I'm Pregnant! It's Official.

Well, I had my appointment today. It was nothing like I imagined it would be. I thought I would be examined "down there" to make sure everything looked the way it's supposed to... I thought maybe I would get a sonogram to check the due date or because of the spotting I've had for the last 3 weeks... or at the very least, I thought they would try to find the heart beat. But, I only had to pee on a stick to confirm that I am, indeed, pregnant. The pregnancy test lit up like a Christmas light as soon as it hit the urine... so it's official, I'm pregnant. (I knew this four weeks ago when I did my own pee-stick test at home!). I met with the doctor who went over a few things in my health history and then asked if I had any questions. I almost felt rushed... I had that last appointment on a Friday afternoon, and I felt like maybe the bare minimum was done in the interest of time. But, I guess that's just what is meant to be for now. I go back in three weeks (March 18th) and might get to hear the heartbeat on that day. I can only hope...

Cards

Here are a few of the cards we've received since the beginning of our pregnancy :)





Prayers, Please

Well... the big countdown is on! At 4:00 tomorrow afternoon, I have my first "baby" appointment. I am praying and praying that I will get to see my baby or at least hear its heart beat. With my cold/bronchitis/asthma, as well as some questionable/slightly concerning pregnancy symptoms (spotting for about 3 weeks), it's been an emotionally trying month and I'm so ready to have the reality of this pregnancy hit me full force by seeing or hearing my baby. I think it will really sink in when I see the baby on the screen or heart the swoosh, swoosh, swoosh of it's heart beat. I'm just so anxious to have good news at my appointment and to hear that all is well with my pregnancy... I doubt I'll sleep much tonight. ...Not to mention, my work day tomorrow is going to draggggggg. Just please be praying for me and the baby, that both of us are perfectly healthy and the pregnancy is progressing as it should. Thanks so much for your prayers!!!

A Reward!

This verse has been shared with me by more than one person, so I thought I would share it on here:

Psalm 127:3 & 5 (King James Version)

3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward...
5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:

So thankful that we've found favor with God and that He's granted us with this reward! My first appointment is two days away... nervous, but oh-so-excited! Can't wait to hear that heartbeat.

Why Hello, Nausea!

I woke up this morning and excitedly turned on my phone. I have an "app" that goes with the book called What to Expect When You're Expecting. The app is great because it keeps track of how many weeks and days I am, let's me know how big my baby is week-by-week, and provides daily tips on how to have a healthy pregnancy. I look forward to reading my daily tip and see the date tracker tick past each day... and this morning was extra exciting (just like every Monday morning!) because I have officially completed my 9th week of pregnancy! It's going by so fast, but I'm so glad that I'm taking pictures and recording this experience here for everyone to share with me.

Up until now, I haven't had a whole lot of nausea... but I'm definitely beginning to feel more "blah" with each passing week. My stomach gets a bit upset in the mornings, and then also about half an hour after I eat a meal. While the nausea is definitely taking a foothold in my pregnancy, I'm still craving my fruit! I went to the grocery store today and spent a good bit on fruit. As I was unpacking my groceries, I realized the abundance of fruit that I bought today... apples, oranges, grapefruits, raspberries, kiwis, pears... and now my only hope is that I can eat it all before it goes bad!

I've been having some different dreams about what we're going to have. I dreampt last week that I had a baby girl, who then turned into a kitten. HAHA! Where does this stuff come from??? And then last night, I had a dream that we had a baby boy. Jason has dreampt that the baby is a boy, too. We would honestly be thrilled with either one... or both! I can just see a mini-Jason running around the house in his own pair of little boy work boots. I can see a baby girl stealing the heart of my hubby the first time she wraps her little fingers around his. I can see a little boy riding around the yard on his bicycle... I can see a little girl playing with doll babies in front of the fireplace. I can imagine us spending evenings and weekends at Little League games or going to music recitals. I mean it from the bottom of my heart, this baby will be loved and cherished, no matter whether it's a boy or a girl. Some people goes as far as to say, "It doesn't matter whether it's a boy or girl as long as it's healthy..." and that really upsets me. Even if my baby is not born healthy, I will still love it and nurture it the way God intended. Of course, we are praying for our baby to be healthy... but we will love this bundle of joy no matter what.

