Chicken Michael Huenefeld.

We've hit week 26! That means we're at the end of the second trimester and next week we start the longest 3 months, (not longest by time, but by comfort.) It's amazing that we're already 2/3 of the way there! Our little boy will soon be in our arms! We can't help but wonder what his personality will be like.  Who is he going to become? Well, we are assuming the worst when it comes to the toddler years.  If James get the child he deserves, and if I get the child I deserve....then we're really in for it! James was known for cutting off his sister's pigtails, (before the pony tail) killing a duck by shoving it head-first into a boot, and not liking to be cuddled. I'm having a hard time digesting the fact that this baby might not want Momma to hold him. :(   I was known for getting more spankings than my other three siblings combined, I never made it through a store without being taken to the restrooms, and once, when I was crying, I was told by a mentally handicapped man, "Shut up, you stupid baby." Needless to say, if we get the child we deserve, we're going to need some major child rearing lessons! Although the toddler years may be interesting, we pray that he will grow up to be a patient man of God. 

So what has changed in the last month? Well... I've gained just short of 30 lbs since the beginning of the pregnancy, (and yes, that is more than average!)  All the extra weight is starting to take a toll on my body.  My feet get sore pretty easy, and my back has started the infamous "pregnancy ache."  I also put my back out last week and saw the chiropractor to help get back in line. He told me that he'll be seeing me again, because pregnant women always need readjusted. I have a hard time sitting on the floor, I feel like I've aged 30 years! I'm longing to get my body back to normal after the baby's born.  I've heard that the weight comes off easier for the first one.  Cross your fingers!  Also, for the first time in my life, I'm having trouble sleeping.  A body pillow has helped some, but it's been difficult getting comfortable at night.  This may also be due to him kicking a lot more and harder now.  Sometimes it keeps me up at night if he's doing his daily exercise at 2:00 AM.  It has been fun to watch my stomach move around when he's active. The last couple weeks he has started pushing on my stomach and moving, whereas before it was just a little kick, now he kicks out and moves it so we get to see and feel him actually moving around.  I've enjoyed that so much! It's crazy, that just one change can make him feel so much more real.   

I started online classes last week so now I'm at home full-time! Hopefully that will allow me to get all those baby projects done. I think we'll start making the big purchases this next month, to help spread out the expenses a little bit. Note: Babies are expensive. Be prepared.  We've started talking about baby shower details.  So that will be happening before long.  We also have to call in this week to preregister to the hospital.  That means we'll sign up for classes and a tour.  Each day is that much closer to baby day! 

Daddy was SO happy Chick got some camo!

Chicken: Before Christmas, my nephew Billy, age 4, told my sister, "Megan said that I get to name the baby!"  (I really don't remember such a conversation, but apparently he does.)  So Brooke asked him if he had any names picked out yet.  He replied, "Well, if it's a boy, he'll be Chicken Michael."  Brooke tried to keep a straight face, and bravely asked what the girl name was.  Thankfully he "hadn't decided a girl name yet."(Billy also said that my cousins baby boy should be named Charlie Underpants...)  Scott, age 6, then suggested that the boy name be Cason, which was funny because we had that on the list at one point.  Anyways, our baby has now adopted the name Chicken Michael.  It was wrote on most of his Christmas presents, and now he has a name until his big arrival...then we'll probably give him a new name. :)  James' nephews have even picked up on it.   He's called Chick for short. Oh, this poor child... haha

This was at Nuss Christmas 2011.  Ashley, far left, just had a
baby girl 2 weeks ago and Tara, middle, is due 6 weeks before me.
Crazy how much I'll grow in the next 3 months! 

The BIGGEST news on this post is that we finally decided on a name!!! I spent a couple hours going through an online baby name directory, I had a list of 10 or so that I showed James.  I started reading the list to James, he just nodded to each one, not really showing much interest, until I read the final name.  His ears kind of perked up and he said that might work.  (That's his way of showing approval haha) We took a few names off the list that we didn't really like and had about 7 left.  We kind of left it at that, I was just excited that we had an official list.  A couple days later (we still hadn't gone back and discussed the list any more)  we had supper with my younger sister, Ashton.  I was telling her that we had an actual list.  I glanced and James and nonchalantly added, I think I know which one we'll chose.  He looked at me and said "the last one?" I smiled and said "Yup."   Ashton looked at us in disgust.  We decided the name right in front of her, without even saying it!   And that was how we decided on a name.  Ironically, it was the last name on the list because I almost didn't add it.  I thought James wouldn't like it, but good thing I took the chance! We're pretty sure on a middle name, but we haven't set it for sure.  One big sigh of relief from this mom!

