Some comparisons

Just wanted to make a few comparisons... for my benefit to remember later...

It is just interesting to me to compare the two. It is SO true what "they" say- that every pregnancy is different. I think Liam is bigger at 16w than Logan was at 17.

At this point, Logan was definitely bigger/ showing more.

I know it is a little harder to tell because of the shirt- but I think my belly was bigger with Logan and even though I was carrying low, it was still not as low as now with Liam. 

It is funny- after this point, I really don't have any belly pictures of Logan. I went on bed rest at 28 weeks (5 weeks ago at this point in my current pregnancy) and in labor at 33 weeks (this exact time in my current pregnancy). So, I think one reason I am huffing and puffing and in pain at work is partly because I have not had to work this long and be pregnant before! I know- I am trying not to be a wimp. Though bed rest was NOT fun at all- at least you get to rest! 

33 Weeks and another bladder infection

you're 33 weeks pregnant! 

Baby's now the size of a durian fruit! Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake. More about baby this week See all third trimester Q&As

You're 33 weeks pregnant Baby is now the size of a durian fruit!

your body is changing

You are one hot mama -- literally. A 20 percent metabolic rate increase throughout pregnancy can leave you begging for a cool breeze no matter what the weather is like. Distract yourself with an exercise in blind identification. Try to distinguish between baby's feet, fists, knees, and elbows -- all doing some major pushing and nudging inside of you.

Nothing too exciting going on... turns out I have another bladder and UTI infection. YAY, joyous! Well, that explains why my stomach has been hurting so bad (and probably the fact his head is pressing right on my stomach or ribs). So, I get to start yet another round of antibiotics. I also fell the other day- twice. Felt really stupid and clumsy! But, thankfully, the lady (Linda) who comes to give me my shot, came literally like 10 minutes after I fell so she checked everything out and he is just fine! I am so emotional right now that it is crazy but I guess it is good that I at least recognize it... Also, just trying to get through the days - they seem to be getting longer and more painful - then there is the hour and a half ride home. So, I usually just pray the days go by fast. But, what do ya do? I just keep telling myself that it is short term and that he will be here in (at the most) 6 weeks!

The Love Dare, Days 2-10

Summary of The Love Dare

Day 2: Love is Kind
There are 4 basic core ingredients to kindness: gentleness, helpfulness, willingness, and initiative.
Gentleness: When we are operating from kindness, we are careful how we treat our spouse, never being unnecessarily harsh. We try to be sensitive and tender and if you need to say hard things, we will bend over backward to make sure it is as easy to hear as possible.
Helpfulness: Being kind means you meet the needs of the moment. If it is housework- we get busy, if it is a listening ear- we give it. Kindness graces a wife with the ability to serve her husband without worrying about her rights (i.e. well I have the right to relax, etc.) Kindness makes a husband curious to discover what his wife needs, then motivates him to be the one who steps up and ensures those needs are met- even if his are put on hold.
Willingness: Kindness inspires us to be agreeable (as opposed to stubborn and irritable). Rather than complaining and making excuses, you look for reasons to compromise and accommodate.
Initiative: Kindness thinks ahead, then takes the first step. It doesn't sit around waiting to be prompted or coerced before getting off the couch. The kind husband or wife will be the one who greets first, smiles first, serves first and forgives first.
*It is difficult to demonstrate love when you feel little to no motivation. But love in its truest sense is not based on feelings. Rather, love determines to show thoughtful actions even when there seems to be no reward. You will never learn to love until you demonstrate kindness.

Day 3- Love is not selfish
If there were ever a work that basically means the opposite of love, it is selfishness. It is a trait we hate in other people, but we justify in ourselves. Why do we have such low standards for ourselves but high expectations for our mate? The answer is a painful pill to swallow. We are all selfish! When a husband puts his interests, desires, and priorities in front of his wife, that is a sign of selfishness. When a wife constantly complains about the time and energy she spends meeting the needs of her husband, that is a sign of selfishness. The bottom line is that we either makes decisions out of love for others or love for self. Choosing to love your mate will cause you to say "no" to what you want so you can say "yes" to what they need. Love also leads to inner joy. When we relinquish our rights for the sake of our mate, we get a chance to loose ourselves to the greater purpose of marriage. Nobody knows you as well as your spouse. And that means that no one will be quicker to recognize a change when you deliberately start sacrificing your wants and wishes to make sure his or her needs are met.
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" Philippians 2:3

Day 6: Love is not irritable
To be irritable means "to be near the point of a knife." Not far from being poked. People who are irritable are locked, loaded, and ready to overreact. A loving wife is not overly sensitive or cranky, but exercises emotional self control. If you are walking under the influence of love, you will be a joy, not a jerk. Ask yourself, "Am I a calming breeze or a storm waiting to happen?" Stress, selfishness, lust (either not being content with what we have or having a passion for something/someone forbidden), bitterness, greed and pride will bring us all down. Love will lead us to forgive instead of holding a grudge. To be grateful instead of greedy. To be content instead of rushing into more debt. Love then sets up your heart to respond to your spouse with patience and encouragement rather than anger and exasperation.