My prayer for this week:

Dear Lord, thank You for this special person growing inside of me. I pray that this time of rejoicing and gladness would also be a time of praising You for Your blessing of the miracle of life. Your Word says that every good and perfect gift comes from above, so I give You many thanks for this wonderful gift. I pray that my baby grows to be a man or woman after Your own heart. Give him or her a heart for what is right, pure, lovely, and good. Help me watch over my baby and bring up my child in a godly way. Help me be an example of Matthew 5:8, where You said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Lord, bind us together as a family. Jesus, we invite You to be the head of our home and central to everything we do. Make us aware of Your presence in our lives on a daily basis. And bless our extended family, as well. Lord, I also pray that You develop my baby's heart just perfectly and make it beat in perfect rhythm for all the days of his life. Thank you, Lord, for this special gift. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Nine Weeks Down, 31 To Go!

Did somebody say "Fruit?!"

Mmmmm.... FRUIT! Definitely one of my biggest "cravings" so far. Especially berries. Raspberries, if we're being really specific. Wow, my mouth is watering just thinking about berries.

Yesterday, I officially entered into my 9th week of pregnancy! I am 8 weeks and 1 day today. The time is really passing by quickly, especially now that I'm working. (More details about the new job in a little while.) I'm feeling pretty good, all things considered. I tend to feel nauseous in the morning until I get something in my belly. I've been doing pretty well with Ginger Ale and Ginger Snap Cookies in the morning. By the evening, I'm usually feeling a bit nauseous again... but not to the point where I can't cook dinner for Jason or anything like that. Sometimes a wave of sickness will hit me later in the morning or in the afternoon... and that usually happens when I haven't eaten in a while. So, as long as I try to eat a little bit every couple of hours, I'm feeling good! I do admit that I'm feeling pretty tired. There have been many nights recently when I've been in bed and snoozing away by 8pm. I'm so excited to have my first prenatal appointment next Friday and get to see and hear the heartbeat of the newest love(s) my life!

...You might be thinking, "Love(s)?" ...As in more than one? I just don't know... twins run in the family (my Mom is a twin, and they say it skips a generation... she didn't have twins, so maybe me or one of my cousins will?) And I remember last Spring when my Nanny was coming off of the ventilator... A lot of the family had gathered around her bed to see how she was going to do with breathing on her own... and I remember that she was waking up, and she looked at me and said, "Krissy, when are you due?" ...And of course I replied, "Uh... Nan... I know I've gained some weight, but I can assure you I'm not pregnant." And she looked at me like I was crazy; like she had seen the future... and shewent on to say that I was going to have a boy and a girl. I would be so excited to find out we're having twins... but honestly, the sound of a single, strong heartbeat will be enough to take my breath away... and if there's more than one, we will be doubly blessed (and I hope they have someone there to catch Jason if there is more than one!). The countdown is on... 10 more days!!!!!

This is my second week at my new job as an ELL teacher in Washington County. I absolutely LOVE my job! I've heard people say before, "Choose a job that you love and you'll never work a day of your life" and I can honestly say that I love teaching. I've only been working with my students for a little over a week, and I'm so excited for the progress that I see already.

Well, the bathroom is calling my name (again) so I better sign off for now! Thanks for your continued prayers for our growing family!

Here's a picture from last week that I forgot to post (7 weeks, 5 days):

The baby this week:

Annointed

Yesterday at church, Pastor Ken gave a message about having faith as you walk through various "fires" in your life. I've been having a really difficult time dealing with thoughts of fear surrounding this pregnancy, and his message about how God promises to bring you through these difficult and trying times was exactly what I needed to hear. It's all about putting our trust in Him that everything is going to be okay and that this baby is going to grow and develop in a perfectly healthy way. At the end of the service, Pastor Ken gave an alter call and invited people to come to the alter to be annointed with oil and to be prayed for. Jason and I looked at each other, and in the next moment we were walking towards the front of the church, hand in hand. Just as we stood at the front of a church before God with our family and friends as our witnesses on our wedding day, we found ourselves standing once again in front of God asking for His blessing over the baby that is growing in my womb. Pastor Ken annointed me with oil and the deacons laid hands on us as we prayed for my health and for the baby to grow wholly and soundly. I have felt a great sense of peace from that moment, and I can't wait to look my baby in the eyes for the first time and feel the greatest love I'll ever know.

