32 Weeks

How far along? 32 weeks (plus a day... but who's counting?) !

Maternity clothes? I have my few that I am sticking with... looking for a jacket as mine is currently only able to cover my back... unfortunately I am too cheap to buy a maternity coat for $80+ seeing as I only have a bit of time left.....

Exercising: Started length swimming again this week.  So strange as it's the first time I have swam since the baby has gotten noticeable larger.  It's like swimming with a giant package hanging from your belly... had to keep switching between the strokes on your front vs. backstroke...

Stretch marks? Yes... I don't have the "cute baby belly" unfortunately but it will all be worth it in the end!

Sleep: fine when I get to sleep...2/3 hours after I go to bed... then again after I go the bathroom the 5 times at night...

Best moment this week: It was really nice going to my friend's wedding shower and seeing a few people I haven't seen in a while!  That and the parenting Bible study we started this week- very excited for the rest of the study!

Have you told family and friends: Yep.

Miss Anything? My jogs... I used to jog 3/4 times a week for a few km at a time... now I can walk a block and I'm sore/tired....  

Movement: All the time.  (well there's a few times she takes breaks but not often).   She's running out of room in there though as shes more just rolling now. 

Food cravings: nothing weird....

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not anything in particular-- yet still getting sick (which is weird as I had no such problems in Trimester 1)

Have you started to show yet: Most definitely-- strangers are starting to notice (except those on the bus... Note: if a pregnant girl has to stand on the bus for 1 hr straight -- please offer your seat-- or at least don't push her into the handle bars when you try to get past... just saying. ) 

Gender prediction: No longer a prediction. It's a girl!! 

 

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? in but I don't think for much longer

Wedding rings on or off? off (wearing them on my neck though)

Happy or Moody most of the time: Ask Wes, I feel as though my judgement on this may be a bit bias....

Looking forward to: The weekend!  Classes are basically over, baby shower and just a weekend off before the hated exam time starts.

Not loving: Sore back, sore ribs. just soreness.  

A Letter To Our Baby Girl

Beautiful Girl,

 

I want you to know that your Mom and Dad are very excited for you to come into this world.  We talk about it all the time and try to guess what kind of personality God has given you.  Please don't let anybody tell you that you are unloved.  We both love you very much, you have wonderful grandparents, aunts and uncles who also are awaiting your birth with much anticipation.  But most of all, God loves you.  That is why he gave his only Son to die for you.

 

Please don't expect us to be perfect as we try this whole parenting thing.  Just as you are new to this whole thing, we as well are new to this whole parenting thing.  We will most definately mess up at times, but we are trying our best.  We promise to do everything we can to raise you in a way that will glorify God and allow your gifts to shine through.  Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a perfect human- so we won't always get it right. 

 

As you grow up, we pray that you will find friends that spur you on towards Christ,

but also be a light to those who do not know Christ.

Know that God has your future planned out for you.  Do things you enjoy when you are deciding on a career.  Find a husband (if marriage is in God's plan for you) that loves you and treats you properly, but most of all who strives to have a heart after God's own heart.

 

There are many things in this world that are done backwards.  Beauty does not come from the outside.  Don't let others make you feel unbeautiful.  Be kind to others and let your beauty shine from the inside out. 

 

Live life fully, you never know when God will decide to take you back home.

We cannot wait to start the time with you that we have been given. 

 

Waiting patiently for our beautiful baby girl,

Mom and Dad 

Mishmash

I've been a bit lacking on this whole blogging thing lately-- but I believe that goes without saying that that will happen once Christmas time starts to roll around.  Lots of things to get done, exams coming up and to top it all off baby time is getting closer and closer!  

Here is a bit of our life lately:

We have been getting more and more into the Christmas mood.

We found this cute hat at the dollar store and couldn't stop laughing so we had to get it for Holmes. 

Obviously he loves it. 

A good friend of mine had her first wedding shower on the weekend!  

I am so excited for her and her fiance and truly wish the best for them in the future!

