home sweet home

We are finally back in Springfield! After being gone since the 15th we got home this afternoon. After hitting some rough roads for the first hour or so of our trip we arrived to green grass and 60 degree weather - which is pretty nice after being in the snow and cold for the last 2 weeks!


This month has been busy with works travels, a trip to Punta Cana, and around IA for several Christmas's. 


I absolutely love this time of year. Time to spend with family and friends and celebrate Jesus' birth. Now onto the unpacking, loads of laundry, putting away Christmas gifts, etc. We don't have plans tonight as we weren't sure where exactly we'd be but that's ok with us. I'm thinking pizza, some sparkling grape juice and the Times Square count down on the couch is sounding pretty good:)


Pictures and recaps to come but I hope you have a wonderful New Year's Eve wherever you are!

20 weeks

Half way there. That truly is unbelievable to think that I am half way to meeting our baby girl. At times when I think about it it seems like yesterday that we found out I was pregnant and sharing the news, but on the other hand it seems like so long ago that I wasn’t thinking about this little one growing inside of me, total conscious of each choice I make on food, drink, exercise, how I lay, if I drank enough water, etc. The past month has just flown by, and I knew it would with Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s just hard to believe that January is right around the corner and within a few months of that we will be on the no travel alert. How can it be that God blessed us with a healthy and growing baby girl? Our prayer as soon as we were married regarding children was that God would give us one when He thought we were ready and it was in His plan. While His plan may have been a little sooner than we expected I cannot tell you how excited Jimmy and I are about this baby.

As I stated in my last post, one of my closest friends, Bailey, just had a baby and to me that was such a huge reality of the changes that are occurring in our lives. Just a few days ago I had a discussion with a friend that read my post on the book “Bittersweet” and she said she has had so many of the same feelings as she approaches her late 20s. There is just something about being in your late 20’s, being married, and becoming your own that changes your perspective on so many things and in so many ways builds the foundation for the adult you will be for years to come.

I pray 100 times a day for our baby girl – that she continues to be healthy, continues to grow, about the person she will be, that she will love other people like Christ loves us, that she will learn about Jesus and love the Lord with her whole heart, that she will find something and someone that makes her truly happy, so many things. I also think it’s so important that Jimmy and I pray for the parents we will be to her. That the Lord will teach me patience, show us how to love our child(ren) with all our hearts (I don’t think we will need much help with this oneJ), show us how to be examples of Christ like love in our marriage and to others, always do what we love and follow our hearts, and that we will always pray for our children.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with the idea of being a mom. Often times I have no idea how my mom and dad did it, and did it so well. I’ve said a few times before about how thankful I am for my parents as they truly are the greatest examples I’ve ever had of unconditional Christ like love for me and my siblings. I made some really stupid mistakes along the way, I've treated my parents disrespectfully, I was an annoying preteen and teenJ, people broke my heart, I moved away for college and for jobs – all these things are things I cannot imagine experiencing with my child. How does a parent keep it together through all of this and still show their child love? The only logical answer can be with God, and so I’m starting to pray alreadyJ Although I know there will be times our child fails as a daughter and there will be times Jimmy and I fail as parents – the Lord will never fail. He will always be there to guide us and her through this journey and luckily I think He helps us figure it out along the way, before they really notice anywaysJ

On another note – and something I won’t elaborate on today but soon is how differently you think of your parents once you are one, or about to become one? And isn’t it amazing how different we see Christmas through the eyes of Mary once you are pregnant? How did she give birth in a barn, how did she have the courage to follow God’s will knowing that the man she loves may leave her for doing so, how could she trust in the fact that she would really becoming pregnant while still being a virgin? These things completely blow my mind, but more on that to comeJ

So those are my thoughts for this week. A little deeper than usual, I know, but things I want to remember feeling as well.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Baby's now the size of a cantaloupe!
Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies respond best to tastes they've already had via amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you'd like your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch.

punta cana

In just a few short days we will be on a plane heading to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and I absolutely cannot wait! In my thankful for post one of the things I said I’m thankful for is the beach and that’s no joke. I adore the ocean, crashing waves, endless sights of turquoise blue water, having a tropical drink (don’t worry they will be virgin pina coladas this timeJ) while getting a tan – I love it all. So, off we’ll go to spend 5 days or so on the beaches relaxing and enjoying some much warmer weather before celebrating Christmas with family. We have a busy Christmas weekend planned, as usual, but look forward to spending time with both of our families and enjoying some extra time off the week following Christmas too.