It's just all so overwhelming! I still feel like someone needs to pinch me or shake me to wake me up... I mean, my body is screaming from the inside out, "HELLO! YOU'RE PREGNANT! You're tired and nauseous, your boobs are huge (who knew they could get bigger!? haha), and Chinese food isn't all that appealing anymore. Um...yes, YOU'RE PREGNANT!"  ...But at the same time, it just boggles my mind that the Creator of the entire universe... the One who made the heavens and the earth, the Originator of all things... is personally creating my unborn child. I mean, really!!! The same God who hangs the stars in the night sky is creating His latest, most perfect masterpiece inside of me right this very minute. And when God knits, he neither misses a stitch nor adds an extra one. Before this baby will ever do or say anything on his/her own, he/she is a masterpiece... a one-of-a-kind original. ...Maybe in September when I'm holding my baby for the first time and cherishing that moment when he or she wraps her little hand around my finger, I'll realize that I am, indeed dreaming... living out the dream that God has given me through this life that He's creating in me.

Here's my prayer for this week:

Dear Lord, I pray for my baby's hands and fingers, feet and toes, that they will grow and develop properly. I pray for the elbows and wrists that are developing this week, as well, that they will be good and strong and flex as they should. Please bless my baby's hands and use them for the good of Your kingdom. Bless my baby's feet and help my child to always walk with You, God. Lord, I thank You for blessing each one of us with special gifts and talents. I pray that whatever my child does with his or her hands, he or she will do it well and use it for the ministry. Bless the work of my child's hands. Help him to be diligent in his work so he may be viewed to have godly character. And, Lord, bless my child's feet that they might go where You want them to go, for Your ministry. I know that every good and perfect gift comes from above, and I acknowledge You as our Creator and God. I praise You for all You have done and for all You will do. I Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

The Miracle of Life

My Momma shared this video with me last night. Thought I would share it with you on here :)

Ice, Ice, Baby!

There has been lots of icy weather over the past couple of days. While it's freezing cold outside, the joy that's in my heart because of the miracle God has given to Jason and I has kept me plenty warm :)

I am so anxious to hold this baby in my arms for the first time. However there are times when negative thoughts creep into my mind and cause me to worry, worry, worry. Over the last two days, I've found that anytime I start to worry about the baby or this pregnancy, I start praying to God and cover my prayers in the Blood of Jesus. I've also started playing worship music to keep my mind on the good that God is manifesting in me right this very moment. When I did my devotions this morning, I read my Bible out loud so that even though the baby cannot hear what I'm saying quite yet, God can still use my words to create in my baby a love for Him. I'm confident that through lots of prayer, reading the Bible with my baby, and listening to songs of praise, my baby will grow and develop according to God's plan. I hope the baby has a love for worship music like his/her Momma :) ...Although, Jason is convinced that the baby will like 80's music, and that would be okay too.

Exciting news today: My Master's Degree came in the mail today! It's official. After the hard work, countless hours writing papers, balancing student teaching, and thousand of dollars spent on courses... I have a Master of Arts in Teaching degree. While I am so excited to have accomplished this goal, I can't help but think about the even greater calling that God has placed on my life right now to be a mother. I did have to laugh to myself when I opened my degree though... The whole way through my master's degree coursework when someone would ask when we were going to start a family, I would say "My goal is to finish my master's degree first and then we'll see what happens." ...And sure enough, I finished my degree and we are starting a family! We definitely didn't plan for it to happen so soon, but God is in control and He knows what He's doing! We are just so tickled to be experiencing such a huge blessing in our lives right now.

I started my seventh week of pregnancy on Monday!

6 Weeks Down, 34 Weeks to Go

 

My bedside reading materials right now!

Click to get a closer look at my degree.

Now They Know!