It is so great to see how God is changing the lives of my friends and how his plan works out for each and every one of them. 

Wes and I start our parenting Bible Study tonight.  

I cannot wait to learn more about what the Bible has to say about parenting, 

so that we are prepared to raise our child in the way God has intended for us to raise her.  

Felt Flower Headbands

I love the trend of the baby headbands with big flowers.  

Unfortunately, many of these headbands can be expensive.  

Luckily, I have been able to use a bit (yes... very little bit) of craftiness and make a few headbands. 

Here is the first one I have made that I found on Fabulessly Frugal.

To make this all you need is:

• felt (not very much at all- depending how big your flower is)
• Lace Elastic (or whichever type of band you want)
• Hot glue
• Something circular to trace 
• pen (for tracing)

For more detailed instructions click the link above-- takes about 10 minutes to make and saves a ton of money!

Masked Church

Growing up in church, I have seen many people put on their "church masks" each week. 

Including myself.

This is a song that was a part of the message today and I just thought it put words to feelings I have had so many times. 

Why is it that we feel as Christians that we have to be perfect? 

Nobody is perfect... why pretend we are? 

I know through talking with friends who do not attend church regularly, 

they feel that they are judged when they enter the church, 

they feel that people from the church can gossip a lot, 

or they feel that God would never accept them for who they are. 

Here's the wonderful thing about God's message:

He loves us for who we are, 

even with our downfalls, 

and He is still waiting for us with arms wide open.

I know there are more than a few subjects that good Christians don't talk about: 

Falling into temptations, 

Having doubts about your beliefs, 

and conflicts within your families. 

According to recent studies, the following are the top 6 reasons why teens/young adults leave the church:

Isolationism. One-fourth of 18- to 29-year-olds say church demonizes everything outside church, including the music, movies, culture, and technology that define their generation.

Shallowness. One-third call church boring, about one-fourth say faith is irrelevant and Bible teaching is unclear. One-fifth say God is absent from their church experience.

Anti-science. Up to one-third say the church is out of step on scientific developments and debate.

Sex. The church is perceived as simplistic and judgmental. For a fifth or more, a "just say no" philosophy is insufficient in a techno-porno world. Young Christian singles are as sexually active as their non-churched friends, and many say they feel judged.

Exclusivity. Three in 10 young people feel the church is too exclusive in this pluralistic and multi-cultural age. And the same number feel forced to choose between their faith and their friends.

Doubters. The church is not a safe place to express doubts say over one-third of young people, and one-fourth have serious doubts they'd like to discuss.

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What if...

Rather than everybody pretending they are living the perfect life, 

that they do not face temptations, 

and that their spiritual growth is the best it has every been.  

What if we actually were honest with each other? 

What if...

We shared our downfalls with each other, 

and we helped others who face similar trials we have already been through.

What if we spurred each other on with love rather than judgement? 

What if...

We helped those younger than us both before AND AFTER they became a Christian, 

understood the many trials they must face, 

and asked how we can help them on a regular basis? 

What if we loved others as Jesus loved us? 

I really do think many people have been turned off of the whole idea of church, 

because of the way we as Christians have made each Sunday, 

along with each other day of the week, 

a play rather than admitted it is real life.  

Real life with real problems that we all face, Christian or not. 

Please, if you are one of the people who has turned away from the church for this reason, 

people aren't perfect, 

we will mess up, 

please don't judge Christianity by the Christians, 

but rather look at Christ and see the love he has shown each and every one of us. 

That is what church should be like, 

and although it may fall drastically short of that sometimes,

we are all doing the same thing by aiming to live like Jesus did.  

For those of us who are active in a church, 

let's start being real with each other. 

Maybe then, 

we will finally be able to get past some of those things that are holding us back.  

Week 30!

I cannot believe I am 75% of the way through this pregnancy!  These past few weeks have definitely brought forth more pregnancy symptoms than the first half of the pregnancy.

