Recap

Overwhelmed.  That pretty much sums up how I felt alllllll weekend on our trip to Indiana.  It all started out at 3 AM when I got up to get ready and finish up packing.  We got to the airport in plenty of time and got through security with no problems.  We left on time and actually got to Chicago about 20 minutes early.  We had a few hours to kill so we found some food and coffee (of course!)  and just relaxed...or maybe tried not to fall asleep would desribe it better :)  Then we headed on the long flight to Indiana a whopping 36 minutes, which they knocked off about 15 of that in the air, which put us in Fort Wayne about 30 minutes early.  So we got there and met up with one of the men from the church.  He took us to lunch at this super cute little place called House of Greens (Bryan gave them a heads up on his vegan wife).  Then we headed to the church to meet the pastor.  He took us around the town and showed us an apartment and just kind of gave us the low down on Huntington.  We went to dinner with him and his wife and then went to their house for an open house.  Needless to say it was very busy for a 7+ month pregnant girl who is used to being able to take breaks!!  My feet got absolutely HUGE and majorly uncomfortable by the end of the night, probably from a combo of the flying and being up all day.  Sunday Bryan taught Sunday School and we both gave our testimonies in the service.  Then they had a Q and A time afterwards with the church.  I got to answer a few questions, but it was mostly Bryan's time to shine...(he did really well and I was very proud to be his wife :)  Then we had a pizza lunch with the youth group and just got to know the kids a little bit.  Then finally headed to one of the members houses for a little "rest"  before we headed off to the airport again...to have our flight cancelled, rebooked, delayed and FINALLY get home a little before 1am. 
It was an intense expirience, but a good one.  The people were very genuine and very friendly.  I really felt pretty comfortable with them from the start, which I was very nervous about.  The youth group is small, but I think has definite potential and would be a great place for Bryan to start his ministry career.  We are kind of in a waiting time right now just seeing what God has in store and I will definitely keep you updated.  I could see God's hand already at work both in mine and Bryan's hearts.  So it is exciting to see what God has in store. 

I planned on working all this week, because I really didn't have the time to take off.  I got to work on Monday and my feet were still HUGE, my shoes barely fit and I was just plan exhausted and stressed.  I decided maybe I should call Kim, my midwife, to see what I should do and she wanted me to come in.  My blood pressure ended up being a little high for me and with my feet the way there where she wanted me to take the rest of Monday and Tuesday to rest and keep them up and to do some blood work to make sure nothing serious was going on.  In a way I was greatful to have a reason to rest!  That is exactly what I did too.  Just chilled on the couch, did some online baby shopping and slept.  My feet went back to normal, which hasn't been the case for several weeks, it's nice to have normal looking feet for a little while atleast!  The bloodwork also came back good, so I am back to work and trying to be more proactive with keeping my feet up and resting more.  So far so good.

I'm 32 weeks today!  Whohoo!  8 months down, 2 to go.  39 more days of work till my due date and 56 more days total till April 21st. 

Supposedly she is 3.75lbs and about 16.5 inches long...the size of a large jicama...whatever that is!



She is still moving around a ton and hurting me more and more with her kicking.  I gained 3 more pounds as of Monday, but I think ALOT of that was from the swelling.  I go back to see Kim this Monday so we'll see how I make out. 

I bought a nursing pillow online at Diapers.com...let me tell you AMAZING free shipping.  I ordered it around 1pm on Monday and when I came home for lunch on Tuesday at noon it was already sitting there waiting for me!



I'm excited about it :)  I also won a cloth diaper on ebay for 6 bucks so that should be here soon too.  I feel like this next month we really need to finish up getting organized so April can kind of just be a relaxing month.  I have my family shower on March 13th, Small group/church shower on March 27th, a "surprise" work shower sometime and the youth group wants to do something too...so I'm a bit overwhelmed by it all, but excited to celebrate little Lola with everyone. 
Tulsa has a huge baby consignment show starting Sunday and going through the end of next week, so Bry and I will try to make a run there and see if we can spot any deals. 
Well, that's all folks :) Have a wonderful week!

