joked about how they think I'm having twins. I experienced everything from hearing the neverending chant "What Baby? Toler's Baby! Keisha's Twins!!" to even seeing a drawing of the future twins' faces on Toler's big belly (sparing you from seeing that picture!) to even having junior highers tossing corn hole bags for me to have twins. It was too funny, most of the time! :-) We won't know for sure anything until the first week of September, so I guess I'll just have to put up with it until then. I love those kids though and am glad to have all those who have "cursed" me with twins already as FREE babysitters any time I choose!

As for what Baby Peach developed last week and is developing this week, here's what WhattoExpect.com has to say:

12th week
"By now, your baby weighs a full half-ounce and is about the size of a large plum. Most of his systems are in place, though there's still plenty of maturing to do. For one thing, his fetal digestive system is beginning to practice contraction movements so he can eat someday, and his bone marrow is busy making white blood cells — weapons against germs once he's out of your safe haven. The pituitary gland (at the base of the brain) has started producing the hormones that'll enable him (or her) to make babies of his (or her) own in a couple of decades or so."

13th week
"What's up with your baby? Well, that big old noggin is now about half the size of her crown-to-rump length. By the time you give birth, her body will catch up, measuring three-quarters of her total size. In other news, the intestines are beginning to move from the umbilical cord to the abdomen, and the vocal chords are well under construction (the first step toward one day saying, "I love you, Mommy!")"

Tomorrow we take Baby Peach out of the country for his/her very first time as we go on our very first vacation and relax on the beaches of Punta Cana. Our baby is already experiencing more than either JR or I experienced in our first few years of life! Please pray for safety and good weather. We look forward to this time but will be glad to get home to our family and friends. God bless each and every one of you!

Hearing the Heartbeat!!

What a miraculous moment we shared today at our very first baby appointment - hearing our child's heart beat at a rate of 150 bpm for the very first time!! I didn't know whether to smile the biggest smile I've ever had or cry; it was so special. The doctor did say that everything looks good and we are officially at 12 weeks, not further along than we thought we were. Our next appointment is August 4, which will include the tests for Downs Syndrome and spina bofida (spelling?). Then the big one will probably be the first week of September - THE ultrasound!! Of course, that means 8 more weeks of JR worrying that we're having more than one kid, but we'll just leave everything in God's hands and be at peace with His plan!

First Belly Pic!

Drum roll please.......

And revealing my very first belly pic for Baby Plum (well, this week at least), posted at what we think is 12 weeks along. Yes, I appear to be bigger than other women at 12 weeks causing us to have some concern about having more than 1... We'll hopefully find out Tuesday!

Excitement all around!

We're getting ecstatic as each day passes, getting us closer to Tuesday, our very first baby appointment. I'm so thrilled of the thought of getting to hear the baby's heartbeat and hopefully hear the doctor say that all is well with the baby and the heartbeat is strong. Please continue to pray for Baby Shortcake (next week it's Baby Plum!) in all ways. Each night JR and I pray for our child - for health but especially for Baby to have a desire and love for God early on, wanting to follow Him all of his/her days. We ask that you pray the same.

This next week you'll see my first belly shot, as it's beginning to be a toss up for what sticks out the furthest already! It makes us somewhat nervous because people are asking us if we're sure we're just having one child because of how big I am and how quickly everything started and finished (such as the morning sickness starting just 5 days after our thought-to-be conception date). I guess we'll find all that out on Tuesday!!

Thank you again for following our journey and praying for us as new parents and especially for Baby Shortcake. We can't wait to introduce the baby to all y'all and show the baby all of you who have been following his/her journey and been praying for him/her. We love each of you and thank you for your support, encouragement, advice, and prayers! Keep it coming!

Growing Baby, Growing Belly

We're now 11 weeks along in our pregnancy, and I'm starting to see the effects on the outside. This week the baby becomes two-inches long, about the size of a strawberry, so that baby shall be called Baby Shortcake this week! :-) Not only is the baby growing but my belly's growing bigger and bigger each week. I'll have belly pics posted by next week to show just how quickly it's popped out there! The nice thing is that when I lost all my weight I didn't have ALL of my pants taken in and still have some of my fat pants available. JR is enjoying getting to see the belly grow though as he knows what's growing inside. It seems to make this baby a little more real to him. When we got home from church today he took a look at my belly and giggled, remarking on how funny it looks. Thanks, honey...

