Week 7 : Actual Date of Writing: 7/3/13

Week 7

Size of Baby: Blueberry
Symptoms: nausea! :( sore boobs, diarrhea, pregnancy brain, unstoppable crying, itchy skin (or maybe that's just from the sun)
Cravings: french fries, potato chips with dip, any fried food, toast (with anything on it), salty salty!
Aversions: anything sweet
Weight: 147

Journal:
Oh boy... this nausea better take a hike at least for a couple days! We are leaving tomorrow on our cycle with Kelby and Kendra and going to my parents. Friday we are Whitewater Rafting and coming back Saturday night/Sunday morning. I can not be sick for this! For one- we don't want anyone to know until the next week. For two- I really want to enjoy cycling and rafting! I have wanted to go WWR for years and will be so upset if I can't enjoy it!

So "morning sickness" decided to slowly make its debut this week. It's just nausea now- no vomit- for which I am so grateful! If I keep eating- keep my belly full- it goes away. But once I get hungry- nothing really sounds good!

I've had major pregnancy brain lately, too! Doing stupid stuff, like leaving by bra on the stove after taking a shower (?!?) to really clutzy stuff like knocking over a full glass of water by my nightstand looking for a hankie for my tears...

... Those tears were for my broken iPad that fell off the roof of my car. Bad, bad, bad. I could cry right now all over again just thinking about it.

We get to tell my family I'm pregnant next week!!!! Can't wait!!! :)

Prayer:
Dear God,
   Thank you for my good health and a good husband. Please please please let me enjoy our cycle trip and whitewater rafting this weekend without feeling sick.
You Rock,
  Amen.

Week 6 : Actual Date of Writing: 6/26/13

Size of Baby: Sweet Pea
Symptoms: fatigue, exhaustion, cramps, sore boobs, fear of nausea!
Weight: 148

Journal:
   I am SO glad we were just on vacation! I pretty much slept every change I got at Little Eden this week! And after being awake for a while, all I felt like doing was sleeping some more! :) I guess it's good that I could do that (& not feel guilty!) I may have annoyed some of my vacationing companions by only ever wanting to sleep or rest, but I feel ok about it- I mean, I'm growing a human being right now... that's hard work. Anyway- sleeping on the beach (Lake Michigan) may not have been the best choice. I got really burnt! My chest is the most burnt I've ever been in my life! Ooops!

I finally just made my first OB appointment! Unfortunately, it's not until I'm 10 weeks. Which is after the Hershey weekend- which is when we are planning to tell my parents (and probs the rest of the family) but I'm not sure about telling EVERYONE before I see the Dr! We shall see...

Time to go unpack!

God, Please!!!! no morning sickness!!!!!!
-Brittany

Week 5 : Actual Date of Writing: 6/19/13

Week 5

Size of Baby: Apple Seed
Symptoms: fatigue, occasional cramps
Weight: {am I really going to share this with the world???}  147

Week 5

Journal:
OH MY WORD! I'm PREGNANT! I still have to remind myself of this a couple times a day! So we have known for a week and a half. I figured out my due date and it looks like it's February 19! Hopefully it doesn't get moved up since my parents will be in Argentina on their bike ride!
Finding out: I had bought some pregnancy tests that said they could tell as early as 6 days before a missed period. I knew I wouldn't be able to wait so I chose those. {now after reading lots of pregnancy literature online I realize it's next to impossible to tell 6 days before, or at all before your missed period}... Andrew was in DC for work the week of the "6 day" mark but we were meeting at my parents for the weekend. On Thursday (6days prior) I took the test. I didn't read the directions- thinking how hard is it to pee on a stick? The results were negative. I was a little bummed but I hadn't given up hope because it was likely that it was too early to tell. So I left for my parents' Thursday evening. We came back Sunday and while Andrew was outside I took another test. This was 3 days before the missed aunt flo. It was POSITIVE!!! My initial reaction was big eyes and a big smile! I thought, "is this for real?!" "Uh oh!!!"
Andrew and I already invited Kelby and Kendra over for the evening to play some games so I didn't want to tell Andrew right before they got there! Of course, while they were here they made comments about being pregnant, etc... Little did ANYONE ELSE know!!! After they left I still didn't want to tell Andrew since we had been separated for a week.... if you catch my drift... So after we reconnected I came back upstairs and hopped into bed and said you better not fall asleep yet! I just looked at him and he knew right away. "Why? Are you pregnant?" "YUP!"
We are both excited. We are both scared! I have done a lot of reading already and Andrew has done some listening! :)

I really wanted (and still do!) to tell Michelle about it right away and also email Steph and tell her since she is in Australia/PNG! But Andrew won't let me. He said we should just enjoy this time that just the 2 of us know. (he is so wise) I was ok with this for the first week, but last night we may have had a little tiff over it. I feel like telling someone else will make it more REAL!

