Bumpdate at 40 Weeks 3 Days

Y'all.. I so didn't want to be blogging today! I want to be IN LABOR! I have been saying since the beginning "I think it would be so fun to have a New Year's Eve birthday!" .. yeah, shouldn't have done that. Having a date in your head is comparable to self torture when said day comes & there is no sign of baby coming. I know each day he is still in the belly is good and all. I know that. It's just a little difficult to be ok with!

I've been sick for two weeks now. I thought it was just a cold and kept waiting for it to get better, but instead I kept getting worse. I finally went to the doctor on Friday and it turns out I have an upper respiratory infection & I needed antibiotics! I feel a million times better already, just trying to get back to 100% though. 

Here's a funny story .. I'm one of those people where nothing is ever simple and things turn out crazy so I figure I'll share for the sake of a good laugh :)  I had to stop in my OBGYN office Friday morning to show my TB test was negative. When I got there, I asked if I could quickly see a doctor because I've had this cough for two weeks and nothing is helping. (I thought that would be easier than trying to sit through urgent care, etc.) The MA told me to take Robitussin, I said "I've been taking that for two weeks...". Then she went in the back for five minutes, came back out and told me to take Benedryl and use cough drops, to which I replied I've been also using those for two weeks. I need something else. Apparently no doctors were in the office yet, so she told me to just go to Labor & Delivery at the hospital and someone there should be able to help me. I said, "the hospital? like where I'm going to deliver?" she said "yep! Since you're due tomorrow just go there and they'll help you." So off I went. Well imagine the look on the receptionist's face when I check into Labor & Delivery for a cough. I think it was all she could do to hold back laughter. Its not my fault that's where the OB office sent me though!! Well, I really should have just gone to urgent care, but I was trying to listen to the medical assistant's advice. Once you check into L&D, they're required to monitor the baby for 30 minutes. So here I am, in a birthing room none-the-less, hooked up to two monitors to hear Bennett's heartbeat, all the while everyone who comes in the room says, "sooo... you're here for a cough??" I just kept repeating "My OB office sent me here!!" Ugh. I was so embarrassed.  Oh well. Got my antibiotics and I'm on the road to recovery. Now when I check in for labor I get to be the girl who was here last week for a cough. Lucky me :)

My mom flew in yesterday morning, she and my sister are up here with me waiting for labor. We got about 2-3 inches of snow over the weekend, which means our roads are a sheet of ice. So we're "snowed in" ;-)

Also, been watching Lie To Me on Netflix, anyone else watch it? I love psychology and this show is so good the way he figures out truth and lies just based on body language and facial expression! Not sure how scientifically accurate it is, but fascinating none-the-less!

Here are some snapshots from the last couple days..

Zach put together the Rock n Play. I ordered it on a whim because everywhere I look I read how awesome they are. I hope he likes it!

My mom made these adorable booties for baby Bennett. I want his feet in them now! She made him a matching hat at Thanksgiving. He's gonna be so cute and snuggly!

This girl. Giving the stare of death. Personally, I think this means she gets the midnight diaper duty. Dontcha think??

How Far Along: 40 weeks, 3 days.
Size of the Baby: He got measured at 38 weeks and was looking about 6lbs 9oz, which is 27th percentile. And I've heard they always guess bigger, so he's gonna be a teeny little guy! I'm ok with that :)
Stretch marks: Yeah, on my stomach and hips. Hard for me to see.
Sleep: Well, I've been sick for two weeks so that's not helping. Otherwise I've been sleeping well.
Best Moment of the Week: Well it was two weeks ago, but seeing him on the ultrasound was so cool. We could see what he looks like! It's amazing there's a full size human baby inside of me. Mindblowing, seriously!
Movement: Lots of movement, lots of hiccups, and it feels like he is trying to climb out the top sometimes. When he does that, I push down really hard on my stomach - trying to tell him, "wrong way baby!"
Gender: boy!
Belly Button in or out: It's still just flat! Looks like it won't be a popper.
General Thoughts:  Trying to be patient. I know he's healthy and getting everything he needs right now. It's hard to wait though :) I'm antsy to meet him, and also to not be pregnant anymore! I'm covered in hives all over my stomach and arms, which I'm told will go away shortly after delivery, so the itching isn't helping my patience level. I know I need to appreciate these last few days of freedom. But honestly, I've been growing this baby for 10 months and I'm ready to hold him and care for him.
Labor Signs: None. NONE! Grrrrr
Wedding ring on or off: off :( 
What I miss: I so miss wearing my wedding rings. Not wearing them for three months has made me fall in love with them again though! I'm looking forward to wearing them again. 
What I am looking forward to: Wine! Holding Bennett in my arms, baby snuggles, seeing Zach become a dad and watching my dad meet Bennett for the first time. I can't wait to see both of their faces.
Nursery: Adorable. Quickly becoming my favorite room in the house. I'm so excited about how cute it turned out! And after receiving the Silhouette Cameo for Christmas, I can't wait to add more details!!
Emotions: Cray cray. That's all!

