33 Weeks

7 weeks left! I can hardly wait to meet her. I can't believe that I am 33 weeks pregnant. Well...I feel 33 weeks pregnant :) I had another doctor's appointment on Tuesday and all is well. My blood pressure is normal, baby is growing on target and sounds good. So, I will return in another 2 weeks for another appointment. The baby turned head down so I am getting a lot of movement and kicks very high up near my ribs (fun). Also, the baby is having the hiccups a lot which is very interesting.

I am not sleeping well these days. Between getting up and going to the bathroom and not being able to sleep on my stomach, I am pretty miserable. I am still working my short shift at school. The doctor sees no reason to take me off work at this point, so I am waddling around the school. I am pretty big and have gotten all the "fun" comments that go with it. If I hadn't suffered from infertility for 7 years I might have taken offense to some of the comments, but I don't mind.

I am starting to look forward to not being pregnant and getting back into the swing of things with my kids. I miss not being the mom on the floor and playing with the kids. This has been one of the most difficult things of this pregnancy is how much it has affected my body and how I have been unable to function like my normal self. I will however miss feeling her move around. I hope I can remember that feeling forever.

Baby Shower

On February 6th, my mother-in-law had a baby shower for me. It was a lot of fun and I had a really nice time. Grace was a big helper and Luke enjoyed taking photographs. The baby got some really fun clothes and lots of other things too.

My mom, Audra and Audra's Mom.

Me with a beautiful quilt my cousin Cathy had made for me.

Grace and I getting ready to play baby bingo.

Thank you to everyone who made the day special.

30.5 weeks & Friendship

Things with this pregnancy continue to go well. I was worried last week when I failed my 1 hour glucose test. So...I had the privilege of going back to the hospital for the 3 hour glucose test (where they draw your blood 4 different times). The doctor's office called yesterday and let me know that the test results were normal!!! I DO NOT have gestational diabetes. I am very relieved and happy!

God continues to answer my prayers in ways I wouldn't expect. A sweet, sweet friend of mine, let me borrow all of her maternity clothes. I had no sooner finished apologizing to my staff assistants at work as they would be watching me repeat wearing my clothes (and yes I wash them) because they are expensive and I didn't want to spend more money on something I would wear for only a few more months, and my sweet friend offered me her maternity clothes. She also brought me fun pregnancy books, magazines to read during my 3 hour glucose test, and bought babydahl her first dolly.

4 Years Ago

I was talking with my sister Audra on the phone last night, and she reminded me that they just celebrated their 4 year wedding anniversary. My first thought was "I totally spaced it" (what a good sister am I) which I aplogized for (pregnancy brain), and my second thought was I can't believe it has been 4 years. Luke was 2 years old in their wedding. The above picture is him as a ring bearer in Uncle Thom and Aunt Audra's wedding. I can't believe he was that little. Time really does go by so fast. He is almost 7 years old now.

This is Grace 4 years ago, on the day we welcomed her home (well this picture was actually taken in March) but close enough. I can see the mischievousness in her eyes even at 13 months old. She is almost 5 years old now. The one thing I do know...when this new baby arrives, I am going to blink and she is going to be 13 months old. I keep thinking...how do you slow time down to enjoy every second? I don't want to miss a thing. That is why today I officially resigned .5 of my teaching position. I will continue as a half-time employee of the Vancouver School District, but officially give up half of my position. Technically this year I was on leave from half my position. I thought I had one more year I could take on leave before "officially resigning", but I thought I wrong. Oh well.

29 Weeks and Counting.... (Happy 3rd Trimester)

Well...it's official...I am uncomfortable, in pain and miserable. I actually feel pretty good in the morning, but feel like I am 300 pounds by the evening. I had another doctor appointment this last week. Things are going well. Baby is growing on target. My blood pressure was a little high, but they are just going to monitor it for now. Part of the issue is that I get so nervous every time I go to the office. I got to drink the glucose drink and have my blood drawn for gestational diabetes. I haven't heard the results yet, but I am praying I pass.

Mark finished painting and moving the kids bedrooms around. What a big project! I couldn't have done any of that by myself. Things are moving along and time is going by quite quickly. I am excited for my baby shower in February. The rooms aren't completely done yet, but here are some pictures of the progress so far.

What the World Needs...

less obsession over current hair style trends....and more 4 year old hair cuts!

I'm Back...

I took a little break from blogging. The Christmas season started to get wild and blogging took a back seat, but I am back. Well...for starters everyone probably wants to know how the baby is doing...She is doing great. Currently I am almost 28 weeks pregnant. I had another ultrasound (#7) last month before Christmas and she was measuring a few days ahead and looking great. I have another appointment in a week and they will be testing my glucose this time. It is always some fun test that they are wanting to do on me when I go to the doctors. Baby is moving and kicking ALOT!!! Sometimes it feels like she is trying to jump out of my skin. Yesterday during church she was kicking me and my whole belly was moving. I am pretty uncomfortable at this point and very tired. A sweet friend of mine let me borrow all her maternity clothes. What a blessing because I had 2 pairs of pants. I normally wouldn't do this but many have asked for a belly picture...here is the most recent. I was 26 weeks. I am carrying the baby all up front. Complete strangers love to tell me that I must be due anytime now. "No, not until early April".

