40 Weeks

Labor Day

10 things I did on Labor Day... our due date... except go into labor.

1. Looked through the Menards add and dreamed of all the stuff we should buy for our home. And seriously talked about buying new shutters since ours decided to self-destruct a few months ago.

2. Hung curtains in our basement.

3. Worked on our bathroom remodel. 
Added a hand-towel bar, a shelf and attempted to install a full towel bar but the one I bought was.... well... from Walmart's clearance and unfortunately there was a reason it was cheapo based on the quality (it didn't make the cut but the brackets are still there).

4. Visited with my Dad and Nana. We talked about how we hoped to see each other later today at the hospital; that's how Matt and I have ended most of our visits/conversations lately.

5. Made sure I had salsa for lunch.

6. Started a book.
Not a fantastic read but good enough to be entertaining. This is the last book in a 3 part series, I read the first one for book club and decided to finish the story.

7. Took an hour nap.  

8. Went for a brisk mile walk around our neighborhood.

9. Made a delicious dinner. 
Spicy kung pao noodles, lemon-garlic grilled chicken, corn on the cob and lemonade.... finished with a lindt truffle for dessert.

10. Updated this blog with all the things I did excpet go into labor. Here's hoping that kung pao kicks in soon... I mean make me go into labor ;)

Stay posted, she has to come out sooner or later!

Real Emotions_Sunday morning 9/2/12

Last night was rough. Not much sleep and wrestling in my spirit, very anxious for her to come... to start the labor process. Heard God telling me that I am in his will physically but rebellious in my heart. Broken this morning realizing how I have rejected the thought that he has my best in mind. I submit my heart to him now.... I know he has my best in mind. I know he will care for all things.
I lost sight of how precious it will be to partake in Gods redemption work in Alyssa. My labor and her birth is symbolic of Gods labor of love for us in Christs sacrifice. He labored in giving his life for us and then birthed new life for us in coming back to life as our savior. All in His timing...

Maternity Pics

Our dear friend Aleksa took our maternity pics. She did and AMAZING job and we can't thank her enough for capturing this big part of our marriage journey.

       

 
      

Alyssa's Room - Done

Dear Alyssa,
Your room has been ready for over  a week. It's ok, you can come now!
Love,
Mom and Dad
(oh wow... mom ... and ... dad??!! here we go!)

Click on the pic to see it bigger

33 - 39 Weeks

I can't believe how time has flown! SO many things have happened in the past 6 weeks.. here we go!

33 Weeks
We were at the very last week that our Dr. felt comfortable with us traveling far and so off we went to Matt's cousin's wedding in MN. It was a great trip! Nice to get out of town before Alyssa comes and a great time with family. Congrats to Katie and Nick!

Some of our highlights:

• We went swimming in the hotel pool, so nice! It was such a weird feeling having all that baby weight just "disappear" in the water. I loved it!
• We met up with our lovely friends Stephi and Trevor. They now live in MN and it was so great to see them and their new house!
• We visited a historical home built for James J Hill that was once the largest private residence in MN in the 1890's

• And of course we went to the Mall of America and saw one of Matt's favs

34 Weeks
We finally took our hospital baby class. It was an ALL DAY class on Sat. It was long but we knew that going into it and made the most of it. We both enjoyed it and feel prepped for our Alyssa to come!

35 Weeks
CHURCH BABY SHOWER! What a fun time!! So SO sooooo blessed by the ladies in my church! Thank you for an amazing day!

      

36 Weeks
At our Dr. apt I asked how I was measuring. Dr. said we seemed to be a cm small... which is no biggy but we used it as an excuse to schedule another ultrasound. I'm sure our Dr. didn't mind getting some extra stats on our Alyssa with our pending delivery. And we didn't mind seeing our little girl again! We scheduled the ultrasound for the following week, we would have another OB apt before then.

37 Weeks
Another adventurous Dr. apt.... my heart was beating irregularly and out of precaution we were advised to see a cardiologist. While I was on the phone at our OB making an apt for the cardio Matt asked our OB if he thought we were going to make it all the way to 40 weeks, he said probably not. Well... that was almost 2 weeks ago... we only have 6 days until our due date! Where is this baby?
We had our ultrasound the next day and everything went great. 3 important notes from the apt. 1) Alyssa officially made herself comfortable in the head-down position... making things a bit more uncomfortable for me. But this just means we are good to go for delivery! 2) she is definitely a SHE! 3) And according to the pictures we got Alyssa is going to have big, stubby feet. Poor girl! Hoping it was just the angle of the pic.