Ashton and I made these for Christmas gifts.  Fun holiday baking! 

Scary moment: My older sister, Brooke, turned 30 this month. And my mom was saying how scary it was to have a 30 year old daughter.  I thought about the concept and just about wet myself.  I'll have a 30 year old at age 49.  AH! How crazy is that?  I think that I'll be able to accept that fact that I'm almost 50, but having a 30 year old.... That's a lot to take in. 

Changes I've made since becoming pregnant:
-I wear an apron because I'm more klutzy and I have more surface area to spill on now.
-I eat whenever I feel like it, even right before dinner...because I'll be hungry by then anyways!
-I sleep when I'm tired. I require more sleep than ever before, and I realize that in 3 months I'll be kissing away my sleep for life. :)
-"Can you massage my calf? It feels like tonight's the night that the epic cramp will arrive." (I'm yet to have one, but the time is coming...I can feel it.)
-I only try on stretchy clothes, they're the most comfortable!
-My hair grows faster than the baby. Meaning...I quit shaving. Okay, I didn't quit, but let's just say that I'm glad it's winter time.
-"Hi, I'd like to schedule another chiropractor appointment..."
-Body oil is my new best friend, gotta keep those stretch marks away!
-"Seconds anyone? Thirds?"
-Instead of bending over, I squat down.  My weight is re-distributed, meaning I fall down when I bend over.
-Can we move a desk closer to the bathroom?  I know I'll be making 3 trips there in the next 2 hours.
-"Maybe if I go walk around, he'll fall asleep."
-I have to be more aware of where my stomach is.  I hit it on things too much.
-Never again will I take for granted getting my pants buttoned...

Chalk one more up to these families! Actually, James' sister and brother-in-law, Heidi and Jan Michael, revealed to us at Christmas that they are also going to be having a new addition!  She's due the end of July, three months after me.  Looks like Chick will have a play-mate! 

We were both blessed with such amazing families! Christmas only reminded us of how special they all are.  Thankfully, we have them to help us through this exciting and new time in our lives! 

Getting close, growing on the farm...

Change of perspective...

With Christmas right around the corner, we are getting even more excited for the arrival of our little man.  The past couple weeks have been rather eye-opening for us.  When we first found out we were expecting, we were certainly excited, but there was still that hesitation and uneasiness about it all.  We had no idea how our lives would change so much.  With each week of the pregnancy we became more sure of the situation and looked forward to the next week with much anticipation.  Our fears turned into joy and our bitterness into thankfulness.  God has used this baby to completely change our attitude towards life and help us step back to "attempt" to see the bigger picture.  Last week I woke up with some strange stomach pains that I hadn't ever felt before.  I thought maybe it was some bug going around and I attempted to ignore it and get ready for the day.  There were multiple times where it almost took my breath away and I had to sit down immediately.  It happened to also be the last day of my classes, meaning I still had one presentation to give that morning, and there was no way of making it up.  For some reason, unknown to me, the pain seemed to get better through the morning and I was able to do the presentation without much distraction.  They had pretty much disappeared by the time I got home that afternoon and I finished my day without giving it much thought.  Right before supper they started up again, worse than they were in the morning.  The pain seemed to come and go.  I'd have a couple really bad minutes and then a few to recover. I could hardly describe the feeling.  It was a combination of the soreness you get when you do a bunch of sit ups and pressure you feel when you get cramps.  I had no idea what was going on.  Suddenly it hit me, you get cramps when you're having a miscarriage. Although it's uncommon to miscarry after 20 weeks, it's not impossible.  I then talked to the baby's grandmas, (my mom and James' mom) and told them what was happening.  They gave me a little assurance.  I hadn't been bleeding, so that was definitely a positive, but that didn't guarantee that everything was okay.  James came home quickly after and we debated whether or not to call our doctor.  In simple terms, we were scared.  But at the same time, we didn't want to overreact and make something of nothing.  But we didn't want to wait until it was too late.  The pain seemed to ease the longer I laid down, so we decided to wait until morning to call to doctor, just to let them know what's going on and see if they had any answers for us.  It was so hard to fall asleep that night.  We prayed that we would be able to feel the baby move, so we could be comforted.  At this point, I was only feeling the baby move every 3-4 days...so it wasn't unusual that I hadn't been feeling him.  I remember crying and hoping that this wasn't really happening.  The next morning we called the doctor and described the pain.  The nurse said that it sounds like the stretching of my ligaments.  Since my stomach is obviously growing quickly, my ligaments were very tight and sore.  This made complete sense because I'd never felt it in those muscles before and therefore wasn't able to identify the pain.  James and I were so grateful.  In those few hours that night I got a taste of how a miscarriage can effect a family.  Never again can I hear about a miscarriage and brush it off.  I don't claim to know what it feels like, but now I can sincerely have empathy for those who have experienced it.  I was able to look at our situation with entirely new eyes after that night.  This young boy will never be a regret and never be a mistake. He is already a huge part of our lives and we thank God for allowing us to care for him. 

