24 December 2013

Week 20


“Do not be afraid. I am bringing you good news that will be a great joy to all the people. Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ, the Lord. This is how you will know him: You will find a baby wrapped in pieces of cloth and lying in a feeding box.” Luke 2:9-12


How far along?
WE'RE HALFWAY DONE!
20 weeks / 5 months

Baby size?
Our man is about the size of a banana. This fruit analogy is obviously science.

Sleep?
Sleeping is so much better, except I occasionally wake up in the wee hours and can't get back to sleep. I love naps!

Cravings?
- My amazing friend, Karla, sent homemade peppermint bark. I have not stopped thinking about it since we opened the box. (She also sent a bag of sweet potatoes because I mentioned once on Facebook that they are my fave and I couldn't find them here! How's that for thoughtful?!)
- I also could eat Italian food at any moment. But, let's be honest, this is not abnormal for me as a non-pregnant person.
- I'm also a regular consumer of Oh's cereal in unsweetened almond milk. If you haven't tried Oh's, you are missing out on one of life's little treasures.
- And, anytime I think of food that is only available in previous locations we have lived, I crush that thought into tiny pieces. If I dared to allow myself to dream of any Sunday dinner at Maw Maw's; my Momma's lasagna/french toast/pink salad/monkey bread/coconut creme pie; Victoria's chicken salad; Bang Bang shrimp or Reggae Rolls; or Chikfila, I would cease to function normally. I have a secret list of must-eats for our trip in Nashville and may or may not be tearing up at the thought.
- Can you tell my appetite is back?? Sheesh.

Aversions?
Dishes left in the sink, produce that isn't fresh, some food smells

Symptoms?
I am definitely growing. Major sweet tooth. Uncomfortable and lower back aches.

Mood?
I have been super jolly these two weeks!

Looking forward to?
- Christmas! We had an FRG party on the 20th, had a get-together at a friend's house today, and have presents under the tree for tomorrow! Andrew's work schedule is light, and we live in a winter wonderland. Cherishing our sweet family of four being together.
- Working on the nursery. I got a head start when we first found out and moved into our home, but got really excited to decorate for the first time since after we found out it's a boy's room!

What's new?
- Done with school for the semester!
- Found out our little joey is a boy! It's so amazing to be able to call him a he!
- Buying plane tickets to Tennessee! I'm about to explode waiting for this trip back to family in February!

Prayer Requests?
{After having the round ligament pain I mentioned in the last post for almost two weeks, I complained to Hubs & my parents that I was so discouraged & wasn't sure how I much longer I could take feeling that way. That night, Hubs & I prayed for relief, & my parents prayed throughout the next day. That day, it was gone & has not returned. God's participation is never a surprise, but I'm always left in awe of His care. Hence, this new section of our baby growth blog posts called Prayer Requests.}
- Please pray for peace. There are certain external circumstances that welcome fear and sadness in our hearts. It's hard for me to approach myself and others in love when I am afraid or hurt.
- Pray please for joey to develop perfectly and for his home to be healthy!


Happy Birthday, Jesus!

This Christmas season, as we are amazed at the miracle of this new little life, we are overwhelmed by the baby boy born in a barn. The King came as promised and as we least expected. He defeated death and gave us life, both out of a love we can't possibly imagine. We wait together in this blessed assurance, in this hope that rises higher than our greatest moments and runs deeper than our darkest hours. O come, Emmanuel!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till he appeared and the soul felt it's worth
The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

18 December 2013

OH BOY!


“Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” 1 Samuel 1:28 


Today, we went to Radiology for an anatomy scan appointment. We spent over an hour watching the tech zoom in on all the different organs, take all kinds of measurements, and explain to us what we were seeing. He was an amazing blessing to us- so informative and thorough and kind. He probably spent way longer with us than a normal appointment usually takes because we asked a ton of questions and we ended up talking about random things like Alaskan activities and how much he enjoys his job. Of course, the best part of the appointment was finding out that our little joey is a BOY! We can't wait to meet him in May!


Hubs was in a bit of shock because he has been so sure that we were having a girl. He got this hunch not a week after we found out I was pregnant and then felt confirmed at our sonogram almost two months ago. The tech at that appointment offered to project the baby's sex based on the angle of the organ at the time. She confidently stated, "Oh, you're having a girl! I mean, that's only a 51% guess though." But she sounded so sure that Hubs was convinced. I even started leaning that way a little. 

