Preggo!!

So, yes, we're pregnant for the 3rd time. Unless God has other plans for us, this baby will complete our family - we're done! So I'm trying to enjoy this pregnancy as much as possible. It's been pretty smooth. I had nausea until about 13 weeks, and certain foods really appealed to me (balsamic vinaigrette) and others didn't (peanut butter - the texture would mess with my sensitive gag reflex). But I'm 18 weeks tomorrow and feeling really good! At my 15 week check-up, the doctor said I had only gained a pound. Well, in the past 3 weeks I've gained at least 6 more! Food is sounding good now - ugh! I need to watch it or I'll be huge. Want to get more consistent in the gym too...

And we have our first (and probably only) sonogram in about a week and a half. We're praying for a healthy baby, and of course.......a girl! I would love a daughter to do girly things with and to teach how to be a Jesus-following lady, etc. It's so good to know, though, that our God is sovereign and so GOOD. His plan is perfect. No doubt, if our 3rd little one is a precious boy, I'll go through a bit of grief over the loss of MY plans. But it's SO good knowing that God knows every day of our lives, that this little person has a specific purpose, and that I can trust that whatever He does is best! Like I said, I can't deny any disappointment if it's a boy, but doggone-it, it's so good having Him to trust. Peace that passes all understanding. Not my will, but yours be done, Lord.

The boys are pretty excited. It's neat now that Jake is so much older (he'll be 6 when the baby comes) and able to understand a lot more. Every week I get an email from babycenter.com that tells how big the baby is in comparison to a food (shrimp, apple, avocado, etc.) Right now I have a little bell pepper inside. :) Jake likes that and asks what size the baby is all the time. I know he'll be a huge help.

Max is excited too. I want to be super careful not to let him fall to the wayside as the middle child. I want to really love on him and include him in the baby stuff. Prayerfully the transition will be smooth. And funny, he told his Sunday school teacher today that we were going to have a puppy and "it's going to be a boy." ?!?! Somehow from the beginning he has linked having a baby to getting a puppy. We've explained that there really is no puppy, but his little mind must still be confused... Need to keep working on this one so there's no major disappointment.

We got bunk beds today (our sweet friends saw them for sale while driving, called us and we bought them! $60 for pretty nice ones - way better than anything I saw on craigslist) so the boys can both move to Jake's room. Baby will get the smaller of the 2. I look forward to painting both of their rooms and decorating.

And I felt the baby's little - faint - movements the other night and a few times today. That's my favorite part of pregnancy and I want to relish it this time. How blessed we are...

16 weeks:



18 weeks: