Currently Craving...

It should come as no surprise that I find myself experiencing cravings for specific foods. I've heard about this aspect of pregnancy for ages. Generally, when I hear stories, I hear the most wild combination, you know, pickles and peanut butter, gross stuff. I can't say that I have EVER thought that sounded good, especially right now. There are a few repeat offenders as of late; things I can't seem to get enough to of.  Some of my current favorites include:

MANGOES!! 

I love 'em! I can't get enough of them. But, at $1.50 a pop, I limit my weekly intake to only a few.

Another recent favorite, Dr. Pepper.

It's slightly ironic that I've NEVER liked Dr. Pepper before now. Baylor used to have weekly Dr. Pepper Hour, it never tempted me. I married Mr. Pibb's foe, for goodness' sake, but still didn't like the soft drink...until now! It's wonderful! Not to worry, I don't go too crazy with this caffeinated beverage. But, my doctor has advised me to drink caffeine to hopefully prevent some of the headaches I've been experiencing during pregnancy.

Another weakness is an Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich.

Delicious! I think I could eat this for every meal if I let myself. I don't, though. 

But don't fear, it's not all junk. I'm also feasting on broccoli!

I'd never have imagined frantically looking through our fridge for the broccoli, but I have.  We were out and I was heartbroken. It required a late night run to the super market. Who would have thought?

And  I LOVE Golden Delicious Apples!

I love apples! I always have. I can't wait for the local farmers market late this summer when I can indulge my love for apples. They have so many delicious varieties I've never heard of before. Until then, I'm quite happy with a juicy golden delicious! This is probably my favorite treat!

I almost forgot a final guilty indulgence... James was certain to remind me of it...
Dunkin' Donuts!

Not to worry, we don't frequent Dunkin' Donuts too often. But when we do, my favorites include the classic glazed donut and the fancier strawberry frosted donut.

Six Months Pregnant

Trying to be a good sport while James takes a picture of my 25 week belly.

We are just a few short months away from meeting our little boy. I'm 25 weeks and 3 days today. 14 weeks remain...or 15, or 16... We're not in any hurry and would like him to be fully cooked, "well done" before we meet him. While he is considered viable, if he were born today, he would likely need much assistance and spend his first few months in the hospital. This is a scenario we greatly hope to avoid. We're shooting for 40 good weeks!

The last few weeks haven't passed without event. The greatly anticipated moment of "quickening" has occurred. This is when you are able to feel your baby move. In some cultures, they believe this is the moment the baby receives it's soul.  James and I don't believe that, but this little soul has started making his presence known more and more. At first it started out with a single nudge or a lone kick. It has progressed to a movement on one side of my belly followed by a busy movement all the way on the other side. There are days I wish I had a window so I could see what the heck he was doing to cause all that commotion. At times I truly feel like Santa Claus because my belly literally shakes "like a bowl full of jelly!" He's kind of wild. I find he is most active when I watch Fox News, or during a good snack, or right when I decide to lay down and go to bed.  He also perks up when James walks in the door. I'm not sure if it's because he hears what's going on outside and responds to it or if he is responding to my physiology. Either way, he's letting me know, I'm no longer alone.

Recently, James was able to feel him moving around, too. I was so excited to finally be able to share the crazy movements of our little boy with his daddy. I think James was pretty excited, too. We are both amazed by how entertaining it is to sit and chat with him and watch him move. 

We can't wait to hold this squirmy little guy in our arms. But we hope we get to wait until June. Until then, we'll enjoy his lively presence tucked away just inside my belly!

Nursery Inspiration

Now that we know we are expecting a little boy to join our family this June, James and I are beginning to brainstorm what this little guy's room will look like. James was a boy scout and very much interested in the outdoors and nature when he was younger, and even still today. I was never as much into wildlife as I was pretty dresses and baby dolls, but my father and brothers are definitely man's men. I'm taking a cue from the male influences in my life as I hope to create a space to foster an imaginative little boy's wild heart. (I also want it to be a comfortable space that I enjoy, since I'm imagining I will be spending plenty of time in there, too.) Here are a few things that are currently influencing me.

I love this nursery, though it was created for a baby girl. The shiny antlers and fun striped ceiling really caught my eye.

from Project Nursery

I also really liked this. I believe it's made from vintage wallpaper. I'm very fond of the animal artwork.

also from Project Nursery

Another inspiring nursery with an animal mural.

from Project Nursery

Apart from the animal artwork, I'm also quite fond of stripes. Also, we are planning on keeping our zebra rug in the nursery. We may think differently when we are faced with the reality of a poopy diaper.

from Project Nursery

More stripes, this time with color!

from Project Nursery

More stripes

yet again, from Project Nursery

I really loved these, but I think the overall effect is more feminine than what I'll be going for. Maybe for our daughter, one day...

from Project Nursery

Nature Murals

You guessed it, from Project Nursery

More trees

from Project Nursery

I also adore this mobile:

from Project Nursery

 Did I mention I like Project Nursery?

