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.

running

I have run 4 half marathons and 1 full marathon which pans out to be a “big” race every year since 2005, except for this year.

In 2005 I ran the Dam to Dam half marathon in Des Moines in 2:02, in 2006 I ran the Dam to Dam again in 2:05, in 2007 I ran the Des Moines half marathon in 2:13, in 2008 I ran the Raleigh half in 2:19, and last year I ran the Chicago marathon in 5:28. I found pictures from the Raleigh and Chicago but couldn’t from the others….

Raleigh 1/2 Marathon 2008

Chicago Marathon 2009 - ready to go

Mile 5 or 6, I think

Rounding the corner to the finish line!

This year I was 6 weeks into training with Jimmy for the Des Moines half marathon and we found out I was pregnant. I can honestly say one of the top 5 things that popped into my head after peeing on the stick was, “I wonder if I can still run the half?”

Well my doctor quickly responded to the above question with a “No”. Bummer. For a while we toyed with the idea of a run/walk or running the 5K instead but ended up deciding to just be the cheerleaders. You see my mom, sister Jacinda, and brother in law Clint, were all running the half along with 100+ other runners on the team “Iowans for Africa”.

My mom and I ran the Chicago marathon together last year as part of this same team and we raised money to build water wells for the people of Africa. Last year the team was about 85 people that all ran the full marathon. Some had run several marathons, others had never run in their life, and others would consider themselves runners but had never run a full marathon and just enjoyed doing it, like me. My mom and I had a wonderful wonderful experience training with this group of Christ followers that believed in something bigger than ourselves and were willing to run 26.1 miles for it!

So I must admit I was a little disappointed this year when I discovered I would not be running with the team again. This year the team had more than doubled in size and was raising money to build a school in Mozambique Africa – what another great cause! However, I must say that sitting on the spectator side of the fence was pretty great too! Countless times I found myself wiping tears from my eyes for a couple reasons:

1.   I’m pregnant so I cry much easier these days

2.   I continually recalled my own experience of running the marathon last year and running my first half marathon and the sense of accomplishment and pride that comes along with doing it.

3.   I thought of the children in Mozambique that majority of the 100+ runners will never meet but said yes, I will work my butt off all summer training to run for you so that you may have a building to attend school in, instead of gathering under a mango tree.

4.   I was so proud of my mom, sister and Clint for running their first ½ marathon.

While my mom had run the full last year she had never done a ½ before and before the full wasn’t much of a runner but has fallen in love with the experience and the feeling of closeness she has with God will running (the same exact things I love about running). Jacinda has never been a runner either. She has always worked out a lot but not necessarily by running and definitely not long distances. Same with Clint, Clint was a high school and college athlete but never saw much point in running just to run (much like Jimmy). Yet they were willing to take on the challenge and endure 13.1 miles. And while Jimmy and I weren’t able to run Jimmy committed to training and running the race with me. Jimmy absolutely hates running and I didn’t really get that until we started training. Every run we did he dreaded yet he was doing it for me because I asked him to and he wanted to support me in something I love to do.

Aside from the tears, race day was beautiful. They had great weather and we had a lot of fun cheering them on. My aunt Angie and cousin Sarah also ran the race so we had quite the entourage. My uncle Randy, cousins Johnny, Kristina and Danae, my brother and sister in law Nick and Kristle and niece and nephew Devin and Eden, my dad, Clint’s parents, and Jimmy and I were all there for support. We made signs and goodie bags, bundled up the kiddos, loaded up the stroller and enjoyed a Sunday at the race!

My goal is to run the half next year and hopefully I can convince my mom and maybe Jacinda to do it with me. I guess my dad is even considering it! It may be a stretch having this babe in May and running that distance the beginning of October but that’s the goal! I haven’t been able to run much during my pregnancy because I have to keep my heart rate below 140 and it seems to be pretty high when I run, but I do go for a run/walk several times a week and I’m hoping that will help when I hit the trail running again this SpringJ

So congratulations again to all the runners of the DM half and full marathon. Mom, Jacinda and Clint I am so proud of you and I was glad I could be on “the other side of the fence” this year.

Ready to go

with their signs

the kiddos mid chew munchin on some muffins:)

home stretch - mile 11 or so

weekend recap

We had a good weekend. It seems the weekends always go too fast and the list of items you had hoped to check off never quite gets complete. Never the less, we had visitors this weekend and we had a great time. I realized this morning that we didn’t take a single picture so no photos for this post, sorry!

Katie and Ty arrived late Friday night, we hungout for a bit talking and watching a little TV before heading to bed at a decent time.

Saturday I made us all some breakfast – an egg casserole and fruit, we ate and got ready and then hit the road. We loaded up the car and headed to Branson to do some shopping and golfing. We ladies got dropped off at the outlets while the guys headed to the golf course. Other than the busy stores and abundance of senior citizens (no idea where they all came) we enjoyed our shopping. I got quite a bit of Christmas shopping done, which is always nice, and found a few things for Jimmy and I as well. The guys seemed to have a good time golfing other than breaking a few rules. They picked us up and we headed down to the Branson Landing for dinner. My favorite restaurant in the area is there – a Mexican place called Cantina Laredo. So yummy! There is always a wait but we thought by going at about 5:45 we’d bet some of the crowd, I was wrong. After a 45 min wait we were seated and enjoyed our dinner, that place never disappoints and we always leave way too full! We then headed back to Springfield to catch a late showing of the movie “Due Date.” The movie was totally packed but the movie was hilarious and we enjoyed a few good laughs. After the movie we headed home, stayed up to chat for a while before heading to bed.