One thing in particular that I’m looking forward to while I’m back in IA is meeting one of my closest friends new baby girl, Kinley! Kinley was born on the 7^th which was just before I had to head to Texas for work otherwise I would have had my booty in a car that weekend to meet her. But, of course I had that trip and then the Punta Cana trip planned so I will have to settle with meeting her after Christmas. I made a few things for Miss Kinley and I can’t wait to give them to her mama, Bailey, and see them on her – she’s so adorable. It’s also a reality check for me to realize that my high school friends are now having babies and that I will have my own little one in just 5 short months – where does the time go and when did we get to be old enough to have these responsibilities?!

Anyways, here’s a few pictures to tease your senses of where I will be in just a few days!

One most post to come on Thursday – my 20 weeks recap and then I will be on a blog break until after Christmas with plenty of updates by then I'm sure.

I hope you, your family, your friends, have a wonderful Christmas celebrating the miracle of God sending his son to this Earth for one purpose – to forgive our sins! May you feel Christ’s love for you this season and consider all the blessings you have, no matter where your circumstances may find you.

bittersweet

My mom recently let me borrow a book called “Bittersweet” by Shauna Niequist and let me just tell you, it was amazing. I had never read anything by Shauna and it definitely made me want to read more of her stuff. It claims to be a book about “thoughts on change, grace, and learning the hard way” – it was that and so much more. My mom already had half the book highlighted and I think I could have easily highlighted the rest of it. So many chapters of this book spoke to me directly. I feel like I have shared so many of the same experiences as this author and the way in which she was able to tie those experiences and in many cases mistakes, to a lesson, a “tip” from God, or a growing experience was so refreshing.

Here’s just a few paragraphs from the book that spoke to me so clearly.

“This is the thing: when you start to hit 28 or 30, everything starts to divide, and you can see very clearly two kinds of people: on one side, people who have used their twenties to learn and grown, to find God and themselves and their deep dreams, people who know what works and what doesn’t, who have pushed through to become real live adults.

And then there’s the other kind, who are hanging on to college, or high school even, with all their might. They’ve stayed in jobs they hate because they’re too scared to get another one. They’ve stayed with men or women who are good but not great because they won’t want to be lonely. They mean to find a church, they mean to develop honest, intimate friendships, they mean to stop drinking like life is one big frat party. But they don’t do those things, so they live in kind of an extended adolescence, no closer to adulthood than they were when they graduated college.”

I’ve had a little anxiety about getting older. Now don’t roll your eyes thinking about how young I am, let me explain. Just a few weeks ago I realized I would be 27 by the time baby girl joins us and something about that just makes me seem old. There’s just something about realizing your reality of bill paying, corporate jobs, business travels, marriage, and having babies that makes you feel old. But then when I sit back and think about all the things I’ve done in my life, the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, the jobs I’ve had, the places I’ve lived it’s really incredible. So when I read the line about using your twenties “to learn and grow, find God and yourself and your deep dreams” – I think I’ve done. But then when I read from the second paragraph “they mean to find a church, they mean to develop honest, intimate friendships, but don’t – I think I have to admit I’ve done that too. When I first got out of college and moved from place to place working for John Deere I never really found a great church or got too involved because I knew I’d be leaving, and I struggled to establish deep relationships for the same reason. And now that I’m married establishing new and maintaining old friendships just seems harder for some reason. I think part of that is because again, I know we won’t be in Springfield long so I don’t want to get too attached. Yet, at the same time, I know how important friendships are and the great things that can come from a genuine friendship with another. So while I feel I’ve done so many things well in my 20’s, I feel I’ve failed at times too. And yet I have a feeling this won’t be just in my 20’s but throughout all of life. You’re always going to do some things well, and some things not so well. I’ve learned that life is not about the mistakes you made, the past you can’t forget, the things you should have done or said but life is about making those mistakes and learning from them, taking risks, loving people genuinely, and surrounding yourself with those you love and that love you.