Well, once again, here is what Baby Shortcake's going through this week from WhattoExpect.com:

" Your baby (now about two inches long) has been pretty busy this week, growing hair follicles, fingernails, and ovaries (if she's a girl). She has distinct human characteristics by now, with hands and feet in front of the body, ears nearly in their final shape, open nasal passages on the tip of her tiny nose, a tongue and palate in the mouth, and visible nipples. Hooray!"

Last note - please continue to keep our baby in your prayers. We go one week from Tuesday for our first appointment. We're waiting to hear the doctor say that all is well and the baby has a strong heartbeat. However, most importantly, we must focus that God's will be done. Please keep us in your prayers!

10th Week!

It's been a few days since I added anything to the blog, but not much has been going on. I'm glad to report that I don't get the nausea anymore and haven't in a couple of weeks. The burping is still quite present and alive, but that's nothing compared to the morning sickness.

JR and I have really been having a good time talking about our dreams for our child and sharing our prayers for the baby. It's so exciting to think about such things! JR's also having fun referring to my "Baby Belly", as my belly's beginning to show now. I have to constantly remind myself that I don't have to suck it in and hide it anymore, that it's not just because I'm chubby! :-)

We're heading to Atlanta tomorrow, so I won't get another chance to blog till later this week. I do, however, want to give an update of what the baby is doing this week, the 10th week:

"Your baby (now the size of a prune) has small indentations on his legs (soon to be knees and ankles!), and tiny buds of baby teeth are forming under the gums. His stomach and kidneys are kicking into gear, producing digestive juices and urine, and if it's a boy, his testes are making testosterone (how manly!)."

How amazing and great is our God, what He can create and form in just 10 weeks! Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful blessing and every moment we have with Baby Prune!

Storytime

Last night was so special for our family. My mentor for my first year teaching presented me the last week of school with a book "Oh, Baby, The Places You'll Go", adapted from Dr. Seuss. While JR was in the shower before bed, I decided to have my first Mommy & Baby Storytime and read Baby "Olive" the adorable story. Then when JR got out of the shower I had him tell a story to Baby "Olive", though he's sure it's a boy so he called the baby "Oliver". Of course, being the financial guy he is, he explained 3 things about Miller-Madigliani (spelling?) instead. It was so cute though as he talked to the baby with his hand on my belly. He then explained to Baby "Oliver" all that he had been praying for. It was just such a sweet, special moment with Mommy, Daddy, & Baby Olive!

9th Week!

Some days I feel like I've been pregnant forever, whereas other days it feels so fast! Those times are usually when I think about how quickly our baby is growing and developing. Here's the excerpt from Whattoexpect.com regarding where Baby Olive is this week:

"Your baby, now the size of a green olive, has grown about an inch since last week. Tiny muscles are beginning to form, so while he might not be ready to pump iron, he's gearing up to move his arms and legs. It's still too soon to feel anything in your belly, but you might be able to hear something at your next checkup."

My pants are beginning to get a little bit snugger, and the bladder seems to hold a little less. (Last night was my first night in awhile where I didn't wake up in the middle of the night for a trip to the bathroom, but I sure felt it this morning!) Thankfully, the nausea is dying, but the burps are still well alive! Now if we can just make it to July 7 and hear that doctor say that all is well!!!

May God's will be done...

This post is a little humbling to ponder and write. One of the other entry-year teachers from my district was just a week ahead of me in her pregnancy. When I asked her how things were going earlier this week, she informed me that she has miscarried! That's not what I was expecting to hear from her. It was definitely an eye opener. For the next day or two that was all I could think about, wondering if I, too, am going to lose my baby.

However, I just really felt led to pray about the entire situation the past two nights and have prayed something along these lines:

"Lord, I give this baby into Your hands; may Your will be done. If it is Your will that we have this child, I thank you. However, if it is also Your will that this child go home to You sooner, I also thank you. Yes, the loss would be hard at first, but please give me the peace and understanding to see that in all things You have a plan and are in control."

It has been very humbling to pray that prayer yet comforting at the same time. Don't get me wrong, I will DEFINITELY be ecstatic when/if the doctor tells us everything is good and healthy. However, I'm not as focused on the negative that could happen anymore and am just enjoying every moment of this pregnancy, even all the burps! :-)

Baby Blueberry becomes Baby Raspberry!

I just wanted to share this with everyone from Whattoexpect.com. It's so exciting to hear where the baby is in her development stage!!

"Your raspberry-sized baby is looking a lot less reptilian and a lot more baby-like, as her lips, nose, eyelids, legs, and back continue to take shape. Her heart is beating at the incredible rate of 150 times per minute — about twice as fast as yours! And even though you can't yet feel it, she's now making spontaneous movements as she twitches her tiny trunk and limb buds."