get this baby outta me!!!!!!!!

Hey, I Like Free Glasses

I've worn glasses for so long, and this year I realized I always buy the same style of frame. When Firmoo contacted me about receiving a free pair, I decided to try something new! 

Firmoo's website has tons of styles to choose from, and you can search by size, material, shape, etc. I had fun browsing through all their frames and even using their virtual try-on feature which was super easy. 

Do you like the frames I chose? My face is SO puffy right now, so I'm excited to see what they look like on my non-water-retaining face ;-) Now that I'm on maternity leave, I have been wearing my glasses a lot more (opposed to putting in my contacts) and I have been really happy with these ones! 

Here's the coolest part, YOU can get a free pair of glasses too, all you have to pay is shipping! Firmoo has an awesome First Pair Free program for all new customers. Zach actually ordered two pairs from them a few months ago using this program, and got two frames with prescription lenses including for his astigmatism, and only ended up paying around $60. Their frames are so reasonably priced that he decided to order two, and we only had to pay for one. Cool, huh?

Head over to Firmoo and browse their selection of frames, choose some for yourself, and easily type in your prescription -- that's all you have to do! My glasses arrived very quickly, came in a sturdy case, and even had a cleaning cloth enclosed. My only issue was that my pupilary distance is lower than they make frames for, but the glasses still fit and work fine. 

*all opinions are my own. I was compensated with a free pair of glasses for writing this post*

Life Lately {life at 9 months pregnant}

Whew. Life at 9 months pregnant is definitely different than any other stage of life I've been in! I get out of breath just trying to stand up from the couch.

I've been meaning to update for awhile, but since getting our iPad (thanks Buddy!) I've neglected my computer all together until today, so I'm just going to do one big fatty post with everything since Thanksgiving.

My parents came down from Seattle which was such a blessing. My sister participated in the Susan G. Komen 3-day walk for breast cancer, and my mom was here that weekend to cheer her on and support her, and Zach and I made it down 2 of the days to see her as well. It was so cool to support her. In 2005, my mom and I signed up for the 3-day because my grandma was fighting breast cancer. She had it previously, was in remission for 17 years, and had been fighting it again for about 3 years. The night before it started, she passed away. Needless to say, it was extremely emotional to walk the next morning. We ended up completing 1 1/2 days before heading north to be with family. In February of this year, we lost my other grandma to complications from Ovarian cancer, so my sister was walking for both of them. I loved getting to cheer her on and be at the closing ceremony with her. Even if I cried like a baby!

Me, mama and Sissy

Cara's flare :)

This is the only picture I could get, but he has pink handcuffs!

Was super cool to see the SD Police show so much support.

After the weekend, my parents headed up to our house, which is a little over an hour from SD. We spent the week doing lots of house projects and baby projects :) It was so helpful to have them here to get stuff done for us!

 

Mom finishing up the bedding.

Dad and Zach putting together the crib

A little preview :) I'll share more as it comes together!

Thanksgiving ended up just being my mom, dad, sister, and me because Zach went to Georgia to be with his family. His grandmother got really sick and was in the ICU, but thankfully she has recovered really well and is back home! 

Here is a picture of my little family.

Who do you think looks like who?

Me and my pretty mama.

My best friend got engaged on December 1st and I am SO EXCITED for her!!! I can't wait for her wedding in May :) And I'm already loving getting to help plan. Ahh wedding planning is so much more fun when it's not your own haha!

Is her ring not BEAUTIFUL?!

Countdown is on!

Zach and I have been just trying to enjoy eachother before Bennett comes and our world as we know it is competely rocked. We've had some 70 degree days and some snow.. interesting weather living on a mountain in San Diego county!

