twenty-one

The highlight of week twenty-one so far was the wonderful shower/get together that I had with my preschool moms last night!  We all had dinner at my favorite place in Carmel and cake from my favorite bakery and I got to hang out with my favorite moms!!  What could be better?!  Any teacher will tell you that they understand their kiddos better after meeting their parents.  The same is true of my kiddos this year.  It is so obvious why they are all so amazing, they have amazing parents!!

So now we have even more awesomeness for baby us.  And the best part- almost every gift was a wonderful hand-me-down or organic gift!  Our baby will be leaving a tiny footprint on the Earth with it's tiny feet :)  Thanks moms, for supporting our weirdness :D

Other than that, nothing notably cool has been going on.  We're getting pumped about heading to San Diego to celebrate our anniversary this weekend.  Three years of marriage!  It's crazy how it seems like yesterday that we got married, but at the same time, it's like this is how it's always been :)

Today I began (trying) to organize some of the baby stuff in our tiny apartment.  I began by gathering a HUGE box and labeling it "Clothes Jessica can't wear until she's no longer pregnant...and is sick of looking longingly at" and filled it with just that.  It really opened up a lot of space in the closet!!  So that section is being filled up with sweet baby clothes and gifts from friends and fam :)

Here are some pics to illustrate my reasoning for limiting my closet:

I can't help but laugh at my own crazy face in this pic! haha, I took this one before work one morning to send to my mom :)

And a more close-up look.  

I've now gained 11 lbs. since I got preggo.  Someone told me today that I shouldn't worry because my legs still look like toothpicks (uhhh....thanks????), but I'm not too worried.  I figure that's about right for half way.  Anyway, I've got a cantelope (or camelope as one of my all-time fave kiddos would say) in my belly.  :)

Twenty!!

Week twenty started off with a jolt.  Literally. I was stopped at a redlight on my way to work and was rear-ended.  The car is fine (because Elly, the Element, is a beast), but I was completely freaked out about baby us.  I was super nauseated (I found out later because of the adrenaline) and after the police came and the insurance info was exchanged I drove home and just sat in our parking lot for a minute.  I put my hand on my belly and baby us started to kick.  I couldn't help but smile and cry and start praying.  I thanked God that we were okay and that He showed me once again that I should be trusting Him, as He is in control :)

The weekend just got awesome after that!  I graduated, or so they tell me, on Saturday.  That was another one of God's gifts.  There's no way I could have gotten a two-year graduate degree in one year while working 2-3 jobs AND pregnant if it wasn't by His grace....and John's patience with me losing my mind at times :)  To celebrate we went to San Francisco with our friends and toured Alcatraz before having a wonderful dinner overlooking the city.  If you go to Grandviews, I highly recommend the crab cakes!

Hubz, me and my big ole belly

A super-cool pic John took in our hotel

For Mother's Day my husband surprised me with some TOMS sunglasses!!!  As you may know, I love, LoVe, LOVE TOMS shoes.  The company gives a pair of shoes to those in need when you purchase a pair, they call it one for one.  Well, their sunglasses work in much the same way.  When you get a pair of shades from TOMS they give sight by means of surgeries, glasses, etc. to someone in need in a poor country.  Sadly, I'm one of those people that break sunglasses on a regular basis, so I couldn't justify spending the money (they're not cheap!) on some TOMS.  But Huberoosky did.  He used the money he's been saving from selling off his sports gear he no longer uses and then sneakily had them sent to a friend's house so he could surprise me.  I was pretty shocked, as we had agreed not to get each other Mom and Dad gifts until after the baby came.  You know, that whole "we have a baby and a house to save for" bit. The best part was the way he wrapped it all up :)

My TOMS shades!!

My card, folded into an origami flower.  Can I say coolest Hubz EVER?!

Monday we had our 20 week appointment.  To be honest, we didn't get any great pics.  There's one of his or her foot that is pretty cute if you can figure out what it is.  I found this pic on the internet that just wowed me so I thought I'd share it instead.  This is a baby that was born at 21 weeks and actually made it!! What a miracle!! And look how tiny it's little feet are!!

