HALFWAY THERE!!!

Here's my belly progress:


YEAH! We made it to the halfway mark! I can't believe in 20 wks (maybe less, but hopefully not more) Adam & I will be parents! I get butterflies every time I think about meeting our baby. It's going to be amazing when Adam tells me whether we have a son or daughter and then when they place the baby on my chest.........and then it's official, "I'm a MOM!"

A little Q&A:
How far along? 20 wks! Halfway there!
Total weight gain/loss: +18 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Just a couple shirts, that’s it. I just ordered some shirts, a pair of jeans, and shorts this wk. I still fit into some of my regular jeans that were just a bigger size; let me remind you they are low-rise. I am finally starting to show a little and am loving my bump:)
Stretch marks? Not yet and hopefully never!
Sleep: Some nights I sleep well, others I don't. I wish I could sleep straight for 7-8 hrs, which would be AWESOME! I sleep with pillows on both sides so when I roll side to side I have something to cuddle with.
Best moments this week: Making it halfway through this pregnancy, seeing the baby for the first time, and feeling the baby move! Oh ya, today we went and registered too.
Movement: Yes! Especially today for some reason! Adam & I went out for breakfast and let's just say Baby C is a "true Carriker." I say this because Carriker's love breakfast and when I finished eating, little C was moving around like crazy; he/she must have really enjoyed those pancakes!
Food cravings: Not really! (Maybe ketchup!)
Labor Signs: No, and hopefully not for a long time!
Belly Button in or out? In
What I miss: Being able to bring the little daredevil out in me. I now have to think about Baby C baking away inside.
What I am looking forward to: Most of all I look forward to holding this little one in my arms. I’m also excited for Adam to be able to feel the kicks.
Weekly Wisdom: Watch out for foods that can make me gassy and try to stop drinking after 6 p.m., to help with multiple bathroom trips at night.
Milestones: Big positive sign on the pregnancy test. Hearing Baby C’s heartbeat. Feeling movement. Seeing Baby C. Slowly growing out of my clothes. Registering for baby things. Getting the nursery ready.

I think I've finally officially 'popped!' One of my friends made the comment that I look like I am pregnant now! However, I asked Adam today if you could tell and he said, "Kind of!" Nonetheless, I am just so thankful to have made it this far and can't wait for the end of this summer.

“My salvation and my honor depend on God ; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.”-Psalm 62:7

The Baby's Crib

The nursery in the making!

Mayo Jar & 2 beers

The past couple days/wks/months have been rough, but every time I think about how hard this pregnancy has been, I think about what the future holds and how it’s all worth it! Last night I felt terrible; I don’t want to smell Pizza Hut again for quite sometime. I only had a couple bites of crust and let’s just say it didn’t agree with me or the baby. Lately I have been so gassy, and I mean gassy! It’s so disgusting/frustrating and I am so thankful that it usually only happens at our home and not out in public too much. I wish I could figure out what is making me gassy, so I could eliminate it from my diet. However, I think it might just be me something that is going to the whole time I’m pregnant. Thank goodness for the husband I have who just brushes it off and says, “It’s okay Ang, I love your stinky butt!” He’s so sweet;)

Earlier this week I finished my first baby book, The Happiest Baby on the Block. It was great book and has some really great suggestions for new parents. I have now started reading What to Expect the First Year. While doing cardio at the gym, I enjoy reading through the book. It was funny though yesterday because I was reading about breastfeeding and it was showing pics and explaining different techniques, etc. Nonetheless, I thought it might be a good idea to skip over those couple pages and come back to them later (at home), so I didn’t freak out the young man next to me.

My cousin’s girlfriend sent this to me and I just had to share.

The mayonnaise jar and 2 beers

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

The sand is everything else---the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with your children. Spend time with your parents Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal Take care of the golf ball first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.

The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.' The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.'

