24 Week Update

How far along? 24 weeks (The size of an eggplant.  About 9 inches and about 1.7 pounds.)

Total weight gain/loss: +9 lbs
 
Maternity clothes:Yep.  Pretty much all maternity tops but I still rock the unbuttoned pants with the belly band just because I have yet to meet a pair of maternity work pants that were anything even close to being flattering.
 
Have you told family and friends?  Everybody knows now :)

Have you started to show yet? Yep. No denying it now.

Sleep:  Better.  Still having issues with the temperature thing and uber weird and LOTS of dreams but still better.

Best moment this week: We got her a new book!  It's called God Gave Us You and now M reads her that in the mornings :)  Spending a few minutes by myself in prayer, then listening to M read her that book and playing her songs off her play list make pretty much every morning in those 20-30 minutes before we get out of bed my favorite minutes of every day :)

Miss Anything? Having more control over my thoughts.  I have always prided myself in really being in charge of my emotions and feelings and being able to "talk myself down" when needed.  When someone does me wrong I have been able to REALLY try to 'do what Jesus would' and think and pray before speaking.  I have always believed (and still do) that if you go off every time that someone does you wrong or you perceive they are doing you wrong or you get upset or get your feelings hurt that you are a weak person.  I have become that weak person.  These days, I have no patience with things that have always bothered me.  And I am quick to tell you about it if you happen to cross me.  And I am not letting things go.  I HATE these qualities in myself right now.    They are so UN-Christlike and I do not accept pregnancy hormones as a good excuse.  I pray about it multiple times daily and I really miss having that control over my thoughts.  <-----  Still that :/

Movement: I feel her everyday, almost all the time.  What I read said she should be sleeping 12-14 hours a day but she definitely isn't.  I'm not complaining (right now ;) I LOVE feeling her!  So if you see me sitting around you just smiling the biggest, goofiest smile, it's a good guess that she is kicking away. <---Still that :)

Food cravings: Not really.  It's weird though, I get in my mind that I am going to eat something and if someone changes the menu or restaurant I CAN'T really get into the new place or thing.  Once I have a meal or dnack in my mind, I pretty much don't feel happy about food until I have had it. <--- Still that!

Anything making you queasy or sick? Overeating.  Once I get anywhere past hungry I need to stop because there isn't much space these days between 'I'm hungry' and 'I overate and feel sick'. <---- You guessed it, still that!

Gender prediction: GIRL.  According to the sonogram the Chinese Gender Calender and every single old wives tale was WRONG!  (Refer to my earlier posts!)

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: Yep.  But none that I want to discuss on a public blog ;-) 

Counting My Blessings

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Refrain

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.

Refrain

When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.

Refrain

So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Refrain

I have always loved this song.  It has ALWAYS been a pet peeve of mine people who do nothing but complain.  In fact, I don't want to be around you if you complain more than you don't.  I'm really most comfortable with people who complain less than 10% of the time to be honest.  I got a lot less patient with the constant complaining in our society when I went to the Philippines for the first time.  That's one reason M and I have talked about wanting to take her at a pretty young age over there so she will grow up knowing what a blessed little girl she is.  All that to say, all of you who are around me often or read my blog know I have become quite the complainer here recently.  As I discussed in my last blog, I am having a really hard time controlling my own negative thoughts.  SO, to combat that I have been singing this song over and over in my head and doing just that.  In case I ever need a reminder here is a start to my list (in no particular order):

1.  God's eternal and unwavering love for me.  I have always heard people complain about not feeling "loved" and I can honestly say I have never felt that feeling.  I am so thankful not only for a God who loves me all the time but for my knowledge and faith of and in that love.  My prayer is that sweet baby Shamrock always feels that love too.

2.  My parents.  Last week was Orphan Sunday at our home congregation and  I was literally in tears thinking about what would have happened to me without my parents around to raise me.  I had awesome grandparents and aunts/uncles and family friends but no one could have ever done the job my parents did.  Now looking at my childhood through a parents view, instead of just the child's view, I am so in awe of them.  Were they perfect?  No.  Did they make mistakes?  Yes.  Will I consider myself a complete success as a parent if I do anywhere near as good a job as they did?  Abso-stinking-lutely!  

