Our life right now

The timing of Christmas break is amazingly perfect. Two whole weeks to relax and nest and get ahead on school work, just before baby's arrives!

I'm trying to truly savor these lazy mornings with Joel. Our life together is so precious. I'm thrilled to parent alongside him, but it's bittersweet to know that we won't be just US again for a while. We have a beautiful life right now and the change to come is scary sometimes.

Our house is also showing subtle signs of baby's impending arrival.

Bottles sterilized and waiting to be used.
An exercise ball in the living room to be used during early labor at home.
Crib sheets in their packages waiting to be washed in fragrance-free detergent.
A few more pink clothes laying around.
Some Christmas decor still up as we finish the holiday season.
Pacifiers. Diapers. Bibs.

Oh, I love our life right now. And I bet our life six weeks from now will be darn awesome, too.

Dear newly pregnant self...

Your belly hasn't grown. You feel bloated and are dying to have an actual bump, but you are still thin. Just you wait Henry Higgins, just you wait.

Nobody knows your little secret. Even though you can't think about anything else, it's not necessarily written all over your face. Keep the news close because in a few months it will be quite obvious.

Eat whatever you can keep down. Yes, even Wendy's French fries. Again. Leafy greens that make you puke aren't doing your baby any good. So just settle down with the guilt already. There will be time later for healthy eating. In the second trimester. Because third trimester tiredness makes it hard to cook/eat well, too...

Wear comfy clothes. Not muumuus. And not paper bags, but maybe loose skirts or shorts.

Also- Try not to buy many "maternity" clothes yet because they jack the prices up on those things and shockingly, you may not even fit into maternity clothes as the pregnancy comes to an end.

Drink water. Lots of water. And some juice and whatever tastes good but isn't terrible for you.

Go for walks. And hang out with people even if you don't feel like it. Distracting yourself will ease the nausea. Just a little.

Being pregnant is completely amazing. I have loved loved loved carrying this little worm. I'm getting tired and so so pumped to meet her, but pregnancy has been a total joy. I hope someday I get the chance to do it again. And if so, I'll need this list of reminders to keep me sane in the early weeks.

baby registry update

First of all, we LOVED having an Amazon registry!! It seems like not everyone is comfortable using an online registry, which is a shame because it's so easy, but as someone who registered through Amazon I would give it two thumbs up. They make it super simple and provide a thank-you list with addresses. Awesome!

Second of all, my generous brother-in-law allowed us to order some of the remaining items on our registry using his Amazon prime account. Why yes, I'd love free 2-day shipping, thank you very much.

Third of all, I wish we hadn't done a Target registry. It doesn't always record things that have been purchased, Target's shipping isn't consistent (and by that I mean it's pretty slow!), and the things we chose often showed up as different when viewed online.

One note: even though it's totally awesome to have the ability to register for things elsewhere, the purchasing isn't straight-forward and seemed to intimidate even the tech-savvy gift buyers. I was disappointed by how few things were redeemed at the bottom of our registry.... stuff that was sold by IKEA, Etsy, etc. I don't know if Amazon has the ability to make that process a bit more streamlined, but if so, they totally should!

We have been really blessed by the generosity of our friends and family. Our little one is so well cared for and has received so so many great gifts. Plus, way to go, Amazon- your registry rocks!
image here.

pregnancy: week 35

Well, the heartburn is back with a vengeance this week. It seems like when I was sick a few weeks ago, the heartburn took a backseat and didn't bother me as much. Now that I'm healthy, though, it's a very frequent visitor. And all my Christmas overeating doesn't help the situation.

Another symptom of the past few weeks: constant tiredness and discomfort. On Christmas night I was ready to crash by 7:30pm. I couldn't find any comfortable position to sit/stand and I wanted to hang out but just didn't feel great. 

This Tuesday we have our 36 week midwife appointment and we'll start going every week after that. I'm so curious how the baby's measuring and what her position is. I've been feeling tons of heavy pounding movements so I know she's running out of room in there. Plus, I look large and in charge. So there's that.

