21 weeks

So...I think you might've heard the good news by now. In case you haven't...

As you can see in the video, Josiah was not the slightest bit fazed by our announcement that he was getting a sister. He was even a little confused at why we were making a big deal about it, even though I had thoroughly explained everything several times. He already knew it was a sister. 

You can also see in the video that he threw me for a loop by saying "brufa" at the last second.  And that he was looking in the box for the baby. So funny. You can also see that I am fairly obnoxious a good majority of the time on camera. 

We're pretty confident of her name, but still not totally ready to make that social media commitment just yet.

We're just so thrilled! Seriously. I still have moments, several days later, where I kinda freak out a little. I just had the realization yesterday that having a daughter means that I'll have someone to watch girly movies and musicals with. That is, if she'll even want to. I'm already a bit overwhelmed by the amount of clothing options for little girls and may or may not have even had a bit of a nightmare where I was falling into a black-hole made of glittery, pink tutus. Dramatic much?

Anyway...on to the normal update.


How far along: 21 weeks

Size of baby: the length of a carrot

Gender: Haven't we talked enough about this already?

Movement: So much! Not super often and not incredibly strong (yet), but definitely undeniable. And I love it, I love it, I LOVE IT!!!! The absolute BEST part of the whole pregnancy is getting to feel that little babe wiggling around inside. And it's pretty cool to feel her respond to certain foods (homegirl likes chocolate...surprise, surprise) or if I've been sitting scrunched up for too long or when I turn over in bed. The coolest thing ever.

Maternity Clothes: Would you believe I'm already whining and complaining about not having shorts. Wasn't just a few weeks ago that I so desperately needed some jeans? Yeah, well...now it's scorching hot and I need shorts. And is it too much to ask to have more to choose from than "booty shorts" with a one inch panel? Nobody needs to see all that.

Sleep: Not too bad. But the semi-full nights' rest I get seems to wear off by the time I shower and get dressed.

Cravings: Cereal has been a new favorite the last couple weeks. Still hitting up those apples and pickles and ICE. And those Whataburger billboards are killing me.

Symptoms: Weird lower-back pain (a lot of ouch!), weird bumps on my thighs, being a walking (sitting) oven heated to 500* at all hours of the day. And that pesky heart burn. She better have some hair this time.

Best Moment this Week: Well, there was that one time we got to watch our little babe wiggling around on a screen for a good hour and we saw her yawn a bunch (cutest thing ever) and we got to have a very detailed tour of her heart, brain, etc. And we counted all the appropriate number of fingers and toes.
Oh, yeah. And we discovered SHE was a GIRL. And all of the people we know (and then some) cheered. It was great.

Looking Forward to: The remainder of the ultrasound and getting to see my sweetie-girl a little more. (The tech couldn't get everything because she was so caffeinated active in there. Also, I have to have a more thorough scan since I had a C-Section to check the scar or something...I don't know.)

Daddy's Involvement: So fun to think of him as a daddy to a little girl. He's in for quite a bit of culture shock, having grown up with brothers, but it's gonna be great.
As a side note: he got me some ice. I only had to send him to the store 3 other times, specifically saying, "I don't care if you don't come home with anything else on the list, but I NEED some ice." Needless to say, the 4th time he made two store trips back-to-back. Thanks, hon. ;)

Big Brother: Still asking every day if the baby came out yet. Oh, kid. We're in for a looooooong (hot) summer.
He's been calling her by her (possible) nickname and correcting anyone who says her real name. And he's also been selecting this book every night this week to read for bed. It's as if he relates to "Small Bear" who becomes "Brother Bear" by the end of the story. I may have teared up a bit tonight reading it to him. He's just so proud to be a big brother...and have a baby sister. It's more than I can handle. 

"OOOOOHHHHH! We're HALFWAY There!"

...yes, yes. I'm 20 weeks  pregnant and we're totally livin' on a prayer over here. (I know you sang it. And if you didn't...shame on you.)

