Baby E. 31 Weeks

{32 weeks today!}

Baby E’s Stats

Baby: At one point this week she was labeled as my favorite fruit, pineapple!! Then the app went back to a squash. Seriously I don’t understand the comparisons. But she is now probably over 16 inches & we know she is almost 4 pounds…my little chunker already! All 5 of her senses are working properly and her iris’ now react to light! She’s getting ready for life outside the womb!!!

Sleep: Off & on. It’s getting uncomfortable to roll over in bed, so when my left side goes numb, I dread flipping over.

Clothing: Dresses, leggings, & maxi skirts. This won’t be changing for the next 2 months!!!

Food Cravings/Aversions: I’ve been wanting coffee so bad this week. It’s the weirdest thing. It’s like I went backwards & my body is just learning how to not have it every morning. Luckily church has decaf so I can get my fill, or lots of fills, on Sunday mornings!

Symptoms: Oy. I know most of my pain this week was from moving & trying to do too much. I’ve had a terrible knot in my shoulder for over a week & that has just gotten worse. My feet ache, my legs ache, my back aches. Everything just aches. Guess that’s what happens when you move at 7 months pregnant!

Movement: Felt her first foot in my ribs. And let’s just say it’s not comfortable! M & I love just sitting on the couch watching her squirm around in there!! Sometimes we can’t figure out what she’s doing because the shape of my stomach is so distorted…how in the world does she do it?

Doctor’s Appointment: Every 2 weeks for now! One coming up this week!

Gender: GIRL!! We are overcome with joy! If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. She will be our little Emma.

Best Moment of the Week: E had her first shower! My GLOW/Pearls threw a surprise shower for us after our monthly meeting Saturday! The mother of some of my girls has been planning this for months & it was so sweet. My mom & friends helped too!! The theme was “lil chickie” & everything was planned to a t! It was perfect & just made this baby thing seem so much more real! The girls wrote down their estimates of when E would be born & her weight/length. One of my sweet, sweet girls wrote June 1st!! AHHHH that is way to close for me haha I am not ok with that day! Most of them guessed I would go early, but I think that had to do with them just wanting to meet her!

{Seriously love these girls. Can’t even describe the joy I have knowing how much Emma will be loved by them}

Thoughts: Such a busy, tiring, blessed week! I’ve had so many emotions this week I could probably write a book! Life was happening & it was happening fast. Cleaning, moving, unpacking, cleaning, throwing stuff away, giving stuff away. Just a lot. It’s a good busy though. It’s one I’m embracing right now, because it means I have a home with my husband & I have a home that I can bring my daughter into & feel secure. It’s a really great feeling after such a long time of feeling despair! God is good, I can’t say it enough!!

My photographer (Brittany) forced me to take this weeks pictures outside instead of behind many closed doors! I’m not a shy person by any means…but this tested my boldness for sure! But for those of you who are like me and want to keep a sense of “similarity” to my baby bump pics, I made her snap one in our usual spot to use for the baby book!


 

Baby E. 30 Weeks

{31 weeks today!}

Baby E’s Stats

Baby: She’s still a squash or head of cabbage. I really don’t think these food comparisons really help estimate her size though. She’s supposed to be weighing almost 3 pounds, but we know she is definitely over that weight already & she’s about 15-17 inches long! Her skin is smoothing out & her brain is getting more wrinkled, which is a good thing!

Sleep: Slept great at the beginning of the week & then completely switched to no sleep at the end of the week.

Clothing: Maternity skinny jeans & dresses! Hopefully I’ll make it the next 9 weeks with what I have in my closet, I might start to get indecent towards the end though!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Still loving pepper! Not that this is a craving, but I bought bagged popcorn from Tops for GLOW Jr. & I can’t get enough of it! I know there has to be a ton of chemicals on it to make it taste that good, but I can’t help myself!

Symptoms: The foot swelling wasn’t as terrible this week! I could still see the veins on my feet & my shoes didn’t feel as tight. My sciatic has been acting up again. It’s usually just when I make a sudden movement or try to roll over in bed, so at least it’s not all the time. And I still can’t breathe.

Movement: Her heel is her new favorite body part! I swear that little foot doesn’t stop, she is constantly rubbing her heel down the side of my belly. She’s still a fan of sticking her butt out! Although now when I try to switch sides, she clings to my right side & won’t go with gravity which is so uncomfortable when I’m sleeping.

Doctor’s Appointment: Next week! Then we are down to every 2 weeks!

Gender: GIRL!! We are overcome with joy! If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. She will be our little Emma.