"Save me, I pray..."- Genesis 32:11

Baby's Big Ultrasound

Baby C’s first pictures:


Today was so amazing that it just left Adam and I speechless. What do you say when you see all that God has done for you?! Two o’clock couldn’t have come sooner for me; I was so excited to see Baby C for the first time. We pulled out the video camera to catch it all on video. Here’s about 16min worth of video. You can really see the spine, heart, legs, and arms. She goes into detail about the stomach, kidneys, etc. She said everything looks to be measuring well and that overall the baby looks healthy.



I am so thankful the ultrasound went great! Baby C was moving like crazy. Baby C had its spine to us most of the time (facing inward) and its head was buried in my right side. I think this is why I haven’t been able to feel the baby as much lately. However, I am getting a couple kicks/punches here and there. Since Baby C decided to keep its head buried, we were never able to get a good profile picture (bummer). However, in 8 wks we’ll have another ultrasound done and maybe then Baby C will decide to cooperate, but maybe not if its stubborn like its parents:) The tech was able to measure everything else, except some thing’s on the face/head. Our tech tried really hard to get the baby to move it’s head, but let’s just say we have a camera shy little one. We tried jiggling the ultrasound wond, moving me around, emptying my bladder, but Baby C just preferred to show us his/her wonderful looking spine. Seeing the four chambers of the heart was amazing and just so cool to watch beat away. Here’s some details from today’s appointment.

Baby weight: 13 oz

Measuring me at: 20w 2d (a wk ahead of schedule)

Heart rate: 144bpm

We talked to the Dr. about the headaches that I seem to be getting all the time lately and also about my stomach problems. He thinks a lot of my headache problems are from me not sleeping very well. We have some things we’re going to try and hopefully we can get something figured out. Our nurse asked us about any names we were thinking about, so Adam and I told her the names we were thinking about. We’ve never told anybody (strangers) the names we were thinking about, so today was full of a couple firsts. Anyway, right now we have two boy names we really enjoy and one girl name, which both Adam and I love. However, we’re keeping the names a secret until the baby is born. We would both like to see the baby before we name it.

Today I’ve felt pretty good; however, I can’t seem to shake this headache that started this afternoon. This pregnancy has been rough on me, but I am so thankful to be pregnant and can’t wait to meet little blessing inside of me. The Lord has truly blessed me with so much and I am forever grateful for everything!

Just as I speak/type, Baby C decided to give me a good kick in the side. Oh how I’ve missed that feeling:)

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”- Romans 6:23

Day Before Big U/S

Oh Goodness! My emotions are building in anticipation for tomorrow's u/s. Last night I didn't feel the best and overall it was a really rough weekend. I also didn't feel the baby move last night, which is the first time I haven't felt Baby C move. I felt Baby C move Sunday morning & afternoon, but not last night. Today I haven't been able to feel the baby. It may be nothing or it may be something, nonetheless all I can do is trust that this is in God's hands'. As I am writing this I think I just felt the baby move, but than again maybe it wasn't. Today I was busy working out, cleaning house, doing laundry, going through mail/bills, and am looking forward to watching my shows tonight. I'm really anxious and excited for tomorrow and I can't wait to see Baby C! Please God be with the baby and I. Please keep us safe and may tomorrow bring many joys to our growing family.

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.”-James 1:12

19 weeks!

21 weeks to go until Baby C's DEPUTE! I can't believe I am almost halfway there. It's been a rough 4 1/2 months, but oh so worth it! I can't wait to meet Baby C!

Saturday was a good day, however the night was a whole different story. After a much needed date night with my hubby (church, the movie I love you, Man!, and some supper)! Nonetheless, my body was having some issues and I felt terrible. I haven't felt as bad as I did last night in a long time. My wonderful anti-nausea drug helped me to fall asleep and wake up feeling a little better. I don't know why I am feeling the way I do this weekend, but I am ready to get back to feeling normal again. Today Adam & I went to the mall to look at maternity clothes and just walk around. I really felt like getting out of the house and was excited when I bought a new pair of running shoes. I've been wanting a new pair for some time and finally got around to getting them! We also bought our parents' mother and father's day presents! Overall it was a good day shopping, but not the best day for my tummy. I took a long nap when we got home and have been trying to take it pretty easy most of the day. Enough about me feeling crappy, onto better things to come........