So those are my thoughts from this book. If you’re looking for a good easy read that will change the way you look at so many things, I’d highly recommend this one. Thanks for passing it my way momJ

19 weeks in austin

yesterday marked 19 weeks. jimmy and i are in austin working for a few days and definitely enjoying the nicer weather.

i still can't believe that i'm actually pregnant. and more so that i'm almost half way there. i continue to feel really good. i am starting to get some pains in my lower stomach and things i've read just say that it's things stretching and/or baby girl kicking. the headaches have subsided and i haven't experienced anything like those at thanksgiving - thank goodness!

i cannot even begin to explain in words what our ultrasound was like last week. it was so amazing to see our baby girl inside of me. i couldn't believe how much she had grown since week 6 when we saw her last and the most amazing thing to me was that everything is developed already. we could so clearly see the 4 chambers of her heart, her kidneys, bladder, arms, legs, fingers, toes, face, belly, and of course the parts that make her a girl!:) funny story - when our ultrasound first popped up baby girl was sideways and her little hand was down by her "parts" so i thought i saw a weiner. of course i didn't say anything because i knew our tech would get there but i for sure thought it was a boy. well, turns out she moved her little hand and as our tech got between her legs she said she was definitely a girl! as soon as she told us she was a girl my eyes teared up. not just because she's a girl but because we know knew the gender of our child. something about that made me feel more connected to this child inside of me. my mind wanders endlessly of all the things our baby girl will be - the personality she will have, how she will treat people, what her interest and strengths will be, what she will look like, who she will marry, where she will go to college, etc etc.

anyways - on to our mango.

Baby's now the size of a mango!
Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

18 and a half week picture

here it is, 18 and 1/2 weeks in all its glory:)

it's a....

Well we had our ultrasound today and everything looked great. Totally healthy, all the parts, and we were able to see that it's a girl! She didn't want to show us at first but the tech was able to get her moving and she showed! We are so excited and can't wait to prepare for our little princess!:) If I can figure out how to scan in our pictures I'll put them up later!

18 weeks

Not much new to report this week in terms of how I’m feeling. I haven’t had any of the migraines since last week so I’m hoping that will continue. While doing a little research I learned that staying hydrated is the key to helping/preventing headaches so I’m working on drinking more water while at work, we will see if that helps!

Other than that tomorrow is the big day - our ultrasound! I absolutely cannot wait to see our babe – we’ve prayed every day since we knew I was pregnant that this baby would be healthy so I’m anxious to see how he/she is progressing and of course to find out if I need to stock up on girl or boy supplies! I’m just hoping our babe will cooperate tomorrow and we get to see the goods!:)

I’ve gone back and forth on my feeling regarding the gender. At first I was for sure it was a boy based on a few distinct dreams I had, then for a while I had the feeling it was a girl for no definite reason, and now I’m back to being unsure. Sigh. Majority of the people we’ve asked think it’s a girl but I’ve heard a few boys in the mix this week as it gets closer too. I’ll be sure to post tomorrow the exciting news. In the meantime, here’s what various internet sites have to say…..My friend Bailey did this the week of their ultrasound and I thought it was really cute so I thought I’d steal her idea!

Chinese Birth Chart says…..it’s a girl (Aug and age 26)

Chinese Lunear Calendar (don’t know the difference) says…..it’s a girl

Old Wives Tales Gender Predictor says……it’s a boy

Parents.com gender test says…..it’s a girl

Childbirth.org gender test says……it’s a girl

So, looks like according to the internet this babe is a girl. What’s your predicton?

