Jacob Henry

Lessons...

I am not a very patient person, my dear husband can attest to this. If you ask him, we would not have married when we married, bought a house when we bought a house, or be having a baby when we are having a baby. He is very methodical and patient. He thinks through things and researches them and sits on them quite awhile before he makes a move. Sometimes (okay, often) this makes me crazy. I make a decision and know what I need to do or what needs to happen and I am ready to go. We balance each other out rather well. God knew what he was doing again! Anyway, back to my impatience...I have always known that being a parent is a constant lesson in patience, what I didn't anticipate was starting that lesson before the kiddo pops out! I know he is well "cooked" and head down and that he has dropped and yet we are playing the waiting game. I hate the waiting game! It makes perfect sense to start such a lesson before you actually have the kid in your arms, but again no anticipation on my part.:-)

In other news, Jacob's due date looms closer and closer. Only 2 more days, of course that is to his due date not necessarily the day he will decide to grace us with his presence. Dan and I are anxious to meet the little guy. We want to know what he is going to look like and watch his little personality develop over the coming months. We want to both get a chance to hold him in our arms and not just see my belly moving around strangely. We are excited and nervous to start this new adventure of parenthood.

Thanks for being part of the journey with us.

Nursery

Well I started maternity leave this week. I have been sleeping in which is great since I wake up every couple of hours. I have had dinner on the table for Dan every day this week which I felt was pretty impressive. We are just kind of playing the waiting game. I had an appointment today and the doc says that I am 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. We are hoping the little guy decides to come on Monday (my doctor is working in labor and delivery that night). I thought I would share some of our pregnancy pictures and pictures of Jacob's room. It still needs some things on the walls and a few other things but it is pretty ready for baby.

What?!

I have started my countdown to b-day! We have about 11 weeks left (give or take) and we are working hard to finish the nursery, have baby showers, and finish up our birthing classes. We have had 5 of the 9 classes so far and we are getting to the good stuff now. Last night we starting really talking about the stages of labor and different labor positions and ways to relax and distract yourself during contraction. Our goal is to have this baby naturally, with no medication, so we have a lot to become educated about.

We are looking forward to meeting this little guy. We can already tell he is going to be and already is one VERY active little boy. He starts karate class about 4am each day. He does gymnastics usually about mid-morning, and then the rest of the time it is periodic rough-housing. He is getting bigger and stronger. I am pretty sure that he is using my stomach and my spleen as bunching bags. I keep trying to remind him that I need those to function when he is done in there but I don't think he understands! :-)

I had another check up today and all looks good. No gestational diabetes or any other health problems and the belly is measuring 30 cm. Which is apparently right on par with where I am in the timeline. I can't see my feet unless I lean forward a bit and I make a lot of noise when I bend down to get anything. I have a tendency to walk a few feet and then forget where I was going and what I was going to tell whoever I was going to tell what! I entertain myself frequently with such forgetfulness.

That is the update for now. I can't wait for you all to meet our Jake!

Birthing Classes

On Monday, we had our first birthing class. We have chosen to go to Bradley Method classes, which is basically to prepare you for a husband-coached natural childbirth. I would really like to and believe I can give birth naturally. We are hoping these classes will give us some great tools and prepare us for the painful unknown. It was so strange to be a part of the class. Everyone was in a pretty different place in life and philosophy etc. The one thing we all have in common is that it is all our first pregnancy. Through the course of the class we will be watching different birthing methods. We started with a tub birth. To be honest, it freaked me out. I have never seen a birth before and really had no good concept of what it looked like or anything and it FREAKED me out! I am a pretty modest person so watching another person naked in a tub giving birth with all sorts of people around and being videotaped....AAAHHHH! I am hoping and hearing that I will feel different about the situation when I am actually participating in bringing this new life into the world. The course is 9 weeks and we are excited to be learning so much and getting prepared for this new life coming in just 3.5 months.

Jake has been moving around a lot. He doesn't really have a pattern except to kick a lot when I am trying to go to sleep. His movements are getting more pronounced and definitely stronger. Instead of feeling like a bubble popping inside me, it feels like some kind of alien creature trying to push its way through my abdominal wall!