Trust defined

The way of trust is a movement into obscurity, into the undefined, into ambiguity; not into some predetermined, clearly delineated plan for the future. The next step discloses itself only out of a discernment of God acting in the desert of the present moment. The reality of naked trust is the life of a pilgrim who leaves what is nailed down, obvious, and secure, and walks into the unknown without any rational explanation to justify the decision or guarantee the future. Why? Because God has signaled the movement and offered it his presence and his promise.


-Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning
 
 
This quote hit me like a ton of bricks this morning.  Trust is always a difficult and constant battle for me, but especially relevant right now.  We are getting ready to leave EARLY (I'm talking 4:30 AM, people - that's early for even ME!! ) on Saturday morning to head up to Indiana to visit a church.  Bryan has been interviewing for a few months now for their youth pastor position and after much prayer, we have decided to take the next step and see if this is where God is leading us.  This is a huge step, for many reasons, not the least of which, will be the timing.  Becoming new parents in itself is a life altering event, but throw in there a move away from friends and family and it really adds a new dimension.  I have this indescribable peace about it though.  Something that makes me wonder what God is up to even more!  It is going to be hard, don't get me wrong.  It's going to stretch my already completely stretched mind and body.  But the more I pray about it and think about this possibility the more I feel completely confident that God will take care of us financially, spiritually, physically, emotionally....COMPETELY!
 
I especially like the part of this quote, "The next step discloses itself only out of a discernment of God acting in the desert of the present moment".  The desert of the present moment, what a mental picture and a perfect way to describe what I have felt over the past few months, wondering if this was something God was leading us to.  You come to a place of total nothingness, no life, just dry anticipation.  The past is full of memories, the future full of dreams, but this present moment is stillness, waiting with baited breath for something...
 
The next part of the quote talks about leaving what is sure for something more.  I love dependability, schedules and routines.  This leaving the "sure" business is SO tough for me.  But the "more" intrigues and excites me.  I pray every day that God will take hold of me and make me something more, better than yesterday, more like Him.  I think sometimes when we ask God for something, He doesn't give us the "something" He gives us the tools or situation to get to what we are asking for.
 
Lots to think about!
 
Please pray that I will not allow Satan to weasel his lies into my head about my lack of sufficiency for this task or throw fear into my path.  I know that God has given me EVERYTHING that I need for life in godliness.  Pray that I take hold of that and rest.  This weekend will also be a stretch for me physically as I have been getting more and more exhausted and uncomfortable as the weeks go on.  So pray that I will rely on God for the strength to be able to push through when I need to and rest when I can.  
 
I will update you next week on all that God taught us! 

On the Lola side of my life :)  she is now 16 inches long and about 3.3 lbs! 

  That's 4 oranges :) 

She has been moving around alot latley, which is fun!  I have been SOOOO tired though.  I have to say that I have been sleeping pretty well, so that helps me get through the tired points in my day.  I have also entered the wonderful world of swelling.  My ankles look like my Grandma's :)  Cute on her...not so much on me!
I have been trying to drink a TON of water, I'm up to 6.5 liters a day, which keeps me active from all the trips to the bathroom!  and keeping my feet up as much as possible, but that's hard for me to sit still! 
I also started going to the chiropractor.  I definitely feel a little more loose and comfortable after I get adjusted. 

I have an appointment on the 28th with Kim for another listen and measure visit.  We go for our childbirth "class" and tour of the hospital on the 26th and we are going to breastfeeding classes next month, so it's getting more and more real! 

I will be having a family shower on March 13th, which I am excited for!!! and then a church one the following Sunday.  I made my list of things to pack for the hospital and am starting to do some laundry for her.  I hope these next few weeks fly by, but at the same time I have a TON to get done still!  Loving every minute of it though :):)

Catch you later!