 For those of you that were anticipating the ultrasound pics so that you could decipher for yourself what the sex is, it wouldn't have done you any good anyway.  Baby us had its knees pulled up to its chin so even the doc doesn't know if we're having a boy or girl yet.  But the good news is she said our baby is perfect!! :)

In other news, the preparation is coming along swimmingly!  Our living room is currently filling up with awesome gifts from friends and family and we've just got the information packet from our diaper service we're planning to use!!  It turns out that not only is using our diaper service going to be way better for the planet, it's going to be cheaper than using disposables too!!  Yaay for a healthier baby, healthier world, and healthier wallet!!  Here's a pic that was included in the packet.  It really hits home!!

You probably can't read the sign, but it says, "2 years worth of disposable diapers 6-10,000 diapers for 1 baby over a diapering period vs. 2 years worth of cloth diapers for 1 baby.  YOU DECIDE!"  It's crazy if you think about it.  Most people these days don't potty train their kids until closer to age 3, so that right side pile would be even bigger!  Of course, the cloth side would stay the same because you only buy them once :)

I often get a lot of "interesting" :) comments from people when talking about my future parenting choices, such as cloth diapers.  For those questioning whether cloth might be right for them here is an awesome post I found about how unhealthy disposables can be for your kiddo http://allaboutclothdiapers.com/why-choose-cloth-diapers-health-reasons/  

19

Baby stats this week:

•  Kicking!!  The baby is kicking like crazy now!!  Hubz has gotten to feel it as well!  So far it seems that baby us loves music and southern food.  At least, this is when we get the most baby action going.  Last night I cooked one of my favorite country meals and baby us did an actual FLIP in my belly!! (It was cool, but kinda hurt!) So let's get some fried potatoes on the table and Elvis in the background.  This is truly a child after my own heart :)
• Fruit size:  Mango, but only for a couple more days.  Friday, (2 more days) I think we are supposed to hit cantelope status!!!  Right now it's 6 1/2" long and 10 oz!
• Monday we have our 20 week appointment!  We have the option to find out the sex, although we won't.  (Man, it's tempting sometimes).  However, I am excited to see our kiddo again!

Mommy stats this week:

• Carpal Tunnel is better!!  This is completely due to the power of prayer!!  Last week I had no issues with my hand/wrist/arm and was able to finish the last of my papers for school!  I did have one incident when I got up in the middle of the night and my whole arm was numb (I had a real time trying to use the bathroom and wash my hands at 2 AM with one numb arm!!) and yesterday the other arm started hurting. Ugh.  But at least I was able to get work done!!  Praise God!
• Belly- Comments range these days from "Wow, starting to show huh?" to "Teacher Jessica, your belly is getting so BIG and FAT!!!"  (gotta love 4 year-olds).  I still have one pair of yoga pants that fit, so that keeps me happy.
• Baby stuff!! We've already been getting awesome gifts for the baby delivered from friends and family!  We feel SO thankful and SO blessed!! I don't know about you, but when I first saw the list of stuff you have to buy to have a kid, I wanted to cry!! (I'm pretty sure I did, but we'll blame it on hormones).  Now we have boxes piled up in our tiny living room just waiting to be opened upon the arrival of the future President (that's what I've been calling baby us lately). 

Overall, week 19 has rocked!!  I can't wait to see our baby in week 20 and introduce him or her (or at least introduce my big belly) to our family in week 23, when we get to visit Tennesseee!!

18

 Right now we're 18 weeks into our pregnancy.  The baby is the size of a mango!! (about 6 inches long and half a pound!)  You can definitely see that it's getting bigger by my bump!