•  I find it hard to get to sleep- tend to move from side to side but once I fall asleep it's fine and I'm out until the morning (except to go to the bathroom a few times during the night). 
• My back hurts all the time, I find myself having to get up and stretch/sit back down every few minutes 
• The baby has moved further down I think.  She is constantly against my bladder, meaning I can hold a drink in for about 10 minutes before having to go the bathroom.  

But all that being said, I am so excited for Baby Girl to come!  I'm starting to really realize how close it is to the due date.  Wes and I are going to become parents in 10 weeks!  

I am so excited, but also realize how big a thing this is.  I really do pray that we will be parents that raise our baby to live a life for God, yet allow her to excel in the ways God has created her to excel in.

Day Five: What trimester are you in, and how do you feel?

I'm in 3rd Trimester!   Last one!   (Read above for the rest)

On a side note:   Wes and I set up our Christmas tree this week.  Holmes loves it, though he was used to climbing it last year and now he is much bigger and can only climb the bottom of the tree.  

5 Things You Shouldn't Say to A Pregnant Woman

The past few weeks, I feel as though my pregnancy has really kicked in (until now I have completely lucked out symptom wise).   Now I am constantly tired, sore and Baby Girl just keeps on growing (which is a good thing, but not so good to my sore back).  It is at the point strangers are noticing I am pregnant, which is great... but also brings along some comments that maybe aren't worded in the best of ways.     

Here are some tips for those people talking to pregnant woman that you should avoid:

1. "Wow that is one big baby!"/ "You must be due any day" (when in all reality the person may still be months away from the due date)/ anything relating to such sayings
• Now, it's fine to say these things in certain ways- just be mindful of how you say them.  No need to let me know how much bigger I have gotten.  I know.  One way to say it nicely perhaps is "What a cute baby bump"/ "You are really coming along well!", etc.
2. "Don't worry the labour really isn't as bad as they say" 
• Everybody has different experiences with giving birth.  Some are more painful and last longer than others.  But especially to a first-time pregnant woman, no need to remind them of the pain or underplay it.  It will most likely hurt, but in the end it will all be absolutely worth it.
3. "Why do you look so tired?"
• I've been exhausted these last few weeks, I look tired because I am tired.  I am growing a human being inside myself.  Please don't ask why I am tired... I just am.
4. "Was it planned?"
• I have made my feelings on this statement clear in a previous blog post Unexpected Blessing.  I won't say more.
5. "Get used to no sleep, no date nights, no _______, once the baby comes it will all change"
• I know it will change, I am excited for that change.  I understand parenting is hard, but no need to remind me that my whole life is going to change within a few short weeks.

Day 3/4

I have a bit of catching up to do so here we go:

Day Three:  Do you know the day you conceived?

Not sure to be honest.  The due date has been moved around so much since we first found out that I'm not even trying to guess anymore.  

Day Four:  How did you find out you were expecting?

I decided to take a test after work one day.  So Wes and I were home and we took one.  After, we took a few more just to make sure.  Funny enough, before taking the test we were watching Friends episode when Rachel found out she was pregnant.  

Day 2

Day Two:  A picture of the father and five facts

• Wes works as a bricklayer, and has been doing a wonderful job doing such for the last 5 years 
• Wes is quiet but once you get him talking, he sometimes doesn't stop!
• Wes has never changed a diaper before (yes... he's in for a big surprise)
• His first "big trip" was on our honeymoon.  Unfortunately, we both ended up with huge sunburns within the first few days and had to keep it pretty low key the rest of the week seeing as we were almost purple from the sun....  (yes we did wear sunscreen it was expired though)
• He is a wonderful husband and I can't wait for him to be a father to our child!

Day 1

Day 1: A Picture of you and 5 Facts

• I would much rather be home with the family than out partying all night 
• I have swam my whole life, my favourite stroke being breastroke (set a few records in high school)
• Wes and I have been dating since I was 14, and I am so thankful he has been such a huge part in my life growing up as well as the one I will be able to make a family with 
• I travelled to Honduras and South Africa for mission trips while in high school 
• I am currently in school for Math and French

A Little Baby Movement

Baby Girl likes to move around a lot! 