PS - I didn’t forget my 4 month picture, still to come – maybe by this weekendJ

Can't wait to see our sweet potato tomorrow!

Baby's now the size of a sweet potato!
Baby's become amazingly mobile (compared to you, at least), passing the hours yawning, hiccupping, rolling, twisting, kicking, punching, sucking, and swallowing. And baby is finally big enough that you'll soon be able to feel her movements.

 

thanksgiving recap

We had such a good time in IA over Thanksgiving. We had lots of extra time due to a few work activities happening around the same time, so we were back for almost 2 weeks! When we are back since our families live within an hour of each other we find ourselves going back and forth often. However I must say we did a slightly better job of that this time and stayed put for a few days at a time.

Our trip started off 2 Tuesdays ago, on the 16^th, we hit the road after work. Wed through Fri of that week were work as usual and we didn’t do anything too exciting that weekend, just spent time with both families and Jimmy was able to help his dad farming a bit, which he always enjoys.

The next week Mon and Tues were work days for me as well while Jimmy flew out to Seattle to sneak in a short work trip. Then the rest of the week we had off. Late Tuesday my sister and her family from Denver rolled in and my sister from Des Moines got in early on Wednesday. Wednesday was spent at my Grandma Davis’ place where she taught us how to make apple butter. So often over the past few years I’ve wondered who will pass along these traditions or give our children handmade gifts like our grandparents do. I really wonder if anyone will because I certainly can’t sew and while I may claim to be a decent cook I don’t know anything about canning or making things like apple butter! Regardless, we had a fun afternoon with her and I think she enjoyed the company! Then Wednesday night we headed over to the Grovers for a family dinner and hanging out before Thanksgiving. Thursday we had Thanksgiving at Jimmy’s grandparents and then headed to my brothers house to catch in on the leftovers and make the game plan for Black Friday! Let me back track a bit…Thursday morning I woke up with a terrible migraine (something not entirely out of the norm with my pregnancy) so I laid in bed a little longer in hopes it would subside, it didn’t. We headed over to Jimmy’s grandparents around noon for their Thanksgiving meal and I wasn’t feeling well at all. After just a few bites of potatoes I knew I was going to get sick and excused myself to the bathroom. Up came the potatoes – literally, just potatoes. No fun! So my Thanksgiving meal wasn’t much to write home about, I nibbled on some bread the rest of the meal and then just took it easy the rest of the afternoon.

Thursday evening we hung out with my family and got our plan of attack made for Friday morning. Jimmy headed back to his parents house and I stayed at mine so we could hit the stores bright and early. I woke up several times in the night, still not feeling well and wasn’t sure about the shopping but I decided to go despite the fact that I still had the migraine – probably not the best choice. We made several stops snagging deals despite growing frustration. While we all love to go together as a group inevitably it gets to be a long morning and I’m not a patient person so I get irritated. I think my frustration heightened while learning I’d be waiting in line at Menards for 2+ hrs! All I had to purchase was a $5 rug and $6 bath set for our nephew so I opted to leave. Of course my mom and Kristle were all up for the wait, and so my patience was tested. Thankfully my two sisters bailed me out and we headed over to the mall to get started on our lists at those stores. A few hours later we headed back to pick up Mom and Kristle and finished up our shopping. Mind you all the while my head was aching and I had the feeling I was going to throw up several times throughout the morning! Again, I probably should have staying home. Regardless, we finished up our shopping about noon (we started at 4am) and headed over to our usual lunch stop, Pizza Hut buffetJ I knew I was hungry because I hadn’t really ate anything since my Thanksgiving “meal” the day before but I didn’t want to get sick. I got a few things on my plate anyways and sat down to eat. Just two bites later I was running to the one stall bathroom banging on the door as it was occupied. Thankfully it was my mom in the bathroom and she quickly opened it for me to reach the toilet just in time. Up came the few bites of pizza and breadstick….lovely. I soon rejoined the table and actually ate a pretty good amount for the rest of our lunch without getting sick again, so weird. We headed home after that and enjoyed a low key afternoon before heading off to the Dieken Thanksgiving (my mom’s side). We enjoyed spending some time with extended family but were all tired and anxious to get home too since we had a baby shower in the morning!