38 Weeks
We had the cardio apt talked to the Cardio and got an EKG. Everything seemed to look fine but as added precaution they scheduled an eco for 2 days later. Eco went fine and we got our good results at our next OB apt, which was the next day. This OB apt went very smooth and nothing to report. Just waiting for labor to kick in.
Matt and I have really kicked up our walking routine. We walk almost every day, sometimes 2 miles. This is a big deal for me in general since exercising has never been a normal part of my life. I am really enjoying it and am hoping the Lord looks

39 Weeks
I woke up in the middle of the night last Sunday night thinking I was having contractions but unfortunately they went away. I am so ready to meet our Alyssa and this was a pretty disappointing outcome for me. But I am confident in the Lord's timing. Just like everything else I am going to look back and think, "Of COURSE that's when He wanted it...." He always has perfect timing, just have to wait.

32 Weeks

This week has been so very interesting. I am beginning to feel more pregnant and have started to do a lot of waddling. But at the same I still don't feel as pregnant as I though I should at 8 months.
Every night for the past 3 nights Matt and I have gone for some good walks and I am really thankful for that. First, it gives us a chance to chat about life. Second, it gets me off my rump :) Its getting harder to feel motivated to move around a lot and these walks help keep me going. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable in a variety of ways but walking really has been helping.
Alyssa is still moving a lot and getting hiccups every day. We think we can now tell which direction she is laying based on where the kicks and hiccups come from. Also, my tummy gets really lopsided sometimes and we can almost tell which bump is her head and which one is her body. That's a very recent thing for us and it is really exciting! But even through all this its still hard to believe there really is our baby in there. Can't wait to meet her and see her face!!
Stay tubed for more updates.
Less than 8 weeks!!!

Alyssa's Room - In Progress

We have already done a lot already in preparing Alyssa's room. Here is a peek at our progress...

Check list:

Walls painted

Curtains up

Shelves up

Dresser remodeled

Bed built

Blanket-crib (family heirloom) cleaned and decor'ed

Bassinet built

Bouncer built

Paper lanterns hung

Closet remodeled

Bed made

Mobile set

Baby Showers

Here are some pics from our first 2 showers

Rimkus-Bussell Shower (Mary's Mom's side)

The lovely ladies who blessed us! 

Sister-Love :) This is my older sister Katie 

Praying for Alyssa!

Till-Houston Shower (Matt's Side)

Adorable decor/gifts!

Diapers and wipes... what more do we need???

Almost lost it with this precious gift; a blanket made by Matt's Grandma Marilyn. Alyssa's middle name will be Marilyn (which is also Matt's mom's middle name). While battling cancer Grandma Marilyn made this blanket to give to her coming grandchild (Matt). Now her great-granddaughter and namesake will get to enjoy it!

The fun bunch! So thankful for their love. 

The amazing hosts!!

Baby Bumps

Finally updated some of those belly shots... she is getting big! :)

Review: February 20 // 12 Weeks // 3 Months



Review: March 20 // 16 Weeks // 4 Months



Review: April 3 // 18 Weeks // 4.5 Months



May 6 // 23 Weeks // 6 Months



June 10 // 28 Weeks // 7 Months



July 8 // 32 Weeks // 8 MONTHS

25 - 31 Weeks

What a whirl wind! I can't believe our last post was 7 weeks ago. It doesn't feel like time has flown but I guess it has!

25 // Bussell-Rimkus Baby Shower!
We had our first shower with my mom's side of the family and it was simply delightful. We had delicious food, great company and SOOO many cute little outfits, books and gifts for Alyssa. We were floored by the generosity and can't wait to see our little girl dressed up in all those cute things :) It was held at Illinois Beach State Park and the weather was amazing. We got to go outside for some beach pics which was perfect. Thanks to my mom, sister and aunts who made the day so special!

