"Dear God, thank you for Mommy. Thank you for daddy. Thank you for the table."
I melted.
She said it after David prayed and then I prayed as we lit the fourth candle on our Advent wreath. She said she wanted to pray and that's what she said.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
This season, and by that I mean the Christmas season, can get really busy really fast. There are so many parties to attend, dishes to prepare, gifts to purchase and wrap and family obligations to fulfill. This year I have really tried to keep it simple. Minimal gifts, some handmade, and all from the heart. I desire to keep it simple because I don't want to lose the meaning or the purpose of why it is I do all of this. I want to be motivated by celebration at the coming of my King rather than because I'm supposed to. I have tried to enjoy all of the preparations for Christmas this year and I honestly have. Decorating the house has been a joy when I see my sweet daughter light up when she sees it all put together. Baking and cooking has been fun too because I have two little helping hands eager to go!
What I'm saying is that I have really loved getting ready for the birth of Christ this year, even more than normal. Emaline Joy helps me see the meaning and wonder in all of the stuff we do.
What I'm saying is that I have really loved getting ready for the birth of Christ this year, even more than normal. Emaline Joy helps me see the meaning and wonder in all of the stuff we do.
Monday, December 12, 2011
The 3rd trimester!
I am now in my third trimester! In 8-13 weeks or so I will be meeting this wee one! Here is an update on how it's all going for me and baby.
How I'm feeling: Overall, pretty great. It's getting harder to bend over, shave my legs and carry Emaline for long, but no real complaints. Sleeping is also tough with a burgeoning belly, numb hands from blood supply getting cut off and having to pee all the time, but I can handle it.
Weight Gain: 14.8 pounds. Already 3 pounds more than I gained with Em! This is a good thing though. I will say it pushed me over that unmentionable number on the scale and that was hard to swallow, but hey, the kid is healthy and so am I. It'll come off. Now's not the time to worry about it. I had a thought: why worry about the number on the scale but rather concern myself with impeccable nutrition and let the numbers be what they will. So far so good!
Overall health of us: Fab. My sugar is still normal (unless I eat something stupid...like a soft pretzel...ooops!) and I am so happy about that! Blood pressure is still hanging out around 112/64 which is waaaaay better than last time. Baby has a heartbeat of 144-152 beat per minute and feels normal, even though my uterus is measuring large. My MW says that's most likely because i have an anterior placenta and because this is my 2nd baby. I have another ultrasound at 34 weeks to check on things with my placenta to make sure it's not too low for a vaginal delivery. It was right on the line for being too close to my incision sight so I need ti have it checked once more. I wish I didn't need to, but I'll do what I need to do. Baby is kicking right now! Baby is also laying in a transverse position, but I'm confident he/she will turn head down in a few weeks. Em was just like this. I'm seeing a chiropractor too and that should help with positioning.
VBAC: I'm still planning for a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and really believe that's the best decision at this time. As long as everything goes as planned I feel like this is the safest option. I've done a tremendous amount of research and feel really good about it. It's not a one size fits all decision and I think women should have access to the kind of birth they want in most scenarios...but that's another blog for another day.
Cravings: PEANUT BUTTER.
I think that sums it up. I feel great and really love being pregnant. It's a miracle.
How I'm feeling: Overall, pretty great. It's getting harder to bend over, shave my legs and carry Emaline for long, but no real complaints. Sleeping is also tough with a burgeoning belly, numb hands from blood supply getting cut off and having to pee all the time, but I can handle it.
Weight Gain: 14.8 pounds. Already 3 pounds more than I gained with Em! This is a good thing though. I will say it pushed me over that unmentionable number on the scale and that was hard to swallow, but hey, the kid is healthy and so am I. It'll come off. Now's not the time to worry about it. I had a thought: why worry about the number on the scale but rather concern myself with impeccable nutrition and let the numbers be what they will. So far so good!