The "kicks" that I had felt a few weeks ago were pretty weak.  James was never able to feel them from the outside.  Three days after the stomach pains, (Sunday night) James and I were watching some tv.  I felt a kick, a real kick! It happened again so I grabbed James' hand and placed it on my stomach.   Thirty seconds later James was able to feel his son for the first time.  He only kicked for about 10 minutes but we were so excited!  Not only was this the first movement we'd felt since the pains, but it was the first time that James could feel them.  The next night, about the same time, he started kicking again.  He kicked for about an hour! Words cannot express the joy that we felt.  I'm sure these kicks are still pretty dull compared to what they'll feel like in few months.  Even as I'm writing this, he's starting to kick.  :)  I guess I need to be prepared for all sorts of hands to be laid on my belly. 

Our next doctor's appointment is January 4th.  I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! 

Very thankful, growing on the farm...

Bring on the tonka trucks!

Things have been happening fast! First, we have a boy! Second, we're half way there! Third, I'm losing my mind! And fourth, I can feel him!  I'll break it down now.

I've actually grown quite a bit since this picture 2 weeks ago.  More photos to come!

We have a boy!  Sorry for all of you who were positive it was a girl. As long as you didn't place any bets on it, than it shouldn't bother you too bad. :) We had the appointment Monday.  As we sat in the ultrasound room waiting for the doctor, we started to get nervous.  James got the butterflies pretty much right away. The doctor came in and got to business.  Not long after, we saw a precious baby come up on the screen.  She was able to identify what she referred to as "boy parts" almost instantly.  James let out a laugh and squeezed my hand.  He had a grin from ear to ear.  The doctor then took some measurements of the baby and when she got to the head I thought that I was going to cry.  She zoomed in on the face and were able to see our baby! My first thought was, "That's James. He looks just like James."  I didn't know if at 20 weeks it was too early to be saying who he resembled so I kept my mouth shut. The doctor noted, "He looks like Dad."  I smiled, glad that I wasn't just making it up. haha Come to find out later, that James saw the resemblance right away, too.  I realize that this means that I will be out-numbered in our house, but I think I'll be able to hold my own. ;) We couldn't be more excited!  This will be the first grandbaby to carry on the "Paul" Huenefeld name.  A huge sigh of relief from James. haha  Now we can narrow down first names....not that we really have a list to narrow down.  James has a name picked out that I can tolerate and I have a name picked out that he can tolerate.  So, we're in better shape than we were a month ago!  We'll be keeping the name a secret until he's born, so don't bother asking. :)  In the meanwhile we'll be busy getting the "boy" nursery ready and trying to grasp the reality of the situation.  This lucky boy will most likely be getting some Christmas presents this year, I haven't figured out who's going to open them yet though...

We're half way there! Monday was our 20 week appointment. Everything checked out well.  Looks like Baby and Momma are growing well.  We just about melted when we caught this "half" smile above.  Can you imagine that this baby only weighs about a pound??? He looks so big! It's amazing how developed he is already, and we still have 20 weeks to go! It's hard to believe that we're already half way.  It seems like we found out yesterday that I was pregnant! The days have flown by, but we are so very eager to meet this little buddy.