26- 28 Weeks

These weeks are slowly beginning to blur together. Mainly because I felt like there wasn't anything monumental going on. I felt like I had a great amount of energy... and so did Alyssa (so much kicking and rolling).
I truly have no huge complaints about being pregnant. My feet hurt (but not unbearable), I go to the bathroom all the time (but it reminds me to hydrate), I get leg cramps while sleeping (but I usually sleep well otherwise) and I get winded more easily (but it helps me to slow down and rest, which we all need a little more of). The only stand-out health issue I have had is getting colds/sinus infections. By 28 weeks I was on my 3rd cold and was getting tired of not being able to do much about it. I let it linger for about 2 weeks before getting on a RX, which cleared it up. But my sinuses were killing me, I felt like I was punched in the face. Can't wait to have my immune system back. That was about the extent of these weeks, we were really getting into a good routine of being pregnant and getting ready for a baby.

29 Weeks // THIRD TRIMESTER

This was a big week for us. First, we entered our 3rd trimester! It came without us realizing it was already here. I'm glad for the surprise entry into this new milestone because that means I am keeping busy enough to not feel like the days are so slowly ticking by. But it did give me a reality check that Alyssa will be coming soon. 

Second, we had our Dr appointment and found out we are moving our appointments to every 2 weeks. The appointment itself was smooth, Alyssa is healthy and I'm holding up pretty well :) Our Dr. did tell us that we need to start "counting kicks". Meaning we need to make sure she is kicking at least 6 times every 2 hours. He doesn't want us to take literal notes on it but just to make sure she is kicking more and more. 

And third, this was the week of Summer Day Camp (VBS) at our church. I had an absolutely amazing team to work with but it was still a very busy week! Overall it was a great week though; I had loads of energy, never felt very ill or uncomfortable and Alyssa seemed to not miss a beat with her moving and kicking. The only thing was that I was on my feet walking around a lot and was starting to really waddle and feel large... but otherwise I felt great! 

30 // Till-Houston Baby Shower! 

All this week I spent doing Alyssa's laundry, remodeling her dresser and buying stuff at Ikea for her room :) I thought after camp I would be SO wiped but the opposite happened. I had SOO much energy, I was waking up at 5:45 consistently and couldn't explain it. I know, I know... it's called nesting. But after a whole week at camp I was shocked I had that kind of energy and ambition. I praise the Lord for it because I was feeling very caught up with preparing for her. 

And to top it all off we had our 2nd shower! I had such a great time and felt so totally blessed by all the love. Colleen (mom-in-law) & Amanda (sis-in-law) did a fantastic job making everything so cute and meaningful. After spending so much time preparing and running camp I was so looking forward to a week focused on preparing for Alyssa. And this shower was the icing on the cake!! So so so blessed and thankful!

31 Weeks
Ever since our Dr. told us to start counting kicks Alyssa has been kicking up a storm! And it has been such different kicks then what we were experiencing. Dr. told us we would notice a change, that her kicks would seem more calculated and on more of a schedule. And like clock-work BAM she is moving in all different ways than before. There is less jabbing and more stretching, pushing and shoving. Sometimes she will really get rocking and jabby but mostly its pretty calculated movements it seems. She has also started to get hiccups regularly. I didn't realize what they were at first. But there is no denying those cute little bump-bump-bumps. I love them because they let me know she is doing ok.
I have also been noticing braxtin hicks contractions. They don't come frequent but I definitely notice them now. Apparently I have had them all along but haven't been able to notice them until now... at least thats what the experts say. They have been a friendly reminder that labor and delivery are just around the corner, which sometimes scares me but mainly pushes me to prayer :)

Well, thats all for now. Soon I will post new prego belly shots, room updates and I have a few things that have been floating in my mind that I would love to share with you all.

Thanks again for your love, support and prayers! We so appreciate all of you!!!

Grace and Peace.

New updates coming soon

Hey friends.
I just downloaded an app on my phone that allows me to post new entries to the blog! This is very handy.
I am currently writing a massive update spanning many weeks and can't wait to share it with you. Check back soon for the new post.

24 Weeks

WOAH! Where has the time gone... I have been trying to get on here for WEEKS!

It has been a little more than a month since I have been on and SO much is changing. Let me go back a few weeks:

19 Weeks
This was the big week we found out we are having a baby girl! That was such a momentous moment that it's hard to remember if anything else happened that week. I can tell you that we have been so blessed to actually KNOW that we are having a baby girl. We call her by her name all the time and refer to things as hers, such as, "Alyssa's room." We wonder who SHE will be and how HER quirks are going to add to our family. It's funny how much changes when you know the gender and name. She is already HER unique self and we love HER to pieces.