3.  Matt.  Oh my word.  If I had nothing else in my life to be grateful for besides God's love and Matt's love I would still be the most blessed person to have ever lived.  I remember hearing my parents pray on a regular basis out loud for him, even when I was a tiny little person, for his parents, for the decisions he would make before he met me and for his soul.  I remember hearing them talk about praying for him before I was even born.  I honestly believe if you asked every single person, my parents included, if M was like what they prayed and hoped for, for me they would all say he is even better.  He is by far the most gracious, tender-hearted, loving, thoughtful,  level headed, nicest person I have ever met.  I can't imagine going through this life with anyone but him or bringing a child into this unGodly world with anyone but him.

4.  My sisters.  It's funny that people are so in awe of how close we are these days.  We could not have fought any more than we did or been any less close growing up.  More me away from them (in large part to the age difference between us and my bratty attitude).  We were never in middle school, high school or college at the same time.  It really wasn't until 2006, when I moved back to Montgomery, that we became as close as we all are now.  And there have definitely been rough patches and still are pretty often (we are three very different people!) but I can honestly say that they (outside of Matt, of course) are my very best friends.  What a blessing it is!  Louise is one of the best mothers and most Godly women I know and Leigh has a bigger heart than almost anyone I know and is definitely the first person I want on my side in a disagreement!  I would want to be best friends with them even if we weren't related!

5.  My "in-laws."  I have known so many people who have horror stories of in laws and I don't.  Although, just like the rest of my family, we have our ups and downs, I have never  once doubted that they love me and I hope to never forget to be thankful for that.  It is difficult merging families, especially when your son/brother marries someone as strong willed as I am!  They have always loved me, treated me as one of their own and forgiven me, even when I didn't deserve it.  I have seen so many examples of people, wives especially, who didn't have that and it makes life hard and marriage even harder and I am so grateful that I don't even have to wonder if they love me.  Also, no matter what, they raised Matt and as I have already said, I think he is the greatest person I have ever met, and I will be forever grateful to them for bringing him into this world!

6.  My other "in-laws".  Poor, poor Dirt and Nate.  Especially Dirt, I think, had NO IDEA what he was getting into when he married Louise!  Dirt and Nate have moved me from place to place, fixed my car and other stuff, shared their wives (and children in Dirt's case) and homes with me and loved me unconditionally.  This is another case of we DEFINITELY have NOT always gotten along, seen eye to eye or even liked each other at times but, like family is supposed to, we love each other more than we love ourselves so we always come around.  I have ALWAYS wanted a brother and am so grateful that God saw fit to not only give me two but give Matt two also and friends that "sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18:24).  

7.  My extended family!  I count it as one of my biggest blessings to have been raised so close (physically and emotionally) to my grandparents and aunts and uncles.  We are so much closer than most of my friends are with their aunts/cousins/grandparents and I think that is in no small part due to the fact that we are not only blood family but, more importantly, all part of God's family.  Sure we look at things differently and disagree sometimes but we all share a common faith and  the same values of God first, family second, others third and ourselves last.  Unfortunately, I know those values are NOT shared with the majority of the world so I am grateful that Shamrock will be born into a family that does!

8.  Georgia Christian School.  It's so, so weird to me that GCS is such a little part of my daily life now because it played such a huge role in the person that I am today.  The friendships that I started in pre-k there are some of the strongest I have today, thirty plus years later.  I never feel more at peace or more at home than I do on that campus.  I feel that I am doing Shamrock a disservice by not raising her there and giving her that same bond that I was so blessed to get.  What I hope is that I can take the things from there that were instilled in me and instill them in her no matter where geographically she is raised.  I don't tell my parents and grandparents NEAR enough how grateful I am for the sacrifices they made (which were great and can still be felt by them today) to make sure I had that all growing up.  I wish all children could have the school experience I had.