Week 36 is when they check for Group B Strep, which influences whether we'll need antibiotics during delivery. Hopefully we test negative for that and can do the whole process without an IV! Also at week 36 they'll give us a "packing list" for our visit to the birth center on delivery day. My favorite part- packing! :)

Week 35 stats
4 immediate family members came to visit& celebrate Christmas here in our house (first time ever!)
5 evenings with constant back, hip, and ligament pain
1 baby the size of a coconut (so cute!) wiggling around inside
12+ girly, sweet outfits for the little worm to wear some day
2 loads of baby clothes washed, folded and ready
1 birth center bag packed for baby
0 hours of school work done by this pregnant lady
1.5 giant recycling bins filled with paper and cardboard leftovers from Christmas

Merry Christmas from Baby 'Berts

We had a lovely day with family and friends. The baby is running out of room in my belly so she has been giving me some pretty sharp jabs in protest. We are really hoping the ultrasound wasn't wrong about her being a girl, because she received a mother load of pink and purple clothing this Christmas. If we have a son, he'll be wearing white. Or pink.

Yesterday we had a rather wild and spontaneous day downtown. We left home at 11am and came home at 11pm. Even though my body was protesting the hours walking in boots and sitting in a crowded back seat, I kinda loved the craziness because I don't think we'll do anything like that again for a while. 12 hours in the city with a tiny baby won't be quite as feasible as it was with her en utero. :)

The best part of this vacation is that it's only half finished! We still have a full week at home together. I can't wait!

on loss and love: a letter to my daughter

Dear little one,

Within the last two weeks I have lost two pastor friends who I know would have loved to meet you.

One was hoping you'd be born on his birthday, this coming January. The other invested in me during three critical college years- teaching me about love and marriage and teaching and urban ministry.

My heart breaks that you won't know these two great people.

I weep for their families, their children, their spouses. I mourn that their ministry will not continue; that they won't be furthering the Kingdom with their love and passion.

My heart aches to consider you facing loss someday, little worm. I am blown over by the thought of your heart breaking, of people you love dying, of others hurting you deeply. As sad as I am for myself over losing these two sweet friends, what strikes me harder is my love for you... my desire to protect you and keep you from harm.

But what I have learned from these two friends, as they taught from the pulpit and with their lives, is a lesson of God's faithfulness. Of God's constant care and sovereign plan for his people. Of God's presence in grief and in celebration.

We're entering a season of celebration, baby girl, and we're so, so excited to meet you!

 

Your dad and I know you will face hardship and loss some day. We know we can't protect you from the suffering that life on earth brings. But we serve a God who cares, who sent his son for us, whose power and love overshadow even death and pain and heartache.

So just know that whatever loss and grief you will face, we will point you as best as we can toward Jesus. And we'll tell you stories about Terry and about Joanne, and the way they lived for Him.


Love,
Mom

pregnancy: week 34

Did anyone notice the 33 week post was written yesterday (when in actuality we're now in week 35?!)? Oh, you didn't? Well, good. I don't like advertising the reality that my life has been crazy busy lately. But now that Christmas break is here (halleluiah!), I may become a blogging fiend.

I don't think either of these photos accurately showcases the size of our little girl. She is growing week by week and I love having these photos as evidence. Though I'm not really thrilled about the quality of pictures OR the quality of my face at 6:20am...

Okay, so week 34
2 car seat bases checked and installed correctly. [Local friends, here's a great resource for getting your infant seat checked. The technician was so helpful and informative. When we move to the next size seat, we'll likely use them again to help make sure it's in safely.]
155 beats per minute of little tiny heart
3 pounds lost (?!) since my last appointment. So strange.
45 minutes at the mall for Christmas shopping where we had to park a million miles away in order to find a spot!
65 degree weather on Saturday, December 21st
1.5 hours spent watching my students perform their Christmas concert with Grandmom & Granddad Nelson
29 average bumps and stabs and jabs to the ribs per day
1 time Joel said, "Hey, little worm" to our baby. I call her that multiple times a day, so it was precious to hear him say it, too. She is a seriously wiggly worm in there!