Saturday, February 28, 2009
Under Construction
We're taking this weekend to do some work around the house, including painting the nursery! Pictures to come :) Check back on Monday!
Monday, February 23, 2009
30 Weeks!
How your baby's growing:
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)
How your life's changing:
You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and he weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds him, but that volume will decrease as he gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. His eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after he's born, he'll keep his eyes closed for a good part of the day. When he does open them, he'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means he can only make out objects a few inches from his face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)
How your life's changing:
You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsier than normal, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, but the concentration of weight in your pregnant belly causes a shift in your center of gravity. Plus, thanks to hormonal changes, your ligaments are more lax, so your joints are looser, which may also contribute to your balance being a bit off. Also, this relaxation of your ligaments can actually cause your feet to spread permanently, so you may have to invest in some new shoes in a bigger size.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Good news!
Monday, February 16, 2009
29 Weeks!
How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Thankful
This blog would have been so much easier to write yesterday. Before I'd had a terrible day at work, back when I left church feeling so uplifted. But why would it have been easier to write yesterday? Don't I have the same things to be thankful for today? The answer is yes. I have so much to be thankful for - maybe if I'd been focusing on those things, I wouldn't have had such an awful day today. Thank you God for helping me realize that tonight. But instead, my focus was on me and what I lack - something that's sure to put you in a bad mood any day. So, here's the blog I meant to write yesterday, but put off until tonight - just when I need to refocus the most.
Church yesterday was great. It was a sermon about money. And, yes, it really was great. It's like the pastor said, "Who gets offended when a pastor speaks on adultery? Adulterers. Who gets offended when a pastor speaks on stealing? Thieves. So, we're talking about money today, and I'm not afraid to offend you if you aren't honoring God with your money." (God, thank you for a pastor who's not afraid to make me uncomfortable, for it's in my comfort that I so often fail you.)
A few points from the sermon (which you can hear here):
- You must give your FIRST tenth. God gave his first born, His first fruit, for our sake. As such, we honor him by giving our first fruits.
- We are not saved by good works. We are saved FOR good works. Honoring the One who saved us should be our motive for doing good.
- As an added bonus, God loves to reward those who honor him.
- He rewards on His schedule, not ours. (In other words, we should be patient.)
- His rewards are for His glory, not ours. (So, don't hoard the gifts God gives you.)
At the end of the service, we sang a new song that spoke volumes in very simple words. It was the song that made the service so great. Jamie and I weren't offended by the sermon because we try our best to honor God with the gifts He gives us. Granted, sometimes we fail ...and fail miserably. We're not perfect, but we try. We try because it's been the only thing that has worked 100% of the time. We tithe, not because we have to, but because we're thankful that God has provided. Each month we pay our bills on time. In turn, we tithe because we're thankful. Then we pay our bills again, and we tithe because we're thankful. It's a simple cycle that has worked since we first got married, back when I was getting paid in peanuts and Jamie was still in school. Back then the cycle was a little different, we tithed in faith that God would provide each month, because we were not capable. Slowly, we learned that He is faithful and we began to trust without worrying so much. It was a slow process though, trust me.
The funny thing is that we'd still tithe even if God didn't provide - but it's never happened. We have had to readjust our priorities several times, when we chose to do things our way and make a mess of everything, but God has always been faithful.
It's wonderful to tithe and be able to afford the things we need. That in and of itself is worth getting excited about nowadays. But God is good. And He loves us. I know because he has given us so much more than just what we need. God has given me a husband that loves me and still opens the car door for me. Who wants me to be happy. God has given us the miracle of a baby that we can raise to love and honor God. God has given us a home to call our own, where we can raise our family in peace and safety. Our pantry is full of food. I'm thankful for all this. I'm thankful for having a car to drive and a job to go to. I realize that a bad day at work is better than a bad day unemployed. I'm thankful for our families, who support us and pray for us, who we can share our blessings with.
I am thankful for God's mercy and grace - that He'd even be interested in someone like me, much less love me unconditionally.
At the end of the service, we stood there singing and I was humbled. God has been so good to me, and I don't deserve any of it.
You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here broken, You made me whole
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here mourning, You gave me joy
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me
How can I thank you?