Best Moment of the Week: Emma attended her second GLOW Jr. this weekend! And she even went down the bounce house slide!! Daddy was not happy to hear about that little adventure. HA. I’m definitely not as limber as I thought I was. I think I about flattened the bounce house as I tried to figure out how to get my body over the slide! We also got the keys to our new place, so Emma officially has a home :)

Thoughts: What a week! We found a place & had our keys a week later! It was exciting & emotional all in one. We’ve been waiting a year & a half to be on our own again & it’s finally here! I'll share about all of that later this week, once we are settled. I can’t say it enough, friends, God is so faithful. Even to our undeserving hearts, He provides! I’m so excited to set up my home again & get everything situated before I bring all of E’s things home! She’ll be here so soon & I just want to feel prepared, at least “stuff” wise.

Cute nose & no hair.

She’s already defying her daddy & sucking her thumb! Like I mentioned in my 29 week bump-date, the 3d ultrasound was a mix of weird and awesome! It was so fun to peek into Emma’s world & truly see her features. But it was also odd. Simply because babies don’t look all that “cute” in the womb. At least, I don’t think they do. People tell me she’ll look totally different & others said she’ll look totally the same. I’m not sure what to believe! The technician told us that she has the cutest nose, but couldn’t figure out if it was more my nose or M’s nose. She also let us know that little bean is complete bald. E still has 10 weeks to grow some hair, so we’ll just make our personal predictions on that one.

And yes, she still has large feet & hands. OY!

On top of her 3.6 pound weight, I think we’re gonna have a big girl on our hands! I am a little scared about the tripling her weight between now and due day, but it’s all worth it when she’s in my arms, right? Please, this is where you reassure me :)

Needless to say, we are more excited for June 24th to get here! And so not ready. Story of our lives!

The difference a year can make…

Last Easter…

This Easter.

Besides totally different hair colors, I think I’m noticing something much different! Due to a new dress fail, I had to find something in my closet to wear for Easter this year. And it just so happened that one of the only dresses that fit, was the one I wore last year. It’s funny to see how completely opposite that dress looks in a years time!

Last Easter…

This Easter.

My hubby’s still the most handsome man I know. And I’m looking more plump. But still ghostly white.

And now because those of you who know us in real life, know how much M hates pictures, let me provide you with some progression shots…

I love this man! Can’t believe that in one years time we have changed & grown so much. We are having a baby & that doesn’t even seem real! God is so good. He truly does give us the desires of our hearts & they most certainly are on His schedule, not ours. Such a blessed life I have. May I never take my best friend or our sweet baby girl for granted.

 

Baby E. 29 Weeks

{30 weeks today!!}

Baby E’s Stats

Baby: “Experts” are calling her a squash, which is about 2.5 pounds and 15 inches long. She’s also having bursts of energy because of the muscle growth & the depositing of white fat cells depositing under her skin! Now…let me tell you specifically about my little miss E. Our ultrasound tech said she weighs 3 pounds 6 ounces…{GASP}. According to the method that the baby weight will triple by birth, I’m looking at a 10 pound baby. Ohhh sweet heavens I’m praying she cuts mama some slack and doesn’t really gain that much!!

Sleep: Actually got quite a few decent nights this week!! Besides getting up to use the bathroom & the constant tossing & turning, it was a good week sleep wise.

Clothing: I bought a black maxi skirt for super cheap at Kohls. It’s not maternity but I’m hoping it will work for the next 2 months! The weather is finally getting nicer, so I need to call on some friends to share their longer dresses with me!

Food Cravings/Aversions: I could have pepper on everything. There I said it. I ‘m loving pepper. Weird. And Walmart hot bar now has jalapeño poppers & you better believe I’ll be checking those out daily weekly!

Symptoms: My ankles, feet, & lower legs are so swollen on Sundays & Mondays. Mainly because I’m on my feet all weekend at church. By Tuesday night they look a little more like normal. I’m hoping it stays this way & I’m not a 24 hour cankle queen. I’m still getting Braxton hicks, they aren’t intense at all but they definitely make me stop a minute to catch my breath.

Movement: Still a little mover & shaker!!! I’m not complaining, except for when she decides to set up camp so far on my right side it feels as though my stomach is going to split open. She must be stubborn, because my attempts at getting her to move don’t always work!

Doctor’s Appointment: We had our 3d ultrasound & it was weird & awesome all mixed into one. It was amazing to see her and her features but it also made me feel like she looked a little alienish in there. Sue me if you think I’m crazy, but I really don’t have any better clue about what she will look like when she’s born from the pictures we got! We did find out that she is completely bald still!! I’m calling that a win for now, no fluorescent red curls yet. {I really need to share a pic of the hubby as a baby with you guys sometime!} Besides finding out she weighs in the 65% percentile already, we got the reassurance that she is still growing healthy and strong!