Wow, was it ever fun telling our families over the weekend that we are expecting a baby! I decided to tell both of our mothers this week that I had a "late Christmas present" for them that I had ordered online and forgotten about. I told them both that J and I wanted to come by over the weekend to give them these "late Christmas presents." I found frames at Kohls that said "Grandchildren Fill Our Days With Happiness" and instead of putting a picture in the frame, I wrote the following message from the baby:

You don’t have a picture of me yet…

But you will on or around September 26, 2011!

God decided that now would be a great time

for my Mom and Dad to start a family.

Even though you haven’t heard my heart beat yet,

God has heard it and He has my birthday on His calendar.

He’s already felt the brush of my eyelashes

and knows my ticklish spots!

I really can’t wait to meet you. Please pray for me

while I prepare to make my grand entrance!

Love,

Your GrandBaby



I also bought a pack of plain white newborn onesies and crafted some messages on them to hand out. I made one for my Dad that said, "My Grandpa Rides a Harley" and "Born to Be Wild On or Around September 26th". For Jason's parents, I made a onesie that said "Grand Baby #1 - Coming Soon!" I should've taken pictures of them but I forgot (darn Pregnancy brain). I will get some pictures of them the next time I see our parents and will post them for you all to see. So both sets of parents were getting a frame with a message from the baby and a onesie!

We planned to tell our parents on Sunday. We went to church as usual and then went back to my parents' house for lunch. My brother came along, but his wife couldn't make it. Of course, I was so excited that I was practically shaking... and I wanted so badly to tell the family before we ate, but Jason insisted that he was hungry and we should wait till afterwards (which ended up being a good idea... otherwise we probably wouldn't have eaten right away and the food would've become cold!). So we had our lunch and then ended up lounging in the living room. I brought in the gifts and handed Mom the frame gift and handed Dad the onesie gift (both wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper... because they were late Christmas presents, remember? :)

Mom opened her gift and starting screaming and crying... My poor brother was looking at her like "What in the world is wrong?!?" and Dad, who was still in the process of opening his gift was looking at Mom trying to figure out what was making her so excited... and I said, "We're pregnant!" There were lots of tears... hugs... smiles... It was a really special moment. And then... I'll never forget this part: After it started to sink in that they are going to be grandparents, Dad leans over his chair and looks me straight in the eyes and says, "Now this isn't the kind of thing that a father asks his daughter, but are you usually pretty regular?!" It was so funny; he was trying to make sure that I wasn't just "late". I explained to him that I am like clockwork and the positive pregnancy tests confirmed that I am, indeed, pregnant.

Later that evening, we headed to Jason's parents' house. We gave them the same two gifts that we gave his parents. When his Mom opened the gift of the frame, she looked at me and Jason and said, "YOU'RE KIDDING!!!" And with tears in our eyes, we shook our heads no... we're not kidding at all. When Donald opened the onesie, he had a big smile on his face and said "That is great news!" They are both super excited for us. We called Ed and Jamie and put them on speaker phone to share the news with them. They are really happy for us, too. Jamie said that we'll have to go shopping for a bikini for me to wear during our annual beach trip this summer... HAHA - I said, "Yeah, right!" :)

I've now finished my sixth week of pregnancy and I'm into my seventh week. The exhaustion is leaving me feeling like I've been hit by a bus. I was actually home from work today because of the ice storm. I was doing a few chores around the house and I noticed that my cat, Casey, was stretched from our bed to the window with her front paws on the window sill and her back paws on our bed. I thought, "What in the world is she looking at that has her so intrigued?" So I snuck to the window next to her and looked out. There was a beautiful robin in the bush right outside our window. I started to cry because it made me miss my Nanny, but also because it reminded me that she's still with me through everything.

My prayer this week...

Dear Lord, I am so amazed at the miracle of life that's growing inside me. So much is happening for my baby this week and I just ask that You watch over him/her and cause the development to go just the way it should. Bless my baby in every way: physically, mentally, and spiritually. Give my baby a pure, kind heart and a good soul, open to Your Holy Spirit, and to loving You. Once again, I thank you for this wonderful miracle. I cover my baby in the Blood of Jesus. In His name I pray, Amen.