Acorn squash

Now that we are officially in the third trimester, the reality is sinking in that we will soon have a baby as a part of our life. It's so weird to think about - I just can't get over it! Grant is calm as can be and has been very supportive and encouraging to me whenever I begin to worry about all of the changes to come. Of course, I also have moments that I blurt out, "Guess what honey? We're having a baby!!" Ha! I'm not sure it will completely sink in until I'm holding him in my arms after he's born.

Celebrating Christmas was a lot of fun! We really enjoyed the time that we had with our families and also the bits of time when we snuck away just the two of us. We have enjoyed savoring some of special moments together as a two-some. Even though we will be sure to make time together once baby arrives, we anticipate that it will become more sparse for a while.

I've begun to experience some more late pregnancy symptoms, like aches and trouble sleeping. Last night, I finally broke out the body pillow we bought weeks ago and I felt like a new woman after getting a full night of sleep (despite the midnight bathroom breaks, of course)!

Happy New Year. Week 29!

I can tell that you've become very active, little one. You've been moving around, kicking and poking like crazy. Even while I was doing yoga this morning, you were stretching out with me! At about 15 inches and 2.5 pounds, you're bones are starting to harden with calcium deposits and you are demanding a lot of nutrients right now. No wonder I've been so hungry lately!

The most exciting part about this past week was beginning the nursery! My mom, brother, and I organized all of the baby's stuff into different totes - toys and books, clothes, etc. My family helped put the dresser and crib into baby's room - hooray! Grant and my dad did most of the work - thanks guys! Later on, my mom and I looked through all of the baby clothes and sorted them out by size. It was so much fun to look at all of his little clothes, and getting everything organized was a big start in finishing the nursery.

My dad and Grant working hard

Bandit was "helping"

Almost finished!

My brother helped with the mattress

This week is bloodwork week. I'm a little nervous about getting all of the tests run and praying that everything comes back normal. It's always a joy to have an appointment right after the holidays, especially this one - the scale doesn't always feel like my friend. :) I feel confident that everything is normal, but will be relieved when the tests have been run.

Love, the George family

Eggplant

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!" Having seen the first snowfall of the season this past week and being only two days away from Christmas, it's hard to not feel a bit of holiday cheer. Despite little boy's kicks and twirls that have been keeping me up at night, I've had plenty of Christmas energy to keep me going. We are so excited to spend this week with our little family and extended families.

Now that I'm heading into the third trimester, I am beginning to feel more restricted in movement at times. Getting up out of bed takes more work. Doing yoga is rather comical, because I can barely stretch into some of the positions. I'm getting used to having a growing belly in the way, but it's definitely an odd experience.

28 weeks and baby is comparable to an eggplant. I had an unpleasant experience with leftover Eggplant Parmesan during the first trimester and have been utterly disgusted by it ever since!

Now over two pounds and nearing 15 inches, you keep growing and growing! Your brain is developing into folds and grooves, as you continue to gain the ability to regulate your basic body functions. It's amazing that when you are born three short months from now, you will have the ability to breathe and eat and get rid of waste, all on your own. It's kind of nice to know that my body is doing it's part to help you survive right now. I love being a part of your development.

It's wild and exciting to think that next year our prince will be with us to hear the Christmas story, sing (or coo) praise to our King, and open his very first Christmas gift. We are savoring these moments that we have together as a family of two and dreaming about what it will be like to make new memories as a family of three.

I'm ready for our next appointment in about a week and a half. So much is changing right now that it brings up plenty of questions and concerns. The closer I get to delivery, the more I wonder about the unique changes happening in my body. For the most part, I remind myself that my body was created to do this and I need to trust my instincts. A good friend of mine encouraged me last week that Grant and I have chosen our path of maternity care for a reason and that there are risks and worries no matter what path we ultimately take. Sometimes it's just nice to have someone remind you of what you believe in.

Love, the George family

Rutabaga

Crazy as I may be, I agreed to go with Grant to the midnight premiere of The Hobbit Part 1 this past week. I've never been to a midnight showing, so it was a new and exciting experience. Despite the fact that I fall asleep at almost every movie we go to and that I tire more easily because of pregnancy, I managed to stay awake for the whole movie! If a movie can keep me awake (at 3 in the morning, nonetheless) it's got to be good!

