Wow, been awhile since I've updated!

Doesn't seem like there is a whole lot new to report.  Ben is growing like a weed.  We had an ultrasound on Dec. 21st and they estimated him at 1 pound 3 ounces.  They said he is a little bit below average in all of his measurements but I don't put much stock in that because "average" takes into account the extremely big and extremely small.  According to all the books he is right where he should be.

I've had a lot of people start asking me (starting at about week 15) if I had felt him moving yet.  Due to an anterior placenta it took a little bit longer to feel movement.  90% of the time the egg implants itself in the back of the uterus and the placenta grows there.  10% of the time, and in my case, the egg implanted in the front so there is a cushion between baby and stomach absorbing those blows.  I believe it is usually around weeks 18-20 that movement is first felt.  I didn't not feel anything other than somersaults until week 23.  Now he doesn't seem to stop, and that's ok!!  I have been able to feel the kicks on the outside with my hand on my stomach a few times and Jamie's has been anxiously awaiting being able to feel.  He was able to feel a few small kicks last night so that was awesome!

For the most part, everything health wise is right on track.  My eating got pretty bad for a few weeks and so far I have gained 17 of the 53 pounds lost back but I am happy to say that nutrition has once again taken priority lol.  I made it through Christmas without a single pound more gained, mostly due to a nasty eye infection, pink eye, and corneal abrasion that is almost completely healed, THANK YOU JESUS!!!  Was that ever painful?!?

I had mentioned on Facebook, and it's true for Christmas and my birthday, that the holidays seemed a little off this year.  With the eye stuff making me miss out on most of my family Christmas, having to work on my birthday for the first time in 5 years, and Jamie's family Christmas being cancelled due to Grandma being in the hospital; we both definitly say that his has been the worst Christmas in awhile.  Added to that the stress of Jamie not being able to find a job yet and money getting a tad tight, ok, a LOT tight.  But amidst it all, a genuine feeling of being blessed beyond belief emerges and we can't totally discard this year because we have received an answer to prayer that we've waited for 6 years for.  So amist all the turmoil we are eternally grateful and thankful, and joyful!

It's hard to believe that there are less that 16 weeks left and we can't wait to meet him!  Happy New Year everybody!

I really hate being wrong, but this time it's ok :)

I HATE being wrong, I hate losing a bet, I hate giving wrong information and so far I'm 3 for 3 lately.  The other day, while driving to my parents Jamie and I drove by a field on M-46 that still had the corn in it but the one across the field from it was already harvested.  I made a comment about, wonder why Dad and Uncle Howard didn't combine that one while they were down this way.  Jamie responded, because they don't farm this field.  Of course, I KNEW they did and let him know that they had farmed it for as long as I could remember and was so sure I was willing to bet on it.  So, we did ( I do not bet unless I am 100% sure that I am correct).  Uh, yeah, I was wrong, apparently they haven't farmed the south side of the road for a few years but do farm the north.

Then yesterday at work, we were talking about whether we should give paychecks out early b/c some banks will be closed today.  The deciding factor ended up being what day the checks are dated for. When my boss asked me, I responded "Friday".  Not realizing until later that they ARE dated for Thursday and have been for at least 1 or 2 years.  WOW!  I don't know if it's baby brain or what but I am usually mentally right on so this is new territory for me.

And lastly, I don't know if it's because Jamie's been saying for years that he's going to be "stuck" with all girls, or if it's because most everybody else seems to think we're having a girl, but somehow, Jamie and I were both pretty sure that the baby is a girl.  I had an appointment in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, and you could not even believe my shock when the ultrasound tech told us that is's a boy!  It took a while to register, and Jamie thought my shock was disappointment but it was truely just shock.  We are both very excited and can't wait to welcome our son into the world.  However, we've had a girl's name picked out for years so now we have to finalize a boy's name.  We're pretty sure we have it but it's so hard because it will be his name for his whole life!