Dan and I have finally figured out the whole registry thing and have completed registering at Babies R Us. I think that is the only place we will register. It is so overwhelming and crazy to try and figure out what you need for a baby, especially when you have never had one. I think it was a ton easier to register for our wedding than for the baby.

Dan and I have been talking about what our paternity and maternity leave will look like and we have started really working on what happens when we go back to work. We have some ideas in our head but we will see what we decide. We are hoping a friend of ours will be Jake's childcare provider. She is an at-home mom with 3 kids of her own and I would love Jake to be in that kind of environment. Plus she is such an amazing mom and it would also not cost as much as a daycare facility. We just keep praying that the Lord will lead and guide and grant us wisdom as we move forward. This is His child more than he is ours and I have to learn to let go of all these unknowns that freak me out. (easier said than done:-))

Well there is the update for now. Hope you are all doing well and I can't wait to meet our little Jacob and have him meet all of you.

Traveling

Dan and I spent last weekend in San Jose. Dan's mom picked us up from the airport on Thursday evening and we spent that first night with her. It was fun to catch up after so long. For the rest of the weekend we stayed with Uncle Larry and Aunt Sue. Dan was the best man so he had a few responsibilities for the days leading up to the wedding. I was able to spend time with Uncle Larry and Aunt Sue and just relax. It was so delightful.
Friday we had the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. The dinner was at the Cheesecake factory - soooooo good! Cheesecake makes me melt into happy land! Saturday was a day of leisure for me. We ran a couple of errands but that afternoon and evening I spent time in the pool and had dinner and just relaxed. Dan met up with the guys for a bachelor party and I spent my time getting to know Sue and Larry better. It was so wonderful.
Sunday was the big day. We started the morning at the local Farmers Market and had breakfast. Then Dan was off and running again. I took a nap and then got ready for the wedding.

The wedding was held at the Eagle Ridge Golf Course. It was beautiful and seemed to go off without a hitch. Dave and Kerri looked so happy. It was such a blessing to be a part of their big day.
Break for a funny story---I was told to sit in the family section (the first three rows), well I sat down and realized NONE of the rest of the family were sitting there. I looked around and sure enough they were all seated several rows back. It took me a minute to convince them all that they were supposed to be in the family rows but once I did, they all moved up and I was no longer sitting alone in the family section. Thanks Aunt Sue for helping me get everyone moved into their family seating!

The reception was a blast. Everyone danced and it was a great party. Congratulations again Dave and Kerri, we wish you all the happiness and love in the world.

Monday was breakfast and some goodbyes and then back to the airport. I was stung by a bee in the airport for the first time since Jr. High. It flew in while we were in line to check in and landed on my head. Without really thinking I went to swipe whatever was tickling my forehead and my finger met the stinger of a bee. I, of course, yelled out and made a little bit of a scene which caused Dan to whip around and wonder what the heck was happening. I was crying! It hurt, what can I say. By the time we were checked in and made it through security my finger and hand were swelling up. We found the first vendor we could and asked for ice to I could try to get the pain and swelling to go down. Behind us in line was one of the flight attendants for our flight. She took such great care of us. She got me a bag of ice (to replace my cup) and some anti-sting cream and a Benadryl. I really felt so taken care of. It is cool to see how Jesus provides just the right people to help you when you need it. It was such a small thing but to have one of our attendants right behind us and offer to help was so good for my heart. Anyway, the rest of the trip was delightfully uneventful. It was a great time with family!

Next week we start birthing classes!