Our big ultrasound is Tuesday and I can't wait! Tomorrow night it might be hard to sleep, because I'm super excited to see what Baby C is up to. I feel the baby a lot throughout the day, usually the most when I am sitting down in the evenings. It's funny how if I haven't eaten in awhile and then eat something, the baby just starts to move like crazy. I can't wait for Adam to be able to feel it soon; probably only a couple more weeks!

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” -Jeremiah 17: 7-8

Fantastic Friday & the Cost of Raising a Child!

After a couple rough days, I've finally had a FANTASTIC FRIDAY! Yesterday was really rough on me, because I felt terrible almost all afternoon and evening. I had a terrible headache (it lasted for over 7 hrs); thank goodness when I woke up this morning it was gone! Most of this week I've not been sleeping the best. One night I woke up almost every hour or two. My body was becoming very fatigued and ruined down. Last night I was so tired and had such a massive headache that I practically passed out when my head hit the pillow. I only woke up two times and the third time I woke up I just got up. It's been the first night in a long time that I didn't need my 3 AM feeding! It's amazing what a good nights sleep can do for someone. Nonetheless, I have had a terrific day and am so thankful for all the blessings in my life:)

It's so funny how I forget how bad yesterday I felt and yet today all I can think about how awesome it is to be PREGNANT! I've been feeling the baby a lot lately and every time I feel a little push from inside, I give thanks and praise to the Lord!

So I came up with a list of big things I need to get done before this summer is here. I've been getting one thing done almost everyday and it feels so great to cross off things from my list! Anyway, here's some things I've accomplished on my to do list: A's fb scrapbook is updated, my closet is cleared of clothes I don't wear/fit anymore (and now will be able to fit some maternity clothes in it), getting the nursery together (bit by bit), and washed the baby clothes that we have so far.

So I read this on someone's blog and thought it was definitely worth sharing.

Here's something absolutely positive for a change. I have seen the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way.

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140.00 for a middle-income family. Talk about price shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140..00 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into:

* $8,896.66 a year,
* $741.38 a month,
* $171.08 a week.
* A mere $24.24 a day!
* Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice is; don't have children if you want to be 'rich.' Actually, it is just the opposite.

What do you get for your $160,140.00?

* Naming rights. First, middle, and last!
* Glimpses of God every day.
* Giggles under the covers every night.
* More love than your heart can hold.
* Butterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.
* Endless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.
* A hand to hold usually cover ed with jelly or chocolate.
* A partner for blowing bubbles and flying kites.
* Someone to laugh yourself silly with, no matter what the boss said or how your stocks performed that day.

For $160,140.00, you never have to grow up. You get to:

* finger-paint,
* carve pumpkins,
* play hide-and-seek,
* catch lightning bugs,
* never stop believing in Santa Claus.

You have an excuse to:

* keep reading the Adventures of Piglet and Pooh,
* watch Saturday morning cartoons,
* go to Disney movies, and
* wish on stars.

You get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For a mere $24.24 a day, there is no greater bang for your buck. You get to be a hero just for:

* retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof,
* taking the training wheels off a bike,
* removing a splinter,
* filling a wading pool,
* coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and
* coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat in history to witness the:

* First step,
* First word,
* First bra and/or jock strap,
* First date,
* First time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal. You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren and great grandchildren. You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there under God. You have all the power to heal a boo-boo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you, love without counting the cost. That is quite a deal for the price!!!!!!!

Love and enjoy your children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren! It's the best investment you'll ever make!

"But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God." -Ruth 1:16

Loving Spring and Being Pregnant

I feel so unbelievably blessed! As I sit and write about everything that has been going on for the past couple days, all I can do is give thanks for all the blessings in my life. Thank you Lord for blessing me with so much!

