8 Weeks

*Original Post Date: 01.31.14*

It's amazing how much difference a simple First Ultrasound and Doctor's Appointment can make. More on that below.

How Far Along: 8 weeks, 2 days. (Not sure I'll ever have time to do updates on Tuesdays when I change weeks. I'm sure you and I both will get over it.)

Food Equivalent: Kidney bean!

Gender: Still unknown. But that heart rate was clocked going pretty fast. ("Legend" says if it's faster than 140ish, it's likely to be a girl.)

Movement:I can't feel it yet, but we got to see it wiggling around on the screen.

Maternity Clothes: I need some stretchy jeans! And I need to be able to stinkin' tell people already so I don't have to suck in this thing that can't really be suck in...already.

Sleep: It's alright, I suppose. Definitely starting to add some wacko dreams to the mix. If I remember correctly, some of my dreams while pregnant with Josiah ended up being rather prophetic. Hmmm.

Cravings: Anything salty. Tons of ICE water. And my usual Chick-fil-a and pizza. But that could be said of me without child.

Aversions: Would you believe that this kid won't tolerate guacamole??? I have a growing concern that he/she may not be a good fit for this family. I ate some most delicious guac a couple weeks ago and regretted it even into the next day. Yesterday, Matt made some and I just wasn't excited. Josiah kept force-feeding me (where did he learn that?!?!) tiny, little chips delicately dipped in the green good stuff. I obliged, but even that small amount left me troubled not long after. What a sad existence.

What I'm Missing: Extra cups of coffee. I'm still having the one small cup in the mornings, but that just doesn't carry me beyond about 2 or 3 hours.

Symptoms: Still so much burping. Like, deep, ugly, manly, un-ladylike burps. I really hope it goes away eventually. Some sharp pains in my belly when I work out a little too hard. (Ha!) Crankiness. And still some exhaustion. Also, a pretty sucky memory.

Best Moment of the Week: The doctor's appointment and first ultrasound. Got to see that sweet nugget on the screen and hear it's (rapidly) beating heart. Last time, we got a positive test on a Tuesday morning and had an appointment lined up for Thursday. This time however, we had to wait 2.5 weeks! Pure torture. So much time to formulate SO MANY questions and doubts. I will say, though, that it was well worth the wait to be able to have a doctor like the one I have this time around. I (we both) left the appointment feeling so, so encouraged and hopeful. I wrote a little about why we were choosing a new doctor and why it was important to us that he/she be understanding and supportive of our hope for a VBAC. She is. And I'm thrilled.

Worst Moment of the Week: Dare I say...a few somewhat silly arguments with Matt due to my crankiness. Bummer. Hope I move on from that. 

Looking Forward To: Finally getting to tell all the family this weekend! Last time it was so easy. Both sides of the family (minus a sibling on each side) just happen to be getting together for lunch since my birthday and Matt's Dad's birthday and my sister's birthday are all within a week or so of each other. It was perfect. This time is a bit more complicated, but nothing we can't still be creative with. I'll tell ya how it all went down next week.

Baby Daddy: He came with me to the appointment and waited through all the various "first appointment" obstacles. He's been very attentive and patient and helpful.

Big Brother: We actually told him today!!!! Totally doesn't get it. He thinks he's the one in my tummy. Ha! Or that it's Sister Bear from Berenstein Bears. I'm hoping it becomes a little clearer along the way, like when my abdomen balloons to astronomical sizes.

This is the only picture I have with him in his special shirt, so far. I love it and think it gives a slight glimpse into his wild personality. 

My Favorite Single

Here's a bit of a random, not-so-random post for ya.

My sister. My wonderful, younger sister, Allison.                    

It's not her birthday or anything like that. But I frequently read Kelly's Korner blog and she does this Singles Link-Up thing. And I've always wanted to post about Allison and just see what happens. I asked for her permission and at first she said, "No way!" But then she slowly started giving me guidelines about what to say. I may or may not be following her suggestions. But I am being entirely honest in my opinion of her.

Allison is on the left.

So, here are the general facts: She's 25 (will be 26 next month), she's tall, she's super beautiful, she's got a rockin' bod (just sayin') and she's hilarious. She got her undergrad at Sam Houston State in 2012 and just graduated with her Master's in Recreational Therapy from Texas State University. She just moved to Maryland earlier this week to complete a 4 month internship at an assisted living home. She'll be back home in Texas by Christmas. Why Maryland? Because she's a traveler and a sucker for an adventure.

She loves Jesus in a way that has always impressed and inspired me. Kinda cool for a big sister to watch a little sister grow into her own relationship with God so well.

The girl has one of those unique, tender hearts that loves and deeply cares for the forgotten. She has worked for several years as staff and leadership at a camp specifically for kids with special needs. And she's SO GOOD at it.

She's also been around the world on so many missions trips, doing many different wonderful things, but most of them, she's serving in orphanages...usually with kids that have been discarded because of their abnormalities.

Orphanage in China

Orphanage in Kazakhstan

Orphanage in Uganda

This girl's heart is big. And I've always admired how she can take life so seriously one moment and then be making me LOL! the next moment. Seriously, if I could only post screenshots of our text conversations. Matt (my husband) is always asking why I'm laughing so hard.

She pulls wacky 80's dress-up days off pretty well, eh?

                                                    
                                      
But I think my very favorite thing about her is her very special relationship with Josiah. She loves my son and the feeling is mutual. "Tia" (as he calls her) is the center of his universe. He's obsessed with her and she's obsessed with him. They have SO MUCH FUN together! I mean, just look at how they look at each other in these pictures.