I'm losing my mind! The growth of the baby and the shrinkage of my brain work hand in hand.  For example, we completed the majority of the office a couple weeks ago and were able to move everything back in.  We set up our new computer in the corner of the desk and I rolled up to it in the office chair.  Now, remember, we laid down some hardwood floor, so the ground is now an inch above where it was previously.  As I rolled the chair up to the desk, the arms of the chair hit the bottom of the counter.  "Man, just when I thought we were done in here." I thought.  I turned to James, who was working on something and most likely not paying attention, and said, "Since we put the new floor in, it raised the ground too much.  Now our office chair won't fit underneath the desk!  We're either going to have to get a new chair or I guess we could raise the counter..." James nodded and went on doing whatever he was doing.  The next day I came into the office and wheeled the chair up to the computer and it fit underneath the counter!  I was beside myself! My first thought was, "Did he already raise the counter up?"  I looked and there was definitely no sign of that construction.  As I started to start my project on the computer, it hit me.  Office chairs have levers that can easily adjust the height of the chair itself.  I laughed out loud at myself and was thankful that James didn't do the same when I was hysterical.  Lately I've also been leaving the lid of the washer open when I start a load.  So when I come back to transfer it to the dryer I find the washer filled, but definitely not washed.  I think I've done that 3 times now....I can't even learn. haha

I can feel him movin! I felt him during supper on Dec. 5th , it was a constant jab in the same spot, (above my right hip bone.)  Needless to say, I didn't mind.  I enjoyed it, it finally felt real.  Every time I tell James that I feel it, he hurries over and wants to feel. Unfortunately, you can't feel it from the outside yet.  But James is certainly ready to take part in feeling the baby as well.

Here you can see he has his hand up in front of his face/eyes. This is the left side of his face, you can see his ear towards the right side of the photo.

Never a dull moment, growing on the farm...

"I don't know why I'm crying!"

 

We hit 16 weeks this week! Only about 24 until our little one will make its big arrival.   Our next appointment is November 21st to make sure baby is growing properly.  And December 5th we have our next ultrasound where we will (hopefully) determine if we're having a wee lad or lassie! Right in time for Christmas! I've heard the majority of people think it's a girl, (I think that's only because I have 2 nephews, no nieces, and James has 5 nephews, and 1 niece.  Girls are certainly outnumbered in the next generation, so far.) James is convinced it's a boy, (probably because that's what he's desperately hoping for, growing up with 4 sisters, he already thinks that there's too many girls in the world.) :)  I, on the other hand, have no idea or hunch of whether it's a boy or girl.  And really don't have a preference, because honestly it wouldn't matter what I wanted, it's not my decision to make. haha   I think that James and I are both ready to find out, though.  It will just be one more thing to help us wrap our minds around the fact that we are parents.   We're going to keep the name a secret until the baby arrives, but we've been attempting to brainstorm possibilities.  So far we only have one girl name picked out and are struggling to agree on even a letter for a boy name. haha I'm not too worried.  We still have 5 months until it really matters.  And even then my nephew didn't have a name until his second full day of life. So, apparently, there's no rush! :)

Lately, we've been pretty focused on getting the house ready for baby. There was some painting that we were needing to do, and those projects have been rushed now because we're hoping to have them done before we add a new member to our family. Our first project was painting and reflooring the office, (which is almost done!) Next we have a few accent walls to paint and a hallway, before we start the major renovation of our basement. I've come to realize that the chance of it being completed before the baby comes, is very slim. While freshening up the house, I've also been trying to get in touch with my creative side, which is rather difficult at times. Thanks to Pinterest, I've been able to do some pretty easy projects that are well worth the time and effort. Of course, there's the hoop art, which has boosted my confidence in diy projects. And there's also fall decorations. A friend, Nicole, and I had a good time decorating pumpkins, since neither of us can carve them. :S We sprayed them with gold glitter spray and glued on sequins and jewels. They turned out really fun! Soon we'll have to start worrying about baby-proofing the house and setting up the nursery. Pictures to come!