So now I need to find a doctor. I really want to see a midwife, or nurse practitioner, or at least a female Dr... But Andrew only has his male dr and since I'm can't talk to anyone about it, I have to do all my research online instead of asking friends!! I need to do some more research and just pick one so I can get my first appt scheduled! I should start a list of questions for her.

Everyone knows how much I would rather have a girl than a boy and wish everyone had girls, seems like everyone has boys! (except for my little friend, Eliana) I have such a strong connection to my niece, Greta, but not really to any boy babes... (again except for little Lowen who I babysit once a week...) Well-- The thought has already occurred to me- I really don't care if it's a boy or a girl! As long as I get a girl someday!

Many couples struggle over picking names for the babies, so it seems. I am so glad that Andrew and I already have a boy and girl name picked! Of course- it's always subject to change but at least we have ones we agree on! Hallelujah!

Well I'm exhausted and I think we're all caught up here... We go to Little Eden this weekend then Karla and the boys and Mom come out to visit. I've read week 6 is when you start feeling morning sickness so hopefully I don't get that! Please, Lord! Spare me! The week after that we go home on the cycles with Kelby and Kendra and go White Water Rafting and the week after that is the Hershey Weekend! I guess we will be telling people before we know it!

MY PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Please bless my little appleseed baby. Help him/her to develop into a strong, healthy, God-fearing child. Help Andrew and I to know what to do during these next couple of weeks! Help us know when the right time is to tell our family and friends. and Lord, THANK YOU for giving us this blessing and allowing my body the miracle of growing a baby. All my love, all my life.
Brittany

We're Having A Baby!!!

No Joke! We really are!!!  Our lovely little bean is due somewhere around February 19, 2014

Maybe since my life is about to get REALLY exciting, I'll resurrect this little blog. 

Life has actually been really exciting since I last posted- maybe someday I'll do a little "Hey! This is all the fun stuff I've done since I've abandoned the blogger world for so long!" Probably not though, since anyone reading this probably already knows it all anyway.

Did I mention that I am with child? I started a journal since Week 5 (we found out right away at week 4!) and figured I'd just move that here so you can all know my personal intimacies with my very first pregnancy. 

But right now... I'll just let it soak in.... 

ANDREW AND I ARE GOING TO BE PARENTS!!!!!

States I've Visited

Map of States Visited

So I decided to keep track of the states that I've actually done something in. I've been to the 48 contiguous states already- with my dad being a truck driver, we managed to get through every state in 15 years. Maine was the last one to cross off that list. Now that I've reached that goal (years ago) I thought I'd like to make it a goal to get to the 48 .... no the 50 states and actually do something in each state. I found this handy little picture through pinterest (LOVE!) and I just quickly went through and checked the ones I thought of right away. I may think of something monumental in other states. Since I love lists....... here it is!

Alabama-
Alaska-
Arizona- Grand Canyon with my mom
Arkansas- Canoe Camping trip with Hesston College
California-
Colorado-
Connecticut-
Delaware- many times, one being that I used to work a market there
Florida- Disney World in 3rd grade
Georgia- Atlanta MCUSA convention, and to Americus with Hershey MYF service trip
Hawaii-
Idaho-
Illinois- Chicago Mission trip, and Andrew's aunt & uncle's house for Christmas
Indiana - Goshen to visit friends, Angola to go shopping, and other times I didn't realize I was there
Iowa-
Kansas- Hesston College
Kentucky-
Louisiana-
Maine- met Mom & Dad's friends Roger and Jean
Maryland- boating, and soccer tournments, and many other times
Massachusetts-
Michigan- Little Eden- and other stuff
Minnesota-
Mississippi-
Missouri- Soccer tournament at Hesston
Montana-
Nebraska- visited friends in Lincoln
Nevada- Las Vegas with my mom
New Hampshire-
New Jersey- OCNJ, and others
New Mexico-
New York- NYC with Meghan and Lisa
North Carolina- Duck, Corolla family vacations
North Dakota-
Ohio- live here now!
Oklahoma- Visited OKC with Andrew while at Hesston
Oregon-
Pennsylvania- born and raised!
Rhode Island-
South Carolina- John's Island, and Hilton Head
South Dakota-
Tennessee- Nashville MCUSA convention
Texas- introduced Andrew to Mom & Dad in Fort Worth at a Longhorn sale
Utah-
Vermont-
Virginia- visited friends and family in Harrisonburg, Virginia Beach for Senior trip
Washington-
West Virginia-
Wisconsin-
Wyoming-

24 down, 26 to go!!! :)

Just for kicks and giggles:
Countries I've visited:
England
Canada
Bahamas
Belize
soon Dominican Republic!!