While I love feeling our little guy move around, this week has been a bit painful. He's a very active boy, and I swear that sometimes he's doing barrel rolls in my belly...I've even gotten naseous a couple of times because of how much he's moving! Heartburn continues it's evil plight against my esophagus, especially when I forget to take some papaya before a (even mildly) spicy meal. Thankfully, I still have plenty of energy to keep up with the marathon holiday season, as I'm calling it this year.

Ending the second trimester and growing steadily!

We had some fun with pictures this week :)

It's hard to believe that you are already about 14.5 inches long - that's well over half the length you will be when you're born! The more we learn about how you grow, the more amazed we are by the way that your Father created you. We read this week that your brain gains 250,000 nerve cells every minute and that your body grows 1 billion times in weight from conception to birth! (Quick plug for The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp) Your body is working in overdrive, and we pray for your growth, development, and safety often.

As we approach upcoming Christmas celebrations, we have been thinking about some of the traditions that we want to share with our child(ren). I was reading about stockings and found that several families write thank you cards or "I love you" notes to each member of the family. It's a sweet way for the kids to share with one another on Christmas, and it is a way to spread love and joy on Christmas. We look forward to making some of our own traditions like this!

Pain from his kicks and movements is the most challenging part for me right now. I'm just not used to the way that all of the (increasingly stronger) pokes and prods feel, and I think it will just take some time for me to adjust. And, as it's a short season of my life, I am enjoying his (not so little) movements as much as I can!

Love, the George family

Lettuce

Baby boy is starting to grow into some bigger fruits and veggies. It's hard to imagine that there is a baby the size of a head of lettuce in there - not as plump, of course! We had another busy week, and he vicariously enjoyed his first live KU basketball game. Daddy had a very good time cheering as the team played quite well.

As the third trimester draws nearer, I continue to cherish the wonderful moments of pregnancy that I enjoy right now. I've definitely been able to feel more movement the past few days. It seems almost constant at times. Grant has been able to feel him kicking more and more, especially when we are snuggled up close at night. This weekend in Kansas City, the heater in our hotel room was blowing on the curtains and making a clicking noise, and our boy was kicking daddy almost in rhythm to the clicks! I was fast asleep the whole time. :)



ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK! Still able to squeeze into a KU shirt :)



26 weeks and counting...

Your senses continue to develop this week - your eyes will soon be opening and you will be able to tell light from dark and your ears now have the ability to hear daddy's voice when he's talking. You can even move in rhythm to music now! At just over a foot long and nearing two pounds, you are growing a lot!

We really enjoyed the KU game and our weekend away. It's been a crazy few weeks, so it was nice to take some time out for just the two of us. We won't have many more times like those for awhile, so we are trying to enjoy our time as much as possible. It's also exciting to think about sharing special times with our little one. The newness of this stage of life keeps coming!

As baby grows, so does mommy's belly. It seems like it just keeps popping out in phases, and this past week was one of those times. It's not really hide-able anymore, except for maybe under a really big winter sweater or a puffy coat. I've been enjoying the ability to show off our newest addition, despite the complications it poses in walking and bending over to tie my shoes! I think each stage of pregnancy, just like life, has it's upsides and downsides. As long as we keep our eyes on the positives, we will have a much more enjoyable experience.

Love, the George family

Cauliflower

Now that it's "officially" Christmastime, I have been listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies quite a bit. Our boy might get tired of hearing me sing along to my favorite Christmas songs over and over. I'm interested to see if he recognizes any of them next Christmas, as I've read that babies tend to respond to the things they heard in the womb. That's why white noise or lullabies that I sing right now will likely become soothing sounds to our handsome man. Maybe he'll find "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" to be the perfect bedtime song...ha!

I've continued to feel well this past week. We had our 24 week check-up and everything looks good! I didn't end up having my bloodwork done this time, which was nice. :) Next appointment! He had a good heartbeat, although it was hard to find, as he kicked at the doppler and moved around the entire time she was trying to check it. He's a feisty little guy! I've been asked how I'm doing several times this week, and it's a resounding, "Great!" I'm thankful for the repreive of the past couple of weeks - I've definitely needed the energy to keep up with everything that we are trying to do right now.

25 weeks already!

You have started gaining weight and filling out more rapidly. Your wrinkly skin will slowly transform as your face fills out, giving you more and more of the look you will have at birth. Your hair has grown, and if we could see you right now, we would know what color it will be when you make your grand entrance!