James and I have already made a few purchases and decisions for our son's room:

We chose these crib sheets. Blue is supposed to be a calming, peaceful color.  We also invested in wooden blocks. James insists that little people love to have things to stack. He would know since he sees them daily. Finally, I chose to include a paper mache giraffe bust. This is a reference to my dad, who loves to decorate with animals.

from Serena and Lily

from anthropologie

from anthropologie

Life Change, Heart Change

As James and I prepare for this exciting new stage of life, it has caused me to become reflective. I have become acutely aware of things I hadn't bothered to observe before now, and in some cases, things I've tried very hard to ignore. I think about what kind of a parent I want to be and what it will look like. I wonder how to raise our son to be a strong, confident, loving, and compassionate individual. It has occurred to me time and time again that unless both James and  I display such attributes it will be a challenge to effectively instill these in him.

I admire my husband so much and think he dynamically displays strength, confidence, love and compassion daily. He generously cares for me and others. I know James would likely say he still has room for growth, but I think he is off to a wonderful start.

I, on the other hand, struggle to display these. I desire to be strong. I desire to be confident. I desire to be loving and compassionate. I trust God knows my heart and hears me when I ask Him to show me how. But it is no easy feat and I will need His grace to get me there. You see, my strength is fickle. I harbor a great deal of self doubt. My confidence is easily shaken due to said doubt and the tendency to look for my confidence in fleeting things. My love is easily tested. I can love the lovable with great fervor and wild extravagance. I, shamefully, struggle to love when it becomes difficult. I am compassionate. Praise God, He gave me a tender heart. I want to work on demonstrating that compassion more freely.

I feel I have so many things to accomplish before I meet my son. It is overwhelming, and yet, I am reminded that God doesn't put anything before me that I am not capable of doing, by His grace.  I believe the things I desire to model are things God desires me to be, as well. He's calling me out to be more. I'm excited about it. Nervous, but so excited!

One step I have taken is to begin to address my insecurities. They are many, and as time progresses I'm finding they run deeper than I'd ever have imagined. The best way I know to confront these is to head directly to the word of God. His Word is truth. It is powerful and healing. I also look to the wisdom of others. I am currently reading Beth Moore's, So Long Insecurity.  I'm thankful for others that God speaks to and through. I'll be excited to share as God illuminates truth in my life.

Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tails

I was awake nearly all night. It's hard to sleep when you know something big is supposed to take place the next morning. That, and our house was being pelted with freezing rain. It was this combination that caused great uncertainty. I was unsure if the doctor's office would still be open the next day after one of the largest storms of the year. Much to my surprise, when I awoke the next morning,  I called the office to find out they were OPEN! Today was going to be the day!! James and I would get to see a long awaited glimpse of our tiny little baby. I think I was bouncing off the walls while I quickly dressed and downed several ounces of water. James, while excited, was very sleepy because I had been tossing and turning all night.

We set out early just in case the roads were bad. We were thankful they weren't. We then waited to be called back for our appointment. It took a very long time. I think they were short on technicians due to the inclement weather. Finally we were led back to the same dark exam room. It wasn't long before we were watching a bouncing baby kicking all around. I was amazed at how busy our baby was since I can not yet really feel anything consistently. We saw all the major organs and were so glad to hear all looked normal. The technician then moved down to the baby's legs. They were still fluttering about. She then paused the pictures to asked us what we thought. I was nearly certain of what I was seeing, but not sure. I then asked, "Are we having a boy?" Sure enough, we were watching our baby boy. James lit up. I've rarely seen him beam so brightly.  From that moment on it was talk of names, college funds, you name it, James was thinking about it.

It's amazing how knowing the sex of the baby seems to make it even more real. All the dreams we have for our child take on new life. We can't wait to meet this little boy and get to know him.

Baby Boy Peppers

We're having a baby boy!!!

Happy New Years!

New Year's Cheer

We were so blessed to have Christmas off this year. As a trade off, James had to work New Years Eve. I spent the evening at home with a glass of sparkling grape juice and Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years Eve. We're looking forward to an exciting and eventful 2011!

Happy Holidays!

A very excited great-grandpa and uncle-to-be!

James and I were able to spend Christmas with my family in Missouri. It was a fun holiday full of good food and even better company.