20 Weeks Pregnant!

We are half- way to meeting precious Owen Judah (Or maybe a little more than half way, right buddy?). This pregnancy has gone by much faster so far than my pregnancy with Adrian. 

This week, here's what's going on:

-I can feel Owen several times a day now, even when I'm not concentrating on it. He even woke me up yesterday morning with his sweet little kicks.

-I'm craving Chick-fil-A like crazy. Which, apparently, is a very popular thing to be craving as a Christian right now. It's actually pretty ridiculous how often I think about eating it during the day - ugh, so bad!

-I learned to crochet, thanks to my sister, Kays. I made my first baby blanket for Owen and am working on my 2nd. I'm glad December is such a blustery month because he will need to be very snuggly in all his warm things.

-I ordered matching crochet hats for Adrian and Owen. I am nearly brought to tears with the cuteness, but unfortunately Nick doesn't quite understand how adorable they are. Ah well.

 

- I'm very excited that two of my friends expecting in December are also having boys - even though I no longer live in GA, I'm very excited that our boys will "grow up together" over facebook at least. So fun.

-I'm starting to feel very slightly stressed at the thought of getting Owen's room set up (and ours, for that matter) since he will be here oh so soon. Ideally, I'd like to have it all ready by the end of October so that I can focus on being prepared in other ways during November, and have all the holiday things checked off my list. This year, I'm not putting Christmas decorations up at all except for paper and felt homemade decorations that Adrian and I will make "together".

-Most of all, I'm feeling very very grateful and blessed - thankful for how easy this pregnancy has been so I can still give Nick and Adrian my full attention without being in pain (except at night - please keep my migraines in your prayers). Thankful that we still have everything left over for Adrian and there isn't any huge items that we need. Thankful for TWO PRECIOUS BOYS. The Lord is too, too good.

20 week Pregnant Photo

 

 

 

20 week belly progression! Baby boy is growing!

Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be.
-- Carrie Fisher

Thoughts on The Colorado Shooting

Early this morning, James Homes walked into a Colorado theatre showing the midnight premier of the 3rd movie in The Dark Knight trilogy and created a massacre - the largest mass shooting in the history of the United States.

All day today, I've had a very heavy heart. Mostly because I know this morning was historic - I remember how I felt about Columbine, I remember how I felt about 9/11, and other similar tragedies and I've never taken the time to write about it in the moment, so as my sweet baby boy is asleep in his head, and my head is filled with silent prayers and confusing thoughts, I come here to sort them out.

12 -14 people dead (according to different sites), 50-70+ wounded (according to different sites). One man, my age, in custody. (There were 13 killed and 21 wounded in the Columbine High school shooting in 1999).

I may not have the most popular viewpoint (in fact, I don't think I've ever publicly written out anything that could be labeled as controversial, but I felt I needed to at least write this on my measly blog), but my first thought was not what I've seen many of my friends sharing on facebook - the, "well, if violence wasn't so accepted in movies, this wouldn't have happened".

My first thought, as I read through the article at seven something this morning, was "oh Dear Precious Jesus, why"? For some reason, I pictured the mental image I often have of Jesus STANDING next to the throne of the father as Stephen was being stoned. No, not at all comparable, but I know our Lord watched it all last night. For some reason, this is comforting to me.

Yes. It's true that violence spurs, or breeds if you will, violence. However, I'm not about to jump on the bandwagon and say that that movie is what caused it. Of course, on the surface, it is. However, I want to remind you that the supernatural relm is as real as the natural realm - there is a war being fought on our behalf alongside the personal, natural fights humans fight within themselves to answer the question - who am I and how do I relate to God?

 Oh, Father won’t You forgive them/They don’t know what they’ve been doing/Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them/Cause I feel like the one losing 

Honestly, my first response to these things my Christian friends and aquaintences have said is a strong feeling of disappointment.  Disappointment that ranting angrily about these things was the first thought acted on, instead of sympathy, prayers, pleading for the lives that have been lost and changed (yes, dare I even think to include the soul of James Holmes). 

Why, does it seem, in matters of extreme conflicting viewpoints, more often then not, it is Christians that are the quickest to judge, with raised eyebrows, glancing down our noses, huffing our "well, if they hadn'ts"?
Why is our first action not falling on our knees in prayer for them - prayer for the strength to share the love that erases all fear, the love that has defeated Evil for eternity?

Just a thought.

"Why do we think that hates going to change their heart/We’re up in arms over wars that don’t need to be fought/Pride won’t let us lay weapons on the ground/We build our bridges up but just to burn them down/We think pain is owed apologies and then it’ll stop/Truth be told it doesn’t matter if they’re sorry or not/Freedom comes when we surrender to the sound/Of mercy and Your grace, Father, send Your angels down"

-"Losing" by Tenth Avenue North

18 Weeks Pregnant!

We are almost...almost half way! I can't wait to hold this little guy in my arms.