We are excited to share in the joys of the holiday season. December is one of our favorite months of the year, and it always zooms past at top speed. We have the chance to cheer on the KU basketball team this week in Lawrence - hopefully it's not too loud for you! Maybe you will be like your daddy and love watching your team play someday. We also have a few weeks before we check in on you again. It will be nice to have a break from appointments before they get closer together.

Our desire to meet you grows stronger each day. As we shop for Christmas gifts and spend time with our family, we increasingly want for you to be a part of it! Even though we can't imagine what it will be like, we are eager to make the transition with you as a part of our lives forever.

Love, Mommy and Daddy (the George family)

Canteloupe

It dawned on me this week that our little boy will be here with us in about four months! We are so excited and also a bit overwhelmed with all that we have yet to do in preparation for his arrival. With Thanksgiving week behind us, we have been reflecting quite a bit on how much we have to be thankful for this year. It's amazing to think of the changes that are to come as we prepare to enter the new year.

This week has been the epitome of the "honeymoon" second trimester. I haven't really had any pregnancy symptoms, with the exception of heartburn. Papaya supplements have been really helpful in moderating or eliminating the heartburn, though, which has been amazing! I'm trying to embrace and enjoy how wonderful this trimester can be. Like Grant has been reminding me lately, there is no better day to live than today!

Posing with balloons from our first baby shower

This week you continue to grow at a rapid rate! We can't believe how big you are already getting. At a foot long, you are really thin because you only weigh about a pound and a half, but you should start filling out pretty soon. Your bones are getting stronger, and I can feel your kicks. We have even been able to see you move around in my belly this week!

We celebrated you this weekend at our first baby shower. My mom, aunt, and good friend Bri hosted a wonderful party! We enjoyed a delicious brunch, played some fun (and difficult) games, and opened lots of fun gifts for you to play with and wear! They even put together sweet centerpieces made with pumpkins!

The pumpkins had faces with pacifiers! So adorable!

Baby shower cake

Opening our gifts - we got a lot of really sweet clothes!

We have another baby appointment this week. It's bloodwork week, so I'm a little nervous and hoping that everything comes back normal. We are excited to check in and hear the heartbeat again. It's always our favorite part of monthly check-ups!

Love, the George family



Grapefruit

Now that we know we are having a little boy, we have been able to say "him" and "he," rather than "it." We have been able to buy him some sweet little boy clothes, made even more exciting as we went on vacation to Disney World last week. And we've continued the difficult process of trying to name our boy. We've looked through countless baby name books (several cover to cover) and scoured websites, forums, and blogs...we've compiled a list and eliminated several names but just can't settle on one "perfect" name.

Being at Disney World offered us many oppotunities to watch the little kids and dream about what our boy will be like. Pregnancy caused me to slow down a bit and there were a few attractions that I couldn't enjoy, but we had a fabulous time! It also gave me some down time to recuperate before we off to the next ride or show. We even got to meet up with some friends of ours that happened to be at Disney World, too!

Our little grapefruit at 23 weeks!

We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Now that you can hear us, we've tried to be more intentional about singing you lullabies. Daddy likes to talk to you when we are all together. I know you're always with me, and I like to talk a lot, so I'm sure you will know my voice! You really do look like a mini newborn by now, and you are almost to the point of development that you could survive outside of the womb, with the help from a lot of machines. But we are happy with you right where you are - safe and secure in mommy's belly! We just can't believe how much you've grown already!

We are really excited to enjoy Thanksgiving and the Christmas season knowing that you will be here with us next year. You are definitely going to change some things in our lives, and even though that can be scary, we are embracing the excitement of what your presence will bring to our family.

My only wish right now is for time to slow down. We are still trying to finish the basement and prepare your room...it's a lot of work! With the busy schedule of the holidays and traveling, I don't know how we are going to get everything done. But things always get done somehow, and it will be so wonderful when we have your room all ready to go and the guest area for grandma and grandpa to come visit from Iowa (we might kick your other grandparents back to their house at night)! :)

Love, Mommy and Daddy (the George family)

Papaya

What a hectic week it has been...not enough time and time is dragging on. We were anxiously awaiting our ultrasound on Wednesday, which seemed like the longest day ever! And...the big news is that we are having a little BOY!! We can't wait to meet our little prince and are working to pick out a name for him. We thought we had a good list figured out before we found out his gender, but now it just seems to be more difficult!