Besides my clothes starting to not fit and more pressure to my bladder, it's really pretty easy to forget that I'm pregnant.  My belly is a helpful reminder, now that it sticks out farther than it ever has in my life.  But my latest pregnancy symptom is my emotions.  They are out of control at times.  There are days that I wake up and I already feel like I'm fighting tears back.  And I have no idea why I'm upset! Thankfully I do alright making it through the day, especially when there are people around.  I can usually hold myself together pretty well.  But as the day ends, at some point they just come.  Poor James, he tries so hard to help. Now that I think about it, I'm laughing, but I do feel bad for him sometimes.  He tries to comfort me and asks me what's wrong. And usually I reply with something like, "I have no idea, I just can't stop crying." At this point I even try to think of something I can be sad about, and I can't come up with anything. And when I feel like the episode is over, I try to breathe and sometimes another run of chaotic tears come. Even I'm confused by this point and when he asks me this time why I'm crying, I've been known to say, "I'm just so tired of crying." And that is why I'm crying.  haha We can usually laugh about it the next day when I'm feeling much more stable.  He's learned that some pregnancy days, I'm just going to be sad. And I may not have any rational idea of why, but I'll just be sad.  He's a good sport. It would be pretty easy for him to just ignore me on days like that, but instead he pretends that he cares about my unstable emotions.  What a good guy! Now this also means that I have days where I'm extremely happy.  It's these days that I usually keep James on his toes because he thinks I'm up to something.  When he walks in the door and I am just so happy that he's there, I can't even stop smiling, he almost sneaks in the house as to watch for a trap somewhere.  It's also days like this where he doesn't think anything is as funny as I think it is. So I laugh with myself a lot, and he just shakes his head. Now that you think I've completely lost it, I'll let you know that I do have normal days.  Most days are normal and I'm just very content. It's these days that I can laugh at the situation and be grateful for the person God has helping me.  I couldn't have asked for a better husband, partner, and friend.  

I saw our boots sitting at the back door the other day and it made me stop and think.  I could almost picture another pair of tiny boots next to mine.  It's crazy.  Sometimes James and I feel like we've been robbed of our time together, just the two of us.  But God knows what he's doing and we know that we're in His hands, no matter if there's two of us, or three or four or five... We were blessed with four great dating years and now 9 months of marriage to ourselves. He's been preparing us all of these years, knowing that with His help, we will be able to handle it.

When you can't feel God moving in your life, it's scarier than when He's moving your life too fast. Being led to a knew place is far more comforting than being lost in a familiar place.



tears and smiles, growing on the farm...

Goodbye first trimester! Hello maternity clothes!

 James and I went to our 10 week ultrasound three weeks ago...I'm a little late updating. :S Anyways, as you can see, baby's growing!!! Fast! It was amazing that in three weeks time it went from being a blob on the screen to a moving child.  We could make out the hands and feet and got to see it squirm.  We watched it for a few minutes and it did not stay still for a single second.  If this continues, James and I will certainly have our hands full!  The bottom picture is in 3-D.  You can see the head towards the top.  At our first ultrasound we were able to hear the heartbeat, but being able to make out the baby and hear the heart beat at the same time was just incredible.

Next appointment is Monday! 

 Here's week 10 photo! It's actually 3 weeks old now as well, and I'm wondering how I'm ever going to keep up with baby pictures once the baby is here if I can't even keep up with them now! :)    I'm growing fast and putting clothes to the back of the closet.  I can't fit into a pair of jeans already, and all of my shirts share my growing tummy with the world! I've gained about 10 lbs already but expecting 25-30.  I'm loving every second of it though and wouldn't trade it for anything.  I've been trying to do a lot of reading and I've learned so much, still sometimes crazy to believe that it's really happening.   As many people say, the baby sucks your brain cells.  I believe this to be true with all of my heart, because I have done some pretty ridiculous things lately.  Like washing a load of laundry and realizing when I throw it in the dryer, that I never put in the soap.  I also feel a step behind in every conversation I have.  I'm like the person that hears a joke and laughs 5 minutes later because I finally get it. Everything just functions a little bit slower these days... except for the baby that is.  We're in the last week of the first trimester!  It seems unreal that we are already 1/3 of the way there. We'll be able to find out if it's a girl or a boy in a couple of weeks, by week 20 for sure. Apparently our baby is almost 4 inches long this week! It also has fingerprints now and the bones have begun to harden.  It is constantly in motion and for the sake of my sleep I'm okay with the fact that I can't feel it yet.  I'll appreciate that when the time comes. I'm up at least once a night to use the bathroom and I always look down the hall to the nursery and try to fathom that in a few months I'll be up for a needy baby.  God is whipping me into shape already! It should be such an easy transition, right? :) 

I thought that I would share some baby pictures of James and I.  We are a little bit older in these pictures but it was still fun to look at nonetheless. We're getting so excited to meet our little one! 

Getting closer, growing on the farm...