Saturday morning the men headed over to my brothers house as my sisters and mom got my parents house ready for the shower. My sister is pregnant and due in January, so they knew if they didn’t do a shower over Thanksgiving that she wouldn’t be able to come. So we had a smaller baby shower with mostly family and a few family friends hosted by my sisters at my parents house and it was so much fun! The theme was “our little pumpkin” so they decorated with little pumpkins, had little foods, and played a few games related to pumpkins. As I mentioned before, it seemed so strange to be the one the baby shower was for. As I opened each gift I couldn’t believe that they were for our baby! It was great to see everyone and I felt so grateful that people could find time with the busy holiday to come to my shower. My sister’s did an awesome job hosting it and coming up with the ideas and we got some great gifts too! Among my favorites were our high chair that should be delivered this week!, a scrapbook made by my MIL and SIL – Robin, Jena, and Jalissa, and a few super cute stuffed animals. After the shower we spent some time at my parents and said goodbye to my sister and her family as they left to make the trek back to Denver. It’s always so hard to say goodbye after spending some time together, especially when you know that life will change things before the next time you see each other. We will head out to Denver in early March to meet their newest addition and they will then be a family of 4, and then the next time we will see each other we will have our own baby and be a family of 3! But we always have a good time together which makes those times so much better and something to look forward to! Once they hit the road we hung out for a bit longer and then headed to the Grovers to stay the night before heading back to MO ourselves on Sunday.

Saturday night his sister’s had some friends over and we were able to all have dinner together, play the Wii, and some board games. We always have fun at the Grovers too. They enjoy just being together as well, no matter what we are doing, and it’s really refreshing to be a part of 2 families that genuinely enjoy one another’s company.

Then Sunday we hit the road just after breakfast so we could get home at a decent time. Jimmy hurt his back again while we were back so he wasn’t looking forward to the long car ride and after being gone so long we were ready to get home. The drive actually went by fairly quickly and we were able to get home and do a few things before hitting the sack and get ready for the work week.

We have a busy busy month of December between work trips, a tropical Christmas with the Grovers (more to come), and then Christmas in IA. Which means I need to be on top of things and get all our Christmas shopping done by this weekend! I got a great start on Black Friday and think I can pretty easily find what I need this week and weekend but we will see. I love love Christmas and everything about Christmas so I want to have some time to just enjoy the holiday too, but I have a feeling that won’t come until vacation on the 17^th!

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and/or friends too!

17 weeks

In light of Thanksgiving I forgot my 17 week post and I have yet to take my 4 month photo from 2 weeks ago. Oh well. Here is my 17 week thoughts and a photo to come later this week, hopefully.

I had my first baby shower last week, on Saturday and it seemed so surreal! As I opened the gifts and looked at the little clothes, blankets, high chair, books, etc. it was crazy to think that our little one will soon be using these things. My sisters gave me the shower and it was mostly family with a few family friends there as well. We had it at my parents house, which was really nice and it made for a great environment to just talk and spend some time together. We will still have 2 more baby showers later this spring, closer to when the babe arrives and I am already running out of space for the things we have!:)

So the baby shower was definitely the highlight of week 17. I had a couple rough days back in IA this last week, my head aches have definitely resorted to migraines, bad enough that they make me throw up and see spots. No fun at all! I'm hoping my doctor can either give me something for them or have some suggestions if they continue.

Something we are looking forward to this week......our ultrasound on Friday! I absolutely can't wait to see how much our baby has grown and find it if it's a he or a she!:) We will keep you posted.

Happy Monday.