Monday Adam started his off-season training with the team. He got to meet his coaches and he said the workouts aren't too bad. It's nice getting back into a good structured routine. We get up and exercise the dogs first thing in the morning. Adam then heads to work and I finish my morning routine (eat breakfast, feed dogs, and the make bed). I then head to the gym for a good workout and by the time I get home and shower it's time to start making lunch. My afternoon's are full of getting things accomplished on my list of things to do.

Yesterday we had Baby C's furniture delivered:) I was so happy when it arrived last night. We cleaned everything and rearranged the nursery. The room is definitely coming around and every time I go in there I get butterflies!

The weather is absolutely gorgeous; I love spring time. There is nothing like opening your windows for a cool breeze and sound of birds humming songs in the trees (not in my house-lol).

I can finally say I am feeling GREAT (almost all the time)! I still have my episodes at night, but if that's all I have to complain about I'll take it. Last night I was getting really hungry and then I felt hot and ugh! All I could think is that this summer could be long. But after changing into some cooler clothes and getting some food, I gave thanks to the Lord for the blessing of a child. Being pregnant during the summer will have it's blessings though: I'll get to wear fun summery maternity clothes, I won't look like a big tent (being pregnant and wearing layers), and Baby C will have a summer bday (just like mommy & daddy).

Today when I was working out, I felt a really good kick/punch. I was doing some cardio and then all of a sudden it was like boom. It only happened once, but I've been hoping to feel a strong kick./punch and I finally felt one!

“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”- Colossians 3:12

Adam's Diet, 3 AM Snack, and a Bird

Adam has recently went on a suicide diet or what at least that's what he calls it. He has managed to lose 10 lbs and I am very happy for him. I continue to cook and eat the way I did before, however Adam has just cut back on portions and the extras that he doesn't need (and wah-la). I haven't gained any weight since my last Dr. visit, at least according to our scale at home. I have tried to cut a lot of sweets and extras that I don't need also out of my diet. Just trying to give Baby C an up for when he/she makes it's appearance into this world.

I am feeling good almost all the time now, which is AWESOME! The only thing lately that is kind of a bummer, is that I don't sleep very well at night. I am up every couple of hours, if not every hour. The past three days or so I have been waking up at 3-4 in the morning with hunger pains. They are so bad that if I don't eat anything I can't fall back to sleep. This happened to me when I was in my first trimester and I would eat some crackers to take the pain away. I gradually weened myself off, so I wasn't eating anything in the middle of the night and my body adjusted really well to it. However, it has came back and it's really annoying. We had a late night last night, so I ate a little before we headed to bed, hoping/praying that maybe this night would be different from the others since I ate late, but it wasn't. I ate a banana last night to help the pains subside. I have also noticed an increase amount of saliva in my nose and throat. I think I wake up every couple of hours to go the bathroom and spit. I did get some relief from going the bathroom all the time for a while, but now it seems the baby must have moved on my bladder and it makes me take numerous trips to the restroom. I have also increased my fluid in take to help with my skin and clear off some of this mucous stuff, so that doesn't necessarily help either. I really just wish I could sleep longer than 2 hrs at a time. Maybe this is God's way of preparing me for the future. Who knows?!

We went to our neighbor boys going away party. He is off to Army bootcamp on Tuesday. I wore a maternity top (of which at this time I only have 2 actual maternity tops) and you totally can't tell I am pregnant (especially not for almost being halfway done with my pregnancy). Some people were like, "Oh, you look pregnant, but so small." I insisted it was the shirt that gave the illusion I was pregnant. Being small in my belly has its ups and downs. An up is that I still can enjoy being smaller and know that in time I will be huge and look like I could pop at anytime. A down is that I look a little pudgy in the middle, which drives me crazy. Nonetheless, I am so happy to have this bundle of joy inside of me, which I've been able to feel everyday for over a week. It'll be really exciting when I feel the first good punch/kick.