Fighting the American Dream

I think I may have mentioned before that I am reading a book, Radical, by David Platt. I had just started it and was realizing that I was going to be convicted by it. That was a few months ago. I'm still reading it. ;) Anyway- I was right. It is VERY convicting. And quite honestly there's so much in it that I don't know where to start. I don't know where to start talking about it on here, and I don't know where to start in making changes in my life!!

It's basically about NOT striving for the American Dream. The subtitle, if you will, is "taking back your faith from the American dream." My heart tells me, I don't want to live the American Dream, and I want so badly to live like this book, like Jesus taught us... but my head is fighting my heart. Or maybe it's the other way around. 
Now, I must confess, this book has mostly been read in the bathroom. Don't judge. It's also gone on some vacations, but the majority of my reading has been throne-side. I, unfortunately, never got a pen in there so I wasn't able to underline the parts I liked. About half way through I started to dog-ear the pages that had something memorable written on them. That's the thing. This book has so much! I KNOW I'm going to have to read it again and take notes. 
I just got to one of the last chapters which challenges the reader (me!) to a year "Radical Experiment" I'm excited to finally get some concrete ideas and actions to do to live this conviction out. I will share what those are once I finish the chapter! :)
Anyway- I realize that I haven't actually said much about the book, but like I said, there's so much to it and really, I need to read it again. I think you should read it too. It puts a smile on my face to think of a generation living as Jesus taught us to, and not how our forefathers taught us to. 

On that note, I don't want to be "yeast of ingratitude." So thank you, God, and thank you Mom & Dad for giving me so many blessings. I am truly grateful. Lord, please help me to turn these blessings into blessings for you and your people.

"Real success is found in radical sacrifice. Ultimate satisfaction is found not in making much of ourselves but in making much of God. The purpose of our lives transcends the country and culture in which we live. Meaning is found in community, not individualism; joy is found in generosity, not materialism; and truth is found in Christ, not universalism. Ultimately, Jesus is a reward worth risking everything to know, experience, and enjoy." David Platt, Radical, p.183

Junk Day and Yard Sale Finds!!!

As promised... here is my blog about my recent scores. I'm pretty excited about some of these pieces, others I might sell or do who knows what to...

First, we have this lovely cupboard that my lovely Andrew got from his Uncle Mike.
Mike bought it at it an old school auction. 
As you can see it needs some work. We're going to be using Restor-a-finish magic on it.
Maybe you'll get to see it when it's done!


Next we have this darling kitchen shelf. When my mom was here helping me move my things in, we both agreed that I needed something to fill this space that I could also put my kitchen utensils on.

 

I pretty much think it's perfect.


Oh! I almost forgot to mention. We found this at junk day. 


That means that we picked it up FREE along the side of the road!!!

 This charming window I bought at Andrew's Uncle Jon's yard sale for $5. When I sale yard sale... picture huge auction minus the auction part. It's massive. 


Anyway, this wasn't my original vision for it but I think I like the simplicity the way it is.


It'll stay this way for now, but might get some decorations added later in life.

This is a simple cheap bookcase. Nothing too crazy. $15 at a yard sale.

 Another FREE find from junk day. I cleaned it, but I want to cover it too. And it kind of smells. It is LazyBoy though!!

This little guy was another FREE junk day find. It hasn't even made it inside yet. I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet. Anyone want to buy it???

          This is probably my favorite score. FREE from junk day!!!!! It's a great little storage space for my craft supplies. It's so organizing! I can't wait to craft!

This chair we got for $20 at a yard sale. It's lovely, doesn't smell, and is comfy. I thought I'd drape a scarf over to spice it up... but my scarf took it over! I left it on anyway. Scarf was $2.50 bought on the streets of Bethlehem, Israel!

And finally I want to show this big guy off:I got this from my grandma, who apparently saved it from the dumpster. It almost never made the move to Ohio!!!Well I seem to be having some formatting issues. I wish blogger was easier to put pictures in. Oh well. You get the idea. :) Enjoy the day!