29th week!

I am now in my 29Th week of baby-carrying. I had a so-so doctors appointment today. I had my 1 hour glucose test a week ago, and it didn't come back great, so I have to go in tomorrow for my 3 hour glucose test in which they draw and test my blood every hour for 3 hours after I drink the syrup concoction (I just want to take this opportunity to say that I HATE NEEDLES and I'm a HUGE baby, I fight back tears every time my blood is drawn! I have NO idea how I EVER got a tattoo, and I'm not particularly excited to have my blood drawn THREE times tomorrow...That's all I have to say about that!) They want to see how my blood metabolizes sugar, and my blood hasn't been metabolizing it very well, so I have to change up my diet a little and cut out the carbs and sugars! No more chicken Parmesan, or Dustin's amazing fried rice, or angel hair pasta with Alfredo sauce, or cookies
I was a little discouraged because I felt like I had been exercising quite a bit, trying to get in a few HOURS of exercise a week and still I'm having issues with possibly having Gestational Diabetes (which the doctor says is hereditary and theres nothing I could have done differently to avoid it no matter how much I exercise or eat right, it just happens to some woman, and it doesn't help that it runs in my famly either!!) That comforted me a bit. I even had an apple and a glass of milk for dessert instead of the brownies in the cupboard I wanted to make last night! I'm trying! We'll have to just see what the test says tomorrow! Pray for good results if you could, it would be much appreciated! Other than that, things are going great! Conrad's heart is strong and he's looking healthy so far! We went on a lovely hour and a half long walk on Sunday morning and I am still able to hold a conversation without falling over and being completely out of breath. I threw up only once this week!!! Hallelujah!
I took some photos of my friend Vicki's new twins yesterday which I will be posting soon. I got to spend time with my dear Friend Bobbie this weekend and she took our maternity pictures, which I'm sure I'll love and i can't wait to see them! She's giving them to me at my baby shower! I can't wait!
Dustin & I are reading an amazing book "Shepherding a child's heart",which has my highlighter almost dried out with all of the amazing insights to parenting I've been trying to absorb and highlight! It helps me look back at what my parents did in my childhood or other parents I see do, and I'm seeing the task of parenting in a new light. My eyes are opened to the psychology of how children think and how God can help me love my son better as he grows. (I'll have more to share as I read deeper into the books message.)

Nursery

Potential nursery curtains.
I love this paisley pattern. I think it will give the nursery that vintage-y feel I'm going for.....(I will have white "black-out" curtains behind them of course to keep light out when he sleeps.)

Or maybe a bright solid??

Ideas are swirling around in my head!

28 weeks Pregnant!

Conrad is the size of Chinese cabbage this week! He's about 15 inches from head to heels and weighs about 2 1/4 pounds. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through my womb.

My best friend Mr. Internet says I have only 84 days to go! And boy am I holding onto these last days of pregnancy (Is it bad to say I'm holding onto the last precious days that I have alone with my husband?? Suddenly I feel a cloud of guilt hanging over my head as I type...)

My sleep patterns are so off too. I either go to bed super early or super late and once I'm asleep, I wake up, and I'm wide awake. Last night at 3am, I woke up from a dead sleep and decided I needed a hot bath, so at 3am I was in the bath, eyes wide open, enjoying my oily honey body scrub and bubbles. I got back into bed and decided it was cuddle time and Dustin decided it was sleeping time, so he made little grunts as i kissed his back and threw my leg over his legs to get comfortable as we snuggled (It's really hard to snuggle someone whose not into it because they're sleeping, but i tried and then finally gave up, & rolled over to my side of the bed). The alarm went off at 5:45 and I protested getting out of bed, saying that my feet were hurting and I desperately needed my feet rubbed, and I wasn't going into work today, to which Dustin's said, "Get up!!!", after rubbing my feet for me because he's such a great guy and all (I hope he re-reads this and sees my sucking up....he read this post yesterday and said that i made him sound mean and he's not mean at all because he was nice enough to rub my feet! Thanks Baby-daddy)....I'm pretty much a zombie today!

28 Weeks feels good! He's moving a whole lot these days with lots of strong, almost violent movements that sometimes have me concerned! I swear he's trying to punch his way out! It's not time yet buddy! We still have 11 weeks to go! I feel like he's sunken down to the bottom of my stomach trying to find the light.

(I wanted to say a special thanks to my friends who have been praying for me through my whole pregnancy. I love you guys very much! Can't wait to share Lil' Conni-bear with you.)

Happy New Year!

( HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! I LOVE YOU!!!)
To ring in the new year, we went to my friend Sheena's house to celebrate and be around good friends. Before we left, I had decided to wear a dress that I wore 2 months ago and thought would still fit. Dustin was helping me zip it up when he finally gave up and said "Sorry babe, it's not gunna happen!" We both just laughed. Conrad is becoming a big boy. I wasn't surprised that it had gotten too small, so I tried on another dress, and another dress, and another dress, and all of them were too small and I didn't want to wear jeans, so I grabbed one of Dustin's work shirts, threw a belt around it, put on a cardigan, some black tights, some heels, and my outfit was complete! The shirt went almost down to my knees, so it sort of looked like a dress! Dustin was impressed by my ability to "make it work", as Tim Gunn would say. (Wow, I'm totally not a Project Runway fan or anything.....) I couldn't believe we had stayed up past 10:00, we hadn't done that in a long time. Earlier that night, we went on a very long walk, came home, had dinner, got ready for the party and left. I was on my feet all night, tired and probably dehydrated, so by the time we got home, I was in pain! We went to bed and around 4am, I woke up to one of my calf's spasming. The muscle just clinches and stayes tightened, which is extremely painful. Dustin woke up because he heard me moaning in pain, and grabbed my calf, started squeezing it and stretching my leg out. This has happened before when I exercise too much. The next day it always feels like I've pulled it which is uncomfortable. (I need to drink more water and eat some bananas!) Other than that, we had a great New Years. We relaxed and enjoyed having the next day off together.
Right now, I'm sipping a hot cup of coffee listening to the likes of Radio Head, Jamuel Saxon and Page France.... I'm reflecting on the year we had, the ups, downs, joys, heart aches. The dynamics of our marriage and our relationships with the Lord have changed. Not only in the last year, but the last 5 years of my life, I've gotten to see my husband's character stretch in different situations, I've gotten to know him more and fall more in love, We've become better friends, and evolved into what we are now. We both decided that when we first started dating 5 years ago, we were just two people going in different directions, both clinging to our own ways, and now, we've both noticed traits that we've obtained from the other person. We're no longer pulling in different directions trying to be our own people, we've become "one" as corny as that may sound. Back then, I was jaded by the past, going through changes that i wish i could have avoided; the death of my sister, the transition of my mother going from alcoholic , to recovering alcoholic with almost a full 12 months under her belt now of her new life as a sober woman who is strong in the Lord and living a full life! Praise God for how he orchestrates situations for the better. I remember also this year watching my Dad give a eulogy at his best friends funeral, sharing the gospel with a room full of people, sharing scripture, making people laugh, encouraging others that out of pain can come new life! Looking back, i think, Wow God, this is big watching him share your love with others....Wow God! It's astonishing. 5 years ago, Dustin was a golf major, 18 years old, unaware of what the life ahead of him, with a woman like me would be like! Living on his own, making potatoes everyday just to prove his Independence and not have to depend on others for money. He became a man, he helped me become a woman. He saw me through lots of scary situations and changes. I had to grow up quickly and he grew up right beside me. It has been a really rewarding life together so far, and a really great year. I'm excited to see what God will do in 2009. And we're mostly excited that this year new life will come as we welcome our first son. Now, he is heading towards graduating with hopes of using his degree as an engineer as ministry to help others. This is what he feels he was made to do. Create, build, bless, and also be a Dad. He says that although Conrad isn't born yet, he already feels like a Dad. I'm very excited for what's ahead.
No one better to kiss to ring in the new year than the one I love.