Gender: GIRL!! We are overcome with joy! If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. She will be our little Emma.

Best Moment of the Week: Definitely getting to see Emma!! Yes, even though I have mixed feelings about the “weirdness” of the 3d, it was so fun to peek into her world for a few minutes! When she kicked & I could actually feel it AND see it on the screen, that was the coolest! We also had a pretty powerful God moment this week…—>

Thoughts: This week started off pretty rough again. I have felt like we have been in such a deep pit. Seriously my heart has been messy and screwed up for the past few weeks. I was letting my doubts and stress take over. People were getting concerned & it felt as though, someone was telling me to relax daily. And no it wasn’t always my husband, although he is probably so ready for these hormones to change a little since I cry at the drop of a hat, all he has to do is look at me, ok not even me, just look in general and I’d start crying. It’s annoying. Especially for someone who is already a crier. This has just magnified it. But God, my friends, is constant & everlasting! Through my ugliness, He has shown us that we are almost out of this deep hole. We are almost ready to walk through the light at the end of the tunnel & shut the door on our way out! I’ll share more later this week, but let me just say….we won’t be bringing baby home to live in our car! It’s amazing how even with my doubt & anxiety, God chose to bless us. That He chose to reveal part of our story to us.

{via}

 

Baby E. 28 Weeks

{29 weeks today}

Baby E’s Stats

Baby: They’re calling her an eggplant this week or measuring about over 14 inches from head to feet and weighing over 2 pounds! She can now blink her eyes & her brain is continuing to develop!! Her skin is starting to get smoother due to developing fat!

Sleep: Every night is different. It’s not helping that the hubby has decided to be a blanket & pillow thief in the middle of the night!

Clothing: Leggings, maternity jeans, dresses, and the belly band. I’m on a short rotation of clothes that fit anymore!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Still loving all things sweet! And vinegar!!! And pepper! I think I’m labeling pepper as a craving, I seriously have not been able to get enough of it this entire pregnancy!

Symptoms: Short of breath all the time it seems. I’ll be sitting completely still & suddenly I just can’t catch my breath. She must be pushing on my diaphragm about every 5 minutes! My feet have started swelling…hello cankles.  So not attractive. The leg cramps and back pain are still there, I’m just clearly a pro at dealing with them now.

Movement: Doing crazy weird flips in there! She’s giving my bladder some “friendly” kicks too, which leads to peeing all the time but not really feeling satisfied, ya know what I mean?! If she’s gonna kick there, I at least want her to make it worth while for me to get off the couch and go to the bathroom!

Doctor’s Appointment: We go for our 3d ultrasound on Wednesday!! I can’t wait to see E’s features!! I’m going to cry…that’s a given. And I passed my glucose test. The drink wasn’t that bad really. The shot I had to get for my negative blood type was not fun at all though. The shot didn’t hurt, but the next day certainly did! Doc also decided that my iron has officially dipped lower than she is comfortable with, which means I’m now on an extra iron supplement every day for the rest of my pregnancy. I figured this was coming. I’ve always teetered between anemic and not, so it was only a matter of time before my iron count dropped, especially with little miss taking all of my nutrients. Hopefully this will help with all my lack of energy too!

Gender: GIRL!! We are overcome with joy! If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. She will be our little Emma.

Best Moment of the Week: This was actually a tough week personally for me. If you read this post, you’d see where my heart was. I’m simply going with the assurance that Emma is healthy and strong as my best moment. God is certainly giving me a peace about her.

Thoughts: We are getting into crunch time! Almost to a single digit countdown & I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling a little, ok a lot overwhelmed about her arrival. I feel so unprepared. Everyone tells me that’s normal and that the feeling will change once I have my baby shower. Like somehow having all of that stuff will ease my nerves about bringing a baby into the world when right now we have no idea where we’ll be living or what job M will have. I’m sure I’ll feel more prepared to “care” for her, but not sure if the feeling of confidence will come until God reveals His plan for us.

This picture makes me feel like somebody stuck a basketball up my shirt. I can’t even handle when I catch my reflection in the mirror! It doesn't seem like my body! When I stand like this I feel so much bigger than when I am holding my belly!