I'm definitely not in the mood to stick to the normal update outline this week. There's really only ONE thing on my mind...and a few other little things that might be worth mentioning.

IT'S GENDER WEEK!!!!!!!

(I would say "sex" week, but then y'all might get a different idea. No comment.)

I'm too excited to sleep. I keep imagining the day in my head over and over again. Mainly because it'll actually be a pretty crazy-busy day since it'll be on Thursday and we'll also be getting ready for one of our last Thursday night services with our XA friends. We'll be doing baptisms that night too, and I'm simply beside myself, anticipating a level of joy I may not be physically able to contain. Oh, Thursday...come quickly!

So, instead of following the normal outline, here's a brief (ha!) summary of some of the highlights from this last week.

Obviously, Easter weekend is always such a sweet time of reflection for those of us who believe that Jesus is the King. We had such a great Easter weekend with family and enjoyed a wonderful celebration of the Resurrection at our church. We even dressed kinda fancy and took fancy pictures and everything.

And looky there. You even get a bonus belly-shot. But don't let the dress fool you. The division between the black top and the patterned bottom make the bump look smaller than it is in reality. Or maybe it's accurate because the camera adds 10 lbs. Anyway...

Another big highlight of last week was getting to participate in the engagement of some of our dear friends. Oscar and Alicia have both served as student leaders in Chi Alpha for the last few years and have become some of our most faithful friends. We were so honored to get to be part of the thoughtfully detailed scavenger hunt through Houston Oscar sent Alicia on. The end result was a super sweet proposal and a ring and a promise to spend the rest of her life with him. We are overjoyed for them and can't wait to share in their big day.

Alicia getting her first clue for the hunt!

So, basically last week was pretty great. There were, however, a few difficult days due to the ol' hormone machine. Just last week, I was telling a friend how it seemed like my hormones had kind of evened out and I wasn't so emotional anymore. Two days later I was angry for no reason, then crying uncontrollably for a million and no reasons and then I could not stop laughing at the stupidest things. So...awesome. I love not being in control. (said no one ever.)

BUT...now it's THIS WEEK. And THIS WEEK is gender week!!! We have a very loose plan for making the announcement. The appointment is in the morning and we definitely want Big Brother to be the first to know what kind of sibling he's getting. My plan is to record him opening the correct onesie, send the videos to our oh-so patient family members and then all of social media will be let in on the news after that.

I must say...I am, of course, also very much anxious to know that this babe is healthy and growing properly. But I'd be lying if I didn't say I'm more anxious to know a little more about the identity of this kid taking up residence in my being and making my pants not fit and giving me heart burn after every bite I eat. There just seems to be a little more grace and patience once I know who this kid is.

I just have to say it...Josiah is NOT budging on his proclamation that he's getting a sister. He says it so matter-of-factly and I truly rarely, if ever, bring it up to him at all. Earlier today we were in the car and he was talking about how he could be Kristoff, Daddy could be Sven, Mommy could be Elsa and the baby could be Ana (from Frozen). The rest of the conversation went as follows:

Me: "Well, that sounds great...if the baby's a girl. But the baby might be a boy."
Josiah: "No, Mommy. It's a sister. She can be Ana."
Me: "Well, Buddy, we don't know that yet. The doctor hasn't told us yet if the baby is a brother or a sister."
Josiah: "Well, I will just tell the doctor then.I will tell the doctor is if it is a boy-baby or 'grill'-baby."

Such confidence. Not gonna lie...it totally makes me wonder. And I think I would be so much more convinced this kid's a boy if he weren't so sure otherwise. How weird is that? To trust, even the slightest bit, a kid that's not even 3 and can't even say the word "girl" properly.And a kid that also mentioned (also out-of-the-blue) that the baby is both a girl and a boy. So...there's that.

