I feel like the last four months have flown by. We have been doing a lot of traveling, home improvement projects and then there's the whole pregnancy thing. Oh yeah, for those of you who may not follow me on any social media, we are expecting baby #2 in February! Contained in this blog post will be some miscellaneous pictures, some updates on pregnancy and some thoughts about life right now.
Lets start with baby stuff in the form of FAQs:
How far along are you? I am 12 weeks exactly right now
How have you been feeling? Honestly, not so great. Lots of nausea and fatigue. Not to mention the emotional/hormonal roller coaster. Everyone (read: Ben) has been so patient with me as I haven't always been my most cheerful self. Having an active toddler always adds an exciting twist as well. But now its starting to level out and I feel much better overall.
Are you finding out boy/girl? Yes we are. Because I don't do that kind of surprise well. We found out with Asher and were really grateful we did.
Do you have any names picked out? This is a tough one. We had some we were pretty set on, but then did some re-evaluating and now are kind of back to the drawing board....suggestions are welcome!
Do you look pregnant? I'm including this...not because its frequently asked, but because when I tell people I'm pregnant, they immediately look at my midsection. sometimes its a long glance, but mostly its just the quickest of eye twitches as they try to get that nano-second view of my enlarging girth. And then they make comments on how they never even noticed and I don't look pregnant at all, and they look more pregnant than I do. *sigh* In my opinion, yes, I'm starting to look pregnant. At least I feel like I do. So I wear it proudly and don't even attempt to hide it. This is part of why we told at 10.5 weeks. I was tired of hiding the pooch.
Are you guys so totally excited!? Yes we are! I'll admit, we (mainly me) were a little apprehensive in the beginning. Not because we didn't want a baby, but I had a miscarriage before this pregnancy and was hesitant to be overly excited. My friend let me borrow her personal doppler for hearing the heart beat and it has been a comfort to be able to hear that little swish-swish whenever I want to.
Are you ready? Can one ever be fully ready for such a major transition as bringing another life into the world? We are excited and confident in God's blessing us with a growing family. We acknowledge that there are many things we won't be entirely prepared for but we are excited to take it on! I can hardly picture our family with another baby. Another personality. Another human who will forever be a part of us.
Okay...Next topics!
Life as of late:
Ben and I decided earlier this spring to turn our garage into a three-season living space. We hadn't really used it for our cars and really wanted a place to entertain and spend time outdoors. We didn't anticipate how much work/time would go into it. We should have...we've seen enough Fixer Upper to know that uncovering walls and looking at foundations rarely goes without a hitch. Since our garage is ancient, we had to do some major work to solidify the walls. One corner had zero support and was sinking like 6 inches into the ground. Most of that is Ben-esque work and therefore I have kind of been out of that. It has exposed in us things that haven't yet been exposed in our four years of marriage. I am glad we are learning how to navigate the bumps with a fairly small project like a garage remodel and not an entire house remodel where our whole lives are turned upside down. It has been a growing process with both of us being stretched, and while it isn't always pretty, we are grateful for the sanctification.
On a personal note, I am not one who is easily overcome by anxiety or depression. However, given the combination of current events and social media, I find myself being more effected by these things than ever before. I used to engage with one particular person on facebook, feeling like the conversations were productive and intelligent and though provoking (for both of us). Then there were two instances where I was completely misunderstood by her friends who were witnessing the dialogue. They were kind of harsh and unfeeling in their commentary. I'll admit I took it personal and it crushed me. I was attempting to have a truly constructive conversation and was seeking to learn more and ask good questions and I was somewhat obliterated by two complete strangers. I backed off after that. My friend is always good about maintaining respectful conversation even if it is clear we don't agree. I will always appreciate that about her. But I just couldn't do it publicly anymore. Combine that experience with the comments section on just about any article or news blurb and it can be really discouraging. I was sucked into reading these things but left feeling gross, confused, frustrated, and honestly a little anxious and depressed. It wasn't good for me. I took a break from facebook for a little while. It was a good reset. I am now able to click away from comments or articles that aren't edifying and uplifting. I have been seeking out worship music, sermon blurbs and scripture that help refuel and refill my soul with truth. I found myself crying the other day listening to a Rich Mullins song. I've known the song forever, but the truths he was singing about just refreshed my soul in ways that it hadn't been in a while.
So I guess I encourage you (and me) to take a break. Look away from the computer or phone. Resist the urge to read the comments. And soak your soul in some truth. Bask in some Scripture or a favorite worship song. I find that I think more clearly, respond more reasonably and am far less shaken when I have a good fortification of truth.
On to some pictures!
A picture of Asher and his Grandma D and Grandma-Great Z.
Asher and Reese enjoying "driving" with Papa on vacation!
All the heart eyes!
Little fish loved being in the water with Daddy!
Reading books with Asher's buddy Noelle
The phase of Asher getting out of his toddler bed dozens of times at bedtime and sneaking the door open and peeking out. Thankfully that phase has passed.
Being a stinker and teasing cousin David by poking him with his feet
It's so fun to have cousins around his age!
Forgot jammies one night so Grandma found us a soccer shirt that was a wee bit too big. Asher kept saying, "It's so cool!"
Baby announcement!
Auntie Claire and all her nieces and nephews!
More heart eyes. Love these boys!
When the cousins came to visit (for a week!) we tie-dyed shirts. Aren't they cute on the bench in the woods!?
I just love this picture for so many reasons.
He loves getting shoes out of our closet and clomping around in them. he is always so proud of himself!
Well there you have it. The whopper post. I'll give more updates of baby stuff and other happenings as they...happen!
au revoir!
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