My symptoms this week have actually settled down quite a bit. My heartburn has gotten a lot better, with some help from papaya enzymes that I take before eating something that I think might cause me pain. It's made eating a lot more enjoyable, to say the least. :)

Bandit wanted to be a part of the picture! All of daddy's loves :)

We are so excited that we got to see you this past week, our little man. Daddy is already planning all of the fun things that you will do together as you grow. We got you the cutest little shoes this week to celebrate us knowing that you are a boy! And mommy found some really cute clothes for you that she can't wait to see you wear when you make your arrival. Keep growing strong, little one!

The second trimester really is a good trimester. I am still more tired than I used to be, but it's nice to feel like I am able to carry on life (mostly) like normal. I'm trying to enjoy this stage as long as I can - it's so much fun to feel our boy moving around, but I'm not so big that it's uncomfortable. What a fun stage of pregnancy!

Love, the George family (including our soon to be SON)







How to save our nation

I am dissappointed in the citizens of our nation, even myself. Have we become so consumed with materialism and "our rights" that we no longer have compassion for one another? Have our individual needs (daresay I propose our fears) become so encompassing that we neglect to realize the better of the whole?

This is not about a political party - this is about the division of our nation. This is about the rude comments I have been seeing and reading via social media.

As a therapist, I realize that anxiety runs high and, left unbridled, culminates to a point of needing release. Unfortunately, social media has become an easy, "neutral" place to vent anxieties. My concern is the division that this can cause.

This nation was once a place of great hope for it's people. It was a place that was safe, in which it's citizens did not fear dictatorship. Sadly, the corruption of greed and the "have it my way, forgetting the rest" mentality has pervaded our culture. This is a part of the human condition. We cannot be saved by politics, friends. Republican, democrat, libertarian...politics cannot save the world, or our nation.

My King was never a president, the House, the Senate, or any other worldly leader. Thankfully, my King doesn't go up for re-election every two or four years, and no one can overthrow Him. Many have tried, many have run away from Him, they even killed Him. But He still reigns. And He doesn't respond out of anxiety, fear, or desperation - He responds with mercy, grace, and thoughtfulness.

This is my challenge:

I pray that our nation would be devoted to one another in brotherly love. I pray for the grace to honor one another above ourselves. (Romans 12:10, NIV)

I seek you, Lord, on behalf of this nation. May we humble ourselves and pray and seek Your face and turn from our wicked ways. Lord, then You will hear from heaven and forgive our sin and heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV)

Lord, turn our hearts toward You. Give us an undivided heart and put a new spirit in us. Remove from this nation our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh. Do these things, that we may follow your decrees and be careful to keep your laws. We will be a nation of Your people, and You our God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20, NIV)

Let me be clear, this is not a challenge because I am upset with election results. This is much more serious, infinitely more crucial than any election. This is about the lives of each individual in our nation. We must band together, in love, if we want to see any real, lasting change.

Pomegranate

Now that we are past the halfway mark, the excitement goes down just a little bit again...except that this week is GENDER REVEAL WEEK!!! We have been waiting for this for what seems like an eternity, and we could not be anticipating this any more! (Hence all of the !!!)

I had my first trip to the chiropractor this week, and he adjusted my lower back. Things are stretching in all kinds of weird ways. No other symptoms have cropped up yet, though :)

21 weeks - hooray!

I don't notice how much baby has grown until I see the pictures :)

You have grown quite a lot in the past couple of weeks. I'm not sure how you can survive with the rapid rate of growth and development that you are going through - just another mystery of life. You most likely have eyelashes and eyebrows by this time, and you have a lot of changes coming up in the next several weeks! It's hard to believe that you are already about 13 ounces and 8-10 inches long! You're already growing up, and we haven't even seen you yet!

BOY or GIRL? PRINCE or PRINCESS? We will find out very soon this week...as long as you cooperate and show us what we want to see! :) This is definitely going to be the most exciting part of our week!

We have both been dealing with various physical ailments over the past few days. It's definitely slowed our progress and been frustrating to deal with. As we prepare to go on vacation and visit family in Iowa for Thanksgiving, we are praying for complete restoration of health.

We will see you soon, little one!

Love, the George family

Whirlwind october

I haven't posted a non-baby update for awhile, so here it is!