We got to see our little bear on Monday, I was surprised how well we could see his face since he is facing my butt. He is weighing in at 6lbs 9oz which this mama is very pleased with. 

I asked the sonographer if the picture is distorted or if his cheeks are really that big, she just smiled and said, "he's definitely got some cheeks!" I think he's pretty cute, but I could just be biased ;-)

Also, this little bear has been spoiled with some pretty sweet gifts lately! Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to send him a gift, everytime I go to the post office and there is a gift for him I am blown away by the thoughtfulness and generosity of you guys. Seriously, we are so thankful for each and every gift we've received.

B's super cute little hipster outfit from Julie :)

Aaaand I'll leave you with this belly pic collage, because no blog post at almost 39 weeks pregnant would be complete without a few belly shots!!

Lately, Bennett has been getting the hiccups atleast once a day, if not more, and generally when I'm on the phone with my mom. Something about Mima gives him the hiccups I guess! He is most active after lunch and especially from about 10-11:30pm which I don't appreciate when I'm trying to fall asleep. Zach usually falls asleep with his hand on my belly, which I am pretty sure I am going to miss once he's born! It's a sweet habit we've gotten into :) B definitely stays to the right, and gives me a lopsided tummy. He must know I'm talking about him because he just started moving a TON, like my stomach looks like a wave pool. This is cray cray.

I spend my days resting, trying to keep up with the house, and preparing for the little guy. Oh, and watching endless episodes of How I Met Your Mother :)

Until next time!

xox

Let's Be Real for a Minute

Okay, I know I can't be the only one with this problem so I figure why not open up and see if any of you lovely readers can enlighten me?

You see, I love sharing photos via instagram (@misskatieh), facebook, emailing, texting, etc. I have over 3,300 pictures on my phone and I've only had my phone for a year! My friends laugh because no matter what the subject, I usually have a photo on my phone to back up my idea :)

Source: etsy.com via p h o e b e on Pinterest

Lately, I've wanted to share photos of our new amazing home, but I've found myself having to strategically take the pictures. Why, you ask? Because of the neverending tornado that is our home.

Seriously guys, how do you keep your house from becoming a cluttered mess? Maybe I don't clean enough, but I feel like I am always picking something up (which is not so easy these days, mind you, there is a baby in.my.crotch.) and putting it where it belongs. Somedays, I'll admit, I dont do any picking up and then I understand the mess. But other days, I pick things up all day long and when I go to turn out the lights at night.. all I think is "did I just rearrange this mess?? why is it not clean in here?!"

So please...enlighten me. How in the world do you keep your home tidy?! I have to be missing something here!

And yes, I know I'm 9 months pregnant so I do give myself grace. But I've got to figure this out at some point and I'd rather relish in your tidy-advice now so I can try to implement it as I simultaneously learn to become a mother.

This is a very small snipet of the reality of our house. You should see what's behind the tree ;-)

35 1/2 Week Update

This week has been so awesome.. I can't wait to share all about Thanksgiving and getting ready for baby B to arrive :) In the meantime.. here's a belly survey!

big ole belly in my lap!

 

and a silly self picture at my desk.. with my face actually looking less puffy than usual! woohoo!