Before we went to the party we went to BabiesRUs to pick out a mattress for the crib. So along with the mattress we also bought a girl's bringing home baby outfit. We were looking around and had sometime to burn before we had to head to church, so we thought we would look at some outfits and see if we liked any. Since we're not finding out what flavor Baby C is until it's birthday, we plan on taking a girl and a boy outfit to the hospital. We found a cute little girl's outfit and I got butterflies just looking at it. I am so excited for this blessing! We didn't find a boy outfit we liked, but we will continue to look.

I don't know how I failed to mention this on my last post, but here's a story to share with your friends. So while we were in Jamaica Adam had shut off his phone and right before we were getting ready to leave he turned it on and checked his messages. Our house alarm company had called and left two messages about our alarm going off on Friday. I called our neighbor, who was watching over our house, to see if everything was alright. She said the police had came and looked around the outside of the house and everything looked fine. There was a UPS box on the step, so they thought that if the UPS driver jiggled the door a little it could have set the alarm off. Okay, so no worries then. But then Adam gets a message from one of the people who works at the alarm company, who he had called earlier to see the details of everything, and the man perceives to tell him it was our downstairs, inside alarm that was set off at 2:30 and then our upstairs one at 4:00. They said it was probably a pet issue and we said well we hope not because both our dogs are kenneled right now. Anyway, at this point we have no idea what set our alarm off and are like when we get home we'll go through the house and inspect every room, closet, and underneath every bed. So when we got home after midnight Tuesday morning, Adam grabbed his baseball bat and I grabbed my mace. We turned all the lights on and started our search through our house. When we first walked through our front door we saw what looked like some paint drops on the wood floor (just 2 little drops that kind of looked like the nursery paint). Then we noticed one of our picture frames was knocked over and a decoration ball was on the floor. At this time we really had no idea what had caused these strange things to happen. So we started in the nursery, upstairs bathroom, our master bedroom, and then our bathroom. Adam went to check our closet and I saw something on the floor. At first I was like did Adam drop something on the floor before we left and then I looked closer at it and was like, "Oh, my gosh..............it's a BIRD!" At this time Adam thought I was face to face with a bugler or some person. I was totally disgusted out by it and couldn't believe a bird was in our house. We checked the rest of the house to just make sure no other animals or people were anywhere to be found. We figured that the only place the bird could have came in was through our fireplace downstairs. It hadn't been working right and we had the glass off the one side (let me remind you the glass has been off for over a year). Anyway, I put the glass back in right away just in case some other little critter had made a home in there. We think the bird died from living in the fireplace for quite some time and then once in our house it just didn't have any food or water. Nonetheless, I was very thankful that it was dead and not flying around our house. We also know it didn't live very long in our house because it only set the alarm off twice in a couple hours and then that was it. A couple positives to this: we put up the glass so it can't happen again, we don't have a cat which could have had a hay day with the bird and an empty house, and our house was still in one piece and after thorough cleaning (yes, I am a neat freak-so everything got scrubbed) you would never know we had a nice little thing flying around our house.

"Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." -Psalm 25:5

Our Babymoon & Baby Kicks

Our Babymoon to Jamaica was AMAZING! It was so nice to get away just the two of us and have some much needed R & R! We had a great time and really didn't want to come back to reality; however it' s nice to be back home (of course once I got everything done around the house it was nice to be home).

We arrived in Jamaica around 7:30ish and onto a bus we were loaded. It took us almost an hour and a half to get to our hotel because we had to drop off other people at different resorts and we hit a little traffic. Both of us were exhausted, but so excited to be in Jamaica. When we were finished checking in, it was Buffet time. And well it was not great. Adam and I were really disappointed in the food. The next morning I woke up to the ocean. It was so nice to open our deck door and look at the ocean and just hear the sounds of the waves. What a relaxing feeling?!