As soon as we returned from our little getaway to Branson, we had our ceiling stripped and re-finished...so we weren't able to live at home for about five days. Due to some problems with the ceilings, we then had contractors back in our house for a couple of days and were unable to sleep at home for another day. And we ended up having to repaint over half of our main floor because of some very frustrating mis-communication. It was the most stressful two weeks we've had in quite some time!

New color in the office - it seemed a bit much at first, but matches our valances very well

A gray/beige in the baby room brings some much needed light

We love our new beige in the living room/hallway/entryway - and especially our accent wall

Beautiful knock down ceilings throughout - I'm loving the kitchen's much needed update

We can at least breathe a little now that our major construction is finished - no more contractors in our house for a while, thank you very much! Last week was still crazy with Halloween, work meetings, and a baby appointment. We even had carpet laid in our new guest room downstairs!

Grant's been dealing with a stye in his eye - I feel so badly for him, and there's not a whole lot we can do! With the holidays coming up and housework still in progress, we're starting to wonder if life will ever settle down.

We've always enjoyed dressing up for Halloween and handing out candy. We hardly had any kids come to our house this year, but we made it to Chipotle for $2 burrito bowls - definitely worth it!

Baby bump appropriate costume

Bandit is less than enthused about her costume. It was hilarious to watch her attack her costume off!

 

Two kitties dressed up for Halloween

 

Love, the George family

Banana

HALFWAY THERE! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone since we first knew of your presence on that little teststrip! Of course, that was the beginning on July, so a lot has happened since then.

We are getting closer and closer to finishing the basement. Grant is even going to start moving the guest room contents to the NEW guest room downstairs. It's not quite ready yet, but it has carpet. :) The toilet in the bathroom flushes and half the trim is installed, but there's no sink and no door to protect unsuspecting shower-ers from the lurking spiders in the utility room. We've still got a ways to go, but I can almost begin working on my most inspiring project - the baby room!

Sleep challenges are the most obvious pregnancy symptom of the past week. It has been less than pleasant to try to sleep on my side and wake up on my back or stomach in pain...and then realize that I'm bursting at the seams and need to use the restroom NOW! Ha! It's kind of crazy.

Now that you are 20 weeks alive (techically only 18, I know), you've developed a lot. The main reason you wouldn't survive out here in the real world is because your lungs are still developing. It's starting to get cold, anyway. You hit the perfect timing with your due date in March. I knew we'd have a smart child! We are definitely ready to find out if you are a little boy or a little girl, and we will love you just the same either way...we just want to start spoiling you even more! ;)

Loving my new boots - thanks daddy to be!

The sign is kind of hard to see this week - whoops!

Well, you have your next appointment this coming week, so we are very excited to hear your heart beat again and mommy always likes to have lots of questions answered. It's a lot of work to help you grow, and sometimes mommy doesn't know what to expect next! You are already a bit of a mystery to daddy and mommy.

We are still so excited to know what we can call you - our little prince or our little princess. And then we will narrow down our names list until we pick just the right one. But that's not until next week, so we have to wait. Sometimes waiting is hard, and you are helping us to learn a lot about patience and God's perfect time.

Love, the George family

Babymoon!

Last weekend, Grant and I took some time off to Branson! When we found out we were expecting, a final getaway with just the two of us was a top priority. With travel plans and visitors already scheduled through the rest of the summer and several travel/holiday plans for November and December, we decided that October was the month to go. We toyed with several ideas, finally deciding to stay near home.

Branson kept us busy all weekend. We arrived on Thursday night and left Sunday after lunch. The place we stayed was a condo resort with a lot of neat activities - an indoor and outdoor pool, hot tub, movie rentals, sand volleyball court, horseshoes, a mini golf course, and more - all for free! Our room was like a standard hotel room, but it had a mini kitchen area and a screened in porch with a ceiling fan. We really enjoyed our accomodations! It was so nice to take a nap with the breeze blowing in through open windows one afternoon.

Outside the Dixie Stampede

One of the beautiful horses!

Joseph at the Sight and Sound Theatre was the highlight of our trip. It was the Bible story of Joseph with some creative plot added. The theatre itself was really neat, and the show was spectacular. I enjoyed the fact that the show was not only entertaining, but challenging and inspiring. The Dixie Stampede was the other show we saw. It was a lot of fun and, of course, we enjoyed the food!

Other than those things, we did a little shopping, walked around Branson Landing (an open air shopping and restaurant development), and ate at a fancy Mexican restaurant called Cantina Laredo. The queso was to die for!