Sunday they wanted to hit the road early so we enjoyed some cinnamon rolls and football highlights and then they hit the road. It was sad to see them go as we love having guests but I was so glad they made the trip down and were able to see where we live and enjoy the weekend with us.

Once they hit the road Jimmy and I headed off to church. It was nice to be back, it seems like we’ve either been out of town or had something else going on lots of weekends lately and it felt good to be back at our church. After church we hit up our usual Sunday after church lunch spot, Buffalo Wild Wings and then headed to WalMart for a few things. I have been so antsy for Christmas this year. I can’t wait for Black Friday shopping with my family, I can’t wait to put up Christmas decorations and listen to Christmas music, and I can’t wait to go to the Bahamas (more to come on that later). So I was excited that I was able to convince Jimmy into purchasing our Christmas tree yesterday! We decided to do a fake one this year since we have lots of plans in December and won’t actually be home much. I am so so excited to start decorating our house. Probably since I haven’t been able to decorate the past 3 years or so because of my living situations, it seems I’ve either been in limbo between places, moving, or living with friends. So this year I will be decorating and I’m thinking of starting this weekJ! I was asking Jimmy what he thought we should do outside and of course he doesn’t care. I told him not to worry that I wasn’t planning on purchasing any blow ups (I’ll let Bailey take care of thoseJ) and our house would never look like thisJ!

So my plan for this week is to dig the decorations out the attic and start sorting through them – seeing what I want where and what I may need to purchase and to figure out how to decorate outdoors!

Happy Monday!

14 weeks

As of  Thursday I am 14 weeks pregnant. The weeks just seem to FLY by. Every week it seems my belly is becoming more proof to me that there is a babe growing inside of me. Less of my clothes are fitting like they used to and I discovered this week that none of my coats button!

This week my update told me the babe is the size of lemon or your fist. That seems so big compared to the olive and grape that he was just a few weeks ago! I can’t quite get over the fact that this is actually our reality and that in 6 months we will have our own baby! 

I plan to post a weekly update with a tid bid from the updates I get and a few sentences on how I’m feeling.

So here’s from my update this week:

Baby's now the size of a lemon!
Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine, and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys, and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over her body for warmth.

On another pregnancy note, I found out last week that another friend is pregnant and I’m ecstatic! She is one of my very best friends and we are just 7 weeks apart! I have loved sharing this experience with my sister (due in Jan) and friend Bailey (due in Dec) and now I have another friend (due in June) to talk about all the things we are going through. So far our pregnancies have been quite different. Unfortunately she’s been terribly sick and I feel so bad for her, but it’s been fun talking about our plans for our children’s marriage in the futureJ and to have her ask me questions about things she’s experiencing. So happy for you guys and I can’t wait to continue this journey with you!

an apple orchard & a pumpkin patch

Fall is officially here in southern MO. It has started getting cold, leaves are falling, and I love the smells that fill the air this time of year. We live close to a campground so we frequently get whiffs of campfires burning, however there’s nothing like the smell of burning leaves – I love it. We haven’t had the chance to do lots of classic fall activities this year because we’ve been busy with lots of other things. However, we did find some time to do a few things.

A couple weekends back we visited an apple orchard and then a pumpkin patch. It was a gorgeous day and we enjoyed walking hand and hand through the apple trees talking for awhile before we headed inside to their little “store” to buy apples and have a few apple treats. We got a dozen or so apples of different varieties and munched on an apple muffin and apple tart - sooo yummy! It inspired me to make some homemade apple crisp that night and then the next weekend when we headed back to Iowa.

We then took off and headed outside of town to check out a pumpkin patch we had found online. I was looking forward to some warm apple cider and strolling through the pumpkin patch. Once we got there it was a pretty big place. We had to pay to get in, which I found odd, but they did have lots of activities for kiddos that would have been worth paying, I suppose. We walked around a bit then hopped on a hay ride to head out to the pumpkin patch. We made a few loops before picking out our pumpkins, paid for them, and then hopped back on for a hay ride back.

I so much enjoyed that day with Jimmy spent just the two of us walking around, talking about our future together, the future of the child growing in my belly, the traditions we had growing up, and the traditions we want to establish for our own family. I feel so much peace and contentment on days like these where I can see God’s beauty in so many things. Whether it’s a child’s laugh as they run around playing, the colors of the trees as they change with the season, a pumpkin growing out of the ground crusted with dirt, a yummy glass of apple cider that warms you up instantly, or the warm hand of the person I love the most in this world, so many things that God has blessed us with to enjoy each and every day. While it’s easier to feel thankful during this season of the year I remind myself daily to thank God for His blessings and to stop and see the beauty in the things that surround me.

On a lighter note my best friend from college and her husband are headed to Springfield for the weekend and I can’t wait! It’s been a while since we’ve had visitors so I’m looking forward to entertaining them and spending time with a few of my favorite people. More to come from our fun weekend, enjoy yours!

My friend Katie and I back in the day - oops:)