How Far Along: 35 weeks, 6 days
Size of the Baby: According to my iPhone: 5.25 lbs and 18 inches long or the size of a honeydew melon
Stretch marks: yes :( it's deceiving that you dont get them til the end, because I really didn't think I would have any. I currently hate them and they kill my self esteem.. I won't even let Zach see them.
Sleep: I actually am sleeping pretty well. Seems like the 2nd trimester was my bad one for sleep and the 3rd has been wonderful. I also attest that to our new mattress pad though, have I mentioned how much I loooooooove it!
Best Moment of the Week: Having my mama and dad here working on Bennett's room! And my grandpa got to feel him moving, that was really special to me.
Movement: all.the.time. he honestly only stops moving for a little while, then I take one bite of food and he is wide awake again. I can't believe how much he is affected by my intake of food!
Gender: A little man!
Belly Button in or out: It's just flat. Like really really flat.
General Thoughts:  I'm so anxious to have everything ready. With moving last month I am still trying to get our house settled, let alone the nursery. When I'm at work, all I can think about is how much I have to do at home. When I'm at home, all I can think about is how tired & sore I am. Not a good cycle :) I did get a bunch of projects done with my mom last week - I am so thankful for her help. I just have a couple to finish up & then we need to seriously get the nursery ready for this babe. I'm so so antsy to meet him - I want to know what he looks like - if he'll be chunky or lanky; blonde or brunette or redhead; if I'll recognize his wiggles from being in my belly. I did let myself rest the entire weekend Zach was gone (he unexpectedly went home to Georgia to be with his sick grandmother), I thought about working hard but realized this is the last time I'll have the option of laying on the couch literally all day (which, for the record, I've never done before!) and it felt amazing.
Labor Signs: None so far!
Wedding ring on or off: Off :( I've really been missing it lately. Will make it that much more exciting to wear when I can though!
What I miss: Not feeling so awful all the time. I really didn't understand what a toll pregnancy takes on your body, at all. I have so much more respect for all mamas now! I am not one to deal with pain easily, but there are so many aches and creaks and pinches and crap that is going on, it's ridiculous.
What I am looking forward to: So much! Meeting him, and holding him in my arms; seeing Zach with him; wearing my rings again; being able to comfortably tie my shoes and sit up in bed; feeling settled in our home...
Nursery: Getting so dang close. Just not quite ready though! It's looking so cute though :) 
Emotions: Oh all over the place. I have become extremely irritable and less likely to hold my tongue.. and I've been meeting so many new people lately it's horrible. I can't wait til they get to meet the non-pregnant Katie! I've also had a pretty great self image until these last couple of weeks, the puffy face combined with the stretch marks are totally bringing me down. I know both of those things are totally normal, but still doesn't make it any easier to see on yourself. A few tears have been shed, I'll confidently admit. I know the roller coaster will continue when Bennett is born, but for now I will just keep my chin up for 4ish more weeks until he is in my arms.

Pregnancy Brain Written Out {and my realization all I need is Jesus}

I'm officially 6 1/2 weeks out from my due date, which means I can expect baby anytime between 4-8 weeks from now. Insane, how fast the end of this pregnancy is going. I was just telling Anna that the first half dragged on, I literally thought we would never make it to week 20 let alone 40. Now here I am, almost 34 weeks along .. still confused at whether thats 7 1/2 or 8 1/2 months, and feeling slightly overwhelmed at becoming a mom.

I feel like I should have read more books, learned about boy things, had his nursery ready by now. What if he comes and I slip into post partum depression and all we do is cry? Or what if I get so overwhelmed that I give up on any scheduling and he turns out to be a spoiled baby who gets whatever he wants? What if I'm not good enough?

That last one is my biggest struggle. I've always struggled with not feeling "good enough". Not good enough to have friends when I moved in high school, not good enough to earn my dad's love, not good enough to find a husband, or not good enough to be a great employee. Now, high school is over, I'm almost done working, my dad and I have had some seriously huge changes in our relationship and I never doubt how much he loves & is proud of me, and you can all see how amazing of a husband I have.

But this whole becoming a parent thing, I can't grasp. I felt like I had so much time to prepare, research, read. Now I have just a little over a month left and wonder where this time has gone. I feel like I should have an idea of how I want to structure our days (of course that will be decided by the baby, but I want to have some sort of plan), I feel like I should have a routine ready. I've seen moms with night time routines starting from birth (I know Ashley has a good one), I see moms reading Godly parenting books (Alaina has shared a few), or how about a birth plan (this Ashley had an incredibly detailed one)!

I feel like going into this whole parenting thing blindly is the wrong way to do it. It's the most important thing I'll ever do, and I realize that. I don't want to fall behind, wish I had done something earlier, wish I had known more.

The funny thing is, the entire time I've been writing this post, I can hear the Holy Spirit whispering "ask Me". I guess that's the most important lesson of all, huh? That a mom seeking after Jesus fully is all my baby will need. Maybe that's why I felt prompted to write this all out, so I could hear the Lord telling me to come to him, rather than wonder if I am allowed to take Xanax while pregnant so my mind can calm down.

In Jeremiah the Lord says "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with your whole heart."  Looks like it is time for me to stop watching so much Parenthood and Revenge, and instead open up my Bible and journal and see what the Lord truly has to teach me.

Makes me so thankful that our sweet Jesus is always waiting for me, even when it takes me this long to realize He is all I need to raise this baby boy.