This week there were some definite joys and issues.  The first was the amazing joy of feeling our baby move!  Baby us was pretty active this week.  I first felt it after a huge sneeze.  He or she started kicking like crazy as if to say, "Hey, Mama, I don't like that!!"  Then again in yoga class and one night while watching a documentary on climate change.  The movie was making me so sad, seeing how global warming is affecting polar bears and their babies.  That's when our little baby starting moving around.  I took this as proof that baby us is as passionate about environmental issues as we are :)  Already upset about climate change and not even born yet?!- I can't wait to see the amazing ways our child is going to change the world!!

The biggest negative this week is pictured below.  Pregnancy-induced carpal tunnel syndrome.

See how nasty and swollen my hand/arm is?!  UGGH!  My plan for this weekend was to finish my last two papers for my class.  This is the LAST CLASS for my Education Specialist degree.  Unfortunately this craziness started Thursday.  It probably didn't help that I lifted weights in my workout and then went to yoga that night. This picture was taken yesterday.  This was after 2 nights of barely sleeping from being so uncomfortable.  I never took carpal tunnel seriously, but this mess hurts!!!  My hand and arm throbbed for two days straight!  It was worse at night and in the morning (something about the blood flow makes this the case). After resting, icing, heating, and elevating for two days I'm finally able to type this in short spurts throughout the day.  (And cook, brush my teeth well, dress myself, open doors, and all the other junk I couldn't really do for two days).  I'm glad it's easing off, but I read in my baby books and on the Mayo clinic site that this will be ongoing until after the baby is born.  So the work I was hoping to finish up in a few days is now going to have to be spread out over the course of quite a few days.  C'est la vie.

I suppose the biggest thing for me this week (and most weeks) is determining God's lessons for me through pregnancy.  I get so frustrated at times because I feel like I'm supposed to say that pregnancy is beautiful and I love every minute of it (like most women I know do) or frustrated that I can't do the normal everyday things I did before (like, I dunno, wear my jeans, have the energy to work 2 jobs, keep the house clean and get in a good 3 mile run, or sleep without a throbbing swollen ugly hand).  The truth... is pregnancy kinda sucks.  Why doesn't anyone tell you that?

But, enough whining and back to the point.  God's lessons.  I know that Hebrews 12:11 tells us, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."  I know that God is using every little bit of this 9-10 months to prepare me for the most important job there is.  I know that, and I am grateful for the honor. So, I'm trying to find the purpose in each frustration.  And, I'm working on thanking God for the discipline!

17

There are two reminders we keep on our bathroom mirror. They are basically the sum of the reason our marriage works.

 The first reminder says, "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." 1 Corinthians 4:2 I found this verse in college and it has basically been my life mantra. I really try not to take the Lord's gifts for granted. I knew having the opportunity to go to college was a true gift from God. He had entrusted me with an opportunity that very few in my family had ever had, and I was determined to prove faithful and to value that gift with everything. I feel the same way about being eco. That the Lord entrusted us with this planet, so we are to prove faithful to it. That's why being green, to me, means being a good steward and Christian. The same is true of my students in my class, my educational opportunities, and most certainly, my marriage. I know what an incredible blessing it is to have a good marriage. I also know that the Lord has entrusted me with the happiness and love of an extraordinary person. I keep that verse up to remind myself every day that God gave me this man to love and cherish, and that He expects me to prove faithful to such a responsibility. That's how I feel about having a baby too. I know how incredibly difficult it is for some women to have children. I know that some never do. I also know that God would not have entrusted me with this (future President, next Billy Graham, missionary, curer of cancer) if He didn't expect me to prove faithful to the honor of having it.

 The other reminder on our mirror is pretty much the reason I'm not losing my mind being pregnant. It says, "Words are important. Words are important. Words are important." John put those words up for himself. Shortly after our first year of marriage we read the 5 Love Languages. We never could figure out what John's love language is (either I'm doing an awesome job and he's never felt unloved, or he's an incredibly secure and happy person ALL the time. Could be a little of both ;). ) My love language is apparently words of affirmation. As pathetic and shallow as it may sound, it turns out I need to hear that I'm great to believe it. That is especially true now. Mostly these days I'm tired and unproductive, and still freaking out over the rapid growth of my stomach. Luckily, the hubz realizes that I just need someone to tell me it's all okay and I'm still pretty and a good wife, teacher, friend, student, etc. And when he does I feel at peace again. I'm not sure if it's what he says, or more so that someone like him thinks these things about someone like me that really does the trick. Either way, it totally works for us. 