Tuesday and Wednesday we laid low and took it easy. Quality time at the beach reading and relaxing and we even played some beach volleyball. Adam was all over playing volleyball; I played one morning and had some knee wounds to show for it. Adam enjoyed a ride on a jet ski. It was the first time he'd been on a jet ski and the guy just said, "Here's the throttle and there's no brake!" Oh ya, and right before that Adam was putting on the life jacket and it really didn't fit the best and Adam said something to the guy. And he just said, "Well, you can swim right?!" Anyway, Adam had fun riding the jet ski. Wednesday night we ate at the Japanese restaurant that they had at our resort. We both ate our whole supper with chop sticks. I think we did this in part because we didn't have silverware on the table and then we were just having fun with it playing around with them. We were both pretty proud when we finished eating everything (even rice) with two sticks.

Thursday we went tubing down a lazy river. We had to pick excursions that we thought would be safe for the baby and me. On our way to the inside of the rain forest we drove through some Jamaican towns. It was really neat seeing there way of life verses ours. Right before we got to the river, we had to drive through all these orange trees and Adam and I both joked that we felt like we were headed for a rebel camp. It was crazy driving off road in the middle of the rain forest. Before we went were able to go tubing, our guide insisted he wanted to arm wrestle Adam. For never lifting weights in his life, he actually had some pretty big biceps. Anyway, Adam showed him what lifting weights can do for you when arm wrestling:) It was really fun going through the rain forest in a tube down a river. It was a gorgeous day and we had some really funny guides. One of the guides heard I was pregnant and said "Your having a boy!" Then he said it again later on; Adam asked him how he knew and he said "I can see his head!" Adam then was like, "Where are you looking?" Oh somethings that were said on that lazy river should never be repeated!

Friday we hung out at the beach for awhile and then we went on a sunset cruise. It was more like a spring break party cruise, but it was well worth it to me to see the sunset. They took us on a big catamaran to a place called Rick's Cafe. We anchored there for a while and if you wanted to you could jump off the boat and swim over to the Cafe. At the Cafe you could jump off a 75ft cliff into the ocean if you wanted to. I would have totally done this if not for Baby C; Adam even said he would have done it. Nonetheless, we sat and watched people dive, belly flop, and straight leg off the cliff. They had some professional divers that work there and they were really fun to watch. They would go even higher than 75 ft and do hand stand and then flips. It was just relaxing watching them, listening to Jamaican music, and enjoying the peaceful sunset. As we pulled up the anchor and headed back, we were able to watch the sunset below the ocean. I absolutely love sunsets and was so happy to be able enjoy this very peaceful one.

Saturday we went snorkeling. After a ride on the same boat we took the night before we got to the reef and were able to look at the amazing ocean below. I love just watching all the fish swim around. All I could think about was Nemo and Dora looking for his dad! After a fast snorkel, because the water was really choppy we headed to half moon beach for a Jamaican BBQ. It took us a long time to get there since we were headed into the wind and it felt like our boat was a ride. It was really bumpy, rocky, and wet. I thought of it like a ride and enjoyed it all. Anyway, once we actually got to the beach it was fun. The BBQ was good and we soaked up some more sun.

Sunday was our last full day there. I woke up early to get reservations to the Steakhouse, since Adam had previously gotten up early so we could eat at one of the restaurants. Anyway, it was confusing because in Jamaica they don't spring ahead, but I didn't know this until we woke up and our phones had not changed time. I called the front desk and asked what the time was, so we could get all straightened out. After I got our reservation we enjoyed a relaxing day on the beach. Adam played volleyball, we read our parenting books, and we even shopped a little. We bought Baby C a onezie and a monkey (to go in it's nursery) that both say Jamiaca. Adam had never played tennis before and I haven't played since high school, so we went and played some games. We just made up our own scoring mechanism, because neither one of us remembered the exact way to score tennis. We scored it like you would in ping-pong, which allowed us to play longer too. It was fun and let's just say mommy and baby were pooped afterward running all over the court. Sunday night turned into quite the ordeal for me. We were enjoying our nice meal at the Steakhouse, which was surrounded by some shallow pools and right by the beach. As we finished our meal, we asked our waitress to take our picture. As we stood up and took the picture, my leg began to itch. I then looked down and saw ants all over my feet. They were sworming a big bug I had killed when we started eating. Anyway, I was getting bitten and I was totall grossed out. I grabbrd my stuff and got to the water, where I took my shoes off and submerged my feet. Adam was banging my shoes when they started to get on him too. Nonetheless, I think I only ended up with a couple bites, but I was completely disgusted the rest of the night.