This isn't to say we know 100% she is a girl... because there is always that chance we are really having a boy. But we are OK with that. We are actually expecting to ask "Is it a GIRL?" when she is just born. We would be surprised if we are really having a boy. But we wouldn't be shocked. The Lord knows and that's all that matters :)

20 Weeks
This week I noticed that Alyssa gets uncomfortable when I "push it". If I find myself going-going-going I can tell she gets fatigued by it. And she doesn't like it when I squat for gardening, she gets a little too squished. I have had to learn my limits with energy and with a growing belly. All such interesting and new things.

Also, she had one kicking spree this week that actually woke me up out of a dead sleep. She wouldn't stop and I actually had to get up, have a snack and go back to bed before she settled down. Overall I think she lasted an hour. What a funny girl.... hopefully not a sign of our future nights with her. :-/

21 Weeks
We had another Dr's appointment this week. He went over our ultrasound information from a few weeks ago and he said everything looks great! Alyssa is absolutely healthy and perfect!

22 Weeks
This is the week I discovered the sorrows of acid reflux. I had been noticing that I can't spend very much time bending over because of my belly getting in the way but then I began to notice I get acid reflux. At first it was barely noticeable. If I sensed it happening I would slow down and be fine. But within this week I realized that I really can't spend anytime bending over. I told my doctor about it at our last appointment and he warned me to take it easy. He said that it's happening because as Alyssa grows my stomach is being pushed out of the way and is actually turning sideways! The naturally gravity to keep things down is diminishing. FUN isn't it?? But overall my health has been great and I can't complain about any of the changes. I am just glad she keeps growing healthy and strong.

23 Weeks
Alyssa must be growing leeps and bounds because my tummy has hit a growth spurt. I feel like I woke up one day and there was a prego belly. I have gone maternity shopping a couple times now and have stocked up on all-things elastic-waisted.

24 Weeks - TODAY
Just the last 24 hours have been enough to write a whole separate blog entry on! Alyssa has been so interesting lately. She has been kicking up a STORM and has even (dare I say) gotten a little annoying about it sometimes :) Today she kept kicking in the same spot over and over, I'm pretty sure my insides are bruised. But I would rather her kick to constantly and know that she is so strong than to wonder how she is doing in there.

Yesterday was such a crazy day too! It was mother's day. After church we went to celebrate our brother-in-laws bday (it happened to be on Mother's day this year) and then went home to take a nap in the lawn. I set out our picnic sheet and laid down in the sun. Then Alyssa started kicking. I was laying on my back so her kicks were feeling very strong. I sometimes poke her back but never really feel like I am making any contact. But yesterday I felt her! There was a hard spot right where she was kicking and then it moved... so I started to poke around my belly and found it again! I think it was her foot or something. I had Matt touch my tummy and he felt it too. I began to poke all around my belly and found 2 other hard spots, one I think was her head and the other her butt... not sure what was what. But based on the foot we found I'm certain thats how she was laying. It was one of the coolest (and creepiest) moments with her so far. It made all this feel so real. I loved it. Sometimes it's hard to believe that she is REALLY IN THERE, but she certainly is!

Thank you all for keeping up with us. We love know that our friends and family are on this journey supporting us. We couldn't walk down this path with you. We also know with 100% certainty that our Lord has so intricately planned this path we are on, we are so grateful for his abundant grace and provision. Our faith is in Him and all we want is His will in our lives, and in Alyssa's too. Without Him we are nothing. Colossians 1:15-17 says, "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for how He has gone before us to pave a way and has held us together with each step we take.

"Lord, we love you and praise your name. Have your way in our lives as long as you are glorified."

The Big Reveal

Alright everybody. It's the big moment. We are finally going to reveal if we are having a boy or a girl!

But first let's take a walk through our experience today. Our appointment was at 9am at Condell in Libertyville (this is where we will be for delivery). For our exciting morning I was given strict instructions to drink 16oz of water 1 hour before and could not use the bathroom! I was in utter misery trying to hold it in. Especially on the drive there and while waiting for our names to be called in the waiting room. Here is a pic of our hospital as we were walking in. Isn't it a pretty building.