So, here's the condition of my heart on the gender issue, if you must know: I really, really, really, really am so very torn completely in two. I have always (in the last 4-5ish years) imagined having only boys. Being the queen of the house. I desperately want for Josiah to have a brother. And Matt does too since he grew up with brothers and loves them so much and has so many fun memories with them. I decided long ago that it was highly unlikely for us to have anything but boys and I couldn't be more pleased with that idea. I, personally, think I'm a great boy-mom. I'm actually a little concerned at the thought of me having to raise a little girl to be a lady. We'd both have to take classes, ya know?

But when I think of having a girl, I kinda get excited too. I would LOVE to see Matt be a daddy to a little girl and I tear up a bit just thinking about Josiah being a big brother to a little sister. I can easily imagine Mommy-Daughter days and outings. I love our choice for a girl name and am far more confident in that choice than I am our boy name. (I felt the same way with Josiah.) I feel like these last 14 weeks have been so different pregnancy-wise than the first that I've spent basically the entire time preparing myself for a girl than I have thinking about it being a boy. Does that make any sense?

Anyway...blah, blah, blah. What I'm really trying to say (and what I want to remember in the future when reading this) is that I will be genuinely thrilled either way. And I'll be just as shocked if it's a girl as if it's a boy. I think that's another reason why I'm just dying in suspense of finding out and obsessing over it. Because I truly have no clue.

So...with all that said. What do you think? 

Or...

??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???

19 weeks (and a little of 17 and 18, but not really)

Not sure if you can tell by the lack of pregnancy updates lately, but it's been a bit busy over here. Or...more accurately...I've just been soooooooooo tired. Not sure what happened to that "guaranteed" second trimester energy boost, but I'm not getting it. And I have a few thoughts on why. More on that below.

In the mean time, here's a somewhat scattered, whirlwind update on the last few weeks. (Although, I'm honestly not even sure if I can remember week 17...at all.)

How Far Along: 19 weeks today

Size of Baby: an heirloom tomato (not sure of the difference in size between an heirloom and normal tomato...but I'm not a huge tomato eater)

Gender: Getting closer to knowing! The BIG appointment is next Thursday. I feel like I answer that question several times a day. I'm not at all annoyed by it, but it's definitely motivation to find out what kind of kid this is. Cuz it would get SO annoying for another 20+ weeks. And it's a little funny to me the number of people who are certain I need to have a girl. More thoughts on that in another post.

Movement: Only because I've been here before do I recognize the difference between the little flutters of movement (like the ones I feel RIGHT NOW!!! so.great.) and little flutters of...well...gas.

Maternity Clothes: Well, yeah.

Sleep: I'm tired. I'm so tired. And like I said above, I think I know why I'm more tired this time around than last. #1. I have this thing called a wild toddler who still (yes, still) gets up about three times a night. And is full of energy. And loves to run around and play. And tries his darnedest to not be still for more than 15 seconds at a time. So tired. #2. I'm working WAY more than I was three years ago. And it's more intensive and emotionally and mentally more involved than the 2/3 nannying jobs I had then. I rarely stayed awake at night wondering what to do about a situation at work then, but that happens constantly now. (And may I add...I'm so grateful. This is the best job I've EVER had and I love it and I wouldn't trade it. Yes, I'm exhausted...but I'm also FAR more satisfied than I've ever been.) #3. Indigestion is a beast this time, y'all. This kid better come out with some hair or I'm calling "Bull Junk" on the correlation between heartburn and hair. #4. I haven't been able to stay as active as I was last time. Partly because the weather is just now getting nice for walks and partly because of the time issue.
Bottom line? I'm tired.Life is great. But I'm tired.

Cravings: I was on a mango and mango-flavored things streak the other week. And pickles are still in the top 3. But it's so funny, this power-of-suggestion thing this time. I won't even think about crabs legs until somebody casually mentions them...and now it's all I can think about. In other words, if you're gonna be around me, could you please find a way to bring up yummy salads and veggies and things of that sort? My baby and my health greatly thank you for your consideration.

