ivy and orchid

I cannot believe we have made it to 30 weeks already! That means only 10 more to go! We really do not have much for Abigail because we're waiting until after school is out, but I am so ready to meet her! (Plus, our midwife Kip said all we need are our arms to hold her and my boobs to feed her : ) That means we have everything!) At this point, Abigail could survive outside of my womb, and it makes me wonder why it takes 9 months (I know her eyesight, bones and brain are all still developing) I think God first gets the mama really excited to meet baby then, from what I hear, mama gets so uncomfortable that she wants baby out. Maybe by then, there are no fears of birth and no apprehensions of parenting. With that said, I just want to meet Abigail! At 30 weeks, she is approximately 15.7 inches long (already 1/5 of my size!) and about 3 pounds, about the weight of a head of cabbage. Her eyesight is improving everyday, although Shawn and I aren't hopeful for our children since both o...

We have made it to the last week of the second trimester! It is absolutely amazing how quickly things are moving along. I can't believe that in about 12 weeks, Shawn and I are going to be parents. Right now, Abigail is about 14 1/2 inches long and weighs about 2 pounds. IShe is approximately the size of a head of cauliflower. Abigail not only hears my voice, but the voices of others as well. She can open and close her eyes now and will regularly be getting hiccups. I have internally felt her kicking me for quite some time, but this week was the first time I felt her from the outside. Also discussing the external factors of my body--my belly is getting nice and round which makes it more difficult to put my pants on and strap my gladiator sandals. Yes, my back does hurt, but I won't complain because it can only get worse. I've gained 25 pounds at this point and have enjoyed every pound of ice cream I've eaten. Abigail is so sweet and I love to feel her moving around. She ...

The photo above is me 24 weeks pregnant, about a week ago. This was our Spring Break and we were expecting to move, but there was yet another kink in our plans. Rest assured, we officially have a closing date this Wednesday and will move on Good Friday. Nothing can go wrong during the Holy Week! After returning to school, people who didn't know I was pregnant can now tell. Abigail and I are steadily growing and every day is more exciting. Right now, Abigail has been kicking up a storm for a good hour and she is really getting strong! It must be all of the sugar she gets. At our list appointment, she measured in just right and her heart sounds as healthy as ever. She weighs a bit over a pound, she has hair and is starting to get fat! As for me, I weigh a bit more over a pound (20 more than my pre-pregnancy weight), my baby hairs are spiky, and my bellybutton is not really an inny or an outy. I have started to lose my appetite but can sleep like no other. Shawn and I are really ...

Yesterday Shawn and I went to Allegiance Hospital for my 20 week ultrasound and found out we have a healthy baby girl. She measured in at 20 weeks and 6 days which is exactly what we were suspecting and she is 15 ounces, almost a whole pound! While we were there we saw her stretch out in a straight line and also fold up and play with her feet. I feel her moving a lot, but I didn't feel her once through all those motions. The ultrasound picture show Abigail reaching for her feet. She's already much more flexible than Shawn! It's just amazing to think she's doing all those acrobatics in there! At this point she has eyebrows and eyelids and everything she needs is formed. Now all she has to do is grow! In my life, it has always been easy to see God's blessings and miracles. I have been blessed with a great family, a warm house that is paid for, a running car, a great job with wonderful students, great friends and role models and the most perfect husband (I couldn't...

I once read that nine months is the amount of time necessary to prepare for a baby. At five months, I still feel completely uncertain as to what to expect from labor to birth to caring for the baby. I know my life will change, but I cannot prepare for the amount of sleep I will lose or how our schedules will be shaken up. I do not know how to be a parent and I feel the only way I will know cannot happen until our little one is born. I can tell you what I feel about our baby at five months in, however. I already love this little person as if I've known (him/her) for years. Perhaps it's all the changes we've gone through together. From the moment Shawn and I found out I was pregnant, I could not wait for some signs that I was actually growing a baby inside of me. It wasn't really until three months in that I really felt pregnant. I felt so tired and sick everyday due to this alien object in my belly. It wasn't until I heard the quick little heart beat that I believed ...

Our baby has officially made it halfway to its birth! The little one is the size of a banana and according to my midwife, just the right size for 20 weeks. The heartbeat was around 150-160 bpm today and I was a bit worried when I didn't hear it right away. Then I heard the familiar sound of "galloping horses" and knew our tadpole was healthy. Also, the baby is quite a kicker! I don't feel the little "fluttering of butterflies" as one pregnancy website put it. I get quick jabs in my abdomen. One day we had a boxing match where the baby would move and I would push my abdomen in return. We traded these gestures for at least 30 seconds and it was fun to think that the baby understood my game. In a week, Shawn and I will go to the hospital to get an ultrasound and find out whether we have a boy or a girl. In other news, we expect to move into our new house in about two weeks and Shawn has been busy with school and writing his infamous document. So much happening ...

We have finally made it to the second trimester and baby is the size of an apple! Two weeks ago, we got to hear baby's heartbeat which was a quick 150. It was so special to hear and it was really the first time I felt we were meeting our little one. Everything is going smoothly and I made it through two weeks of classes without throwing up: quite an accomplishment! We also got a beautiful cherry crib that will transition into a day bed and a toddler bed! It all seems so unreal to me and nine months of suspense is a long time to expect the unexpected. . .