17 Week Picture!

Growing growing growing! I will actually be 18 weeks tomorrow. I am so slow at getting these done! Hopefully I'll take the next ones on time, so that this doesn't happen again.

The doctor said I should start feeling the baby within the next week... I am SO super excited for that to happen! Nothing as of yet, but I check every five minutes for movement so I'm sure not to miss it! ;)

You'll have to excuse the look on my face. I'm not even sure you can tell, but I was FOUL when I took this picture. Poor Christian couldn't do anything right. I felt ugly. My sign was ugly. My bump looked more like lard. My eyebrows looked too thin. My hair looked like Justin Bieber. And my eye was lazy. What a sweet image of myself! Ugh. I even hate admitting that to the public. 

Why are we so hard on ourselves? Why do we dare say that this perfectly created being, created in the image of God, is anything short of incredibly beautiful? 

Being pregnant has made me feel more beautiful than I have ever felt in my life. I think a nasty combination of hormones, allergies, and tiredness works together to make me the worst possible self I can be. I had to pout a minute. Lay my head down. Pray that God would make it stop. This is not the wife I want Christian to see. This is not the role model I want my son or daughter to have. Almost as worse after was the extreme guilt and shame that pours over me every time I have a tantrum like this. (Admittedly, this is not the first time... ugh.) That is not me! That is not who I was created to be. It was almost like I heard that whispered sweetly in my ear. Not just from the Holy Spirit, but from Christian too.  Any girl would be lucky to have a husband half as good as him.

It's funny I had this meltdown considering I had just watched the new Dove Real Beauty Sketches. If you have not seen this, YOU MUST! Such an eye opener. I was in tears. 

You can find the best video here. Or here:

I hope it blesses you as sweetly as it did me and nearly everyone I've known who has watched it.

xo

16 Week Picture

I swear I stay a week behind in every aspect of my life. Ughh I will do better... one day. :)

I'm still thinking it's a girl... and everyone is starting to agree with me! C and I honestly don't care either way, boy or girl. I cannot hardly wait to find out! I know so many people who are not as far along as I am that already know what they're having. Grr. I guess it will be that much sweeter.

Oh- and just to clarify... I am already almost 18 weeks. So I'm behind. :/ 

As if life isn't about to get crazy enough, I am picking up two extra classes this semester to make sure I can finish my MBA before baby comes! That puts me at around 6 weeks of torture... haha. 

That could be part of the reason why I am almost 18 weeks and posting the picture of my 16 week belly.  Yikes.

15 week pic @ 16 weeks pregnant!

Here is our 15 Week Belly Picture! EEK! 

I am not 16 weeks, and will be taking a picture tonight to document the progress. So far I still am hardly experiencing any symptoms. The only thing that stands out is a random craving of sour and gummy candies, and some serious acid reflux. Could be from the sour candy, but that is totally a necessary evil. You'll be able to tell in my next picture, but I really think I grew another two inches outward! What they say is true, it comes out of nowhere!

We haven't focused too much on names. Not knowing if it's a little lad or lady makes it difficult to picture any names. I don't think we'll announce the name until after he/she is born, but we'll have a top three list, I'm sure. 

Can't wait to show off the 16 weeker! 

xo

Shame! But more than that.. Extreme JOY!

I can not even believe it has been almost 4 months since my last post! Shame shame shame! That is exactly what I wanted to avoid doing by starting a blog... IGNORING IT! I hope I didn't lose all of my readers.. you know, my mom. :) haha.

Before updating on anything else that has went on in the past four months, I think I will bust if I don't tell you...

EEK! YOU READ THAT RIGHT! Our prayers have been answered. I feel like I am a walking miracle and proof of what a gracious and faithful God can and will do for his creation. Baby C is coming September 20th, so that puts me at around 12 weeks!

I am so thrilled to be ending my first trimester, probably for different reasons than most. I can't wait to have a belly! I haven't been stuck to a toilet, or completely miserable at all. in fact, had we not seen the little heartbeat beating a million times a second, I'm not sure I'd believe I was pregnant at all. I will say the most noticeable change is my ability to sleep for a solid 18 hours a day. With breaks to eat, of course. I can't say much has changed there; I've always been a snoozer and an eater! 

I'm so happy to be back blogging. it will be a nice relief, but still an obligation away from school. I will be able to post pictures each week of how my belly grows! So far there has been a little change, but nothing worth posting over. 

Here is baby C's progress... Growing strong! This is he/she at 12 weeks, just able to fit in the palm of Christian's hand. Have we talked about how ECSTATIC Christian is? He has already shed tears over this little guy/gal. He will be such a sweet daddy. 

Our families can't hardly wait either. Our friends are incredibly supportive and loving. I can't imagine bringing this baby into a better environment than the one that God has helped to build around us.

Much like Hannah in the book of Samuel, I am overwhelmed with joy and gratefulness...

"I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him." Samuel 1:27

Stay tuned for progress updates... and forgive me for being the worst blogger ever!

xo

H