Aversions:Nothing, really. But please don't offer me any guac. Thankyouverymuch.

What I'm Missing: Sleep. Not having heart burn.

Symptoms: Ummm...heart burn.

Best Moment This Week: We've had a lot of really great moments these last few weeks. A spontaneous trip to the zoo as a family on one of the most perfect days of the year. A beautiful wedding. A few good date nights. A visit with some former students. A visit with our former campus pastors/current leaders and mentors. A fun weekend retreat at our pastors' lakehouse with some really great people. We've been busy. And intentionally soaking up these wonderful-weather days. I, especially, am trying to get my booty outside as much as possible when it's nice. I know the heat of summer days draweth nigh. And I'm not ready. 

Worst Moment This Week:Who cares?

Looking Forward To: Easter. A chill weekend. That BIG ultrasound day! Nine days to go!

Daddy's Involvement: Y'all know I want nothing more than to brag about how wonderful and thoughtful and caring my husband is...and he SO is. But what you may not know is that this man is also an enabler. He spoils me rotten and brings me food that I shouldn't (but really want to) eat.


Big Brother's Involvement: I don't even know where to start. Oh, wait! Yes, I do. One night this last week we were sitting, eating dinner and Josiah was referring to the baby, calling it "she" and talking about "her." (Unprompted, I tell you.) So, I asked, "What kind of baby do you think is in my tummy?"
"A 'gril' baby. And she's brown."
(Nervous laughter) "Ha! You think she's brown? Like, the baby's skin is brown or the baby's hair is brown?"
(Thoughtful pause) "Her head is brown."
Interesting. Totally a possibility. And we shall someday see. He was pretty confident about it and has pretty much stuck to that same description ever since. I'm not betting any money on his prediction, but I do think his odds are favorable.

Friday Five

A little randomness of Hoog goings-on for your Friday.

1. Josiah is at Nana and Pop's (Matt's parents) house this week. They always seem to ask at JUST the right time if we want them to take him for a few days. His mom is retired and they both get grandchildren withdrawls often since all the rest of their grandchildren are fairly far away. We met up with her on Wednesday to drop him off. And it seems as though he's been having quite the blast since.

Getting to watch shows in Nana and Pops' bed before bedtime...totally a grandparent bonus.

Eating pancakes and bacon for breakfast. I'm jealous.

2. When we went to drop him off, he had JUST fallen asleep in the car for a nap. So...he had his first experience of sleeping in a shopping cart. Y'all...this kid does not sleep just anywhere under any sort of circumstances. I had to capture this moment. He's almost 3 and doesn't even really fit in the cart. It only lasted about 5 minutes because then we found Nana and he must've heard us talking and woke up. He decided his desire and excitement to see her was stronger than his need for that decent nap. 

 

3. After we transferred his car seat and stuff to Nana's car and said our goodbyes, Matt and I walked around the mall for a bit. He wanted to go to the Apple store to exchange the iPad for a newer one and I wanted to go to Penney's because I had my eye on a couple of adorable, little onesies for the new kid. Without giving away too many details, we plan to reveal the gender in a couple weeks by letting Josiah open a box with either a "little sister" onesie or a "little brother" onesie. Penney's had the PERFECT ones. 

I also found the PERFECT Easter dress in a matter of 10 minutes! Unheard of. I was waiting on Matt to finish up at the Apple store and decided to look at the dresses. Not only is Easter coming up, but we have several church services and showers and weddings, etc. And my nicer dresses are quickly becoming...ummm...smaller. So, I was excited to see one that I kinda liked that was on sale. I tried it on and I immediately loved it. Yay! 