I thought Jamie would be dancing on the roof to find out he's having a son.  It troubled me a little bit that he was so sub-dued.  I asked him later if he was disappointed, scared, upset, why he didn't seem excited.  He said that he is very excited but didn't want to gloat because he thought I may be disappointed that it's not a girl.  NOT AT ALL!!!!  We are both so blessed with the opportunity to be parents!!!!

carpet/rug

Jamie got the nursery all painted but we've been at a standstill because we were trying to decide what to do about the flooring.  If we left it bare it would get too cold in there, since we don't have forced air/heat upstairs yet.  I think I said in the last post that we couldn't find an area rug that was the correct size for a decent price.  My mom suggested a remnant.  So, we went to Wright Way Carpet Warehouse here in Ionia and found a clearance piece of berber that was big enough to cut down.  We liked the colors in it and because it had gotten rain water on it ( no discoloration on the front at all ) it was marked down to less than $70.  They are going to look at it today to see if they can bind the edges, if they can we'll have a custom sized area rug (basically) for $140!  Compared to the prices I saw on area rugs, that is a great deal :)  Then we just have to do the trim and we can put the furniture together.

On a different note, yesterday was a great day!  I love the days that I don't feel icky :)  Saturday was good, Sunday and Monday were icky, Tuesday was good and hoping for a great Wednesday :)  Make it a great one everybody!

Haven't updated in awhile

I've been kind of busy, thinking about getting ready for upcoming craft shows but not having a lot of motivation to do so.  We had our first actual "baby" appointment tuesday.  Since they couldn't get the heartbeat on the dopplar/sonar do-hicky they did a bedside ultra-sound.  I was glad Jamie had come in b/c he hadn't gotten to hear or see it yet.  We saw it move a few times, it never ceases to amaze me!  We got a perfect view of the face, as it was facing forward.  The doctor said everything looks good.  I'm now 13 1/2 weeks and have to wait a few more weeks until I can stop referring to the baby as "it".  Then we can really start preparing. 

Thanks to Jamie's Mom and my parents we have all the baby furniture, we just have to assemble it but are waiting to finish painting the nursery and will probably hire somebody to lay carpet in there.  We were going to get a large area rug for the room but can't find one the correct size, and the ones that come close are almost $200! 

Not a whole lot else going on.  This is the last weekend I have before having craft shows for the next 6 weekends.  This weekend is my family's bi-annual get together to make apple butter.  It's always a great time!  Still trying to find Jamie a job, once that's done I know the stress load will lighten!!

Hearing God's voice, and knowing that it's Him

Sometimes I have to think about something awhile before I can put into words what I really want to say.  There have been 2 distinct times in my adult life when I've heard satan try to get me to ask him for something that God could very easily give.

The first time was a little over 7 years ago.  I went camping with my best friend and her family.  The motor home that they were driving up to Mackinaw kept over-heating and we had to keep stopping at rest areas.  It made for a VERY long trip.  We were at a rest area about an hour from our destination and I heard a voice say to me "if you just ask, I can get you there." 

John 10:27-29 in the KJV Bible says "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."

I am thankful that I am a sheep, I do know the voice of God, and I knew that was not Him speaking to me.  The devil is always trying to get God's sheep to bow their knee to him.  Would he have been able to get us up north?  Probably, but I decided right then and there that I would rather stay right there at that rest stop all weekend than ask a liar and deciever for anything!  After that, we made it north and I don't think we had to stop again.

The second time I heard satan try to get me to ask him for something was a few weeks ago.  I actually heard it a few times, on a few different days.  It kept saying, "if you ask me, I could give you a baby."  I decided that if God couldn't give us a child then I didn't want kids.  Little did I know that the blessing was already on it's way, as tomorrow I will be 8 weeks pregnant.

Sometimes when you've been waiting for something for a long time it may seem tempting to give up and give in.  DON'T DO IT!!!  IT'S NOT WORTH IT!!!  All he needs is an inch and he'll take a mile.  What would you give in exchange for an eternity in Hell?  What is worth it?  I wonder how many people believe those lies?  Take the bait? Sell out?  It's sad really, that at times people will put more trust in the devil then they will put in God.  God is faithful, he answers prayer, but it's not always in the way or timing that we expect.  But, He is sovergn and as Christians His Word must be the final authority!