I'll take three large orders of mozzarella sticks please.

 9 Week Photos!!! My tummy seems to protrude more and more each day!  Soon any tight fitting shirt will tell it all! Sometimes if I stand just right I can't see my toes.  What a scary thought!


I realized that I never mentioned the due date.  April 20th is National Pot Day and my due date! Fortunately only 5% of babies are born on their due date. I would not be disappointed if my child is part of the 95%. :)
We're at 9 weeks now! Next checkup will be Monday.  Still no morning sickness which hopefully means I lucked out and will not be able to experience that wonderful part of a pregnancy.  I have had some other signs of pregnancy, though. The main issue is with smells.  Not often do smells bother me like most pregnant women, but I smell things that aren't really there.  For a few weeks I kept complaining to James about something being rotten in our freezer.  After a while he finally checked and found nothing of a sort, he emptied out any possible culprit from the fridge and figured that should solve the problem.  But it didn't. I was tasting garlic in my ice cubes.  Every time I would get ice for my water I would end up dumping the ice out and just getting water because it smelled and tasted like garlic.  I told James that there was still something rotten in the freezer, and he asked why I thought so.  I told him about the garlic ice and he gave me a strange look.  He took a glass of water and added ice to it and drank it.  "See what I mean?! Isn't it awful!" I said to him, expecting the same reaction.  He laughed and said he had no idea what I was talking about.  I tasted from the same glass and got frustrated, "How do you NOT taste that? I can hardly swallow it!"
This was the first episode that made me realize that my nose is deceiving me.  Since then I've even tried to put our ice in Dr. Pepper and I can still taste a hint of garlic....and I know that garlic is not one of the original 23 flavors.
My next encounter with this was when I was driving to school one day.  I was just south of Walmart on Hwy 34 about a mile when my car filled with the smell of roasted peanuts.  Now this wasn't anything like, "I think I smell roasted peanuts..."  It was more like, "Why in the world are there roasted peanuts in my car?!"  The smell then went away a few miles later.  (I had the same thing happen with the smell of a fresh perm this week on the way home from school)
The last incident was the most cruel of all.  I walked in the door of my house after eating at James' parents' house yesterday and I was sure that James surprised me with a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts (glazed, for sure) The smell was so strong and I got so excited.  By the time I got to the kitchen the smell was gone and I felt so silly for being fooled once more.

I've also had some pretty severe cravings, (which James believes are just my way of getting what I want, I hope someday he learns that cravings are a very serious issue haha.)  First all I wanted was fried food, especially mozzarella sticks from Arby's.  Oh man, I really could have eaten them for breakfast if I was allowed to.
Next I wanted a lot of bananas...I bought a huge bundle of 7 or 8 bananas and they were gone in 2 days.  I think James did eat 1 or 2 though.  :)  I also haven't wanted meat really at all.  Which is so weird to me, because the best part of a meal is the meat! And now it just doesn't sound that good to me.  One night last week James was going to throw some steaks on the grill and asked me how big of one I wanted.  My response was, "Um, well...I think, maybe I'll just have a PB & J or something, steaks don't sound very good." Needless to say it might take him a while to get used to my new strange eating habits.

You might wonder what I do now that I'm pregnant...well besides school and keeping up with the house, I did a 750-piece puzzle!  "And what does James do now that you're pregnant?" you may ask. Well besides farming and....farming, he fishes! Some things in life will never change.










life continues, growing on the farm...

Baby bump?!?!

First purchase for baby! It was a weak moment and it was on sale. Fortunately Husker gear is unisex, and the only thing I'm actually allowed to get right now.  It's been fun being able to browse through the baby section and let my imagination run wild.  I had it hanging in the dining room for a few days and James kept making comments about how strange it was to see baby stuff floating around the house.  He's slowly making the adjustment!

This was the baby's first gift! From Auntie Nicole.  She, too, was having difficulty controlling herself in the baby section. :)  We laughed pretty hard about the truth to this "volume control."  Hopefully it's not faulty!

Here's my 6-week picture! It was taken on September 3, 2011.  So it is actually over a week old.  I had to laugh, I've had two comments over the last two days about starting to look pregnant.  One was from my sister, Brooke.  As I walked out of the kitchen with yet another plate of food, she noted, "I think she's starting to show.  How far along is she!?"  We laughed and decided that I'm showing more that I think I should be....but you'll probably hear that from most pregnant women! 

