22w4d

Rain, rain go away! We have been spoiled with all of the beautiful weather we've enjoyed lately, but now April showers are making their appearance unfortunately. :(

Saturday was just as nice as Friday. I had to teach another training class to the foster parents early that morning. I got to leave when it was over at 11, but they had to stay there all day for two other trainings. After eating lunch, Gregg and I did our grocery shopping. Then with the few hours remaining of daylight, we went to the park to do some geocaching. This is Gregg's new favorite hobby. I admit I'm not that much into it, but I enjoy spending time with him as he searches for caches in sometimes the most conspicuous of places. We took Tess along, and she was very happy to sniff around and try to play with the other dogs. As it turns out, we only found one of the three caches hidden in the park, but it was still fun to walk around. There were a lot of families with small children, having picnics and playing on the playground. I can't wait to go there with our little boy some day in the not too distant future.

On Sunday it poured cats and dogs. After church and a quick snack we met Gregg's parents, who were on their way back to NJ after visiting the grand kids in North Carolina, for a late lunch. We pretty much sat around and watched tv for the rest of the evening since it was so yucky out.

This morning I had another routine prenatal check-up. The doctor went over the results of my ultrasound on the 4th, and everything is normal with baby. At the time, he was measuring 14 ounces! She said that the exam revealed I have a "low lying placenta", however. It's not so low that it's covering my cervix and I can still have a vaginal delivery, but if it doesn't rise before the end of my pregnancy I could experience bleeding during labor. The doctor told me that it will probably not be a problem, but scheduled another ultrasound for May 2 just so they can take another look at it. At this visit, she also measured my uterus and checked for the heartbeat, which is in the 150s. Baby Boy began to kick when she put the Doppler on my tummy and pretty much didn't let up until noon today. Must be nap time now!

Gregg and I had dinner Friday night with friends of ours who are in the process of adopting a baby from China. As they talked about all the stuff they had go through just to be approved and then receiving word that because of the Olympics in Beijing this August, the adoption would be delayed even further, I had new appreciation for the ability to have a child naturally. In our case, it was really effortless. I don't know why God chooses some couples to bare children the "good old fashioned way" and others wait months, years hoping and trying to conceive. Our friends are a great example of trusting in the Lord through a difficult time. They are going to be amazing parents and a blessing to the little girl they end up adopting.

22w1d

Warmer weather is finally here!! It is a gorgeous day today; high 70's and sunny. It was the perfect day to leave work early and have lunch at Panera with my friend Ruthann and her two year old daughter. Weather like this reminds me of my childhood- playing outside in the backyard with my sister on the swingset, attending outdoor concerts where we'd always get Italian Ice (and proceed to dribble it all down the front of our shirts), riding bikes around the neighborhood, etc. Ah, the carefree days of my youth.

This past weekend was beautiful as well. Okay, Saturday was at least. Gregg and I decided to hit the outdoor outlets in Hagerstown, MD for the afternoon. My husband isn't much of a shopper, but he endured with me. I still had a gift card left over from Christmas to a store of my choosing, so I bought a couple of shirts and a pair of capris from Motherhood Maternity. I was tempted to get more, but I was good! They have a lot of really cute outfits there. Gregg had to hold me back from going into Carter's or The Children's Place and buying everything in those stores, too.

Sunday, after church and lunch at Cracker Barrel, I relaxed for the rest of the afternoon with What to Expect When You're Expecting. I read the Sixth Month chapter since that happens to be just around the corner, then skipped ahead to the part about Labor & Delivery. Let me just say, labor is a lot more involved than I was originally thinking. It doesn't sound so painful as just absolutely exhausting, physically and emotionally. Like running a 14 hour marathon non-stop. It's good to be informed though. Gregg and I are planning on signing up for a childbirth class so we are even more prepared (as prepared as we can be). Should be interesting and eye opening!

This week was the first time I've felt really crummy during my pregnancy. I know, boo hoo for me, right? My back ached pretty bad and I felt bloated and constipated to the point where I thought I was going to pass a stone. I guess that stuff happens when your uterus is crowding out the rest of your internal organs. It's now about half an inch above my belly button. My baby boy has been very active lately. Making his presence known undeniably with every swift kick and jab. I love feeling him move inside me.

I think I went through another belly growth spurt this past week. Looking in the mirror last night, I couldn't believe how I big I've gotten. It's hard to imagine getting much bigger, but I know it's going to happen. Gregg affectionately calls me "Miss Pregnant Pants". He thinks I'm starting to "expand" pretty fast now.