Not much new

Not much new going on.  I feel like since I have so many people following that I should update regularly lol!  I do have a post I'm working on in my head.  Something that I was talking over with my best friend the other day that I think others would find interesting, just trying to figure out how to word it.

Finally, after 4-5 nights of being awake more than asleep, I am starting to sleep better.  Hoping that I start to like broccoli again before too long because it is so good for you!!  I was eating at least a bag a day before.  How long do the food aversions last for?  Is that a 1st trimester thing or is that a whole way through thing?

Surreal: Part 2

OK, I couldn't finish this post earlier because I didn't know if my blog would be hidden and I hadn't told very many people yet but on Wednesday I took a pregnancy test and it was positive.  I was cautiously excited, especially since I'd had a false positive before.  So, I decided to buy another test and do it in the morning but couldn't wait that long so took it that night and again it was positive.  I called my best friend that afternoon and I felt guilty that outwardly she was so much more excited than I was.  I explain my emotion as cautiously excited.  I know that so much can happen before the 3 month mark and that's part of why I wanted to wait that long to tell people.  But on the other hand I serve a Mighty God who loves his children and is faithful and just and if He can't keep our baby safe who can? 

So, as time goes on both Jamie and I are letting our excitement show a little more and being sure to make sure that people know that this baby is a gift from Jesus!!  Obviously, this isn't something that we could have created on our own and we are praying that God will keep his hand on this child and hive him/her a desire to serve Him early on.  We are so excited to be able to pour into this little one.

There's a lot of other feelings that come up, some expected, some unexpected.  I have a cousin who has been waiting a lot longer than I have for a family and I feel guilty at being so excited, but at the same time I don't want to belittle the miracle that we have received.  Also, so many thoughts about "will it be healthy? How many will there be?  Will we be good parents?  will we be patient?  Will it bring us closer together or cause division?  Is our house big enough? Will Jamie get a job?"  But, as I said before, we serve a Mighty God who is able to keep up and lead us, guide us and provide for us.  I will trust in Him and His word rather than put fear in the what-ifs to come.  Stressing about the what-ifs are not going to solve anything.  Mother, are you reading this?  Worry is wasted effort!  God is soveirgn and He is in control :)

Surreal: Having an oddly dreamlike quality.

Surreal: Having an oddly dreamlike quality; that is what the past few days have been like.

6 and 1/2 years ago I married my husband and after about 6 months we decided to stop preventing pregnancy.  Trying not to get our hopes up and silently anticipating a quick conception I faithfully tested every month and especially before family gatherings, hoping and praying for a positive test.  After 6 months of negative tests and disappointment I went to the doctor to get checked out.  I was diagnosed with PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome).  Some of the factors that attribute to that diagnosis is small cysts on the ovaries that prevents ovulation (one of the only markings I did not have thank the Lord!), abnormal hormone levels preventing ovulation, abnormal hair growth on face (due to the hormones), infertility.  I also had a test to check to see if my fallopian tubes were blocked, which one of them was.  At that time we decided to try fertility medication to no avail, and after a few rounds I really felt that when we had kids I wanted it to be because the Lord gave them to us. 

So, we waited and prayed, all the while watching what seemed like everyone around us conceive and start/grow their families whether they were trying or not.  I felt pain during that time that I never knew the heart could feel.  But all through, God was faithful.  The Bible says that through Jesus we have peace that surpasses all understanding and I found that to be true.  In the darkest of times, my husband and best friend were so supportive.  Sometimes it hurt too badly to even talk to my husband about it but looking in his eyes I knew he was feeling the same pain that I was.  Always when I needed to hear it, Tara (my best friend), would give words of encouragement that really helped me hold the faith that we serve a mighty God, who is faithful and loves us very much.  She will never know how much that means to me because words just can't express it! 

Year after year, holding to the promise that God gives us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4-5).  I would have to say that the past year or 2 have definitely been easier and Jamie and I have grown closer through it, but I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy lol!!  Through it I am thankful for the strength that has been built in me, for the faith that has grown in me, for the purification that tribulation and struggle brings, and for the testimony and encouragement that I'll be able to share with others.