After our names were called we met our technician who was the sweetest lady ever. She was so friendly and made sure we were completely comfortable as we settled in for our great experience. The room was dimly lit with calming music playing, felt like I was in a massage room. After getting cozy she told me the fantastic news that I would be able to go to the bathroom after she got a few quick initial pics. I was more than delighted to hear this.

After I was relieved.... she came back with some warm blankets for comfort and we got ready to see our baby (I felt very taken care of) The appointment was about 45 minutes and we got so many awesome shots of Baby Till. But as we were nearing the end of our appt our technician had to admit that the baby was staying modest and she was having a hard time seeing the necessary parts. I told myself this morning that we might not be able to find out boy/girl and I would have to be OK with that. When she was saying she was having a hard time seeing I heard Matt say exactly what I was thinking, "well, it's just not meant to be." Our technician was so sweet and kept trying to find out, but with no luck she decided to take a break. In the mean time here are some of the great pics we got of our baby today.

Isn't our baby so cute!!! I was definitely shedding a few tears... I couldn't believe how great of a miracle was happing right inside my tummy. What a blessing. Turns out baby is very healthy and everything is in order. Praise the Lord!

After taking a break our tech came back and tried again.... And again no luck. We have a very modest baby! In a last effort she asked me to lay on my side. And after a few maneuvers we got the picture we were hoping for!

And so, without further adue... Ladies and Gentelman, Friends and Family, Dearly Beloved... Matt and I are very proud to announce that we are expecting a beautiful baby GIRL!!

Alyssa Marilyn Till is expected to arrive September 3, 2012.

We are absolutely thrilled about our baby girl and can't wait to meet her! In our last few moments during the ultrasound I thought, "Alyssa, next time I see you will be on your birthday." Can't wait to hold this little precious one!

In all our excitement we headed straight to Target and bought her her very first dress. Matt picked it out. He said, "this is so Alyssa" and I could have cried. Isn't it perfect?!

Please continue to pray with us that Alyssa would grow healthy. And we are praying even now that by His grace she would come to know Jesus as Lord. Thank you for your love and encouragement... we cherish it!

Baby Heartbeat

Here is Baby Till's heartbeat at 17 weeks.

The little "clicks" you hear is the baby moving.

Baby Bumps

12 Weeks // February 20, 2012

16 Weeks // March 20, 2012

18 Weeks // April 3, 2012

Better Days

Within a week of entering my second trimester I began to feel my pregnancy symptoms ease up. And by week 14 I was feeling like the energizer bunny! I didn't realize how exhausted I had really felt until I had my energy back and I felt like I could zip around all day. Unfortunately, I try to be busy all day and then it all catches up with me. I have learned to pace myself a bit better now.

With my energy up and an anticipate busy summer Matt and I decided to get a head start on preparing the babies room. By mid-march we had picked out paint colors, bought the supplies and covered those walls! By the close of the month Matt changed all the outlets and put in a new light fixture. The room is 70% ready! All we need is to cover the windows and fix up the closet with some new shelves and we are ready for some furniture and then a baby! Can you tell I am excited? :)

By 16 weeks I was beginning to see a bit more progress in the "looking and feeling like I'm pregnant" department. I had a mini bump to show off and I began to feel some baby flutters. I'm pretty certain it wasn't gas but who knows ;) I felt the first flutters the night before my sister Paige's choir concert and then felt pretty confident in the new discover at the concert when Baby Till decided to dance a little to the beautiful voice of their auntie :)

At 17 weeks we had our 3rd prenatal appointment. I was thrilled to not be sick this time around. The appointment's highlight was hearing our baby's heartbeat again. This time it was so much stronger, louder and faster. I was not expecting it to sound so different. It is definitely an awesome and reassuring experience to hear that "wooshing" sound confirm your baby's safety and health. Also, at our appointment we received our orders to get our ultrasound done within the following 2 weeks.

I am 18 1/2 weeks today and our ultrasound is scheduled for Monday, April 9th at 9AM. I made the appointment today and did not expect to feel so giddy about it. It's hard to believe I made an appointment to see our baby! I cannot wait!!

The big question we are being asked now is, "Are you going to find out the gender???" And the answer is, "YES WE ARE!" I have also been asked if I have a feeling if it's a boy or girl. Until 15 weeks I had no feelings one way or another. But one day I thought to myself that it's probably a boy. We are excited for either boy or girl, we don't mind either way. We just want a healthy baby!!