Baby's now the size of an onion!Baby's skeleton is hardening, changing from rubbery cartilage to bone, and fat is finally accumulating around it. His umbilical cord is getting thicker and stronger, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

thankful for

In light of the Thanksgiving spirit I thought I would post 25 things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. While some of them may seem cliché they are the absolute truth and without most of the things/people on this list I don’t know who I would be today. So, in no particular order….

1.   My faith. It has gotten me through the greatest and worst times of my life. God is always always there and has blessed me 100 times over when I have continually fallen short. I will serve him and strive to be a daily example of His love to others for the rest of my life.

2.   Jimmy. You are my everything, my soul mate, my very best friend, my encourager, my support, the love of my life. You make me smile every single day and my heart still skips a beat when you hold my hand or kiss me, I love you with everything I am.

3.   My family, both biological and in-laws. My parents are truly the greatest examples of earthly unconditional love there is. My siblings are my best friends and people I truly love spending time with. The Grover’s have welcomed me with wide open arms into their family and I love them as if they were mine by birth.

4.   Our baby. Although we haven’t met you yet we love you so much and absolutely cannot wait to meet you, bless our families with you, teach you, and watch you grow. We pray for you every single day and hope that you will be healthy, happy, and learn to love the Lord.

5.   John Deere. Jimmy and I (and a few other family members) have been blessed greatly by our jobs and the support of a great company.

6.   Springfield. We have made so many fun memories here together in Springfield. We have enjoyed time for just us but look forward to moving back closer to family.

7.   Our house. I have loved making a home that we can call “ours”. It feels like home after a long day or a weekend away and I love that it’s the place that Jimmy and I lived together in for the first time after our wedding.

8.   My nephews and niece. They are so much fun. I truly miss them when it’s been a while since I’ve seen them and love them with every bit of my heart. I can’t imagine our family without each of them in it.

9.   The beach. To me there is nothing more peaceful then laying in the sand with a good book, listening to the water crash against the shore and feel the sun shining on my body. I am thankful that God created them and that they bring me so much peace.

me laying out on our honeymoon

10.    Maternity clothes. What would we do without them? And thank goodness designers have hopped on the wagon and started making cute ones so that your style doesn’t have to go completely out the window for 9 months!

11.    Shampoo. Random I know but I love the feeling of clean hairJ

12.     Marriage. What a blessing this has been for me this year. The idea that someone else has picked me to spend the rest of their life with just makes me smile.

13. My friends. Being in another new town this year I was reminded often times of the importance of friends and strong relationships. While I don’t live close to most of my “good” friends anymore I often times have been convicted of needing to call and catch up or hop in the car for the weekend to visit. I am blessed to have friends that are willing and able to come visit us and admit that I need to do a better job at fostering my friendships while “away”.

14.   Target. I seriously love that store.

15.   Coach. I seriously love their bags. As I frequently tell my husband, “It’s all about the quality”J

16.    Orchard Hill Church. This is my home church back in IA that I am a member of. I have lived in several different places and have grown to love other churches but none quite as much as Orchard. I love how every leader and many members and attendees believe in the mission of the church. I just recently sent in my leadership board approval, budget approval, etc. and am continually just blown away by the churches generosity, candor, and way the conduct the business side of things as well.

17.    Freedom. Something that is all too often taken for granted but not forgotten.

18.    Date nights.

19.    A quiet house. I hear this will soon changeJ

20. Good food. Especially lately I just love to eat so I certainly am looking forward to the Thanksgiving meals this week!

21.  Black Friday. As much as I love to shop I love the memories I make with my sisters while doing this every year. Although I do dread the alarm clock wake up at 2:30am!

22.  My Ugg boots. I busted them out since I’ve been in IA and it just feels like a cozy bed for my cold toes.

23.  Our vehicles. Again, while being back in IA I’ve appreciated the blessing of hopping into a warm car when it’s cold out – unfortunately not everyone has a car, some that do don’t have heat, and lots of people don’t have 2 cars!