The kids had a great Christmas and thoroughly spoiled. Christmas Eve we had Mark's side of the family over and Christmas Day we spent with my mom and my brother, and his finance Katie. Here are a few pictures.

Windows

Baby K with my kiddos on Thanksgiving

Baby K with Luke

Baby K on her first day home from the NICU

Over the last 6 years we have the opportunity to care for 13 foster care children in our home. At times we would welcome them in with a couple of hours notice. Each holds a special place in my heart (2 of them becoming my own children). They all had a story, that would make most shake their heads in disbelief. Little people, too little for the burdens they would already have to carry. One of my favorite little people to come in our home was Baby K. She was my first experience with having an infant, and an infant with special needs. She was a preemie weighing just over 5 pounds when I picked her up from the NICU. She moved on from our home when she was 7 months old. The last time I saw her she was 18 months (she is nearly 3 and half now). I have often wondered about her.

Sometimes God allows us to look through windows at His plan. Yesterday I had the opportunity to look through a window. God decided to once again bring Baby K back into my life (although this time only as a person on the side line). Baby K is now a student at the school where I teach. I can only marvel at His mercy, and His all encompassing plan to remind us that the seeds we sew (even into babies) have a purpose. What a small world we live in, that windows are open for a glimpse into His plan.

As promised...

Here is a picture of baby girl. I love this picture as you can see her face. I continue to do well, but feel very tired at times. I am 23 weeks today. I have begun my registry at Target and Babies R Us. I am blessed to have most of the "big" items, but there are many things that I don't have based on the fact that both Luke and Grace were 13 months when they came to live with us. Our sweet baby has a name but it will remain a surprise until she is born.

We began our childbirth classes a few weeks ago. I am not sure how I feel about them yet. The teacher is a little high strung for me, but I will give them another week before I make my final decision if I am done or not. I am still not sure how I want my labor to be (pain meds and all). I feel that the baby is going to come however the baby comes...it feels silly to me to plan for something that may or may not happen.

In other news, my brother finally set a wedding date for September 17, 2009, so we are excited to finally be planning that. We will be going down to southern, ca for the wedding and a trip to Disneyland. Four of us are going to be in the wedding, and I am not sure who the baby is going to be with during the wedding but I figure there will be some willing hands to hold her. After I give birth, I will be going on weight watchers. They have a program for breastfeeding mothers. Hopefully, 5 months is enough time to look decent in the bridesmaid dress. I know I will never be skinny, but I want to look nice. I actually haven't gained that much weight this pregnancy. I lost 14 pounds the first trimester and I have gained back 6 pounds so far. I know towards the end of the pregnancy that I will be gaining because it just happens. Anyway, enough about weight gain talk.

We will also be going to Hawaii next November, so that will be a fun experience (and yes we are bringing all 3 children). Mark and I just don't travel well without our kiddos even if they are a lot of work.

We're Having a GIRL!!!!!

Today was the big ultrasound...we are having a girl. My intuition was correct. We are so excited. The other amazing part of the ultrasound was that she measure exactly what she should, my placenta is in the right spot, and she is healthy. I will probably have to go back in a couple of weeks so they can get some better pictures of her heart. It is a difficult organ to see and it helps when you are farther along. The heart rate measured 148bpm. I will post some pictures later...but I wanted to say that the baby is a girl!!! Time for some shopping!!!

The Miracle Baby

I am 20 weeks pregnant with a miracle. I feel a miracle moving around within. I never would have thought this would ever happen to me. I was told it would not without intense medical intervention...yet here I am...20 weeks pregnant with a baby that should not be, that came a way that I was told was impossible, and that has a life already predestined by God for a purpose.

You see...while reading my bible over the last 7 years I have found countless stories of infertility. I have learned many important lessons from these stories about God's will, timing and patience. Yet, in the last couple of months I have learned something new. There are many stories of women who were infertile, and finally when God moved and they conceived and had a child, those children had great purpose. For example, Sarah was nearly 100 years old when she finally gave birth to a baby boy, Issac. Issac grew up and married Rebekah, they suffered from infertility. Issac prayed for Rebekah and the bible says God opened her womb. She gave birth to Jacob and Esau. Jacob married Rachel who watched her sister Leah have baby after baby after baby. In God's timing Rachel gave birth to Joseph and Benjamin. The timing for Joseph to be born was critical. He went on to be the Pharaoh's right hand man and influential in planning, harvesting and saving food during the 7 years of plenty, so they could survive during the seven years of drought. In the new testament, the one story of infertility that amazes me is Elizabeth, who gave birth to John the Baptist. God's timing was again critical as John was only months older than Jesus. There are many other stories too, but these are the ones that I have focused on. I know and believe that all children are miracles, but I know that God has a divine plan for my baby's life and that timing of this little one is perfect. I am just grateful that I didn't have to wait until I was near 100 like Sarah, although sometimes the 7 years has felt like 100.

I don't take for granted this gift that God has chosen to give our family. It means different things to different people. I am just in awe of God's ultimate grace, because I was completely content to adopt and keep loving children that were not biologically mine. As a mom of 2 adopted babes, and one biological I can tell you the love feels no different. I am excited to see if this baby is a boy or girl. We have a name picked out for each. The name will remain a surprise until baby is born. I am ultimately excited to watch God's plan unfold in this little person's life.