Overall health of us: Fab. My sugar is still normal (unless I eat something stupid...like a soft pretzel...ooops!) and I am so happy about that! Blood pressure is still hanging out around 112/64 which is waaaaay better than last time. Baby has a heartbeat of 144-152 beat per minute and feels normal, even though my uterus is measuring large. My MW says that's most likely because i have an anterior placenta and because this is my 2nd baby. I have another ultrasound at 34 weeks to check on things with my placenta to make sure it's not too low for a vaginal delivery. It was right on the line for being too close to my incision sight so I need ti have it checked once more. I wish I didn't need to, but I'll do what I need to do. Baby is kicking right now! Baby is also laying in a transverse position, but I'm confident he/she will turn head down in a few weeks. Em was just like this. I'm seeing a chiropractor too and that should help with positioning.
VBAC: I'm still planning for a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and really believe that's the best decision at this time. As long as everything goes as planned I feel like this is the safest option. I've done a tremendous amount of research and feel really good about it. It's not a one size fits all decision and I think women should have access to the kind of birth they want in most scenarios...but that's another blog for another day.
Cravings: PEANUT BUTTER.
I think that sums it up. I feel great and really love being pregnant. It's a miracle.
Food and Christmas
Food and Christmas are apparently linked together in my brain. The two go together like peanut butter and jelly to me. This year has been especially difficult for me because I have been forced to separate them, and it kinda ticks me off! I know that Christmas is about Jesus and the anticipation of his coming, and not cookies and the like. So then why do I feel like I can't really celebrate the coming Christ child because I can't eat all the yummy treats? Silly as it seems I can't help myself from feeling like I'm missing something.
I know I have food addiction issues. I have worked hard for a long time to break free, and in many ways I feel like I have a lot more freedom. Three years ago I would've said "Screw it! It's Christmas time! Eat all you want and don't think about it!" I would have listened...and been probably more miserable later on. I guess I just get tired of fighting and want to have a time where I can just let my guard down. Now is not the time for that though. I have to watch every morsel I eat because I am being closely monitored for gestational diabetes. Praise God I don't have it, but if I were to eat a bunch of cookies, bread or potatoes it wouldn't be a weeks time and I would need medicine. I have to stick with protein, vegetables and whole grains...or else.
Sigh. I'm so thankful that I don't need the help of pills to control my sugar and that I'm so much healthier this time. I just wanted to rant a minute and tell cyberspace just how annoying it is to not be able to eat what you want during this season of Christmas. Instead I am focusing on watching the wonder of this time reflected through the eyes of my sweet girl. She loves the lights, her little people Nativity scene and the way everything is decorated. She enjoys reading books and lighting the candles and doing fun activities with her family. She makes me smile everyday and my heart feels so much joy. That's more than enough.
Then there's this baby that I'm already in love with. With every sweet little kick I smile and count my blessings. I have been given a tremendous gift and refuse to take it for granted. I know so many women who have a miserable time trying to conceive and then carry a baby to full-term. That realization has made me grateful for each day of pregnancy, even when it's tough and uncomfortable. For that gift I will forgo the sugar and carbs. WORTH IT.
I know I have food addiction issues. I have worked hard for a long time to break free, and in many ways I feel like I have a lot more freedom. Three years ago I would've said "Screw it! It's Christmas time! Eat all you want and don't think about it!" I would have listened...and been probably more miserable later on. I guess I just get tired of fighting and want to have a time where I can just let my guard down. Now is not the time for that though. I have to watch every morsel I eat because I am being closely monitored for gestational diabetes. Praise God I don't have it, but if I were to eat a bunch of cookies, bread or potatoes it wouldn't be a weeks time and I would need medicine. I have to stick with protein, vegetables and whole grains...or else.
Sigh. I'm so thankful that I don't need the help of pills to control my sugar and that I'm so much healthier this time. I just wanted to rant a minute and tell cyberspace just how annoying it is to not be able to eat what you want during this season of Christmas. Instead I am focusing on watching the wonder of this time reflected through the eyes of my sweet girl. She loves the lights, her little people Nativity scene and the way everything is decorated. She enjoys reading books and lighting the candles and doing fun activities with her family. She makes me smile everyday and my heart feels so much joy. That's more than enough.