Adventures

At 5 and a half months pregnant, I thought it would be so fun to participate in a family backpacking trip. Originally all 7 of us were going to go, but due to work obligations, Dan and Daniel could not join us. So mom, dad, Nathan, Livvy, and I all set out for our little adventure in the Sierra Mountains. We left before the sun came up on Wednesday morning, all 5 of us in the folks Toyota. It took about 6 hours to arrive at the base of Kennedy Meadows where we would hike in. The minute we stepped out of the truck we were attacked by "millions" of mosquitoes. It was crazy. Fortunately Nathan had brought Deet along and we all sprayed ourselves like crazy. The hike in should have been easy since it was mostly downhill, but alas we only made it about 2.5 miles before we had to stop and set up camp. My fault....I pushed myself too hard and ended up in too much pain to continue you forward. Dad scouted out a beautiful little area surrounded by Forrest and meadow. It was perfect. We all set up and had dinner. There was definitely plenty of soreness and a little dehydration to go around but we had a wonderful evening together. All five of us piled into a 3 man tent to play cards before heading off to our respective tents to sleep. It was a time full of laughter. Day 2 was beautiful. Mom, dad and I took the day and hung out at camp. It was a day full of relaxation, so needed. Nathan and Olivia headed off to Jordan's Hot Springs. It was about 7 miles round trip for them. They were so beat once they returned. Pour Nathan suffered from some severe dehydration and was miserable through the night. Friday was another beautiful day, especially after having rained during the night. We were planning to stay until Saturday but mom got sick and it was time to pack up and head out. I have been saying that this trip was good and a bit of a disaster all at the same time. I loved being with my family and laughing and playing cards and relaxing. I was not so much a fan of the pain and the bugs. Glad I went but do not plan on backpacking again, at least while I am pregnant! :-) Thanks family for a fun trip and taking most of the weight in your packs. I love you!

He is all BOY!

The appointment went well. The tech said everything looked to be right on track and our due date is still reading as October 29th. These are all the pictures that they printed out for us at the appointment. It was so fun to see everything and see the heart move and count his fingers and toes. I am so excited to meet our little boy. Now onto the fun part of registering and birthing classes.

What's up?

Have a confession to make....I had Dan take a belly pic a few weeks ago and I didn't like it so I deleted it. I think I have decided belly pics are not for me. Sorry folks. I have been told that I am starting to look pregnant or my belly has popped or something. I am thankful to a dear friend for providing me with lots of maternity clothes. I have so much happening over the next month that I am wanting to curl up in bed and sleep through it all! I have my 3rd prenatal appointment on Monday and then our ultrasound is Thursday. I am really hoping to find out the babies gender. We have my brothers birthday celebration and a couple of Father's day celebrations planned. We also have a family backpacking trip that I am super excited about. Pretty nervous too but excited. It has been a long time. I really hope it works out for everyone to go. Then we have my brother-in-laws wedding. Yay for Dave and Kerri! I am excited to see everyone up there and relax and enjoy their lovely wedding. I am not excited about the plane but we will just deal with that when it comes. We start Bradley method classes in July and I am looking forward to being better informed and somewhat prepared for this baby. Friday is 19 weeks, almost halfway there!

Appointments

Well I had my second prenatal appointment. It went great. I had no idea what to expect since I never really asked and I have not done this before. It was a pretty quick in and out appointment. I was able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time and it was going strong. I had lost about 10 pounds from my bought with the stomach flu but all things are still looking good. Honestly I can afford to lose a few pounds. The morning sickness is ebbing which is fantastic. I hit a wall at about 2pm and all I want to do is take a nap but I am making it through pretty well. My next appointment is June 7th and then on June 10th is the big appointment! We have our ultrasound scheduled Thursday June 10th to take the babies measurements and check on his/her progress and also to find out if we are having an Emma or a Jacob. Super excited about that appointment.

Our summer season is rapidly approaching at work so things will be picking up again and also get pretty warm down here. Excited to see all the summer groups and see more homes built.

We have a family backpacking trip coming up this June so I am excited and nervous about that. It should be great to go back to where we use to go when I was a kid.

Then in July we have a wedding to attend. My brother in law is getting married! So excited for Dave and Kerri and can't wait to see the family up there.

Blessings~

Sharing

A friend of mine has a blog that she updates regularly. I have been really challenged by many of her entries and blessed to hear about her life of ministry. Anyway, I just read this particular entry that really caught me. I want everyone to read it. So here is a link to Cari's blog. Check it out!