Friday’s Letters

{15 weeks, 21 weeks, 27 weeks}

Dear Body, You just continue to “amaze” me with your growth. Everyone keeps telling me I’m all belly & if that’s what they see when they look at me, I’ll take it. I , on the other hand, see a whole lot more than just belly. But isn’t that the way it goes? I’m just happy that E is growing healthy in there! Dear Husband, I love you. I am so proud of you & I don’t think I tell you that often enough. I am blessed by how hard your working at getting us on our own again & I know that God is going to bless your faithfulness. Dear God, I will trust YOU. I will trust YOU. I will trust YOU. I am repeating that to myself hourly, sometimes even every minute. Sometimes the valleys just seem so deep & it’s all I can do to let go. BUT I know you are the author & I am a daughter of the king who simply needs to be patient with your timeline.  Dear Sunshine, FINALLY! It’s about time you showed your face around these parts again. I was beginning to wonder if you had disappeared forever. Now if you could radiate about 70 degree heat, I wouldn’t be mad about it. Dear E, You have had the hiccups all morning. And when you aren’t hiccupping your giving me some hefty jabs! I love them all, really I do, but could you try avoiding my bladder? Feeling about to tinkle my pants when you kick me there just isn’t much fun! Dear Family, You’ve been in Florida all year..ok so just for this week but the need to tell me its 85 and sunny there isn’t really necessary is it? I mean I’m glad for you, but it doesn’t help that we are just now seeing the sun & you’ve been gone since last Wednesday. Hopefully you bring back real sunshine and warmth instead of just a can that pretends to hold it. Dear Friends, If you didn’t have a chance to worship and hear truth this past Easter, go here. My pastor is more than willing to share with you the powerful good news that God sent His Son for You.

Happy weekend lovelies.

 

Today.

I was going to share pictures of my Easter & talk about how amazing the weekend at church was, but sometimes I just need to be honest with you.

Sometimes I just need to keep the happy pictures to myself for another day.

Sometimes I just need to ask you all to pray.

via

I am, as my husband tells me, battling my fleshly spirit. I’m letting it overshadow what the Lord has in store for us.

He’s right. Completely, 100% right.

Just when I think everything is figured out & there is a sun peeking through the dark clouds, the ground gives way & I’m left feeling as though I’m sinking. It’s a feeling that is totally avoidable when I truly place my trust in God.

When I realize that…

I’m not in control. I will never be IN control. Why? Because my Savior is the one that holds my story.

The emotional roller coaster we are on is going to end. Rides always end. The highs we just felt 24 hours ago to the lows we are feeling now, I know that God is not through with writing my story.

But right this second, I’m battling the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and worry. Just being honest. It’s not pretty in my heart.

Still, I’m holding on, with the promise that my God does not fail. He does not make mistakes. He always knows what He’s doing.

Baby E. 27 Weeks

{28 weeks today}

Baby E’s Stats

Baby: Little miss is the size of a rutabaga. I don’t even know what that is, but it’s over 14 inches long & possibly weighs over 2 pounds! She’s breathing, practicing her inhaling & exhaling!! And her brain is pretty active!

Sleep: Still hit or miss every night. Some nights I’m getting a solid 5 hours and other nights I am up every 2 hours staring at the clock.

Clothing: Hah. I bought a dress for Easter way back in January. Bought it in a size up. Put it on & it doesn’t fit. It’s too big yet too short. So after destroying my closet, I realized that I’m in serious trouble when the weather warms up & I can’t wear leggings under all of my dresses, cuz wowza they are short short short!!

Food Cravings/Aversions: Such a sweet tooth!! I want all things chocolate & sweet, which isn’t good since my glucose test is coming up!

Symptoms: Still getting short of breath all of the time. My doctor said it has to do with how short my torso is & how E is squishing everything. I can be at complete rest & I'll feel breathless…it’s not at all cool. Back & tailbone haven’t been as bad this week, but my legs are still getting achy at night.

Movement: Little gymnast or karate star in there!!!

Doctor’s Appointment: Had one this week & everything looked great! My midwife doesn’t have any concerns & I was shocked to see how much weight I had gained in 5 weeks but it’s still on track! We scheduled a 3d ultrasound & have one more appointment until we are down to every 2 weeks!! Ahh so close!

Gender: GIRL!! We are overcome with joy! If you missed our announcement, you can see it here. She will be our little Emma.

Best Moment of the Week: Mr. had Thursday off & we got to relax. I’m a go go go type of person & obviously that’s not a great trait when you’re pregnant so it was nice that my homebody husband made me stay in my jammies until 1 in the afternoon & just chill out! It’s always a bonus when we get to spend time together, just us!!!

Thoughts: With the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, I can’t help but feel incredibly overwhelmed about becoming a mom. Mary had to watch her son be crucified & beaten, knowing that this was the plan for him since he was born. I really can’t get my mind around the thought of that. The pain & despair she must have felt, even with the promise that God had given. I don’t think parents truly understand the sacrificial love that God has for us. There are no strings attached. I pray that the love I have for Emma is even a quarter of what my Heavenly Father feels for me.