 

Here is a short video of some movement (though she must be camera-shy as the movement slowed down as soon as the camera came out)

Love feeling her move around!

 

Week 29

I decided to skip doing a survey this week (since many of the answers have not been changing much and it gets repetitive).  Instead I will just say some of the highlights/ no so highlights of this week.   

This week I have been VERY tired.  Thank goodness my midterms are over!  I have been able to walk, but very sore and my walk is more so of a waddle now.  

I am so looking forward to this weekend, getting to see some of my friends and having a Crochet day, doing the registry and getting to relax with Wes.  

So a neat little substitute I found for the upcoming days (Will just do an add-on to various posts rather than a new post for each question- will start tomorrow): 

Day One:  A picture of you and five facts

Day Two:  A picture of the father and five facts

Day Three:  Do you know the day you conceived?

Day Four:  How did you find out you were expecting?

Day Five: What trimester are you in, and how do you feel?

Day Six: Baby’s first picture. A picture of your first ultrasound.

Day Seven: Do you have a birthing plan?

Day Eight: What is your biggest food craving?

Day Nine: What sex did/do you hope for?

Day Ten: A picture of your baby bump and how you feel about how you look.

Day Eleven: The baby shower: What do you plan for? Hope for?

Day Twelve: How did you tell your parents the news? The baby’s dad’s parents?

Day Thirteen: How are you preparing for the baby?

Day Fourteen: A picture of a baby that you feel your baby will resemble.

Day Fifteen: How are you feeling?

Day Sixteen: Parenting tips you’ve learned from the internet or other moms.

Day Seventeen: Who will help you most when your baby is here?

Day Eighteen: Do you plan on breastfeeding?

Day Nineteen: Who will be in the delivery room with you?

Day Twenty: What are you looking forward to most about being a mom?

The Race that Matters

As a competitive swimmer for much of my life, I am used to training and competing against other swimmers.  

Each weekend, I looked forward to the swim meet and thrived to better my time, whether it be by a second or a millisecond. 

I trained many days a week, all for the race that awaited me.

There's a race that, as a Christian, we are all a part of.  

And rather than winning a title or prize that will not last, we are running this race with the prize being an eternity in heaven.  

Just as I had to train for my swimming, it is vital that we train for this race as well. 

This is no sprint... it's a marathon. 

We need to train in endurance, strength and the various "strokes" needed to get through each part of this race. 

1 Corinthians 9: 24-26

Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?  So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training.  They do it to win a  prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step.  I am not just shadowboxing.

Now we know that there is only one winner in each race.  

We need to run this race in the same way we would run a race with one winner. 

Like you want to win!

This is not a race you run once a week on Sundays, 

This is not a race you can "fake" your training, 

This is the race that matters the most.  

So race with purpose and show that it matters.  

Get Real

Angel over at Voice of Adventure just posted this challenge on her blog:

The truth is I am SICK, SICK, SICK of people feeling all alone because they think everyone else is less screwed up than them. It's ridiculous. We all have our times we are flying high and our times we are doing a nose dive. Why do we all pretend? It's all a pack of lies wrapped in a bunch of arrogance. So I am going to give it my best shot and TRY to get real on this blog. This is a get real zone. No bull allowed.

Great right?!   So here it goes, this is me being real:


I love doing laundry and really don't mind dishes every now and again, but I hate making the bed... It seems pointless to me as it just gets messed up that night. 

I struggle with my daily devotions and keeping on track with my relationship with God.  I look at many other Godly woman in my life and wish I could have as much devotion as they do. 

I am online too much.  Whether it be talking to friends, blogging or looking at various posts online... it's too much.  I hate that. 

I struggle with school.  I want to be a teacher, and I am going to finish my degree but I am at the point that at times I really just don't see what the big deal is about this whole school thing. 

I love to wear socks and sandals... call it whatever you may... it is the most comfortable footwear you will ever wear. 