Speaking of which, here's my 22 week shot:

Wonderful Weekend

One that you want to last... It started off with the amazing experience of seeing our son in utero via ultrasound. I took the rest of the day off on Friday, and besides calling everyone to tell them what we're having, did laundry & packed for our trip up to New Jersey. We left shortly after Gregg got home from work and arrived at his parents' around 10pm.

My sister's bridal shower on Saturday was a huge success. It was a lot of fun and great to see friends and family I haven't seen in a while. Already the proud mama, I showed off my baby boy's first pictures which everybody oohed and aahed over. I got a lot of comments about how good I look.

The next day, Gregg & I had Sunday "dinner" with his family before leaving to head back to PA. That's one of the things I miss about living in Jersey- my MIL's home cooking! I filled up on roast beef, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, homemade bread and chocolate cream pie with ice cream. My mother-in-law took my measurements for the dress she's making me for my sister's wedding. I've gone from a size 8 to a size 14! We found a nice pattern together on Ebay, based on the style I wanted.

Now it's back to the daily grind. I had to teach a foster parent training class this morning, which I worked on until 11pm last night. This was the first time, believe it or not, that I put a powerpoint presentation together. Thankfully, my technologically savvy husband showed me what to do. The class actually went pretty well, and I received some compliments on how informative it was.

Here are some pics from the shower:

My sister with her bow bouquet and obligatory silly shower garb.

The cake, modeled after the invitation and our theme, which was "April Showers bring July Weddings"

Me and my mom

My dad with his girls, the bride to be and the mother to be

My sister, Valerie with her fiance, Bill

Me and hubby

And here's my 19w5d shot:

Drumroll Please...

IT'S A BOY!!!!!

We've got the "money shot" to prove it. :) The whole ultrasound was just amazing. We could see our baby from every angle- head, feet, arms, legs, spine, stomach, heart. The sonographer was awesome. She explained what everything was and what she was looking for. The image on the ultrasound machine appeared on a small tv mounted on the wall in front of us, so I didn't have to strain my neck to see anything. Baby Boy kept flipping over and putting his hand in front of his face. It was so cute.

This morning I downed a bottle and a half of water as I was supposed to, and did okay until the tech started pressing down hard on my bladder. She let me go potty halfway through the exam, though, before moving on to check my cervix. Then she went back to examining the baby and got some incredible pictures of him in 3D. He is so adorable!! Gregg took the CD that we brought to work with him afterwards to rip the pictures so they can be posted online.

I am on cloud nine right now. I'm very relieved, too, that everything is fine and healthy with our little guy. He's actually measuring 6 days ahead of my due date, which might be changed from the 21st to the 15th. I called my mom as soon as I got home and she was very happy. She can't wait to see the roll of pictures I have.

I was not surprised at all to learn we're having a boy. I've had a feeling all along. My mother, sister and mother-in-law all said it was a boy. One of the foster moms I work with said it was going to be a boy because of the way I'm carrying. I did a couple of those gender predictor tests just for fun, and they both said: boy! So Gregg was wrong. He is still very proud and happy though. I can't wait to meet our son in only a few more months!

Halfway!

Today marks the halfway point in my pregnancy. I can't believe how quickly these first twenty weeks have sailed by. Only 20 more to go!

Tomorrow morning first thing is our ultrasound!! I'll be posting with the gender results afterwards. :) I have been looking forward to this day since we learned I was pregnant. It's like Christmas, my birthday and wedding day all rolled into one.

I could use a big reminder of the love and awesomeness of God. I've been feeling beat up by the world lately, overwhelmed, stressed out. Wondering how to balance of all life's responsibilities. I had a pretty craptastic day at work today. And I've been trying to do it on my own strength instead of in God's; no wonder I feel burnt out. One of the most important things I want to teach to my child is to hold onto Jesus, but I need to exemplify this in my own life.

There is a beautiful song by Erin O'Donnell called, appropriately, "Hold Onto Jesus" which has always been a favorite of mine but has been playing in my head more frequently since I found out that I'm going to be a mother. The songwriter wrote it for her daughter, wishing to convey to her not to put her hope and trust in the things of this world but to cling to Jesus, in all circumstances. How I long to convey this to my unborn child. How God must long to convey this to me.

I am looking forward to catching a very detailed glimpse at the amazement of His creation, in the features of our tiny, 20 week old baby. The place where we're having the diagnostic ultrasound is allowing us to bring a CD that they can download the images onto, so we'll be able to share them with friends and family. Prior to the exam, I must consume three 8oz glasses of fluid. I am not looking forward to that. A pregnant woman and a full bladder is not a good combination. Oh well, it will all be worth it!

"You can have all this world,
but give me Jesus".