Monday we were at the hotel until 3, when we had to head back to the airport. We left around 7:30 and got to our home around midnight. Every night Adam and I would take the cribbage board down to the show area and play until the show started. A lot of people would look at us playing cribbage, because we are such a young couple to know how to play such an old game. It was a great Babymoon and I am so happy we were able to have sometime together just as a couple.

My highs were: beating Adam in Cribbage, enjoying the ocean, reading under the sun, and spending time with my best friend.

Pregnancy updates: I have begun to feel very distinct flutters and kicks. They started last week and as I sit and type I keep feeling them. We just went and got some ice cream and since then the baby has been moving around. I am finally feeling good and think I am over this morning sickness stuff. However I have said this before and then it came back, so who knows. The one nice thing about getting back home, is that my body needed to get back onto a schedule. My body is very structured in the way it operates and when things get changed up, my body tends to go nuts. I am happy to say everything is back in order and all is going well thus far. I am getting excited to go to the Dr.'s in a wk and a half, so we can see what Baby C is up to. I can't believe I am almost halfway there. I can still fit into most my cloths. Some jeans are tight, but if they were a bigger pair to begin with, then they would still fit. Adam will look at me sometimes and be like, "Wow, you're belly is getting big!" I tell him the same thing back:) At night I sit and rub my belly and give thanks to the Lord for this blessing!

Side note:
My house is clean, laundry is finished, and I am finally caught up on mail & bills. I feel like we've been going nonstop since we've been home. I hope tomorrow settles down a little and that this weekend is peaceful.

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."- Psalm 118:24

Birthday Fun & Morning Sickness (again)

We headed to KC Thursday to meet up with PJ & Shan for PJ's birthday. They found a very cool hotel that has a indoor water park! The Great Wolf Lodge was full of so much fun and it was a great weekend with PJ, Shan, and my lovely hubby. After going down twister water slides and hanging out in the pool, playing arcade games, eating lots of munchies & sweets (so great to say "I am on vacation, it's ok"), and great family fun we had to head back home. We had to leave right after breakfast on Saturday because a snow storm decided to hit right in KC and head east, so we thought it would be a good idea to get on the road. Half of our trip back home we spent driving in terrible weather, but luckily we made it home just fine. Adam and I really wanted to stay longer (I think PJ & Shan did too), but we knew we needed to get home so we could do laundry and pack to go on another vacation. I love the off season! I had a really great time and it was so much fun to just have a fun filled weekend and to act like kids again! On Monday we're off to Jamaica! I can't wait to get away and have time where it's just the two of us.

As of Friday I was still thankfully morning sickness free. Lately though I have had these tremendous headaches and the morning sickness is coming back. The headaches feel as if my head is going to explode from the top. I think it's just my hormones fluctuating. It's really weird, one second I don't have a headache and then all of a sudden I do. And then it can last for 20 minutes or it can last hours. It really feels like a roller coaster. I told Adam that I am just feeling different (I really just don't know any other word to describe how I feel). It seems like since Saturday I feel like I have for most of my pregnancy. I have been very nauseated and just feel out right terrible. Last night was probably the worst and I was just thankful to have my nausea pills to take the nausea feeling away and help me sleep.

I have also started doing something new.......rubbing my belly. I don't have much to rub, but it's definitely more than I ever have had. I love it! I can't wait to feel Baby C moving around soon. Oh that will be so exciting!

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” -1 John 3:18