Week 16.

This post is... surprise, surprise... LATE! I am technically now 16 weeks, 6 days, and will be 17 weeks tomorrow! But I just didn't feel like taking a photo. I ended up taking these ones because my hubby insisted, last night after dinner (so the bump is both food baby and Baby boy)! :D I've been craving spicy foods, of all things! Is Baby Boy already a little firecracker? I think so! :)

The last week I've been just exhausted, mentally and physically. I am so grateful to Jesus for healing my body and giving me this child, and yet, I didn't expect things would be so tough! The enemy has come against me so much lately, especially as my work-outs have come to a near halt. However, I hold tight to my God, as He is so much bigger than all my problems. I love 1 Timothy 4:8 when I start feeling this way- "Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever."

This weekend, Kevin and I took all of the things we had cleared out of the office and what is now the baby's nursery to Goodwill, including my gigantic hoarded stash of old magasines (Runner's World, Psychology Today, Real Simple, etc). Not easy, but needed to be done. Then, Kevin decided we should try to find a white paint that will match the current wall colour, so that we could do some touch ups (especially in the nursery, since there's a big scuff). Well, we pick out a sample of "bone white" (which is what our customised house plans called for when we looked it up in our home owner's info)- yeah, THAT didn't work! It looked really brown in comparison to the white on the wall. So, fast forward: we tried two more colours (one was too blue, the other too yellow), and neither worked. ACK! We WILL figure this out, but for now... I think we're gonna end up doing the baby's room in blue. :\ Haha.

Ooo, we have our registries now, too! We are registered at Amazon.com, Target, and Babies R Us! WOOHOO! How very exciting! :) I have noticed that I have really started itching to clean and fix things up for the baby, and I'm guessing this is a slight "nesting instinct" kicking in. Ooooohhhh, boy! Haha.

But yep, as you can see, this is the real deal, folks. Baby Boy is already a chunker, and I already have quite the lump growing in my gut. I'm trusting in God that I'll be able to control and maintain my weight gain, but even while I'm dealing with this anxiety of weight gain, I'll just rest in Him. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me from anorexia nervosa and compulsive overexercising. I will never forget Your great name, and I refuse to go back. <3

Week 15.

My entire pregnancy, I've really tried to stay active. But it's AMAZING how exhausting it is to spend 40 hours a week working, create/plan for a rapidly growing human being, stay mentally/emotionally and physically stable, and oh... try to fit in an hour of walking or a half-hour of treadmill running every other day? It's frustrating for a previous half-marathoner/ marathoner, I must say, especially when I think I may have a ever-worsening UTI that is even further complicating things. :\ But this morning (15 weeks, 4 days), Kevin and I made sure to go out for our morning walk to Starbucks and back (about 3.25 miles), even if it did wipe me out. The photos here were taken right after my shower, right before we left for our walk. :)

That being said, I am definitely starting to get bigger. Baby Boy is getting bigger, and while I thought he was still in my lower abdomen area, the ultrasound technician showed me that he is way up where my belly button is. That makes me feel better, as I thought I was just getting a nasty belly fat roll due to eating too much or improperly. :P

Speaking of the ultrasound technician, we went in for a special sizing and aging appointment, where we found out that we were spot on in estimating his age (down to the day)! The technician even switched on the 3D view, and we got to see him moving around in there. It was so cute to get a black and white 3D photo of him putting his hand over his mouth, almost like he was giggling! However, our baby at 15 weeks, 3 days definitely looked more like Predator (the alien) than a chubby little boy. Haha. Oh, and the technician confirmed: It's a boy! But she wasn't able to get a very good photos of his boy parts for us, since his umbilical cord was wrapped all around his legs.

Week 14.

This will be a short update, since there's nothing really new to report on my end: I'm still sorta nauseous, had a headache for 3 days straight, and am trying to figure out my smell/taste "triggers." However, I have gone shopping for maternity clothes and am currently wearing my first pair of maternity jeans as I type- they are more comfortable than regular jeans, but I don't think the pregnancy fat will ever be considered "comfy." :P

The big news, however, is... during our regularly scheduled ultrasound (on Wednesday), we got quite the surprise! The doctor was scanning as usual, and not only has our Baby Bean become an actual BABY, but we are now 99% sure that IT'S A BOY! WOW! We were pretty surprised, just because we had had this "feeling" it was a girl... And boy, were those "wives tales" that my mother-in-law was so sure of soooo wrong! Haha!

And with no further ado, here are a few of the ultrasound photos:
This is a few from the bottom of our baby, as if he were sitting. You can see his butt, little legs/feet, and... his "you know what"!

This is a side profile view- his head is facing to the right, and his butt is up on the left.

This is the full-frontal view. His face is to the right (and you can even see his brain faintly, as well as eyes, nose, and mouth).

Week 13.

So yes, I am ONCE AGAIN posting late. But this time, I have a good excuse... and the photos WERE taken on Saturday. Anyway, on Sunday (6 March) I could not stop vomiting. Now, I had been FINE for two weeks, pretty much, but I think I was just so excited to be in the second trimester that I was hoping the nausea/vomiting/exhaustion would go away as everyone predicted!