There is just no way
How can I thank you?
Lord, how could I repay?
For your kindness
For your tenderness
For your constant presence here with me
Church yesterday was great. It was a sermon about money. And, yes, it really was great. It's like the pastor said, "Who gets offended when a pastor speaks on adultery? Adulterers. Who gets offended when a pastor speaks on stealing? Thieves. So, we're talking about money today, and I'm not afraid to offend you if you aren't honoring God with your money." (God, thank you for a pastor who's not afraid to make me uncomfortable, for it's in my comfort that I so often fail you.)
A few points from the sermon (which you can hear here):
- You must give your FIRST tenth. God gave his first born, His first fruit, for our sake. As such, we honor him by giving our first fruits.
- We are not saved by good works. We are saved FOR good works. Honoring the One who saved us should be our motive for doing good.
- As an added bonus, God loves to reward those who honor him.
- He rewards on His schedule, not ours. (In other words, we should be patient.)
- His rewards are for His glory, not ours. (So, don't hoard the gifts God gives you.)
At the end of the service, we sang a new song that spoke volumes in very simple words. It was the song that made the service so great. Jamie and I weren't offended by the sermon because we try our best to honor God with the gifts He gives us. Granted, sometimes we fail ...and fail miserably. We're not perfect, but we try. We try because it's been the only thing that has worked 100% of the time. We tithe, not because we have to, but because we're thankful that God has provided. Each month we pay our bills on time. In turn, we tithe because we're thankful. Then we pay our bills again, and we tithe because we're thankful. It's a simple cycle that has worked since we first got married, back when I was getting paid in peanuts and Jamie was still in school. Back then the cycle was a little different, we tithed in faith that God would provide each month, because we were not capable. Slowly, we learned that He is faithful and we began to trust without worrying so much. It was a slow process though, trust me.
The funny thing is that we'd still tithe even if God didn't provide - but it's never happened. We have had to readjust our priorities several times, when we chose to do things our way and make a mess of everything, but God has always been faithful.
It's wonderful to tithe and be able to afford the things we need. That in and of itself is worth getting excited about nowadays. But God is good. And He loves us. I know because he has given us so much more than just what we need. God has given me a husband that loves me and still opens the car door for me. Who wants me to be happy. God has given us the miracle of a baby that we can raise to love and honor God. God has given us a home to call our own, where we can raise our family in peace and safety. Our pantry is full of food. I'm thankful for all this. I'm thankful for having a car to drive and a job to go to. I realize that a bad day at work is better than a bad day unemployed. I'm thankful for our families, who support us and pray for us, who we can share our blessings with.
I am thankful for God's mercy and grace - that He'd even be interested in someone like me, much less love me unconditionally.
At the end of the service, we stood there singing and I was humbled. God has been so good to me, and I don't deserve any of it.
You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here broken, You made me whole
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
You have been so good to me
I came here mourning, You gave me joy
You have been so good
You have been so good
You have been so good to me
How can I thank you?
There is just no way
How can I thank you?
Lord, how could I repay?
For your kindness
For your tenderness
For your constant presence here with me
Monday, February 2, 2009
Mama called the doctor & the doctor said...
...no more monkeys jumping on the bed!
Just kidding. As you may recall, Friday was my date with
Mr. Glucola - the worst tasting soda-wannabe you'll ever drink. Well, I drank and drank and drank that seemingly endless orange stuff. It's not so bad at first, but by the end you feel woosy from the sugar rush and you're burping orange syrup - not my idea of fun at 7:30 in the morning. Jamie, on the other hand, thought it was a riot. Haha. I should have made the nurse give him one, too!
Fast forward one hour, and mean-nurse-lady draws my blood, all 4 tubes for my glucose test. I'm not sure why I don't like her, but she looks cruel, never smiles, doesn't talk to you, so in my book that makes you mean - good at drawing blood - but mean none-the-less. I'd much prefer the nurses in the downstairs lab, but you only go there when you have to give LOTS of blood - like for your initial full-panel work up. Let's just say, I'm A-OK with never seeing them again.