9.  Faulkner.  Faulkner looks A LOT different now than it did when I got there in 1998.  To be honest, I don't like a lot of the changes.  However, I will forever be grateful for Faulkner because I grew SO MUCH as a Christian there, met some of my very best friends, made some of my very best memories and, of course, if I had never come to Faulkner L& L probably wouldn't have come to Faulkner (not that they followed me, they just 'grew up' visiting me there, getting to know my friends and people from there and falling in love with it because they were around it so much) meaning I would have NEVER moved back here in 2006 meaning there is no way I would have ever met Matt.  I love that place and no matter what happens, the memories I have from there can never be changed.  I am so grateful for what that place has meant to me and need to remember it more often when I send in my student loan payments!  

10.  Baby Shamrock.  I can't believe how much I love this little pound and a half person who spends her days (and nights) beating up my insides.  I can't believe how protective I feel over her!  I can't believe that I do ANYTHING  all day besides thank God for her and for her being healthy!  Even if I spent 24 hours a day doing so though it would still be completely inadequate to show God how grateful I am.  I am going to try not to "helicopter mom" her (and M is committed to not letting me, thankfully!) and I really hope (for their sake) no one ever crosses this Momma Bear because the protectiveness I feel for her and my little family is something out of this world!  I know there are sleepless nights in my future, I know there is a 50/50 chance (more if all those times my mom wished I would "have a daughter just like" me) that she will make my life as hard as I made my mom's for a lot of years and that soon my heart will physically be walking around outside of my body and I hope in all the times of unpleasantness I remember to always be as thankful for her and her health as I am right now. 

I think that is a good starter list but be prepared for me to do more installments because I am quite determined to keep counting my blessings more than I complain during this pregnancy.  Also, if you have read this far, please take the time to hear me out on this last thing.

When you are counting your blessings today (and I hope you do today and everyday!) please please take the time to send up a very specific prayer for those affected by the typhoon in the Philippines.  The people are the most joyful, happiest, most grateful people I have ever met and I am absolutely heart broken and devastated for their lack of blessings right now.  So many of them have lost their homes, all of their worldly possessions, their jobs, their churches and even their families.  I can't imagine sweet baby Shamrock literally having nowhere to sleep or being able to get any medical care that she needs and there are so many mothers over there dealing with those very issues right now, PLEASE let's be covering them in prayer!

23 Week Update

How far along? 23 weeks (The size of an ear of corn.  About 8 1/2 inches and a little over 1 1/2 pounds.)

Total weight gain/loss: Holding steady at plus seven pounds from pre-pregnancy weight.
 
Maternity clothes:Yep.  Pretty much all maternity tops but I still rock the unbuttoned pants with the belly band just because I have yet to meet a pair of maternity work pants that were anything even close to being flattering.
 
Have you told family and friends?  Everybody knows now :)

Have you started to show yet? Yep. In fact, I had my first blatant stare the other day.  The guy held the elevator for me and when I got in he just looked completely taken aback while out and out staring at my stomach.  I said, "It's ok, it's a baby human, not a baby alien."  I thought it was humorous but the way  the red creeped up his neck and face so quickly I assume I won the 'Who Can Make the Other One Feel More Uncomfortable Game' that I unknowingly had entered into.

Sleep:  Better.  Still having issues with the temperature thing and uber weird and LOTS of dreams but still better.