Day 7: Love believes the best
We have 2 rooms in our hearts: one that is covered with positive attributes for our mates (the appreciation room) and a darker room that is covered with the things that bother and irritate you about your spouse (the depreciation room). The appreciation room is filled with thoughts such as, "I love my husband's work ethic," "he's honest, intelligent, etc." But, the depreciation room is filled with thoughts such as "my husband can be such a jerk," "he is so selfish," or even maybe "I married the wrong person." Spending time in the depreciation room kills marriages. This is the place your heart devalues your spouse. You may say, well these things are true! But, so are the things in the appreciation room. EVERYONE fails and has areas that needs growth. Love chooses not to live here. As much as possible, love focuses on the positive. The ONLY reason you should glance in the door of the depreciation room is to know how to pray for your spouse! And, the only reason you should go in this room is to write "covered in love" in huge letters across the walls.

Day 9: Love makes good impressions.
The way we greet our spouse each day may seem inconsequential, but this small issue carries surprising significance. You can tell a lot about the state of a couple's relationship by the way they greet one another. You can see it in their expression, countenance as well as how they speak to each other. The apostle Paul took time to encourage his readers to greet one another warmly when they met. Being godly includes being humble and gracious enough to address even your enemies with kindness. This raises the question how do you greet your friends, coworkers and neighbors? What about acquaintances and those you meet in public? So, if you are that nice and polite to other people, doesn't your spouse deserve the same? TIMES TEN!!! When someone communicates that they are glad to see you, your personal sense of self-worth increases. What kind of greeting would make your mate feel important or special? How could you excite his or her various senses with a simple word, toch, or tone of voice? A loving greeting can bless your spouse thorugh what they see, hear and feel. It doesn't have to be bold adn dramatic every time, but adding warmth adn enthusiasm gives you the chance to touch your mate;s heart in subtle, unspoken ways. Remember, love is a CHOICE, so choose to change your greeting. Choose love!

Day 10: Love is unconditional
God demonstrates His won love toward us, in that while we were yest sinners, Christ died for us! Romans 5:8
What if someone asked you, "why do you love your husband?" What would you say? Maybe that he is kind, strong, of great character? But what if over the course of the years, your husband stopped being every one of these things? Would you still love them? The logical response would be no. If your reasons for loving your spouse all have something to do with their qualities, then those same qualities suddenly or gradually disappear- your basis for love is over. The only way love can last a lifetime is if it is unconditional. The truth is this: love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love. The Bible refers to this kind of love by using the Greek word agape. It differs from other types of love which are phileo (friendship) and eros (sexual love). Both friendship and sex have an important place in marriage, but if your marriage totally depends on having common interests or enjoying a healthy sex life, then the foundation of your relationship is unstable. Phileo and eros are more responsive in nature and can fluctuate based upon feelings. Agape love, on the other hand, is selfless and unconditional- it is the only kind of true love. That's because this is God's kind of love. He doesn't love us because we are so lovable, but because He is so loving! God's love is a choice He makes completely on His own. Its something we receive from Him and then share with others. Building a marriage on phileo or eros love is based on feelings or circumstances rather than commitment. Unconditional love, agape love, will not be swayed by time or circumstance. When your enjoyment of each other as best friends and lovers is based on unwavering commitment, you will experience an intimacy that cannot be achieved any other way. But, you will struggle and fail to attain this kind of marriage unless you allow God to begin growing His love within you. A love that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things (1 Corinthians 13:7) does not come from within. It can only come from God! With agape love, you will no longer say I love you because... You will now say, I love you, period!

32 Weeks and a Final date!

you're 32 weeks pregnant! 