30 weeks down!!!

Total weight gain:
WEEELLLLL add 4 more to the mix for a grand total of 22.  I'm within a good range for this point, albeit the high end of the range, but it's good still.  I feel like I can just try to eat the best that I can.  I feel pretty good about how I've done so far, so I guess all I can do is keep it up!

How big is baby?  A squash :)  I only have a cantaloupe and watermelon left! 












Maternity clothes:
Nothing new here.  Feeling kind of like a disaster, between the snow and having a limited number of things to wear...but I can't really complain.  I kind of can't wait to be able to wear my normal clothes again tho!



Stretch marks:
Really nothing here.  I have started doing dry brushing in the mornings to enhance the exfoliation process a little more.  I don't know if it is actually helping at all, but my skin definitely feels softer.


Sleep:
Its ok I guess. I still have my moments where I just cannot sleep.  But when I was in PA, I slept sooooo good.  It was exactly what I needed. 
Movement:
She is a crazy girl!  It actually gets scary sometimes cause she is moving around so hard and fast.  I jump sometimes because she is kicking harder and it hurts more.  At my appointment with Kim on Monday, she went to listen to her heart and Lola kicked the doppler.  Kim was like, I don't really need to listen to her heart with kicks like that :)  (She still did though and it was 143 :)


Food cravings:
I still haven't had anything specific.  Trying to mix it up a little more.  But feeling pretty consistent with my intake.

Food aversions:
Same stuff as usual, plus I have this need to brush my teeth after eating anything.  The taste that I get in my mouth after eating makes me nauseous and I just need a fresh, minty mouth ASAP!

Belly button:
Same!  Flat as a pancake, but no popping out in sight yet!




What I'm looking forward to:
The time just keeps going faster and faster, and I am starting to buy some things.  You know your pregnant when a breast pump purchase makes your week :)  I'm looking forward to meeting this little girl and getting to the point where I could go any minute :)



Weekly Wisdom:
Feeling a little wisdomless today...I guess if you ever come to Tulsa in the winter, don't believe the weather reports that the roads are terrible, because they probably aren't THAT bad :)  Also, just because you own a car called SUV, doesn't mean that you are invincible, my little Honda will take you on in any snow storm!!




Weekly joys: Hearing Lola's heart is always a joy!  Just feeling a great peace lately that God is going to lead us as a family!  (More on that in a post coming soon :)

Socca!!

I do believe I found my newest food obsession!  Socca! 



There are tons of variations and recipes out there, but the one I've tried was delicious!!  It is a garbanzo bean flour based bread/pancake/pizza crust type thing.  It is SO super easy I adapted the following recipe from: edibleperspective.com

Herbed Socca
1 1/4c chickpea flour
1c water
1T olive oil
1T unsweetened apple sauce
1/4-1/2t salt
1/2t garlic powder
1.5t dried oregano
1t dried parsley
1/2t dried basil
1t dried rosemary (I skipped this because I didn't have any)
black pepper

1.  Preheat your oven to 375
2.  Line the bottom of an 8-9” round pan with parchment + grease the bottom and sides. If you don’t have parchment, that’s fine, just grease the entire pan.  ( I just used parchment paper and it came out pretty perfectly)

In a bowl mix all of the ingredients together.
Pour into the pan and bake for 40min, until cracked on the top with browned edges.
Let cool for a few minutes, then slide a knife along the edge.
Put a plate upside down on top of the pan and flip the socca out. It should come out easily. If you used parchment you might be able to just pull it out.
Top with pizza ingredients and bake on a pan for another 5-8min, until all ingredients are hot/melted.