Source: itworksforbobbi.com via Katie on Pinterest

PS thank you to those of you who have been so willing to answer any and all of my questions I've panicked about recently! (Heather, Alaina, Melissa, Jana... thank you)

My Thankful List & Friday's Letters

33 weeks :)

Dear Fall, thank you for finally arriving. My pregnant self appreciates it. Dear Sister, I am so so so proud of you for doing the 3-day walk next weekend! I can't wait to come cheer you on. Dear Bennett, you can't come out yet. It feels like you are trying to climb out my bellybutton and I'm so excited to meet you but you have to stay in just a little bit longer. Dear Face, I can't wait until you're back to your normal size. This whole puffy/swollen thing really does a number on my self esteem. Dear Mom & Dad, I am beyond excited to see you in one week! Dear Meg, Kasey, and Jamie, I am beyond excited to spend tomorrow with you! Keep praying I can get off this mountain safely!

Thankful

This week, I am thankful for a God who loves me unconditionally. I have been overwhelmed by the ways He's answered prayers I didn't even have the strength to pray, yet He heard my heart's cries. The Lord is so faithful.. even when it takes patience on our end. He is working all things for His good and in his perfect timing.

Check out what other people are thankful for at Momma's Me Time :)

This That and the Other

Thoughts that have been running through my head lately that I felt worth documenting : )

• Memory. Foam. Mattress. Pad. Need I say more? Yes, I do need to. My hips have been sore since basically the day I found out I was pregnant. I wake up in the middle of the night with one or both of them tingling/numb, and they ache throughout the day. We invested in a mattress pad this weekend (on super sale from Kohl's, plus I signed up for a credit card so got an additional 20% off!!) and SWEET JESUS that thing is amazing! Not only have I been sleeping through the night since we bought it, my hips haven't even hurt a little! It's like a magic memory foam or something. Who knows, but totally worth the money we spent on it.

• Moving help... I've never really been "in shape" persay, but with tasks that require extra strength I usually can power through. I'm used to being the slow, weak one, but I just tell myself to keep going and I'm good. Well pregnancy is no joke. It's not the same as being out of shape. Yesterday I tried to "power through" the last couple boxes to pack and cleaning our old house... three hours later I could barely walk my lower back hurt so bad. No one scold me - the ladies at camp already did. haha! I am so thankful for friends I feel comfortable enough asking to come over and unpack my house for me. It's not easy to ask someone to do that for you, and the Lord has been so faithful to bless us with quite a few willing hearts lately!

Norman looking out the window, probably at bugs.

• With my due date being in December, our plans of an Atlanta Thanksgiving and Seattle Christmas kind of got interrupted. We didn't think we'd get to see family for either holiday, because both sides will wait to come until Mr Bennett arrives. I've cried many tears about spending both holidays by ourselves, I really wanted to be with family! Unexpectedly, my mom was able to get permission to work 'remotely' since she is expecting her first grandbaby, and she and my dad get to come for the week of Thanksgiving! I am so so so excited to have my mama here to help setup the baby's room!

my little shadow, Hadley.

• We got a new director at camp a few weeks ago, and oh my goodness it has been amazing. He and his family are so much fun, and we've so enjoyed hanging out with them, and I've enjoyed having fun at work again! Also, his wife Jana blogs :) Check out the Mountain Momma! She's a Southern hoot. They're from Texas, so Zach has been having a blast with Micah talking about all their southern shtuff. I'm partial to Southerners since my amazing hubby and his incredible family are from there. :)

Looking down at San Diego from the mountain. It's cool living above the clouds!

• It was 80 degrees on Tuesday, and it's forecasted to snow on Friday. Just sayin'. How do I dress for weather like that?

The Zach Post

Pregnancy has changed a lot of things for me. Mentally, physically, emotionally... but it has also changed my perspective on things.

I take a lot for granted. Something/one huge I noticed this week is my husband. It dawned on me just how incredibly blessed I am to have him. Ever since we started dating, I have always noticed little things that make him "perfect" for me. Now that we've been together almost four years (wow, time flies), those little things are still true, and multiplying.

All too often lately I have trouble sleeping through the night, but more than not I find myself just so overwhelmed with love for Zach. It makes me feel like a big sap, but there have been moments lately where in the middle of the night I just squeeze him as hard as I can and thank the Lord for allowing us to be together.

I have days where I am soo grouchy and short with him, yet he still smiles at me and tells me how much he loves me.