http://carijenkins.wordpress.com/2010/05/11/my-life-says-eh-whatever/

Second Trimester

So the time table on this pregnancy thing is so weird. Apparently it is not until week 14 that you begin your second trimester. I am almost through my first week in the second trimester. I decided to start it off with a bang....the stomach flu. I flew to Portland to see family and go to a dear friends wedding. Had a great time there and flew home on Sunday. On the way home from the airport we had to pull over so I could "toss my cookies" in a bush. I went home and slept for a couple of hours, thinking I was just over-exhausted. I then ate a little something because I am pregnant and it is good to eat food when you are pregnant! That was the end of that. I didn't stop throwing up until the ER on Monday night when they gave me Zofran and fluids. We were in the ER for 8.5 hours. After 3 liters of fluids and meds to stop the vomiting, they sent me home at about 4:30am Tuesday morning. I was able to get a meal in for the first time Wednesday evening so I am back at work today! I am still experiencing some morning sickness but it is much easier than the flu. I have my next doctor's appointment on Monday so hopefully I will get a good update from the doc.
It was great to see the baby's heartbeat again at the hospital and that definitely gave me some relief. Looking forward to the next weeks as things continue to progress quickly and soon I may feel movement! :-)

12 Weeks

I made it through my first trimester. I had a few meltdowns along the way but I have started the second trimester. I am still feeling sick every day and headaches have been added to my list of "ailments". I am hoping that over the next couple of weeks I will get that energy and non-sickness feelings like I am told comes. :-) My clothes are all a little snug and I bought my first pieces of maternity clothing this weekend. I have a new dress for a wedding I am attending in a couple of weeks, so that is exciting. I don't really have a baby belly to speak of yet so no pictures as of yet. When I look less chubby and more baby belly, I will have Dan take pictures. My next appointment is May 10th and then June 10th is the ultrasound appointment to find out if it is a boy or a girl. That's all for now!

First Speck Pictures

8 weeks

Well we made it 8 weeks to our first doctors appointment. I have been tired and nauseous for about a month now and it is really wearing on me. I hear I have another month or two to go for this fun! I saw the doctor yesterday. It was a fun and not-so-fun appointment. They had to do all the regular first appointment procedures but in the end we got sonogram pictures. We got to see our baby and see his/her little heart beating. It was SO cool! It was the first chance Dan got to feel like this was all real- He got that tingly feeling! It was so sweet. I started taking Benadryl which really helps calm much of the nausea.
Dan has started painting the nursery so that is fun to see come together. I will post the sonogram pics as soon as I can get them scanned.

In other news, it is spring time here at Amor. Things have picked up at work and much of the office is scattered about the country. Amor Ministries is also celebrating 30 years so that is way exciting! The next couple of weeks we will have a camp full of people down building homes for the people in Mexico. I love this time of year. I love seeing everyone here and feeling the excitement in the air. Please continue to pray for the Amor team and those participating in the Amor trips. Thanks

6 Weeks

Morning sickness has begun! "They" say that it is a good sign, a sign of a healthy pregnancy. If "they" are right, that is encouraging. I still hate being nauseous all the time. So far nothing I have tried has worked. I have been drinking 7up, eating small meals throughout the day, eating saltines etc. It was recommended that I try sea bands so I think that is my next try.

Found out last week that my sister in law is pregnant as well! Exciting news! Their baby is due the week after ours. We get to go through all these fun stages together. It will also be fun for our kids to be playmates. Fun stuff.

5 Weeks

That's right, I am 5 weeks pregnant! Dan and I are so excited and as you can guess, nervous. I took a home pregnancy test on Friday February 19th. I was so nervous that I didn't look at it as I went through my morning routine. When I did chance a glance, there were two pink lines! I was so excited, that I rushed out of the bathroom and practically jumped on Dan who was still sleeping. "Dan, Dan wake up, wake up. I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant!" I was shaking uncontrollably in my excitement! Now came the hard part...waiting to tell anyone until we had told my parents who were out of town that day. I also was on my way out the door to workout with my sister-in-law and I had to try to keep my excitement in!

I made it though. We went to my parents house on Saturday afternoon bearing gifts. When they opened their gifts together, they each received a bib that said "I love Grandma" or "I Love Grandpa". They were both so excited. And of course my mother made me call family so she could start telling the world. I was given the privilege of telling my grandparents that they would be becoming great grandparents later this year. See, I am the first on both sides of my family to have a baby! Sunday morning we called Dan's family to tell them. His mother of course screamed in excitement for like a full minute, which was fun. His Dad and step-mom were much more practical but still way excited for us.

Currently, I am just exhausted all the time. No morning sickness yet.

I will do my best to keep you updated on my progress regularly and hopefully post some fun photos when "Speck" starts getting bigger and showing himself off! Thanks for your love, congratulations and prayers. They are so appreciated!