Well, at around 1130 PM on Saturday night, I came out and took one of my anti-vomiting pills because I was not feeling so hot. 30 minutes later, I was in the bathroom, puking hard. As soon as I would lie down, I would be back up, hovering over the toilet. After nearly passing out on the way back to bed, my husband insisted that we go to the hospital to at least get some fluids in me.

3.5 hours, an IV of 64+ ounces of saline and a vial of Zofran, a Doppler exam for the fetal heartbeat (down to 163 BPM now), and a couple barf bags later, the doctor discharged me with the typical instructions for hyperemesis gravidarum... but also a prescription to make sure I gain plenty of weight by eating McDonald's hamburgers and fries. Not even kidding. Haha. Okay, Doc, I think I'll start by attempting to just hold down water/Powerade. :P

I got home, and immediately threw up 3 times. I spent the rest of Sunday and Monday in bed, pretty much. On Monday, though, I saw my OBGYN's partner, who was able to write me a doctor's note for work for the week, thank goodness. On Wednesday, we should be seeing Baby Bean again via ultrasound! It's crazy to think that s/he is already the size of a lemon (about 3 1/2 inches and 1 1/2 ounces)! Can't wait to see him/her again, and even more, I can't wait to find whether Baby is a girl or boy!

Anyway, the rest of this week is just going to be spent taking care of myself and the little one as I am trying to catch up nutritionally. I just feel weak after only eating 500-750 calories in the last 2.5 days. :\

Week 12.

Oops, another late blog! Technically, I am 12 weeks, 6 days along today... and tomorrow starts week 13 (second trimester)! At any rate, I am starting to notice my belly is definitely getting pudgier. Also, I've REALLY been enjoying Jelly Bellies- I think this really IS a "Baby Bean"! :D The nausea and exhaustion has been lessening slowly but surely (even though I DID end up throwing up so hard on Thursday that I went to the ER since I strained the muscle under my ribs)... Hmmm, I have had to buy new underpants, as my old ones were leaving dark lines in my belly and it was getting really uncomfortable to even get through my workday! Never thought I'd have to do that, and though it's hard to leave the past behind, I know this is the "sacrifice" I am willing to make for the beautiful child that is growing inside of me. I'm trying to stay as active as I can, though that typically just means power-walking for an hour 3 times a week, and a 30-45 minute walk/jog with my husband on Saturdays. I'm just tired after working 40 hours a week, and I really do want to be super careful, re: dehydration/nutrition. I literally have to drag myself out to the gym anymore, but I guess I just have to remember that regular exercise can help with the constipation (yikes, TMI?!) and later on, it'll help me with labour! (My biggest "want" is to be able to do a half-marathon in April or May.) I just cannot wait to go on our "babymoon" vacation! We're thinking about somewhere in Northern California for 3-4 days, just to have some grown-up romantic time to ourselves before Baby Bean comes.

Anyway, folks, that wraps it up for this week. At least... that's what I can remember to mention. :P

Diets DO NOT Work. Jesus Does!

Are you contemplating dieting? Trying a "healthy" weight loss plan of 1200 calories a day with an hour of exercise, 7 days a week? (That's NOT healthy, by the way, despite what the media and magasine celebrity nutritionists might say.) Thinking that the only way that you can feel in control, feel like you are good at something is by restricting your intake or bingeing and purging? Do you feel like the only way you can fit in with your female friends or co-workers is by dieting and obsessing on what you eat... because that's just what "everyone else" seems to be doing?

Let me tell you what the Bible says about this:
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them." (Hebrews 13:8-9, NLT)

In Hebrews, they are referring to bringing animal blood and meat sacrifices to a holy altar in The Tabernacle, from which no one could eat. They thought that by giving up the tastiest and best meats, their sins would be atoned for.

If you compare this to our society today, sometimes we see certain foods as "good" or "bad," "healthy" or "unhealthy." We might try every new fad diet that comes around or trust unreliable sources if they give us the "perfect" weight loss plan. We institute crazy rules as to what we can eat, because it makes us feel like we have self-control, like we're self-disciplined. We stop trusting our God-given bodies' intuitive eating, so we eat when we are bored, lonely, angry, etc... and then restrict or purge out of guilt for breaking our self-imposed rules. We give up our favourite foods for bland "lite" versions, just so we will feel like we're being "good." We even consider rich, delicious delicacies as "sinful"!

But here's the cool part- we don't have to do these sort of animal sacrifices... or the modern day equivalent of dieting and having black-and-white thinking when it comes to our eating habits. We don't have to give up the foods we enjoy, nor do we have to worry about whether or not what we are eating is "socially correct" or not. That's because Jesus sacrificed himself for us already! He gave up all earthly comforts so that we could enjoy our freedom and relationship with God!

"So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood... Let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God." (Hebrews 13:12, 15)

So remember this:
Diets DO NOT work... but JESUS DOES!

What God Wants You to Know.

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. (Song of Solomon 4:7)

Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. (Isaiah 43:4)

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)

 Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)

God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (Ephesians 6:12-18) 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)