Then there's this baby that I'm already in love with. With every sweet little kick I smile and count my blessings. I have been given a tremendous gift and refuse to take it for granted. I know so many women who have a miserable time trying to conceive and then carry a baby to full-term. That realization has made me grateful for each day of pregnancy, even when it's tough and uncomfortable. For that gift I will forgo the sugar and carbs. WORTH IT.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Make new friends, but keep the old...
...one is silver and the others gold. I remember singing this song in Girl Scouts Troop 1387 when I was younger and lately it has been on loop in my head as I have made a lot of new friends in the last year or so. With starting a weight loss program at the Y and starting graduate school I have been introduced to a lot of new people. My parents have often told me throughout the years that I am a "career friend'. What they mean (because I have asked) is that I have a full-time job just maintaining my personal relationships. Amen to that!
I have wonderful friends, I always have. Recently I have made two new "everyday" friends that have been so encouraging and life giving to me and I am blessed to have them. So blessed that I don't like that the song would call them silver!
This week I have also been reminded how loved and supported I am by some of my "old" friends. Not everyone has relationships that are rich and meaningful and I strive not to take these relationships for granted.
I have wonderful friends, I always have. Recently I have made two new "everyday" friends that have been so encouraging and life giving to me and I am blessed to have them. So blessed that I don't like that the song would call them silver!
This week I have also been reminded how loved and supported I am by some of my "old" friends. Not everyone has relationships that are rich and meaningful and I strive not to take these relationships for granted.
Marathon
Yesterday I completed my 2nd half marathon! This year my friend Elisha and I walked it, and we're both pregnant. She is 34 weeks and I am 21. It was tough, but so worth it. I love to challenge myself and to feel the sense of accomplishment, strength and even pain makes me feel more alive, like I am testing the limits or something. I think that must be why 17,000 people ran or walked in the half or full marathon yesterday.
I have several friends who ran the full 26.2 for the first time yesterday and they all finished! WOW! I was inspired in new ways by all of them. Some of them have been my partners in weight loss, and one has been a friend for over 10 years and is now a neighbor. Each of them ran the race for a different reason and all of them worked through injuries, distractions and negativity to get to the start line and then the finish line.
I find marathons to be emotional. To watch someone achieve something they had worked so hard for makes me cry. I know that kind of work and determination, and I have been changed by it. Silly as it may seem, I see God in it. He made us and made our bodies that can withstand so much, but are still so fragile. When I saw friends running across the line or in the race I was overcome. To a lot of people running that far seems stupid to say the least. What's the point? Is it worth the time, money and energy? Aren't there better things to put your time into? Yet for those of us out there that have tasted and seen the power God put within us in this way it makes sense.
26.2? Someday.
I have several friends who ran the full 26.2 for the first time yesterday and they all finished! WOW! I was inspired in new ways by all of them. Some of them have been my partners in weight loss, and one has been a friend for over 10 years and is now a neighbor. Each of them ran the race for a different reason and all of them worked through injuries, distractions and negativity to get to the start line and then the finish line.
I find marathons to be emotional. To watch someone achieve something they had worked so hard for makes me cry. I know that kind of work and determination, and I have been changed by it. Silly as it may seem, I see God in it. He made us and made our bodies that can withstand so much, but are still so fragile. When I saw friends running across the line or in the race I was overcome. To a lot of people running that far seems stupid to say the least. What's the point? Is it worth the time, money and energy? Aren't there better things to put your time into? Yet for those of us out there that have tasted and seen the power God put within us in this way it makes sense.
26.2? Someday.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Gender, part 2
We have chosen not to find out the gender of this baby. While I'm excited about the surprise of it all, I'd be lying if I said I'm 100% happy about that choice right now.
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