We would've absolutely loved having a little lady (and I'm already secretly hoping the next one is a baby sister!) But we are already so proud of our little man! If we had been able to choose, we would've chosen a boy. We love that any other children we have will have a big brother. We love the idea of playing in the backyard with our son! We couldn't be happier. While we have started a rough list of names we like for either a boy or girl, we are still sure that we do not want to name him until we meet him. (OMG! I get to say HIM!) So, he's still our little joey for now. Mr. Woodard is an acceptable option as well.


Everything else was wonderful on the scan. Joey is functioning as he should and has all his little fingers and toes. He was stretched all the way out from head to toe for most of his performance. The only hiccup is that we are continuing to monitor the two fibroids that were found at the 12 week sonogram. Fibroids are common benign tumors that many women have and is usually genetic. Most women who have fibroids are completely unaware until they show up on a pregnancy ultrasound like mine did. The reason why we are even monitoring the ones that I have is that one of them is in a position that could potentially cause a natural delivery to be a little difficult. Fibroids typically grow larger in the company of hormones, and mine did measure larger this appointment. It is nothing they haven't seen before and all doctors and techs are confidant that it is a non-issue for a normal and safe delivery. The worst case scenario is a c-section, and the weird case scenario is that I might have a funny-shaped preggo belly! Fibroids pose absolutely no risk to the well-being of our little boy. He just might have to share some room. He is preferring to hang out on the right side of me and seems snug as a bug in a rug over there!

We went straight to the PX after the appt to make sure we had all the tree supplies. (I had already bought pink ornaments and ribbon, as well as blue ornaments and the football for tree topping, but didn't have enough blue because Hubs was so sure our appointment would simply confirm what he already knew!) We couldn't help ourselves as we went straight for the baby dept. Hubs excitedly picked out our first "boy" outfit and wants joey to come home from the hospital in his new digs! 

We also received these adorably appropriate baby slippers in the mail from my sweet seester today! We know this was a humble sacrifice from Keke, an avid Tennessee fan. Joey is already completely covered in love from his cool aunts!

We are thrilled to share this news with you! What a fun surprise. It is going to be impossible to not start purchasing handsome garments, athletic gear, & a tiny shaving kit, amiright?!



10 December 2013

Week 18


“Your hands made me and formed me.” Psalm 119:73


{ Disclaimer: Last week's belly bump picture was deceivingly small due to clothing choice and angle. So, if it seems that our baby has grown an insane amount over two weeks, it is only an illusion. As my mom put it, "No wonder you're having growing pains!" The sweet babe has definitely grown, but it has been way more subtle than it may seem from the difference in these two pics. Also, don't ask what is going on with my hair. This is a baby bump picture, not a momma beauty contest. }

How far along?
18 weeks

Baby size?

Our joey is about the size of a bell pepper.

Sleep?

Sleep schedule is completely off. I occasionally get woken up by aches and pains and have even had to sleep sitting up a few nights to get relief.

Cravings?

candy and cranberry juice

Aversions?

meat and produce that isn't fresh

Symptoms?

tiredness, pretty extreme growing pains

Mood?

I've been irritable due to lack of sleep and lots of hurting!  

Looking forward to?
- Finding out if our joey is a boy or a girl!
- Pain relief, hopefully.
- Christmas!

What's new?

- Belly is growing and normal clothes no longer fit.
- I can feel joey rolling if I press on my belly. No kicks or jabs yet!
- Had a doctor's appointment on 12/5. Only gained about a pound and heard a healthy heartbeat. Hubs went with me and was so amazing at helping me ask all the questions we are starting to have about the rest of this process! 

So, what do you guys think? Is our little joey a boy or a girl?!


26 November 2013

Week 16

“And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20



How far along?
16 weeks

Baby size?

Our joey is about the size of an avocado.

Sleep?

Having a hard time getting to sleep and loving sleeping in.

Cravings?

Engineer sub from Firehouse Subs
Ginger Ale
Gigantic, traditional Thanksgiving Meal!!! 
(Specifically, pumpkin pie with extra whipped cream)

Aversions?

meat, refrigerator

Symptoms?

extreme tiredness, muscle aches in back & hips

Mood?

Happy, irritable when tired  

Looking forward to?
- Thanksgiving! We have an FRG potluck dinner tonight and are joining a bunch of families from Hub's company at a friend's house on Thanksgiving day.
- Hubs signed us up for a marriage retreat at Alyeska Resort! I'm so excited to spend 3 nights in the beautiful mountains with my favorite man.

What's new?

- Starting to wear maternity clothes. Good thing my MIL sent me cute new shirts for my growing belly!
- Occasional tiny baby flutters!