Baby's now the size of a squash! Ready or not, baby's getting ready to emerge. She's probably in the head-down position by now, with her bottom facing up. This is the comfiest way for her body to fit in your increasingly cramped womb and will make her eventual exit (only a few months away now!) much easier. (If she's still head-up, don't panic -- there's still time for a flip before birth.) More about baby this week See all third trimester Q&As

You're 32 weeks pregnant Baby is now the size of a Squash!

your body is changing

Was that a contraction? Yup, but it's just for practice. Those strengthening Braxton Hicks contractions are just your body's way of prepping for the real deal. (If you feel more than four in an hour or have discharge, call the doc.) Farther north, your nipples are getting darker and (yes, it's possible) bigger -- all the better for baby to see (and latch onto) in a few short months.  YAY! 32 Weeks!!!  I went to the doctor today for a doppler appointment and it was pretty funny. I went to see the third (and a female) doctor- you know, just in case I go into labor and she is on call- it will be good to actually know who she is. So, I get there and she is like, umm I am confused why Dr. Hsiao told you to come back in a week (supposedly I should be going every 2 weeks at this point, so she did not know why I was there a week early). But, anyway, she just went ahead with the visit. He sounds great and is measuring right on par. My technical due date is September 7th (for some reason I was told the 11th at the beginning, but since the office has the 7th, I am going with that). They wanted to go ahead and schedule the C Section for 39 weeks (she said it will be much easier to cancel than to try and schedule it last-minute). SO, I went ahead and tentatively gave the day I preferred (basically the doctor I wanted) so as of right now, it is scheduled for September 4th (she did not want to technically schedule it since she would not be the doctor, so she sent it to the other doctor, Dr. Hsiao).  However, I will stop getting the shots at 36 weeks, so who knows how that will affect my body. Really, he can come any time, we know that, but the FINAL, LATEST date that we will deliver will be September 4th. Kinda weird to think about that. I am getting to the point that I am getting SO anxious and EXCITED to meet him and for him to be here, but at the same time, very thankful for the next 4-7 weeks that we have to continue to get things together as far as work goes and just getting everything ready (or as ready as you can)... so I go again at 34 weeks (Aug 1) and we are just praying that he continues to thrive and that he will decide to flip. We are praising God for this amazing little miracle and our other amazing blessing that He has entrusted us with.

Week 31

31 weeks pregnant

Welcome to week 31. Can you believe all five of baby’s senses are fully developed? He also keeps getting smarter. That’s probably good to know, since you might actually feel a little dumb. You’re not! It’s just that many moms-to-be find themselves acting absentmindedly during the third trimester. Some say that “pregnancy brain” isn’t a proven physical ailment, but can you think of another time in your life when you’ve had more on your mind than now? We’re guessing no. That right there is enough of a reason to be so forgetful. From 31 weeks on, you’re bound to feel a lot of the same symptoms -- some may get worse, some may become bearable. And you might start to have more trouble getting around as you get heavier and feel more and more short of breath. Remember not to push yourself too much. It’s good for you and baby to get some exercise, but definitely take breaks to rest as much as you need.

Your baby's the size of a pineapple!

He's about 15.2 to 16.7 inches long and weighs about 2.5 to 3.8 pounds this month. He's getting so big, he's probably crowding your lungs.

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your baby at 31 weeks

• He's going through major brain and nerve development.
• Eye development, too. His irises now react to light!
• All five of his senses are in working order.

We had our 31 week visit today- somehow I got off of the normal schedule, but whatever. We had our ultrasound and I have NEVER been so excited for an ultrasound. I think it is partly because we have doppler visits every Thursday for my shots and the past few appointments have just been doppler visits. I feel like it has been forever since we have had an ultrasound. Well, Liam is looking very good! We are so happy and blessed!!!!!!!! He is measuring a little big, a week or so ahead- which we kinda already knew seeing as they go by your last period, so we knew it was probably off a little bit. He is also in a "complete breech" situation. 

Really, he is moving between the "complete breech" and the "Frank breech"- today the pictures more reflected what they are calling the Frank breech, but he does move to the complete breech at some points. This totally explains why I have not felt him above my belly button! His legs, arms, knees, etc. are poking and kicking me really low, always below the belly button... I will feel "knots" up higher, which is apparently his head. This also explains why my stomach has been hurting SO bad. Just pain and nausea and TONS of acid coming up. Well, his head is pressing on my stomach and inner parts so that is why my stomach hurts so badly! As of right now, I will have to have a C-section. There is a chance he will flip but that chance is small and as each day passes, the chance decreases (his space in which to flip becomes smaller and smaller, thus the decreased likelihood). So, as of right now we are just waiting- they will check me every week now and do the determination ultrasound at 36 weeks (mid August). If he is still breeched by 36 weeks, we will go ahead and schedule the C-Section. If he has turned, then we will just wait! We did get some pictures, but since he has his legs, feet, arms and hands all together by his head, it was quite difficult to get a good picture. So, this is all we could get today... 

I know- it is hard to see, but all you can see is his little nose and lips... and the two arms/ hands and a leg/foot.

Yes, he is still a boy! Does anyone else have that fear? That they got it wrong somehow, you have a name, decorated and it could be the opposite sex? Maybe it is just me...