That's just so amazing to me. After reading week-by-week what's going on with our baby, I'm reminded what an amazing God we serve. I just can't fathom anyone who wouldn't believe in Him and His creation! Everything's so miraculous!!

Bland vs. Burn

Well, I've learned what I can eat and what I need to avoid! Last week we had pasta with marinara sauce, one of my favorites. I quickly learned, however, that I should NOT have had it as it quickly upset my tummy and gave me heartburn. Spicy foods are doing the same thing to me now! So here it comes down to the decision - spicy food which I love but leads to burn or comfort foods which are bland? I can't believe my body is choosing bland over burn right now. Poor JR, he loves the spicy food as well!!

Another thing I'm learning is to limit my dairy intake. Every time I have dairy I get a bout of burping!! For someone who loves her milk, yogurt, and cheese, it's very frustrating, especially since we just bought a ton of spicy cheese from Amish Country - now two no-no's. Thankfully, this too shall pass and will be worth every bit of it in the end!!!

Baby Blessings

These past few days I've just been thinking about how great our God is and how blessed we are to have this child. Over these past few days, I have prayed the following blessings upon (well, this week the baby shall be called) "Baby Blueberry":

* May the Lord soften your heart to His voice
* May He give you full health in all areas, not just physical health
* May God bless you with friends who bring about POSITIVE peer pressure and accountability
* May the Lord show you grace and mercy early on
* May His arms never leave you feeling alone
* May He provide all your needs and even some of your wants
* May God grant you patience and understanding without the hard lessons of life! :-)
* May the Lord use you in mighty ways for His people and His church
* May He shine through you in all you do and say and use you as a light to the world

I have also been praying that God use JR and I according to His plan and will, that we may reflect God to Baby Blueberry in all we say and do and that we may be encouragers and supporters along the way.

God's Blessings

Lord, we pray today that you bless this child and soften his heart toward You. We praise you, Father, for your almighty power and pray that Your will be done through our lives but especially the life of our child. Please give him an unquenchable desire to know You more and more each day. We also ask that you provide our child with the guidance and wisdom needed to be an impact for Your world and Your people. May our child reflect You in everything he says, thinks, and does; and may we reflect You in all of our parenting decisions and actions. Thank You, Lord, for this blessing!

Excitement All Around!

It was so exciting to hear my parents telling their friends and other family over the phone about the good news today. It really means a lot to me to hear them so happy for us and so ecstatic to become grandparents again! I had to pull in my mother though as she was already talking about everything she wants to buy this child. I reminded her I'm still just in the first trimester; she better wait!

Thankfully, the nausea is ending a little sooner each day. I think it finally faded around 3:00 p.m. today. Now I just have to learn to stay away from really spicy food! But it's OH SO GOOD...

Telling the Grandparents

Yesterday JR and I got to visit his parents in Amish Country at their RV. I was so excited because we were FINALLY going to get to tell his parents the good news! After going through many ideas of how we would break it to them, we had decided to make a t-shirt explaining it all. After we arrived I had a zip-down hoodie and said, "Man, it's getting hot out here!" I then unzipped the hoodie and exposed the message underneath. It took my father-in-law a little while to get it, but my mother-in-law got it pretty much right away. She jumped out of her chair in disbelief and gave me the biggest hug with tears in her eyes! It was so exciting to finally tell them!!

Then today my parents finally came to visit for "Memorial Day", or so they thought. I knew they were going to have guests over for dinner after church and that they would leave right after that for our house. However, knowing the news I had to tell them, I was getting extremely impatient and kept calling them wondering when they were going to leave! Finally they arrived around 5 p.m. I was so excited! I was finally going to get to tell them that they're going to be grandparents again! I wanted to give them clues through a game of Scrabble, so we played a round yet the letters never fell our way to do so. Thankfully, my sister had given me another idea of getting some pink and blue paint swatches, so I had picked those up on the way home from church as a backup plan. After the game, since they didn't get our clues through Scrabble, I grabbed the swatches and told them I needed help deciding between the two colors for the room upstairs. Mom was totally clueless until Daddy FINALLY got it and asked me, "Are you pregnant!?" I was so excited to say yes!

It's about time. Everyone finally knows the good news! We're all so excited and will be faithfully praying for this child from here on out.

Quality vs. Cost?