Before I close let me say a HUGE thank you to all who are praying for us and our growing baby. We have had a very smooth experience so far and are very thankful for the Lord's provision in all of it.

Closing out the first trimester

At the close of the first trimester Baby Till was the size of a shrimp. I wasn't looking pregnant yet but I was still experiencing some minor symptoms that are common for the first trimester including; gagging, nausea and extreme fatigue. I was beginning to wonder if any of these symptoms would subside. Granted I had a very easy but it is frustrating to always be exhausted.

On top of my lovely symptoms I got sick at the end of my 13th week. And by sick I mean I was at home, on the couch, not even well enough to watch TV. You know your sick when you can't bring yourself to watch TV. After almost a whole day of dealing with body aches I finally called my Dr. and asked if I could take any kind of medicine to relieve the pain. He let me take some Tylenol, which was a miracle worker. I was still sick but body aches always make any sickness a million times worse.

After a long weekend of feeling ill I had my 2nd prenatal appointment. By this point I developed an ear infection and was glad to get a baby-safe RX to clear it up. But that's not all I was glad for at that appointment.

1st we learned we could get an ultrasound between 18-19 weeks rather than wait until 20 or more weeks, which is what Dr.'s normally say. But our Dr. said its easier to get a full picture of the baby if you go a little sooner.

2nd WE GOT TO HEAR THE BABY'S HEARTBEAT! It was the sweetest sound! It gave me a huge relief and a sense of this pregnancy being very real. When you don't look pregnant yet and you don't really feel pregnant it is easy to wonder if its "real". But hearing the heartbeat was just what I needed to close out my first trimester.

11 Weeks

Today we are 11 weeks into our 40 week journey. Here are a few notes on how it's been so far:

Week 4

This is when we found out we were pregnant! I felt extremely tired and couldn't stop wondering if we were pregnant. So I grabbed a test and it came back positive! In an instant my body started overheating and sweating... after a few months of seeing negative tests I think my body went into shock :) And just to be sure I wasn't imagining things I took 2 more tests.

This whole time Matt was working on fixing our bathroom fans with two buddies. I had to wait for Matt to finish working, go drop something off, take a shower and then we ate dinner all before I felt like it was an opportune time to share the news with him... it was a long few hours!!

Since it was just past Christmas I decided to wrap up one of the tests and a card that said SURPRISE. I gave it to him after dinner. At first I think he was wondering why I was giving him a Christmas gift but (I found out later) he soon began to wonder if I was telling him we were pregnant. It was a great moment with hugs, tears and a bunch of "WOW's" :)

Week 9

Up until week 9 I was suffering from some nausea but mostly fatigue. I was so utterly exhausted by anything. And I started to crave foods. It wasn't the iconic pregnant type of cravings; it was mainly me getting really hungry and wanting one particular thing with a very strong urgency to have it.

In our 9th week we had our first appointment with our doctor. I had never met him before and was pretty nervous about liking or feeling comfortable with him. The key word in all this is "him". I was a little leary of it being a "him" but he was the only doctor under our insurance that was in Grayslake and delivers at Condell. SO, I decided we would go to the first appointment and decide afterwards if we would continue to see him. I got close to just switching doctors anyway and almost didn't want to bother with "trying it out". But I am SO SO SO glad I have him for a doctor. I'm serious when I say that I don't think I could have a better doctor. He is very kind, patient and spends tons of time with you if you need it. One of the first things he said was that the downside to his practice is that he spends a lot of time with his patients. He explained that he usually runs a little late because he will spend as much time as he needs. But the upside to all of that is he will always be very attentive and wants to hear all my crazy questions. I wish you all could meet him! Best doctor I've met, hands down. (Except my uncle of course... uncles beat out other doctors any day of the week ;)

At our appointment he confirmed our due date to be September 3rd and we got to see our baby's heartbeat!! It was such a precious moment, I will never forget it. It was a little blog with a super fast fluttering heart in the middle of it... super cute! :) The miracle of life and the gift our Lord has given us blew me away. I felt so humbled to be carrying and soon be caring for such a delicate baby. I love my little squishy :)

Week 11

Here we are half way through our 11th week. Nausea has gone done but cravings have gone up. Not only that but I am always so hungry! My new routine includes second breakfasts and many snacks throughout the day. All this eating amounts to a very puffed up tummy by bedtime. I guess I am making space for baby... at least thats how I see it ;) Usually by morning my tummy is back to normal but I have noticed that it stays just a little pouchier every day. It's nothing anyone else might notice but I can see some changes in my waistline.