Anyway...I think she's pretty wonderful. Josiah thinks she's pretty wonderful. And there's not a person I know of that doesn't think she's pretty wonderful. Totally worth getting to know.

Some Favorite Things

I've been really feeling the urge to get back into (regular) writing again. No better way to ease into it than a short and simple, light-hearted post on a few of my recent (very random) favorite things.

1. My Camelback waterbottle.
I've had a few of these over the last couple years, but they keep getting left behind somewhere stolen. I even had a sweet friend buy me one for my birthday just days after I lost my favorite one at a large event. I left that one somewhere stupid only 2 weeks later. So mad at myself. I wouldn't buy another one on the principle of the matter (waste of money, just gonna get lost again, etc.) until I had a gift card after Christmas and passed the aisle in Target. Y'all (all 2 of you...Hi, Mom!), this thing lives by my side. Maybe it's the super dry weather we've been having lately, but I feel like I'm sucking down water at a record speed. And I love it so much because it's insulated (i.e. no drops of condensation EVERYWHERE). Also, it's just so much more fun to drink out of a Camelback than anything else.

2. Yardley of London Body Wash - Honey Almond Scent.
This smells so wonderful. I have nothing in particular to say about how it feels on my skin when I bathe. I'm sure it's just really pouring extra moisture and whatever into my pores, but I truly couldn't care less. I just LOVE the way it smells. Simple and sweet, but not too sweet that it makes me wanna barf early in the morning. Just lovely. And the whole "Yardley of London" thing totally makes me think of my Gran who has used their soaps/lotions for as long as I can remember. 

3. Kirklands Dried Apples.
These look like the most boring food ever. They truly look like more powdery versions of packing peanuts. And even when you first bite into them, it's kinda off-putting. But if you just kinda suck on them for a minute and let some hydration get back in, they taste JUST like a really delicious apple. And they are so easy. Y'all, I'm the laziest fruit-eater ever. I really only eat bananas because there's not intensive peeling, slicing, cutting involved. I have to slice apple up to eat them (something about peel getting stuck in between my two front teeth), grapes have to be washed, oranges have to be peeled and are too juicy, and all the really good fruits (melons, mangoes, kiwi, etc.) are just too complicated. But these apples are SO GREAT! Just stick in my purse or Josiah's backpack and we've got a yummy, healthy snack. I think I'll have some right now.

4. Old Navy Floral Top.
I bought this on sale with a Christmas gift card a few weeks ago and I wish I had gotten one in every print. I honestly want to wear it every day. And depending on who I'm seeing that day, I actually do wear it every day. (There have been a few overlaps, but they didn't seem to notice...or kindly just didn't say anything.) But it's a perfect weight for this indecisive Houston weather (cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon, cold again in the evening/nighttime). And the perfect amount of "flow" to it to hide some less-than-ideal bumps, if ya know what I mean. It's also the perfect level of casual while also being more put-together than a college t-shirt and hoodie.

5. Bath and Body Works Candle - Marshmallow Fireside
I LOVE several of their seasonal candles. Autumn, Leaves, Cranberry Woods, but this Marshmallow one is totally giving my nostrils a little post-Christmas, winter party. I'm so not a fan of most of the foodie candles. No vanilla cupcake, thankyouverymuch. But this one has only a slight hint of sweet smell and then this wonderful (almost a little masculine) fire-y scent. It's just...mmmm. Warm and cozy and...s'mores would be nice right now.


6. HMDX Speaker.
Y'all. My husband is surprisingly one of the best, most thoughtful gift-givers I know. I have wanted (since we got married) a little, portable speaker like a docking station or whatever for an iPhone. I listen to music every morning while in the shower and getting ready and I usually just stick my phone in a mug because it's kinda hard to hear over the shower running. This thing is so perfect because it has a great sound quality for being so small and is rechargeable on the computer. Basically, we can also take it the car and play music off our phones (we lost the tape-adapter and never bought another one). I can plug this little speaker-guy into my phone in one room of the house and hear it (without the volume being turned all the way up) throughout the rest of the house. (Mine is black.)

 7. Trader Joe's Facial Moisturizer
I don't necessarily have the MOST complicated skin ever in the world, but I certainly don't have the easiest set of skins. I've always had a tough time with cleansers and moisturizers. That is, until my sweet mother-in-law got my skin hooked on some pretty pricey Lancome stuff. I've been using it for the last couple years, but it was really starting to stifle our budget (and my husband doesn't readily understand all the intricacies of a woman's facial routine. God bless him, he grew up with a bunch of brothers.) There was a moment a few months back where I was one day shy of being completely out (I have to order it on Amazon) and I knew I needed something. We were grocery shopping at our beloved TJ's and I just took a deep breath and grabbed something that I thought might hold me over until I could order the other stuff. I was preparing for a really bad break-out and shiny, slick skin. I mean, certainly something that costs less than 3 or 4 bucks is gonna make my face freak out. But I have yet to order that fancy-shmancy stuff. It's so light-weight, but is totally getting me through the super dry, winter season. I should've known better than to second-guess Joe's. And the best part is that I've barely made a dent in this huge bottle over 2 month's time. Three or four bucks, what, once a year as opposed to twenty bucks every 3 months? I think I can do that.

8. And of course, This Guy.
Although, I'm not loving his new, too-big-for-his-britches haircut. I like it, alright. And I'm sure it'll grow on me soon enough. I'm just a little weepy at the thought of not seeing his crazy, bouncy, messy bed-hair every morning. *tear*