24. Clean water. As I was sending a Christmas gift to our Compassion child this last week I was reminded of the struggles Milly (our child) faces every day, one of which is water, something we don’t even think twice about.

25. Music. Jimmy LOVES music and I love that he has so much passion for something. Plus I love rockin out to a good song with him in the car and remembering all the times Jacinda and I jammed on our way to or from school in high schoolJ

16 weeks

Another week has passed and I’m another week pregnant. The highlight from this last week is that Jimmy got to hear the heartbeat for the first time on Tuesday! We had one of my 4 week appointments on Tuesday before we left Springfield and she used the Doppler to find the heart beat once again. Jimmy was in Europe when I heard it for the first time last appointment so this was his first. His face just lite up – it was so sweet! The heart beat was right about the same as last time 153 bpm and babe is still very low in my pelvis. I know I’ve felt baby kick now as I keep having the same feeling and it usually happens about the same time of day. It doesn’t really feel like flutters to me, as it’s been described, more of a swimming feeling or a caterpillar, if that makes senseJ

On another note of updates from this past week - I haven’t been looking at the scale as they weigh me each time because I don’t really want to know. I read in a book that if weight is something you have a hard time with, or dealt with in the past, that it’s ok to just turn around when they weigh you. If or when it is becoming a problem the doctor will talk to you about it. So I decided, having dealt with weight insecurities/issues in the past that I just wouldn’t look. However, Jimmy does look as I’m weighed each time and of course every time we leave the office I ask him if it was a lotJ I felt like I gained 10+ pounds in the first few weeks so I had expected to be “above the norm” at this point. However, when he looked at the nurses paper this time (he was in the restroom when they weighed me) and she showed him the nurse responded with, “she’s doing really good.” Which of course, put a smile on my face. So then of course I pried Jimmy a little more for a number once we got in the car and he told me it was less than 10 lbs. which makes me feel pretty good. I am hoping to gain 30 lbs or less throughout it all but honestly am not paying too much attention to what I eat, if it’s too much, or working out as much as I used to so we will see.

So that’s what’s been going on with pregnancy and baby thoughts this past week. I forgot to mention during my last post that while we are back in IA we will be having our first baby shower and I can’t wait. My older sister Kirsten is pregnant, due at the end of January, so if we didn’t do it while they were back for Thanksgiving she wouldn’t be able to help with it or attend. So this shower will be my side of the family and my mom’s friends and then I’ll have a shower with my friends and Jimmy’s side of the family later on this spring. So although it may be a bit early I can’t waitJ

Now onto avocado and eyelashes…..

Baby's now the size of an avocado!
Watch what you say...tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean she can now pick up your voice. A few more minuscule changes: Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

off to ia we go

I am so excited that we are leaving for Iowa today. Jimmy has some meetings in Waterloo the rest of this week and heads to Seattle for work next Monday and Tuesday, so my boss was gracious enough to let me tag along and work from Waterloo for those few days to avoid us having to drive another vehicle back for Thanksgiving. Which means we will be “home” for almost 2 weeks and I am really looking forward to it. The whole Davis clan will be around this year - my older sister, Kirsten, and her family live in Denver, CO and they will roll into town next Tuesday night through Saturday. I can’t wait to see her 30 weeks pregnant and get some good laughs from our 2 year old nephew Asher, he’s such a personality and is just hilarious! My younger sister, Jacinda, will be getting to my parents next Wednesday morning, and we will get to see lots of my brother and his family in the days to come since they live just 4 miles from my parents! I love seeing my family after it’s been awhile because they really are some of my closet friends that I miss when I don’t see, and my nephews and niece are the greatest, I love them more than I ever thought possible – Lord knows how it will be with my own kiddosJ!