All in all, we enjoyed a relaxing weekend, overall spectacular weather, and each other's company. It was nice to get out of the construction zone (aka our home) for a few days and refresh! We're one step closer to bringing this baby home with us :)

Love, the George family

Mango

Nineteen weeks means that we are almost to the halfway point - time is flying by! This past week was full of excitement as we had our ceiling re-finished and had several family members in town visiting. The weather has been beautiful, which puts me in a good mood no matter how crazy life can get. (It definitely has been a crazy couple of weeks!)

Symptoms have been about the same. I'm actually feeling really good right now. The naseau has completely gone away, my appetite is back in full force, I have infinitely more energy than the first trimester allowed, and I'm getting really excited now that it's starting to become more real to me.

Baby is appr 6 in and 8.5 oz - about the size of a mango!

Our exciting week didn't end with housework and visitors, though. Last Wednesday (the 17th), Grant and I were laying in bed (at his parent's house, since our house was a disaster of a workzone). We were getting ready to fall asleep, when I got a sharp kick from the baby. Startled, I excitedly shared the news with Grant, who instantly wanted to know where this kick was. I put his hand on my belly and the baby proceeded to kick Grant's hand three more times! What an incredible "first" experience to share!

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. We are tired of waiting to find out the gender of our little one! Now that we are in the time period when everyone finds out, it seems like we will never get to our ultrasound. We still have a couple of weeks to wait, so I'm trying to occupy myself with cleaning up the wreck that the ceiling job left behind and focusing my energy on our baby registries.

Love, the George family

Pregnancy Announcement "Photo" Shoot

Several weeks ago, we made the big public reveal on facebook. We had been trying to decide how to make the announcement and were coming up blank. A couple of days before we needed to put something together, I had a thought that we could use this sweet onesie from ORU that we had purchased a few weeks prior. We asked Grant's mom to take a few pictures of us and our mini photo shoot with the ORU onesie was born! It was a lot of fun!

And here is the finished product that become our official annoucement:

Love, the George family

Sweet potato

Our little sweetie is now the size of a sweet potato that is about five and a half inches long and weighs about six and a half ounces. Our kiwi sure is growing fast! We enjoyed a little "babymoon" getaway this past weekend in Branson, and it was fun to be showing just enough that other people might begin to notice.

My symptoms this week have been typical for mid-pregnancy. I continue to have growing pains as everything moves around to find a new place while kiwi takes up residence. I've been very hungry the past several days - guess it's a growth spurt! :) Sleeping is getting easier as I become more accustomed to my growing belly. Exercising regularly has helped me to maintain a higher energy level and feel better overall.

We are so excited about the development of our little one this week! Now that my belly is really starting to show, it's becoming a lot more real. We can't wait to feel the baby moving around...I have felt some flutters but no real defined movement as of yet. Myelin is developing in the baby's brain this week. This is amazing - it means that our little one's brain is beginning to wire itself to recognize patterns and process automatically. Wow, God's design is astounding!

We are still working hard to prepare everything for our March arrival :) It's a little crazy around here this week, and definitely the most difficult part of pregnancy right now. We are having our ceilings fixed and re-sprayed over the next several days, which means that we will not be sleeping here for a while. It will all be worth it when the basement is finished!

Love, the George family

Onion

In the craziness that was last week, I forgot to actually post on the blog! Whoops! We had our second appointment, which was definitely the highlight of the week. We scheduled an ultrasound for a few weeks from now (hooray!) and we got to hear our kiwi's heartbeat again. It was beating strong at about 155bpm. Perfectly healthy for this point.

My symptoms this week were all out of sorts, mainly because I got a bug Monday and Tuesday. I wasn't feeling too well all day Monday, but pressed on to clean the house and get things done in preparation for the ceiling work we are having done next week. After dinner, I progressively felt worse and worse until I finally started getting sick Monday evening. And then Grant got sick, too. It was not the most pleasant 24 hours, but we rebounded fairly quickly, I belive because we had many people praying for us :)

The most exciting part about this past week was our second appointment. This one was even more exciting for me than the first one. We were so looking forward to hearing kiwi's heartbeat again. We even got an audio recording of it this time so that we could share it with our parents!

The most difficult part...well, obviously, being sick. It's never ideal, and especially while pregnant. I did lose quite a bit of weight, but we were only sick for about 24 hours, so some of it was water weight that came back right away. My goal for now is to stay healthy and keep eating!