Something we have always said to one another is "you picked me!" It started after we got engaged, and he or I would drive the other one nuts. One time I was being such a brat and Zach just looked at me and said, "You are driving me absolutely crazy today, but I sure do love you." all I responded with is, "you picked me!".

Nowadays, we say both of those phrases a lot to eachother, and that's ok. Because I did pick him, and he did pick me. And sometimes, when I'm being extra difficult, I will stop myself and just say "Thank you for picking me" because he didn't have to. He didn't have to put up with my crazy emotional self and choose to marry me, but he did.

I love how hard Zach works. I get frustrated when I don't feel like I get enough time with him, but bigger than my frustration is my gratitude that Zach gets to work in a job he is passionate about. He absolutely loves his job & loves working at a camp. What a huge blessing that is for us! Because even after a long day at work, he comes home rejuvinated from doing something he loves. He isn't worn out & cranky from stretching himself to do a job he doesn't enjoy, and he still has the energy to put towards our marriage even on long days.


Zach loves helping around the house, and especially since I've been pregnant. He finds joy in doing dishes and taking out trash and cleaning the cat box; not because he necessarily enjoys it, but because he knows how much it means to me. There are days where I spend the majority of my time on the couch and end up feeling like a big slob who is a horrible wife, and instead of making me feel guilty, Zach will rub my back and ask what he can do to help.

Most of all, Zach thinks I am beautiful. He loves when I take time to curl my hair, and always notices when I do my make up differently or try a new nail polish color -- but -- on days where I'm overdue for a shower, have a huge zit on my face, and have swollen, puffy hands and feet, he takes the time to slow down and say, "Katie, you are beautiful." It means the world to me, especially this late in my pregnancy when I feel like a blob. He holds me when I'm at my wits end and lets me cry, listens to my ridiculous complaints, and prays with me for patience and for a renewed heart.


In no way is our marriage perfect, but in every way we are perfect for one another. When I look into Zach's smiling eyes is when I feel like nothing in the world can bring me down. I am so so so thankful for that man, and believe that the Lord shows just how much He loves me through providing a husband who loves me about as close to unconditionally as I'll ever know on this earth.

31 and a half week update!

Whew! It's been so long since I've typed in this pretty little white box :) I've really missed it and I'm dissapointed because I wanted to be better about documenting the little things throughout this pregnancy.

Basically the last month has been filled with baby showers, family, and settling into our new house. Yep, we got to move! Now instead of our little trailer we have a two story beautiful home :) that has pretty much taken up all of my energy, I never realized how truly difficult being pregnant is, its exhausting! In a really good way though.  

A sign I loved in my aunt's house.

The fabric my mama and I picked for Bennett's bedding!

I got to travel up to Seattle and spend time with my amazing family and see tons of friends too! It was so amazingly refreshing. And I got spoiled rotten at both showers. Thank you to those of you who helped out and came! I am so blessed by you.  

Our adorable nephew, Logan.

Zach and sleeping Will.. a preview for when Bennett comes!

Zach's parents, sister & brother-in-law, and nephews got to come out to San Diego this month, and it was so great spending time with them. I fell more in love with our sweet nephews and grew so much more appreciative for my amazing inlaws. Seriously, I scored in the inlaw department.   Other than that, my life has been consumed with thoughts and preparations for Bennett. It's crazy that this little person has completely taken over and he isn't even here yet. I find myself daydreaming about what he'll look like, what his snuggles will feel like, and if he'll wiggle as much out of my belly as he does while he's in there :) I pray for him to have a good temperament and to be a joyful person, to grow up to be strong in the Lord and respectful of others, to have a sense of humor and to be confident. I already love this little boy so much, and I just can't wait to meet him!  

A progression of bump pictures from the last couple of weeks :)

Baby's size:  According to thebump.com, baby is the size of a pineapple! Sleep:  ...I'm sorry, what is that?
Maternity Clothes:  I've snuck in a few sweatshirts and vests that arent maternity, but I am carrying this baby completely in front so non-maternity tops are pretty much not an option at this point
Food cravings:  Still haven't really had any cravings.

 Symptoms I have:  Exhausted, achy back, cranky :)
Labor signs: None yet, although I should start feeling Braxton Hicks contractions anyday!

Stretch Marks: None so far, thankfully. I still attest this to Delighted Momma's stretch mark oil.