This week baby squishy is about the size of a fig! It's kicking and moving around... apparently. I'm told I won't feel any of this for a few months, seems too far away. Baby has completed most of its development of major organs and we are hitting the growing phase. By next week he/she will grow from 2 inches to 2.4 inches and just think, 6 weeks ago it was roughly the size of a sesame seed! Our God is so creative and awesome!

God's Plan

Dear Friends and Family,

We have officially made it public... we are expecting our first child! We are absolutely thrilled to share this news with you and invite you to join us on this beautiful journey as we blog our way through the next 7 months.

It starts at the beginning...

Truth is that Matt and I said we would wait until we were married 5 years to start building our family. This May we will be married 4 years, close but not exactly 5. So why the change of mind? A few things. #1 I caught the bug. I have always wanted kids and just a little over a year ago I was really feeling ready. #2 Some of you might have done the math and made the connection of me catching the bug to our nephew Caleb's entrance into the world. Thank you, Amanda and Eddy, for helping us see that "sometime in the future"/"when we grow up" has turned into TODAY.

Lots of business meetings

Matt and I frequently have serious conversations about life. This started early in our relationship. We quickly titled these talks as our "business meetings". It's a time for both of us to share what's on our minds about where we are and where we are heading in life. October 2010 marked the start to a long series of baby business meetings. We wrestled through all the typical topics that are effected by babies: finances, marriage, housing, jobs, family, etc. And after our first few times talking about all things baby we decided to table the conversation to see where God was really leading our hearts in the matter.

Enter Caleb

November 27, 2010 our awesome nephew entered the world. I definitely didn't need warming up to the idea of a baby, however, Matt has had little experience with babies. I was really banking on Caleb to show Matt the ropes. And sure enough Matt started to melt. You can't help but love our precious nephew. As the weeks and months passed Matt and I took a turn in our baby business meetings; we were seriously considering starting our own family in the near future.

Summer and Maternity Coverage

One very important piece of the baby puzzle that had to be sorted out before taking this big step was making sure we had maternity coverage. Since starting our own business Matt and I have been paying for our own insurance, which won't give you maternity coverage until 365 days after your first day of coverage. Yikes! Fortunately we like to plan ahead and elected for the coverage in June 2010. And wouldn't you know it, we decided to start trying to give ourselves an excuse to use this coverage in June 2011.

A house and 7 months later

I wasn't sure what to expect when we starting trying. I starting asking myself a host of questions that I am sure goes through every hopeful couple. Do we get pregnancy right away? Will this take a while? Will we be able to get pregnant ever? And as the months and negative tests passed I was beginning to really wonder. But I knew to be patient, we were wanting to try for 1 year before we started to ask serious questions. Then one day Matt came home and told me we should go looking at houses to buy. I was thrilled but questioned if he was being serious. I tried to keep my head level. But before I could blink we found a great house for an amazing price and God basically handed it to us in 45 days. November 15, 2011 (my birthday) was our signing and a few days later we moved in. For the holidays we found ourselves in a pretty big empty house with no sign of a baby. But God clearly wanted us to have this home and we were putting our trust in His provision for all things. And POOF we were pregnant the next month!

God's Sovereignty

I am in no way saying that buying a home was the formula for getting pregnant. And I definitely don't think you need to have a spare room in order to bring a child into the world. Remember, we started trying to build our family while renting a 2nd floor condo and were happy to host our family there for as long as God would desire. But what I am saying is that God knows the plans He has for our lives. I believe all our efforts were failing because He, for some reason, needed us to be in this home first. NO IDEA WHY! But I hope that in all life's confusion I will always submit to His ways because they are far better and sweeter than my imagination could ever dream. And now I can say with my whole heart that my plans failed but God's plans were perfect in bringing us the good news of a coming baby.

Thanks for reading the story God wrote for us. Hope you enjoy the next months of updates on how our little "bun" is doing.

Blessings