Love, the George family

Avocado

Since when is an avocado bigger than an apple?? Hmm, curious. Maybe those little apples you get at Panera compared to the large avocados... It's fun to track the "size" of our baby anyway :)

This week we are 4 months in. I am finally starting to feel better. Books, e-mail updates, and lots of friendly advice givers have been telling me that I will feel better for several weeks now. Each week (okay, day) I've been hoping that I will feel better to no avail. The past couple of days, I feel like I'm a little more back to "normal." Sleeping has still been difficult and I continue to experience a few of the "joys" of pregnancy off and on. My hope is that I will find a more comfortable way to sleep - pronto, please!

16 weeks

The most exciting part is that we have appointment #2 this week! Hooray! I'm excited to hear the little one's heartbeat again and to make sure that everything is okay. Of course, I have plenty of questions that are just dying to be answered.

My body changing is the most difficult. It's an odd stage to be in because I haven't felt the baby move yet (which is completely normal), but my body continues to change. Weight gain has still been minimal but weight distribution has shifted a lot - so weird! I'm adjusting to all of the changes and eagerly anticipating those first movements. If only I knew when to expect them!

Love, the George family

Apple

Helloooooo 15 weeks! Wow, time has gone really quickly! I'm finally starting to really show - I still feel like I'm in the awkward stage of showing, but I can definitely tell that my belly is baby!! :)

We've been researching cribs and car seats and carriers, blankies and binkies and bumpers. Oh my, it's a full time job all in itself. You are loved, little one, know that much. Each and every item we pick out to register for or buy is carefully selected. What a beautiful reminder of the love our Father has for us - each and every detail of our lives is already known...He's got us taken care of :)

Back to this little one, though. Symptoms haven't been too bad this week. Just growing a belly now!

It's so odd to see my body changing!

The most exciting part about this week is that we've leaked the news to everyone. No more keeping it hush hush or making our family and closest friends hold it in! This is good news and we are happy to share it :) Plus my belly was going to oust me sooner or later...

The most difficult part right now is adjusting to sleep. Sleeping is...odd. I tend to end up on my stomach and usually wake up uncomfortable. My new favorite is lying on my back, which I know won't last much longer. I know it will all be worth it in the end, though!

Love, the George family



Change

When I was getting ready to graduate from college in December of 2008, I felt rather crazy for being so nervous about all of the upcoming change in my life. It was good change: I was moving to live near the love of my life, get married, and start out our life together. It was long awaited - we had been living hours apart for eight months and were more than ready to be reunited.

Grant and his family came to visit Tulsa in December and we took a carriage around Rhema lights.

 

After work one day, I spent some extra time talking to the professor whose research assistant I was at the time. She told me something that I will never forget: All change is anxiety provoking, even good change. Especially when we make major life changes, like life cycle transitions, we have a lot of fears about what those changes may bring. At the time, I was facing a move from Tulsa to Iowa to Kansas. I was going to be leaving my family of origin and joining with Grant in our new family. I was graduating from college and didn't know what was next - I had applied to grad school, but would not know if I was accepted for several months. Everything was changing.

 

Looking back on that time, I worried about the unknown, which turned out to be better than I could have imagined. I was accepted and went to grad school, I feel right at home living here and have developed some wonderful relationships with friends, and I still have a great relationship with my family, even though I miss them.

Grant came to visit me in Iowa and we went snow tubing with my brother. Our hair is messed up because this was at the end when we took our hats off!

Facing change is something that comes in stages in my life, and I often become overwhelmed by what those changes will mean. Thanks to my wise professor, I now often remind myself that I can think of those changes as scary or exciting. With a slight mental shift, I can turn change into something that invigorates rather than discourages.

Love, the George family

Lemon

I wrote this post ahead of time to chronicle our pregnancy journey before we made the big announcement for all the world to see! 9.17.12

I can almost imagine the movements that our little kiwi is making right now. By this point, the baby is moving around, sucking it's thumb, and making facial expressions. It baffles me that our little one formed from something too tiny to even see to a human big enough to do all of that in just three months.

My sypmtoms this week have been good ones. I've been excited and sensing myself shift into what I call mommy mode. I've been eagerly researching cribs and non-toxic crib mattresses, the safest car seats and best strollers for getting around, sweet baby carriers so that we can hold out little one close... I haven't been sick this week, although I have sensed that things are changing in my abdomen. It's been a little uncomfortable and I'm starting to pop out enough that Grant can easily tell.