I wish I could sing.  I have many friends with this gift and I sometimes find myself envying it.

I worry constantly.  Finances, school, future parenting, everything... I try my best but there is always something in the back of my mind that I worry about. 

I love Chapman's Frozen Yogourt.  If I could sit and eat the whole tub... I would...

Though I have always wanted to be a mother, there is nothing more scary than the thought of giving birth. 

About once a month I have a meltdown, often about school or my lack of social life...  unfortunately Wes believes this to be PMS. 

Wes and I liked the name Seth for a boy at first... it was ruled out due to the fact that I wanted my child (if it was going to be a boy) to be able to properly pronounce his name and if his mother couldn't- he most likely wouldn't be able to either.  

I have many regrets in my life.  Though I know God forgives our sins, often I find it hard to forgive myself.

I really don't mind moving every few months (for those who don't know me... I have had over 10 homes since Fall 2009).  I get to throw out the stuff that I don't use and ensure that I only have what I use/need.  

I am no good at small talk .  I really am interested in what other's have to say and what is going on in their lives, but often I believe I can come off as uninterested (if I have came off this way to you -- I'm really interested!)

I haven't changed since I was young.  Seriously, you know how people change as they get older... ya... I missed out on that. 

Though I understand we are made beautiful in God's sight, I am still very self-conscious about my weight and appearance.  Being bullied for most of my childhood, I have always had my insecurities.

I have only looked like this one time in my life: my wedding day.  Usually it's more of a ponytail/jean sort of day.  

So there we have it.  If you ever read my blog and think of a happy, perfect life... not true.  I love my life, I love my husband and family, and mostly I love my God, but I have both ups and downs.  

As Promised...

Here is the video of the gender reveal as promised:) 

And Some of the Reactions:

And lastly, a video for Peyton later on (our view on 2012):

Week 28

Week: Week 28!

Baby Bump Picture:

Age when you found out you were pregnant: 20

Did you experience any pregnancy symptoms?: Some nauseous days, headaches, heart burn but other than that not that bad

 How far along were you when you found out?:  5 weeks

Was your little one planned or a surprise?: "unexpected blessing" as we say.

When is your EDD?: 1/24/13

How many weeks are you currently?: 28

Is this your first child?  If not, how many do you have?: First!  First for us, first for both of our families.  first all the way around!

What was your first reaction when you found out you were pregnant?: Crazy!  Wes didn't catch on what the test meant when I showed him.  We took quite a few just in case.  

Who was the first person you told that you were pregnant?: Wes, then Brooke.  

How far along were you when you felt baby kick for the first time?: 18ish weeks.

What month did you find out the sex of your baby?: October!

Are you having a boy or girl?: GIRL!! 

What cravings have you had?: None really... 

Have you/are you planning on attending any Lamaze classes?: Not as of now. 

Do you have a name picked out?: Yes.  Peyton Joy Marshall.  Peyton because its such a nice name , Joy after the camp we met at.  

When did you decide on a name?  Who picked it?: I had a few I picked out and told Wes and he liked Peyton the best.  We picked it out quite early on... it was the boy's names we were having difficult time with.  My mom helped me pick out Joy.  

What kind of birth plan are you considering?: Planning on just going with the flow.  Whatever happens happens as long as everybody is safe:)  

What pregnancy discomforts have you experienced?: sleeping, headaches, hunger, going to the bathroom ALL THE TIME,    the list goes on. but can you believe it only 12 more weeks !   

What pregnancy related books have you read/are you currently reading?: Quite a few when we first found out, not as many now that I have been in school.  Starting a parenting Bible Study with Wes soon:) 

Any weird pregnancy dreams?: Not really... 
Who do you want in the delivery room with you?: Not completely sure yet. Wes for sure, haven't decided if that is it or not.  

Are you planning on breast feeding?: Yes, as long as possible.  

Do you plan on having any more little ones?: Oh yes :)  Will wait a bit but definitely yes!