Again, just his little nose and lips- maybe a little bit of the eye.. and the limbs

So, there he is... all happy and content and not caring at all that he is in the wrong position! I honestly do not care either. If we have to have a C section, so be it- if it is the other, that is cool too. The doctor did say that the second time (and any there after) would be much easier on tearing. I had a 4th degree laceration/ tear last time and he said due to the way the ligaments are stretched out, etc. it would not be that bad... mathematically speaking just usually does not happen as bad as the first time, he said maybe a 2nd degree tear but not as bad as the first- so that was very comforting (like tearing at all would be comforting)! So, we will see- I know the C section will be a different type of hurt than I had last time and the healing/ recovery time is longer, but I know that people have them every day, get over it and move on... I am kinda feeling that is how it will end up- just with all that he was saying, but who knows... Glad he is healthy, happy and just praising God for this little 4.6 pound miracle! He said he is a little big, but not huge- measuring that 4.6 pounds right now, would project to be 6-8 pounds at 39 weeks. We will see! 

The Love Dare Bible Study: Day 1

We started a new Bible study last night, The Love Dare Bible Study. It is not Beth, but I think it is going to be good! The DVDs you watch are clips from the movie and there is a thin work book that is used along with the actual Love Dare book. So, last night we started the study with session 1- watched the DVD clips (very short- which right now is a good thing) and throughout this upcoming week, we will go through the study book (there are 4 sections for each week: Ignite- kind of like an icebreaker/ topics to get to know each other better, Gear Up- Introduces topic/ bible study, Firefighting- helps couples transform marriages, and Fireproof Now- which contains commitments, wrap-up and prayer). These can be done over 4 days or all at once. Also, throughout this upcoming week, we will do Days 1-5 of the Love Dare. Next week, we will discuss all that we have learned and begin session 2. 

So, that being said, wanted to share Day 1. (all of the following is straight from the Love Dare book)

"Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is. Those pillars are patience and kindness. All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attributes. Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you CHOOSE to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper. Rather than being restless and demanding, love helps you settle down and begin extending mercy to those around you. Patience brings an internal calm during an external storm. No one likes to be around an impatient person. It causes you to overreact in angry foolish and regrettable ways. The irony of anger toward a wrongful action is that it spawns new wrongs of its own. Anger almost never makes things better- in fact it usually generates additional problems. BUT patience stops problems in their tracks. It is a CHOICE to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you, and shows discretion instead of returning evil for evil. Do you find that anger is your emotional default when treated unfairly? If so, you are spreading poison rather than medicine. Anger is usually caused when the strong desire for something is mixed with disappointment or grief. You don’t get what you want, you start heating up inside. It is often an emotional reflection that flows out of your own selfishness, foolishness or evil motives. Patience, however, makes us wise. It doesn't rush to judgment but listens to what the other person is saying. Patience waits to see the WHOLE picture before passing judgment. The Bible says, “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick tempered exalts folly” Proverbs 14:29 what would the tone and volume of your home be like if you tried this  biblical approach: “ see that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another” 1 Thessalonians 5:15  few of us do patience very well and none of us do it naturally, but wise men and women will pursue it as an essential ingredient to their marriage relationships. That is a good starting point to demonstrate true love."

So much to do!

So here we are right at 30 weeks! I cannot believe it! I am SOOO counting down- 7 more shots!! These shots have not been fun at all- besides the burning of the shot, they create welts that are sore and itch like crazy! But, I guess you gotta do what ya gotta do for the little one. I feel like there is absolutely so much to do that it is crazy! Our house has been turned upside down so that we could get stuff together for a yard sale- which has left the entire house in a huge mess! And, I basically have Fridays and Saturdays to clean or take care of things due to Monday-Thursday working / driving 13 hours a day and Sundays, we rest and just enjoy church. Plus- right now with William working two jobs, Logan and I are alone most of the time. Add all that in with the regular exhaustion of pregnancy= one extremely tired and wore out mama. I know daddy is wore out too, but hopefully we will all get in  routine soon! I do get the 4th of July off, my regular Friday off then the weekend- VERY thankful for that. I am praying that I feel good (or good enough) to clean the house over those days- get the rest of the baby stuff out of the attic and get everything that we can ready! I know we have a good amount of stuff from Logan, but we still need a few things for Liam- so hopefully we can go get some of the little things soon. So, that is my goal- to get the house in order and for us to just at least make it to August 14th when I will be 36 weeks! We finally got the results from my urine culture and it came back that there is apparently a crazy bacteria that is resistant to the meds they were giving me- so now I am on a different antibiotic and just praying that this does the trick and I can feel a little better! We go to the doctor July 10 for an ultrasound so we are so excited about that- can't wait to see him and see how big he is! We are so thankful and blessed that William has a second job and just praying for some other opportunities (and he has been sick- so praying he gets better soon). Praying for all those with little babies and who are pregnant... until next time...