This week -
-heard a strong heartbeat on the doppler for a while - it was 150's. I think Owen was sleeping because he didn't move while I was listening, which is unlike him.
-I think I felt him kick my hand! I'm not quite sure yet so I'm not excited yet :)
-He's still pretty easy-going it seems.
-Please pray for my migraines. I'm having them several times a week and it gets exhausting!

So far, I've been able to get a few of my "bigger" items on my wish list at garage sales. Owen has a medela double electric breast pump, a moby wrap ($40 less than retail and brand new), a new blanket with chewy edges, and I ordered a hand-crocheted teddy bear cap (so cute). So, we're getting ready! Nick and I have been talking about how we want to re-arrange our room to fit the bassinet and we're getting excited.

Crafting for Adrian and Owen

I've been working on making a 3D paper mural for each of my boy's rooms. Adrian's will be farm/forest themed and Owen's will be Safari/hot air balloon themed (I couldn't pick between the two). 

I've been working on these for a couple of weeks - they're tedious because it's free-hand cutting, but it's SO fun! I've been getting my crafty crafty fix.

What do you think? I probably won't be done for several months so there's a lot more to go!

Mud!

What happens when Daddy turns his back for one second?

This:

17 Weeks Pregnant!

This week, I've really had a lot more time to sit and think about how much our life is going to change in 5 short months (maybe a little less).

Nick and I keep looking at each other, smiling, shaking our heads at the thought of two, two wonderful boys in our life! Nick is already planning camping and fishing trips as a family and I'm already praying for their wives ;) I feel completely different this pregnancy than I did with my first. I'm not constantly thinking about being pregnant, and with Owen being less active than Adrian it's easy to not think about it. At the same time, I'm extremely anxious for December. I know exactly what to expect, I know what kind of family Owen will be welcomed into, and I just want to "get this show on the road". I'm so so excited about watching another precious son grow up.

And I know my heart is going to get bigger with all the love it has to hold. I know that feeling. I know how it felt to hold my precious child in my arms and feel my heart physically swell with more love than I thought there was in the world. I know it will happen again. I know it will just double in size!

This week, nothing has really changed. Owen is obviously growing, but he's still not active enough so that I can feel him constantly like I could with Adrian at this point. I'm still dealing with migraines, but there's been nothing else to complain about.

I'm working on a mural for both boy's rooms. I'm excited about it (it's made of construction paper). I also bought a Medela Pump in Style Advanced breast pump and I am DETERMINED to nurse that child for at least six months. If you know how difficult it was for Adrian and I, please keep Owen and I in your prayers.

 17 weeks with Owen Judah

Teef Brushing

Adrian LOVES brushing his own teeth. He HATES if we try to do it for him.

Love this little guy.

Happy 3rd Anniversary! / 16 weeks pregnant!

Nick and I have been married for 3 beautiful years. Beautiful, very crazy, years.

I'm starting to write this at 9 am this morning and 3 years ago at this moment I was in my pajamas at the church, sipping coffee, praying constantly, trying to quiet my nerves and keep myself from exploding out of my head. Today was my wedding day!

Fast forward through the million events that have taken place that have made me fall deeper in love with the man I married, today I feel grateful and complete and excited about the next seventy years or so!

This past year, we've:

• Found a new church in Jacksonville that we're extremely proud to be a part of. We've made wonderful friends there and are enjoying getting "plugged in". I can hardly believe we've been there nearly a year already.
• Celebrated Adrian's first birthday! What a milestone, what an enormous event. 
• Moved again to a smaller little trailer. We're happy here, thankful to be here, and are enjoying making it "home" for however long this little season here is going to last.
• Several of our dear friends have moved to other parts of the country this year. We are missing them! It's hard to find precious friends as truly special as we've had here in Jacksonville.
• Found out we're expecting Owen. We're over the moon about him and can't wait to meet him sooner than we think!

This morning, as Nick and I exchanged gifts (he gave me beautiful leather sandals and I gave him a new watch with a leather band - 3rd anniversary theme is leather), we held hands and laughed about how our 3rd year has been so much better than our 2nd year. I can't wait to keep saying that every single year. It's wonderful to be married to someone who makes it feel like the rest of our lives together is just not long enough!

~~~~~~

16 Weeks Pregnant with Owen!

 Not much to report this week. I'm feeling better in general except for headaches. I'm wishing this little man would move some more - I was feeling Adrian A LOT more at this point than I'm feeling Owen, but the very very faint flutters here and there are reassuring!