Swelling: In my face mostly. My fingers too, but not my ankles yet.
Doctor’s Appointment: I have one today with my ob, and go to a specialist in two weeks. I have a low platelet level so my ob wants me to see a hematologist and then a high risk pregnancy doctor just to make sure everything is alright and also to prepare for what could happen during delivery. Prayers appreciated :)
Movement:  All the time, seriuously this kid doesn't sit still ever. Now he's big enough I can see him moving which is just weird.

Belly Button:   Super flat, not looking like it will pop out though. Best moment of the week: Going through all of the baby things we've gotten, organizing, washing everything, and putting it away :) What I’m looking forward to: Getting Bennett's room painted and setting up his crib and dresser so that it looks like it's ready for him!

What I miss: Being able to bend over without groaning, and putting on my own socks and shoes haha.

And This is Why I Love Where I Live

Sometimes I have those moments. Those moments when I realize just how big God is, how small I am, how insignificant my life is, yet how immensely blessed I am.

Saturday morning I woke up and went to work just like any other day. I wore wedges and eye make up because I was feeling a little frumpy and large with my expanding stomach, and I wanted to feel pretty. I was tired, ready for a day off, and just wanted to get to 5 pm.

Zach ended up working late and we didn't have dinner until 6:30. We sat with a few other staff members, including our director William, and everyone was pretty mellow after a long day. The fire department had put a ban on all campfires due to the Santa Ana winds, so I made sure all the leaders knew that they weren't able to have one that night.

Zach and William decided they would go collect the firewood at the fire rings so that no one would wander down and start a fire. I asked if I could ride along, so we all piled into the 4x4 Gator and headed down. When William learned I had never been to Inspiration Point he said "alright, well lets go for a ride!" I have heard about Inspiration Point, and I knew it was only about a mile behind the office down a simple trail, but I never have taken the time to go there.

We rode down about a mile and a half until we couldn't drive any further and still be able to turn around (we were on the side of a steep dirt hill). Then he said "k, lets hike". Remember where I said I had put on wedges that morning so I could feel pretty..? So I went barefoot :)

We hiked down about another 100 yards until we reached it, Inspiration Point. A rock cliff overlooking acres of dense forest, a creek rumbling below us, and the view of the ocean in the distance. It was beautiful. We sat down on rocks and talked about our hearts for camping, the power of wilderness and taking people out of their every day life, away from cell service. We talked about the future of this camp and the myriad of possibilities. We talked about parenting and raising a Godly son. Being an example and loving the Lord first.

It was wonderful. And it was where I live. I didn't go anywhere else, just took a ride after work. When it got dark, we hiked back up to the Gator and rode back to our house.

As if that wasn't enough of God's glory for one night; a man had set up a deep sky telescope outside our house and we decided to go check it out.

For the following hour, we looked at stars in galaxies outside of galaxies millions of lightyears away. It was absolutely incredible. I can't believe how big our God is yet how small we are and how he loves us. He created such a beautiful world, and so much of it we can't even see with our naked eye. The bible says he knows the number of stars in the sky. While other people were taking turns looking in the telescope, my friend Becca just laid on the asphalt and stared up into the sky. We could see millions of stars. It was so beautiful. We laid there, listened to the sound of night in the woods, and talked about how much God loves us.

It was wonderful... and this is where I live.

24 Week Update

Don't mind my puffy face.. I had just woken up ok :)

Baby's size: 8.5 inches "an ear of corn"

Sleep: Intermittent. Definitely depends on the night! 

 

Maternity Clothes: I think I'm going to delete this question because that's all I can wear now.

Food cravings:  No real cravings, just when I hear something then I have to have it. Like. Now. ex: blue slurpees, banana bread, pretzels with cheese...

 

Symptoms I have:  Tiredness, cramping, really tight belly skin, sore lower back.

Doctor’s Appointment: uneventful, next time I get a TB test and the whooping cough/tetanus shot

Movement: ALL.THE.TIME. I love it. And I love when Zach gets to feel him, and my friends at camp like to feel him. It's my favorite :)

Belly Button:   Very very flat!

Best moment of the week: Probably bursting into hysterical tears at the labor scene in Juno. Zach had no idea what to do with me.

What I’m looking forward to: Moving into our new house!

What I miss: Sleep, wine, not achy back.

I am getting so antsy to meet our little man! We have been so blessed with already receiving thoughtful gifts for him.


Hi  FF friends!