The next day we got out of the car and James quietly said, "Yeah, you're starting to look pregnant." Apparently I can't get away with much now. The baby bump has officially started.  I know that people (that don't know I'm pregnant) will start wondering if I'm gaining the freshman 15...and then they'll think maybe she got the freshman 50! I think I'll let them toy with that idea for a while. ;)

Now everyone asks me, "How are you feeling, dear?"  Well to answer that question for all of you.  I'm really tired and I have to pee all the time.  But other than that, I'm doing great! (Well kind of...more on this later)  I haven't experienced any morning sickness yet, a few times I felt like I've had an upset stomach, but honestly it hasn't affected me much.  Sometimes I forget I'm even pregnant! Like when I was telling my mom that we should go to worlds of fun and ride all of the rides...she reminded me pretty quick that I'm not the only person I have to think about now. :)  I also tried to use Brooke's weighted hoola-hoop, which is supposed to help you work your stomach.  Brooke stopped me before I even got it past my knees and told me that using it was not a good idea.  I'm so glad for all the people watching out for me! Hopefully I grow a brain and start thinking for myself, but like they say, the baby sucks all your brain cells.  I've already had a few moments like that. Usually turns out pretty embarrassing.

You may wonder how the baby news has affected James and my relationship.  Well needless to say, we are still very much newlyweds.  Enjoying every minute together and having way too much fun.  Life is going on with another adjustment to make and we're happier than ever. 

Now, to expand on my health issues...  Thankfully the pregnancy hasn't had a thing to do with any of them!   Well I had three massive blisters on my feet from wearing high heels, (obviously I don't wear them much thanks to James' height!) They were ridiculous, I couldn't even let them touch the blankets when I slept because they stung so bad.   

Okay so that wasn't a major health issue, but it started the wear down of my body.  My next issue was my eyes.  Ever since the week of our wedding one of my eyes has been getting really red for a few days and then it goes away for a week or two.  I just thought it was my contacts so I kept changing them until last week my eye got really really bad.  So I scheduled an appointment at the family doctor to see what was wrong.  He said that they couldn't do anything for my eye and he didn't even know what it was, so I was supposed to go to my eye doctor.  So we called the eye doctor and told them what was going on and they told me to go straight to a specialist.  I finally got in and found out that I had an infection in both eyes, and couldn't wear my contacts for 2-3 weeks.  Well my glasses prescription is about 2 or 3 prescriptions old.  I don't even feel comfortable driving in them because when I want to pass, I can't tell if there's another car coming until LAST MINUTE.  It's dangerous, so I don't pass now.  :(  

As if that's not enough, I was in a wedding this last weekend and was helping decorate on Friday.  I ran home to grab another strand of lights and I backed into a piece of glass/mirror.  I sliced the back of my thigh pretty good.  Thankfully my mom was with me and bandaged me up a little.  James came and got me and took me to the ER.  Half-hour later I had 6 stitches and had missed rehearsal dinner.  My leg was pretty sore all wedding day, and still is pretty tender.  Now I have to go back in another 10 days to get them removed.  

So not only am I going to the doctor for Baby, I'm going to fix eyes, and get stitches removed.  Hopefully this is the last of the health issues for this pregnancy! 

We went in for what they thought was our 8-week ultrasound when in reality it was our 6-week.  We got to hear the heartbeat and and see the baby for the first time.  How incredible!  I think things really start to set in when you hear that tiny thump-thump-thump-thump, going faster than you ever imagined.  My mom thinks that the baby looks like Grandpa Kliewer.  :)   We're looking forward to the next visit on Sept. 26.    

Pray for us, growing on the farm.

The unexpected expecting.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

James and I were extremely shocked to find out that we were expecting.  In no place of our imagination had we planned for this to happen, especially this soon.  We hadn't fully adjusted to married life, and now we were being thrown another new and crazy adventure.  We didn't know whether to laugh or cry, be scared or excited, be proud or frustrated, be anxious or motivated....so we just did it all! 

We realized that it was a blessing behind a screen.  We could make out the greatness of it, but the details were fuzzy.  God showed us that He is gracious and abundant, no matter the mark on our timeline.  We cannot even begin to compare God's timeline to our own, for God does not live by our time, nor we by His.  But He bridges the difference to provide harmony among His children and Himself. What a wonderful God we serve. 