JR made me laugh on Sunday. I was telling this story to my friend Mrs. Fox today on a short road trip, and she said I definitely had to put it in my blog! If you know my hubby in any way at all, you are probably aware of his frugality. This Sunday the Cleveland Pregnancy Center had a table set up at our church, as we do a lot with them through ministry, and had a playpen set up filled with CHEAP baby bottles to collect change in for their center. The first thing I thought was "What a great idea to set aside change for the Center!" Then JR mentioned (something along these lines), "Hey, why don't we just take a few of those for the baby!? They're free!" I had to laugh. Thank the Lord for baby showers!!!

Food, Oh Food!!

And the hunger begins... Today I was so queasy when I woke up that all I had for breakfast is some Ritz crackers. However, the hunger set in rather quickly after I was already at school. I never would have thought about this before, but I actually turned to some leftover chicken and pasta from the NHS Banquet last night to fulfill this hunger at 9:30 a.m.!!!! Greasy but oh so good...

I'm not really craving anything much anymore, just food in general. JR's been really good though about reminding me to keep it healthy for the baby. I have greatly appreciated his interest in this and desire for me to keep safe! He's going to be such a great daddy.

First Card!

We received our first card today from two of my students - Ashley and Chelsea! Thank you, girls, for making this baby already so loved and accepted. Now I have to think about how I want to store everything we get throughout this pregnancy! Any ideas?

Is it a girl??

Last night in my grad class at Ashland U one of my classmates, who is pregnant with her third child, overheard me saying that I was (and still am) craving nothing other than a chicken quesadilla from Cozumel. She mentioned that her nurse has been 100% accurate with her patients in this theory - if the mom craves salt, she's having a boy; but if the mom craves spicy foods, she's having a girl. Could it be?? Could we be having a girl? Of course I'll take whatever God gives (kind of have to!) and will love them no differently, but that's what I have been hoping for deep down - a little girl. JR's not to happy with that news though, as he wants a boy.

However, this morning in class one of my students mentioned a theory that if you get morning sickness instead of in the evening that you will have a boy instead of a girl; and today I am definitely experiencing the queasies earlier than usual! Maybe we will have a boy! I guess we'll just have to be patient until September when we find out for sure...

Happy Birthday, Aunt Tiffany!

Today's my sister's birthday - her first birthday as Aunt Tiffy!!! I thank God frequently for the blessing she has been to me. She is a true friend and confidante! Thank you, Tiffany, for all you do. May you thoroughly enjoy this day! Happy Birthday from your sister and future niece or nephew!

It's Official!!!

I stopped at the hospital on the way home to have the blood test drawn. I called for the results at 5:45 p.m. and got the fabulous (but somewhat expected) news - IT'S OFFICIAL! We're having a baby!!!

And the symptoms begin...

This morning I experienced the beginnings of nausea and HUNGER!!! Thankfully, the nausea wasn't too bad, but the hunger is ridiculous. I had a NutriGrain bar for breakfast and yogurt during 1st period but was still starving after that. All I'm craving right now is a great chicken quesadilla.

I'm trying not to get too excited as we don't have the official thumbs up from the doctor. I called today and set up our first appointment. However, since the doctor doesn't care to see me until 8-12 weeks into the pregnancy (when we can hear a heartbeat!), I asked if I could get in this week to have a blood test done. I'll be going today after school for that and will get the results tomorrow! Please pray for us as we sit tight and hope for God's will to be done!!!

Holding my Tongue...

Today was my first day at church since taking the test, so I had an extremely difficult time not telling people about our expected bundle! I know the test is supposedly 99% accurate, but I'm still wanting to wait for people to know until after we get everything verified by the doctor. I'll be calling tomorrow to set up an appointment or at least just a test to see if we truly are parents!!!

Another difficult part of today was the fatigue. I'm not sure if my recent fatigue is due to getting less sleep because of just a busy life or because of my hormones keeping me up at night. I'm dreaming of a nap as I type this!

Well, please just keep praying for JR and I as we enter the journey together. Once we do get the official thumbs up from the doctor, we'll be much more settled in to this happening! However, if you do happen to know my parents and are reading this before Father's Day, PLEASE DO NOT TELL THEM WE'RE PREGNANT!!! I want it to be a surprise for them on Father's Day. Thanks!

It's Positive!!

So, it's actually happening! Last time I ovulated JR and I began our journey of trying to get pregnant and apparently it worked the first time around. Of course, we get the news after booking a vacation to an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana for this summer! I love how life happens - so unpredictable! Well, I took the test this morning, and we got the plus sign! It's positive!! I'll call the doctor on Monday so we can set up an appointment for all the tests and to verify that we actually are pregnant. Now that I'm getting excited, I hope more and more that the test results really are true!!!