Sometimes when I start getting all freaked out about how having a baby is going to change our lives so drastically, I think about these reminders and how it just seems that they can be true in any situation we encounter. I suppose we'll find a system with "baby us" that works for us too. We'll figure out how to all take care of each other.

Sweet 16

Sorry I skipped last week, but between Easter, nothing blog-worthy to talk about and my belly pics (in my Easter dress!) getting deleted, I just decided to wait for this week.

So this week we had another OB appointment. It was kinda lame. We got to hear the heartbeat, but I was really hoping to see our little cutie (who is the size of an avacado) again. Also, the midwife always wants to talk about what's troubling me. It feels much like therapy. This week we discussed the panic I sometimes get into when thinking about being a stay-home mom. Not that I don't want to be there for my child, and I know it's the best thing to have that kind of consistency in such a non-consistent life like the military, but I've been working non-stop since I was 13. Working only one job feels foreign. It's my hobby, and passion, will being a wife and mother be enough for me? Or will I be a grouchy pants everyday? These are my worries.

Hubz doesn't seem to have any worries. He's cool as a cucumber. He says he'll probably start freaking out as we're driving to the hospital :)

Baby wise, everything still looks great. No issues this week, and I'm feeling good! I even gained another pound!



Oh yeah, this is all 123 lbs. of baby incubator right here!!

I know what you are thinking, "Wow! Jess really stepped up the game on the photos this week!", but really it's all the Hubberoosky. He's gotten super into photoshop lately and taking HDR photos (I can't totally explain what this is). He's got some really amazing shots!

After the appointment in Santa Cruz we had a little date night in town and on our way home we stopped in this strawberry patch for some pics. It's pretty handy having an awesome photographer at my disposal ;)

3.5 months!

Yup, that's right, we're at 14 weeks. Geez! The whole first trimester I felt like this pregnancy deal is taking FOREVER! I just want to meet our teeny tiny little baby!! But now I'm thinking, holy cow! 14 weeks already?! I'm sure this is probably one of those things that changes back and forth.

This week I did gain a pound. Yaay! I could tell because this is the week that my pants stopped buttoning. (not a yaay). It makes sense though, because baby us is now the size of a navel orange!! I didn't quite realize how big that was until we got our CSA box this week and had some navel oranges in them.

No wonder my pants won't button!

Let's see...the good and bad of this week. Definitely the worst part of this week was Tuesday. I blacked out at work. Never a good thing. My doctor said I've been doing too much, although I credit the episode more to blood sugar. However, it was a pretty hectic day and I had been pushing myself in workouts the two days before. Anyway, it was quite a wake up call! I quit my behavioral therapist job, so now I'm just working one job (and just a two-hour tutoring deal on the side) and I'm only taking one class for my doctorate this quarter. Hopefully this cut-back and adding some more protein to my diet will prevent that from happening again. YIKES!

The good, or best part of this week was that my hubz came home from his trip to the Grand Canyon! I'm sure most women feel this way, but I I just don't function the same without him here. Life is well...dull without him. I'm sure this is partially because I'm so insanely in love with him, but part of it is well, frankly, I have an awesome husband! I've included a short video of him here to demonstrate just how lovable he is ;)



Hahaha! Isn't he silly?!
We went to play racquetball today, which I'll admit is a bit more challenging for me these days as I really can't jump or reach far for the ball. I'm not supposed to twist my torso and I'm really slow when it comes to running after the ball. This video is Hubber's depiction of my pregnant racquetball skills. *eyeroll* He cracks me right up! :D