Nowadays, I take it like a champ. I don't even flinch now when they poke me, much less turn white and almost pass out like I used to. See Mom? I AM all grown up! :)
After a quick call today, I got the results of the glucose test and as usual, everything is perfect. My glucose level was 93. Gestational diabetes begins at 130 and up. The way I see it, the news couldn't have come at a better time. Girl Scout cookies just went on sale.
Just kidding. As you may recall, Friday was my date with
Mr. Glucola - the worst tasting soda-wannabe you'll ever drink. Well, I drank and drank and drank that seemingly endless orange stuff. It's not so bad at first, but by the end you feel woosy from the sugar rush and you're burping orange syrup - not my idea of fun at 7:30 in the morning. Jamie, on the other hand, thought it was a riot. Haha. I should have made the nurse give him one, too!Fast forward one hour, and mean-nurse-lady draws my blood, all 4 tubes for my glucose test. I'm not sure why I don't like her, but she looks cruel, never smiles, doesn't talk to you, so in my book that makes you mean - good at drawing blood - but mean none-the-less. I'd much prefer the nurses in the downstairs lab, but you only go there when you have to give LOTS of blood - like for your initial full-panel work up. Let's just say, I'm A-OK with never seeing them again.
Nowadays, I take it like a champ. I don't even flinch now when they poke me, much less turn white and almost pass out like I used to. See Mom? I AM all grown up! :)
After a quick call today, I got the results of the glucose test and as usual, everything is perfect. My glucose level was 93. Gestational diabetes begins at 130 and up. The way I see it, the news couldn't have come at a better time. Girl Scout cookies just went on sale.
27 Weeks!
How your baby's growing:
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.
How your life's changing:
The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all, and your expanding uterus is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs. Unfortunately, the cramps may get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle should give you some relief. Straighten your leg and then gently flex your toes back toward your shin. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.
Don't let Babycenter.com fool you, these aren't your average leg cramps. They are wake-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-just-when-you-finally-get-comfortable-like-someone-is-stabbing-you-in-the-calf-cramps. So far, I've had the pleasure of these nightly visitors only three times, but, let me tell you, once is more than enough to know that they are absolutely no fun. As if getting comfortable isn't already difficult enough when you look like you're smuggling a watermelon! Add these guys, and you're sure to never get more than an hour's worth of sleep at a time. Everyone says it's preparing me for what's to come... more lack of sleep. Yippee.
But, I can't say I blame them - my poor legs, that is. They suffer through 8 hours of high heels every day, carrying a load heavier than ever before. And they haven't failed me yet, no slips, no falls, no spills. I think the least I can do is deal with them screaming at me once or twice every now and then.
All in all, I absolutely cannot believe we are coming to the end of our second trimester. I'm speechless. Where did the time go? Where will I find the time to do all the things I need to do before our little boy gets here? Eeeek, I guess I'd better get my fat butt in gear! :)
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.
How your life's changing:
The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They're carrying extra weight, after all, and your expanding uterus is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs. Unfortunately, the cramps may get worse as your pregnancy progresses. Leg cramps are more common at night but can also happen during the day. When a cramp strikes, stretching the calf muscle should give you some relief. Straighten your leg and then gently flex your toes back toward your shin. Walking for a few minutes or massaging your calf sometimes helps, too.
Don't let Babycenter.com fool you, these aren't your average leg cramps. They are wake-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-just-when-you-finally-get-comfortable-like-someone-is-stabbing-you-in-the-calf-cramps. So far, I've had the pleasure of these nightly visitors only three times, but, let me tell you, once is more than enough to know that they are absolutely no fun. As if getting comfortable isn't already difficult enough when you look like you're smuggling a watermelon! Add these guys, and you're sure to never get more than an hour's worth of sleep at a time. Everyone says it's preparing me for what's to come... more lack of sleep. Yippee.
But, I can't say I blame them - my poor legs, that is. They suffer through 8 hours of high heels every day, carrying a load heavier than ever before. And they haven't failed me yet, no slips, no falls, no spills. I think the least I can do is deal with them screaming at me once or twice every now and then.
All in all, I absolutely cannot believe we are coming to the end of our second trimester. I'm speechless. Where did the time go? Where will I find the time to do all the things I need to do before our little boy gets here? Eeeek, I guess I'd better get my fat butt in gear! :)