Devin - our oldest nephew, he's 4

Eden, our only niece, she's 2

Asher, our younger nephew, he's 2
Much to Mommy's dismay he got into my suitcase and found something he thought he'd try on:)

The nice thing about Jimmy and I being from towns close to each other is that we get to be with both families for the holidays. So we will split our time between the Davis and Grover households and the Grover house is never short of fun either. I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner at his Grandparents house and a big Grover family Thanksgiving on the Sunday following Thanksgiving. We actually do a “Thanksmas” with the Grover family combining both holidays because there are SO many of them. Jim, Jimmy’s dad, is 1 of 12 kids who all have lots of kids and many of them are now married with kids too. Jimmy literally has over 100 first cousins on the Grover side. So, needless to say, it’s a big family and I am still learning all their namesJ! Jimmy’s mom, Robin, is also planning a Christmas trip for the Grover siblings and her and Jim so I’m excited to hear where she’s at with that and help her finalize the plans (if needed). More to come on the determined destination - all I have to say is that it will be warm I will be in a swimsuit fat pregnant drinking virgin pina coladas and I’m going to love itJ!

And I almost forgot to mention one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving - BLACK FRIDAY! My mom, sisters, and I are among the crazy people that get up at the crack of dawn to run into stores in hopes of snagging a good deal. We never used to do this and honestly I have no idea why we even decided to start a few years ago, but we did. We now are spending Thanksgiving evening looking through sale ads and mapping out our plan of attack! I have some humorous stories from years past that may or may not include my stumbling/stepping on a midget, Jacinda loudly telling people they stink and need to take a shower, and my mom and I almost getting beat up for “cutting” in line – we were only hiding behind cars people! We always debate which vehicle will give us optimal space for our purchases and comfort, this year we may need to take into account that two of us will be pregnant and therefore, may need some additional spaceJ Regardless, we have a great time, get tons of Christmas shopping done, snagging some things for ourselves as well – even if it means getting up at 2:30am!

So that’s our Thanksgiving plans in a nutshell. I am in need of some relaxation and family time and am sure I will get it in the next few weeks!

One thing I am not looking forward to about heading back – the cold weather! The Ugg boots and sweaters are packed!

15 weeks

Once again I am blown away that another week has passed and we are 1 week further along in our journey to parenthood.

I am happy to report my headaches have gotten better. It seems they have gone from every other day or so to every few days or just a few times a week. Thank goodness! Although I have also learned that if this is I all I have to deal with I will be extremely thankful! Hearing horror stories of veracious veins to all day throwing up – thank goodness headaches is all God gave me to deal with this time aroundJ

I continue to struggle with the idea that I am actually pregnant. Besides my belly growing I’m not feeling much different and often times I have to remind myself to think twice before doing something because I am pregnant. Whether it’s lifting something really heavy or cleaning with strong product in an enclosed space, I just forget! I also find myself often thinking about how different our lives will be at this time next year. While Katie was here this past weekend we were talking about having strollers with babies in them at this time next year while shopping, and on Halloween I kept telling Jimmy how weird it is to think that we will have a little kiddo to dress up next year, and last time I was back in IA I was talking with my mom and sister about how strange it was that I’d be toting around a little one at the Des Moines Marathon next year – or I should say Jimmy will be since I plan to run itJ And now when I stay strange I mean that all in a good way but just hard to comprehend at times!

Something I haven’t documented yet but I want to mention for my own memory of looking back is Jimmy’s experience through this all. One thing that Jimmy does almost daily that I think is just precious is he talks to the baby. He does it usually at night when we are going to bed or sometimes in the morning while I’m standing at the mirror getting ready but he pulls up my shirt and put his head right on my belly, speaking very quietly to our little babe. I’ve only been able to hear him a few times and it’s the sweetest thing. He always gives her a few kisses and then puts my shirt back down. So sweet. It reminds me every time of the amazing father he will be to our little one.

Alrighty, that’s all for now. 15 weeks and counting and only 3 more weeks until we find out the gender – I can’t wait!

Here's a tid bit from today's weekly update.

Baby's now the size of a naval orange!Continuing the march toward normal proportions, baby's legs now out-measure his arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably can't feel the movements just yet.