 The ruffly shirt kind of masks the bump, but it's there!

(I was also really tired by the time we took this picture.)

The most exciting part right  now is THE BUMP! I think it's starting to look less like I ate too much and more like a legitimate baby bump. Since we haven't leaked the news to everyone, I'm doing my best to hide it. Maternity clothes don't quite fit yet and finding normal clothes that fit is becoming quite the challenge. Wardrobe creativity is the spice of my life right now.

The most difficult part right now is wanting to get everything ready for baby and knowing that I need to take my time. I like to tackle projects right away - it's just part of my personality. Here comes the "p" word again: patience. I'm still learning :)

Right now is a good time to be pregnant. I'm not sick anymore and the weather is beautiful. It's the perfect time to research baby products with the windows open and peaceful music playing. Life is good!

Love, the George family

Peach

I wrote this post ahead of time to chronicle our pregnancy journey before we made the big announcement for all the world to see! 9.10.12

13 weeks - second trimester! Feels good to say that :) This past week has gone by...quickly. It's all a bit of a blur, really. Maybe that's just pregnancy brain??

We caught up around the house after our extended weekend in Tulsa, celebrated my birthday, and started our birthing class. One full Saturday down, one to go. It was pretty exhausting. Symptoms haven't been bad. I've been fighting a cold/allergies for the past week and a half. I was a little naseous last week, which was probably partially due to my exhaustion. It is now uncomfortable to lay on my stomach. :( I don't fall asleep on my stomach, but I do wake up on my stomach in discomfort. Between that and waking up to use the restroom, my nights can be quite long!

Is there a bump...maybe? Yes? No?

The most exciting part right now is that I'm starting to develop a bump. Grant can't see it yet, and I can only barely see it, but my clothes are fitting tighter and tighter each day, and I can just tell that things are changing. I'm just going to enjoy this stage of being excited about the bump :)

The most difficult part right now is that my health concerns are more concerning right now. Hormones cause things to be more off balance in my body, and I have just a little bit of extra hormones coursing through my system :) It's caused things to get a little out of control in my body, which means that I will have to be very careful about what I eat and keep close tabs on it. It will definitely be a challenge to overcome during this time, and it's not part of the ideal picture of pregnancy that I had created in my mind. But it's part of this fallen life and I believe that the Lord can make good out of all things. I'm already dealing with maternal instincts to protect this little one. And part of that is protecting it from my health problems. I can't entirely control the situation, so we will need to trust in God to care for the baby in ways that we can't.

So, here's to believing in God's provision and trusting that He will protect the sweet little kiwi that He has entrusted into our care.

Love, the George family

Memories

We took a rather impromptu trip to Tulsa this weekend, and it was a breath of fresh air. We have many special memories in Tulsa, as we began our relationship there and spent many nights out at coffee shops, malls, parks...the list goes on. Almost everywhere we drive in Tulsa, we have at least one memory of a special date, a meaningful conversation, laughter, and falling in love.

One of our favorite memories from that time is going to parks, especially Woodward Park. We went there on one of our very first outings together, and a woman was there feeding the squirrels. We watched her for a while, and then frequented the park with a bag of peanuts. Naturally, we had to go back and relive our memory. It was a bit warm this weekend, so the squirrels weren't quite as active as we remember, but we got several to come up close.

The most amazing thing is that they will take the peanuts from your hand!

Grant feeding a cute little squirrel.

 

Another reason for our visit was to meet our friend's newest addition, their son. We hadn't seen them since their wedding three years ago, so a visit was long overdue! It was wonderful to see them. Lots of laughter and catching up! They graciously hosted us all weekend, too!

 

We even had a chance to go to the lake. Kelli and I stayed at the beach with the baby, and Grant and Jon tried out his jet ski. They enjoyed themselves and were able to cool off in the water. It was toasty on the beach, even in the shade, so we didn't end up staying for too long.

 

Grant getting ready to head out on the water!

Jet ski in action!

 

I wish I would have taken more pictures, but I forgot my camera, as well as few other important items, like our phone chargers. Whoops! These are the only pictures I got the entire time... We were just having too much fun :)

 

Thanks Jon and Kelli for hosting a fabulous weekend!

 

Love, the George family