I added some homemade pizza sauce, (just some no salt added canned tomatoes, garlic powder, basil, oregano, pepper,and a touch of salt.  I cooked it down slightly and then threw it in a blender for a minute to smooth out the consistency) spinach and sliced yellow squash, with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, and a side of extra sauce for dipping ( I LOVE SAUCE :)  It was REALLY, REALLY good! Even Bryan liked it, although I've come to the conclusion that even if it wasn't good he'd still lick the plate and tell me it was great :)  He's good like that :)

I think I just may do some more experimenting with veggies and make it again tonight.  I doubled the recipe and made 2 individual pizza sizes.  Each individual one has around 500 calories and 25 grams of protein! Whohoo!, I love good food that is good for me.  I think I might make them a little thinner next time and see what happens, although they were pretty good the way they were, crispy on the edges and soft, bread-like on the inside.

Well that's all for now!  Have a good day :)

Snow Bound

That was my favorite book growing up.  It's about a family that gets snowed in and does all kinds of fun and creative things.  I used to read it over and over and just imagine the fun we could have. :) 

It's been such a blessing to be stuck, ironically.  You can't go anywhere so there's no pressure to do anything, just relax, which is something that I really need more of lately.  Plus AT&T closed yesterday and today, so Bryan is home too.  Hard to believe it was in the 60s and 70s last weekend!

I've gotten lots of little projects done like organizing and cleaning things that I just haven't had time or energy to do, so I am feeling much more ready for Lola to arrive in + or -11 weeks (whoa!)


She is definitely getting bigger all the time.  She is dangerously close to being able to kick me in the ribs and last night she kicked me in the side and it hurt, that was the first time it actually hurt. 

Despite all the "little" inconveniences that pregnancy brings with it, today I am reflecting on just how good I have it and how thankful I am to be married to my best friend, have a warm house, food and water and access to good medical care.   I read a story on a blog (http://allthingshendrick.blogspot.com/2011/01/thursdays.html) about women and girls in Haiti that are pregnant and how they have so little and most are in situations where they can't even get enough to eat or drink!  I guess I knew in my head that those situations existed, but it really hit me today.  I can't complain, I have so much to be thankful for, so much I DON'T deserve!

Speaking of things I don't deserve, I had the opportunity to spend the last week with my family and friends in PA.  It was such a blessing!

Judah is getting so big already!  I LOVE being an aunt, it's so fun!  Although I wish I could be there all the time to really watch him grow, but I think he knows that I love him :)  I even got a little smile and wave goodbye as I was leaving. 

My AMAZING friend Amy planned a shower for me with a few of my high school/college friends and sister in law.  She did an amazing job, making all vegan food and just doing it in her usual, "Amy" way (=absolutely perfect)!

My good friend, Sarah, drove in from New Jersey with her newest little girl, Taylor.  It was SO good to see her and Taylor!

And of course Judah stole the show with his shirt that we got him to tell Jared and Jess that we were having a baby.  It says, "This little monkey is going to be a big cousin"  LOVE IT :)

I got to spend some much needed time with my sister in law, Jess.  It's so great to have someone like her who approaches things a lot like I do, plus just went through everything I am about to.  It's definitely a bonding time, which I love because I also have always wanted a sister who I can share with, what a blessing!

Of course I had some great conversations with my dad, another blessing in my life.  We just get each other, like not many other people in my life.  It is so good to hear how God is stretching and encouraging him every day. 

It's also fun to watch my dad and brother with Judah.  They are both so good with him and love him so much.  I know my mom would be too. 

Saying goodbye is the hardest part of visiting, always brings on the tears, I really do miss my family, but knowing that they are doing good and supporting me and excited for Lola, helps make life here in Tulsa a little easier.  Not to mention the fact that I know this is where God has me for this season in my life.  

So that's a recap of my last week.  It's been a really pretty perfect one!  I start my last week in the 20's tomorrow, which I cannot believe.  But am totally psyched!  I see my midwife on Monday for my 29 week appointment, which start my "measure and listen" appointments for the next several weeks, short but sweet to hear her little heart more often :)