Well Hello, Second Trimester!

We've officially arrived at the much anticipated second trimester! Wooo-hooo! Praise God that everything has gone so well. It's hard to believe that we're already 1/3 of the way through this adventure, when the idea of having a baby on the way has barely sunk it. But of course I'm thrilled, and I can't wait to celebrate with Thane! And let me just say that there are actually three very exciting things going on right now.
1) Reaching trimester two, obviously.
2) Thane coming home from PTA tomorrow!
3) Double-decker tacos from Taco Bell, my new favorite place to eat. (Yes, yes, I realize I'm playing with fire after the recent demise of a friend, but oh, the cravings of pregnancy are hard to contend with!) P.S. McDonalds, I still love you, but you may be #2 on the most delicious fast-foods list from here out.

Praying Through Pregnancy

For all you pregnant mommas out there, "Praying Through Pregnancy", by Jennifer Polimino, is an awesome resource. The book doubles as a prayer guide and journal. Or, you can sign up to have a weekly prayer sent to your email at http://www.jenniferpolimino.com/. The prayers are catered to your baby's development, week by week, hence, showing you exactly what you can pray for throughout each week of your pregnancy. And even more importantly, it leads you to pray for your child's spiritual development; that God will bless baby with a heart for Him, and also that us mommas will have the strength and wisdom to be living examples of Christ while raising our little ones.

Prayer for Week 13

Dear Lord, I thank You for making it to the second trimester this week! I praise You for the miracle of this baby I'm carrying. Truly, You are a great and wonderful God! I'm amazed at the exquisite detail You planned for Your creation. Thank You for caring for my unborn baby, as You said in so many verses.

Lord, I pray for my child that he or she will exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, long-suffering and temperance. Help me to be a role model of these. Lord, I want to live my life in harmony with You, so that I bring Your Spirit into our home and into my child's life. Help me be the loving mother You want me to be.

And Lord, I pray for the physical development of my baby. Cause everything that is happening this week to develop properly.

Psalm 139:13 says, "You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb". I thank You for this encouraging Scripture. Please knit together--cause to develop properly--every part of my baby's being: body, soul and spirit.

In Jesus' name. Amen.
 
 

Surprise Ultrasound at 12 Weeks!

I went to my appointment today excited to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time, and got to see him on ultrasound instead! I couldn't be more thrilled! It turns out that the baby was sitting farther back than normal, which made it hard for the nurse-midwife to locate the heartbeat with the Doppler. Was that a little scary? YES. I had been imagining and fearing that exact scenario, that I would hear nothing when the moment finally arrived. But as the midwife left the room to get the ultrasound machine, I prayed and told God that I wasn't going to worry because He was in control. And praise the Lord, a couple minutes later I was seeing the baby and the heartbeat on screen. His little arms and legs were moving, too!

So, all is well, and what a wonderful gift!

12 Week Bump

Check out the new 12 week bump pics on the "Baby Bump" page. Baby's the size of a plum now. Belly's still little, but we're growing!

Organic Pregnancy Tea

Thanks to the advice of another expecting friend, I came across this really great tea. Giving up coffee was, surprisingly, easier than I thought. But on those mornings when I'd really like to have a warm cup of something, this fits the bill. It reminds me of chamomile, very soothing and light. And it tones the uterus!

Why have Pickels & Icecream when there's McDonald's?

There you have it, my new favorite place to eat; McDonald's. Specifically, a filet-o-fish sandwich, fries, and a side of chicken nuggets. And don't forget the BBQ and sweet & sour sauce that completes the whole medley, and maybe some root beer to wash it all down. (I have to give a big thanks to Ashley, if it weren't for her giving me her leftover nuggets I probably never would have re-discovered my love for them, haha.)

Just look at that! Who in there right mind could resist?! I always thought that pregnant women were supposed to crave healthy foods...not so with me, I crave anything fried and salty. I'd like to say it's because I'm low in body fat...but let's face it, it's probably just because McDonald's is delicious and I'm a fatty at heart! I'm sure it's for my own good that the one right down the street from my house just got demolished, otherwise I'd be their newest regular. Before the last month or so, I rarely ever ate fast food and it was even more rare that I drank soda. The good news is that for the most part I don't crave sweets anymore, which is a big change for me. And even better news is that I still love to exercise, to the point where my pregnancy symptoms are actually worse if I don't stay active. That will definitely work towards my advantage.

Just for fun, here are some specific things I've craved since being pregnant (other than the obvious);

• Fried egg rolls- I never got any, but I dreamed about eating them. They weren't that great in the dream, but hey, it was better than nothing.
• Spaghetti- Somebody was cooking it around midnight one night, and I couldn't stop thinking about it until I made it for dinner the next day.
• Cold cut sub from the commissary- I would have given anything for one, too bad cold cuts are off limits!
• Frozen yogurt- In the very beginning, before I lost my sweet tooth.

:)