The hardest part so far of being pregnant is mentally preparing myself for raising a child, (ask me in a few week/months, after I've experienced morning sickness, back pain, the labor itself and wearing out the carpet on the way to the bathroom.) It is hard to grasp that in a few short months, I will be responsible for another human life.  I'm convinced that life will change for good.  James is already learning the new baby language and trying to understand this entirely new world.  He's going to be a great dad.  I have no doubt in my mind.  If we have a boy, he'll love the dirt and will be found in the tractor with Daddy all the time.  And if we have a girl, she'll love the dirt and will be found in the tractor with Daddy all the time. It couldn't be any different.

Our dearest child,

We are so very anxious to meet you! God has made you so wonderfully, and we thank Him every day for that.  You are loved so much by Mommy and Daddy.  We're praying for you sweetheart. 

Here we go, growing on a farm...

What a wonderful moon, honey.

James and I spent a week in Colorado for our honeymoon.  We spent most of our time in the Woodland Park area.  The first three nights we had an adorable little cabin rented.  It was really out in the woods and very relaxing.  We grilled burgers and steaks for most meals.  

Our cabin was about 8 miles from any town, the nearest being named, Divide.  We'll remember Divide mainly because of the restaurant that we tried.  It was called McGentry's Wood Oven Pub.  They did brick oven pizza just like James' parents do.  The pizza was really good! It got us dreaming about starting our own Brick Oven restaurant in Stockham.  Who knows, maybe it will become a reality. :)  

We also spent a day in Manitou Springs, where Summit Ministries is located, (a Christian world view seminar that James attended one summer.)  Manitou is a tourist town, so it has an endless amount of cute stores to check out.  Also they have some of the best frozen custard (for James) and fudge (for me!)  

The weather in Colorado was great.  It was very hot for the area, but coming from NE's July heat and humidity, it felt great!  It seems to rain every day there mid-afternoon for about a 1/2 hour.  Unfortunately, we ran into the afternoon shower as we were visiting the Garden of the gods.  God's beauty was still very evident, even through the rain.  

We were also able to drive to a place called 11-mile Reservoir.  We somehow found the longest route to get there, going through any possible mountain in sight.  It took 2 hours to get there, and we found a hwy that helped us get back in 1/2 hour.  :)  It was fun being able to slow life down a little, and we even found a bunch of donkeys on the road!  

We decided to voyage up the infamous Pike's Peak.  It took about an hour an a half each way.  The drive up was so beautiful I wouldn't have even needed to see from the top, but that really added the cool whip to the top of the pie.  It was so amazing to see God's fingerprints in other areas of the country. We almost get used to the beauty right here underneath us.  The crops, trees, sunsets and sunrises,  they are all wonderful...but I needed to see the mountains to make me grateful for the beauty in my backyard.  We were created by a wonderful God!

Our last night was spent in a nice hotel in Colorado Springs.  I was in much need of something a little more elegant than the cabin. The next morning we started the long drive home. About 8 hours.  As we pull in the driveway we hop out of the car, only to go back to open it realizing that the doors had locked and ALL of our stuff was still in there.   So we try to get into the house and we can't find the house keys anywhere in the garage! So for the first few hours after getting home we were locked out of our car and our house.  Thankfully I can look back now and have a good laugh.  

I hear the wedding bells...

James and I started dating on July 16, 2007.  We were considered very young, especially for a serious relationship.  We knew that God had great plans for us; we just needed to wait and see what that was.  Well, on February 17, 2011, James proposed.  We planned to get married on our anniversary, (so James wouldn't have to learn a new date!)  This gave one day short of five months to put the wedding together.  It wouldn't have been too much of a project except, I was still in school.  I was in the musical practicing every night of the school week, track was about to start in another week,  I was a senior, trying to figure out my college plans, and planning my graduation party.   Needless to say, I didn't get a whole lot accomplished before school let out.  We hit the planning hard in June and everything came together for a perfect July 16th wedding.  Every bride has a regret of some sort about their wedding, I was told, something that went wrong or that they would change.  Looking back the day after, and now a month after, I still can't come up with anything!  The day was smooth and a beautiful celebration.  James and I had the time of our lives and would easily relive that day.  The wedding couldn't have happened without all the friends and family that was a major help in preparations.  From setting up, to making corsages, to all the food, to great music, it was all without stress from me.  It is so awesome to have that kind of support surrounding me.