4. After that, we rushed over to the movie theater, cuz...what else do couples do on Wednesday afternoons when they just shipped their toddler off to someone else's house for the week?  We never get to see movies...in the theater...anymore. Sadly, there wasn't much that we BOTH were dying to see. He kinda wanted to see the new Captain America but I haven't seen the first...and quite frankly...not that interested. So we decided on Divergent instead. It was actually pretty good. I'm sure it's nothing like the book, but it held our attention and made us want to see the next. It had quite a bit of thought-provoking themes and scenes. Gotta love those utopian societies turned sour.

5. One of the reasons it worked out that Josiah was with Matt's parents this week was because these fabulous people were with us yesterday and with our Chi Alpha group last night. I usually don't get to be in the service on Thursday nights because I'm hanging out with my wild kid in the office while Matt preaches, but we were already feeling bummed that we wouldn't both get to be in there to hear them. It worked out so well and it was such a sweet night with them. They both were incredibly encouraging and gently challenging, as usual. Mary and Eli were our campus pastors at Sam Houston and the further away we get from those glory days of college, the more our hearts are filled with gratitude for these two. Oh! where would we both be if they hadn't been obedient to the call of God on their lives to disciple punk college students? I can't even imagine. Thank you, Jesus!

This was the first time they've been able to visit us at UHXA and our students are smitten. And why wouldn't they be? Such an incredible, godly couple who are such a blessing to hundreds, if not thousands, of people. What a legacy!


Bonus: These two. Can't handle it. How will there ever be room in my heart for more of this wonderful, heart-melting love?

Happy Friday!!!

A Heart That Worships

I have a giant update to write about this kid that lives with me who's about to turn 3, but was a teeny, tiny screeching newborn not that long ago. (I'm struggling to believe it.) But there's one thing about his enormous personality that I feel deserves a post all to itself.

This kid has been bitten by the musical bug. I mean...Matt and I both have very few drops of musical talent in our blood. Meaning, we can occasionally, kinda carry a tune. Matt has a few more drops than me because he can at least decently play an instrument.

But this kid can kinda sing...and does so  c o n s t a n t l y. And until a certain icy animated movie debuted at our house, all he sang were Sunday School songs, worship songs and a few nursery rhymes. It's all really cute and sweet (and a little annoying because he's very much like his Daddy who'll only sing ONE, maybe two, lines of a song over and over and over until Mommy snaps), but it does something to my heart to hear him sing worship songs.

Because he gets to be in the worship portion of our Thursday night service for Chi Alpha and because his best friends are in there too, he watches them and learns how to worship. And it's the best thing ever for a Mommy's heart.

One day a few weeks ago, he and I were outside in the backyard enjoying the sun that had been MIA for far too long. Josiah was running around, doing whatever boys do. I was swinging in the hammock, attempting to boost my mood by reading the Bible and listening to the birds around me worship.

It had been a rough couple of weeks, partially due to the lack that glorious endorphin-releaser called the sun and partially due to wild hormones, but mostly due to a few of those life circumstances that kinda leave you dragging your heart on the ground. I hadn't even realized just how tattered my emotions had been until I heard him start singing a song that has been his particular favorite for awhile now on the other side of the yard. I started singing along with him and it just broke my stiffened heart...in the best way possible.

His favorite part of the song goes like this:

All of my life, in every season
You are still God.
I have a reason to sing,
I have a reason to worship.

He didn't know it, but we were just singing it over and over and over again together and it was healing my heart. I had let a few situations that were less-than-ideal steal my joy and I so needed that reminder that no matter what, I will always have a reason to sing. No matter how I feel, God is still worthy of worship and adoration, even if it means I'm singing through the pain or confusion.

It didn't take long for my heart to begin to feel whole again and soon I began to just listen to my precious, little wild boy singing it by himself...repeating those same lines over and over and over again. And I prayed that those words would become a legacy for his life. A testimony that he would ALWAYS, in every day of his life, know that God is God and that He's with him and that he would always have a reason to sing the praises of the Lord. 

Here is the actual song in it's entirety :