Baby Reflections

We have arrived at the 30 week mark! Only 10 weeks to go before we meet our little guy so we thought it would be a good idea to get some thoughts recorded before he makes his appearance. 10 weeks sounds like a long time, but I have been meaning to write this post for at least 10 weeks now; finally, here I am at 30 weeks, ready to reflect on the first two trimesters of pregnancy.


30 weeks side view

How I first suspected that there was a baby was brewing: We certainly were not expecting or anticipating so the suspicions were just gradual observations - things that made me think, "well, that is strange..." I noticed that my nails were extraordinarily strong and growing quickly. I also noticed a difference in my hair. My suspicions increased when I was grocery shopping and I looked in the cart to see the food that I could not get enough of when we were expecting Theo: green apples, peanut butter, almonds, and all the fixings for grilled ham and cheese.

How I told Derick of our surprising miracle: I decided to take a test without mentioning anything to anyone because I thought I was likely just crazy - no need to draw attention to my cooky-ness. I thought, "I'll just take this test so I can put these suspicions to rest." Right...so there I was, in the bathroom, holding my phone in my hands so I could keep an eye on the time. When I saw the second line appear, I laughed out loud then I prayed. I marveled at this surprising blessing and then I sent a text to Derick. "Umm...can you come here?" He came promptly and stood at the door (he's still big on privacy in the bathroom :)) and asked what I needed. I said, "Just come on in." He entered hesitantly and I handed him the evidence, trying to smother my smile. He looked so completely baffled, but the pieces came together for him, and he, too, was filled with laughter and joy. He thought I just needed toilet paper! He was not prepared for news that he was going to be the daddy to three babies!

How we told loved ones that we were expecting: We discovered our little peanut on December 6 but waited until Christmas to share the news. It was very difficult to keep a secret; we desperately wanted to tell but with it being so close to Christmas, we thought it would be a wonderful gift to share with our families. We had little ornaments made of a baby face in a pea pod; on the back of the ornament, we wrote, "We have a pea in the pod! August 2011" Needless to say, everyone was surprised and pleased with their Christmas gift!

Oh, the Irony: Each year, right after Thanksgiving, the girls in my family go to the annual craft fair where I have to exercise a great deal of self-control. I found a cute wall hanging of wooden stockings that could be personalized; I kept returning to the booth and wrestled with whether or not I should indulge. I decided against buying them because I thought, "What if there is another child someday...then he or she won't have a matching stocking, and I won't be able to put this Christmas decoration up, etc." Little did I know, a little person was being knit together at that very moment! It was at this craft fair that I saw the cute ornament mentioned above. I recall seeing the ornament and thinking "Someday, that would be a fun way to tell people that we were adding another person to our family." I never would have thought that I would be calling the vendor two weeks later to see if she could make the ornament for us.

Food cravings: Cantaloupe, red peppers, strawberries, blueberries, green apples, and peanut butter...those are the healthy cravings! I have also craved chocolate chocolate donuts, pizza, and a chocolate banana milkshake from Cold Stone! However, courtesy of gestational diabetes, I have only partaken in the first set of cravings. I look forward to a brief junk food indulgence after baby is born!

When I first felt baby move: 18 weeks little flutters that were more than butterflies filled my lower abdomen

Baby's Movements: This little guy is a wiggly one for sure! He likes to stretch out and at times feels like he is all elbows and knees. I can feel his little fingers or toes tickle / jab my ribs. His movements can be seen easily, which is fascinating and a little bit unnerving. He particularly likes to wiggle in the evening and afternoon hours. He likes to go to one side, and when I push him over, he pushes back. Derick equates it to playing tag. :)

Sweet God-glorifying moments:
* Seeing baby's heart beat glow and flutter at our first ultrasound at 7 weeks and 6 days
* Hearing the news that baby looks healthy at our level 2 ultrasound (there is concern with increased risk for health problems for baby when a woman is diagnosed with gestational diabetes early in a pregnancy)
* After not feeling baby move for a day, worry overtook me. I recall asking God to please let him give a little kick to allay my fears...moments later, the David Crowder song "He is Jealous for Me" came on and baby did not just kick...he danced! Thank you God for the quick answer to prayer.
* Hearing that baby is growing perfectly at our last ultrasound (I am measuring small and have not gained weight during pregnancy...more worry...) At this time, he is measuring 4 days ahead.
* Asher has been very excited about the baby. He picked up on the sign very quickly and seems to fully comprehend the baby in my belly. He likes to put his hand on my abdomen and say "hello" in the sweetest voice. He frequently signs that he would like for the baby to play with him. The other night, after reading a bed time story, I lay beside him. Asher sat up, patted my belly and said "hello" then he leaned in and kissed my belly! It was a very tender moment; we have not prompted him to kiss the baby...in fact, it never occurred to me. He thought of it on his own, which was just a such a sweet gift. One more Asher tale: the other day, we were talking about the baby. Derick asked Asher, "Where is the baby?" We expected him to pat or point to my belly; instead, he ran to our bedroom. I followed to see what he was up to...I was completely surprised to see him digging out the ultrasound pictures! He pointed and signed "baby." It nearly brought us to tears that he put those pieces together. We are so glad that he is excited for his brother's arrival.

We have 10 weeks to go; I am sure there will be more to reflect on over these next couple of months (hopefully there will be time for reflecting!). Thank you for praying with us for this baby and for our family. If we have learned anything in the last few years and especially recent months, it is that God is sovereign, God is good, and sometimes, life throws serious curve balls (more on that in a future post), and that the first two truths are essential for survivng the last. We are regularly blessed by your prayers; thank you.