27 weeks preggers

During this pregnancy, Dustin and I have seen many firsts in our relationship. FIRST time I've needed help putting on my shoes, FIRST time we experienced a plus sign on a pregnancy test, FIRST time we've gone to bed by 7:45, FIRST time I’ve had to ask him to push me up out of bed if he notices I’m struggling to get out of bed (Like an old lady), FIRST time I’ve blamed gas on my husband in public, and FIRST time I’ve asked him to hold a mirror "down stairs" so I can tend to the "lady gardens" (Do I even need to do the " " quotes for you?? I'm pretty sure you know where I'm going with this!)....Boy was that an experience! I've never seen my husband look so interested, amazed, and intrigued- like "Wow babe, so that's how you make it look like that!" He looked like a skilled surgeon holding that mirror ever so steady and intently. "Yep, it's pretty mystical huh?? My womanly secrets have been revealed." Usually I lock myself in the bathroom for an hour or two while I magically beautify and come forth to his amazement looking like a goddess, but since I was starting to look like a 70's porn star I figured not all secrets can be kept forever. I was considering getting a Brazilian, but decided against it because of the pain I experienced before I got married....I'M HAVING A BABY AND CONCERNED ABOUT PAIN?? Just the screaming, ripping of hair, and blood doesn't seem that hot to me right now. And I can’t seem to locate my southern regions, so I require a little more assistance in the grooming department these days. But these are the joys of marriage and experiencing this thing together right? (I know I can't be the first expectant woman to request her husband's help with such a thing) I never thought I would ever NEED him like I have. It is so profound how intimate our relationship has become because of my pregnancy. Anything goes. I feel like he has now seen and heard every single embarrassing thing he could have seen me do at this point.

Conrad is the size of a cauliflower!
Let the 3 month count down begin! I feel like I’m nearing the homestretch now even though I STILL have 90 days to go, or 3 months, or 12 weeks....but whose counting right?? I'm just glad it's almost over. I'm excited to meet Conrad for the first time. I'm excited to run again and have a glass of wine, or wear my favorite faded skinny black jeans. I'm in NO rush to get back to a size 2 again though- and maybe I'll never be able to wear them again (a baby is a better trade off) I'm more concerned about bonding with my baby and nursing than wearing my jeans right away. I want to be realistic about it and give myself time. But I'm looking forward to having him on the out side world. I'm excited to see the two coolest men in my life cuddle....I'm excited to see my husband hold his son adoringly.

Barkingbirdart @ Etsy

Potential art for baby room:



Artist can be found on www.etsy.com
Barkingbirdart

Ann Taylor <3

Dear Santa,
I wish I had known about the awesomeness of Ann Taylor Loft Maternity a while back when I bought my winter jacket from Forever21 and now it's too small :( It would have saved me a lot of frustration trying to suck my baby-belly in to button it. It is a well known fact that maternity clothes suck and Ann Taylor's don't.(A Pea In The Pod wanted like $75.00 for a maternity cardigan?? And $150.00 for a pair of maternity jeans! Seriously?) Santa, I'd really like this jacket please. Mine doesn't button anymore. I've resorted to wearing my husbands XL zip-up hoodies and although they're very comfortable, they go down to my knees and I look like a dude. If you get me this Santa, I promise I'll tell my kid you exist!

Baby Bump at 25ish weeks

Not sure if I'm 25 or 26 weeks now, the weeks are all blending together. My Dr's appointment went well today. The Dr. said that Conrad is just where he needs to be as far as size, and that I'm measuring fairly small for my weight which is good because I'll have only gained 25-30 lbs. once this is all over. The goal was to not become morbidly obese. (Self high-five!)

We went to a Christmas party this weekend. Not sure if I'm ok with people getting down to belly level and talking to the baby. Kind of weirds me out a little.

This weekend was awesome. I spent a lot of quality time with Dustin. We listened to a great sermon on Sunday by John Piper about fathers. One line that stuck out in my mind was when he said "God can be trusted." I have to learn how to let go of the false control I try to have over my life and allow God to work and move. I can be paralized by fear and anger and not allow myself to trust God. Can't wait for Christmas! I'm glad it's going to be a short work week!