Best moment this week: We came up with a list of names.  Don't get too excited.  It's a pretty lengthy list and there isn't one name on there that we both love but at least we have a list and neither of us hates any of the names on the list.  So, we have decided to start calling her each name off the list for about a week and hopefully by the end of the pregnancy we will have narrowed the list down to two or three and will decide when we see her which fits best.  All that to say, we have started calling her a name and that is fun :)

Miss Anything? Having more control over my thoughts.  I have always prided myself in really being in charge of my emotions and feelings and being able to "talk myself down" when needed.  When someone does me wrong I have been able to REALLY try to 'do what Jesus would' and think and pray before speaking.  I have always believed (and still do) that if you go off every time that someone does you wrong or you perceive they are doing you wrong or you get upset or get your feelings hurt that you are a weak person.  I have become that weak person.  These days, I have no patience with things that have always bothered me.  And I am quick to tell you about it if you happen to cross me.  And I am not letting things go.  I HATE these qualities in myself right now.    They are so UN-Christlike and I do not accept pregnancy hormones as a good excuse.  I pray about it multiple times daily and I really miss having that control over my thoughts.  

Movement: I feel her everyday, almost all the time.  What I read said she should be sleeping 12-14 hours a day but she definitely isn't.  I'm not complaining (right now ;) I LOVE feeling her!  So if you see me sitting around you just smiling the biggest, goofiest smile, it's a good guess that she is kicking away.

Food cravings: Not really.  It's weird though, I get in my mind that I am going to eat something and if someone changes the menu or restaurant I CAN'T really get into the new place or thing.  Once I have a meal or dnack in my mind, I pretty much don't feel happy about food until I have had it.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Overeating.  Once I get anywhere past hungry I need to stop because there isn't much space these days between 'I'm hungry' and 'I overate and feel sick'.

Gender prediction: GIRL.  According to the sonogram the Chinese Gender Calender and every single old wives tale was WRONG!  (Refer to my earlier posts!)

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: Hemorrhoids, "growing pains" in my stomach, terrible gas that gets stuck in my stomach and back and hurts SO BAD, my feet are growing and exhaustion. <-----  Yep, all that still.

Things I Love, Things I Don't

Things I LOVE about pregnancy:

1.  Feeling her move!  I LOVE it!  When I think about NOT having that feeling I feel like I could be pregnant three or four more times.  Then I slap myself and say, "Self, be serious, you're in your mid thirties and exhausted with no kids!"  Then reality comes back and I just enjoy feeling her move now :)

2.  The bond she has created between me and her dad.  If you remember back to one of my first posts about the decision to have kids, you remember that I was worried because M and I were rocking this marriage thing before kids and I thought a baby would mess up the balance.  The thing is, so far, she has just made things even better.  I absolutely can't wait to see him with her.

3.  My hair!  I only have to wash it once a week and that is rocking my life right now!!!  Almost makes up for having to wash it once a day (and probably NEEDING to wash it twice a day) in the first trimester.

4.  My boobs!  Am I allowed to even say that about myself?  They are in no way the huge that people talk about coming with pregnancy but I was SO TINY to start off with that I am kind of loving just filling my bra out. 



Things I HATE about pregnancy:

1.  People always paying attention to my stomach.  Again, this is the freaking area between my hoo haa's and my woo wah and, although people act like I'm a freak for thinking so, I just AM NOT comfortable with people constantly looking at it and talking about it.  I KNOW she's in there.  I get that.  But, I just wish people understood more that I can't remember anyone in my near adult life, outside of my husband, ever touching that area before and I just don't love it.  I am not complaining about the touching of my friends and family because I really don't want to steal their joy from them but I have asked them all to just give me a heads up before touching my stomach. 

2.  Feeling so big and uncomfortable.  I think every pregnant woman feels this way at one time or another but it definitely makes the list.

3.  The exhaustion, more emotional than physical.  I feel like no one gives pregnant women a break.  Is it too much to ask for nine months of your boss, family, friends, rude people at Target and just people in general to just back off a little.  A regular amount of stress just seem to physically completely drain me.  I can't get over things like I did before pregnancy.  I HATE this one because the Dr is always stressing how bad stress is for the baby and how she feels everything I feel.  Unfortunately though, just because I am pregnant, the whole world has not started revolving around me ;)  so I just deal with it like every pregnant woman before me has and try to remove myself from it when possible.

4.  My feet growing!  I have always been subconscious about my huge feet and now I literally need new shoes.  Not that big of a deal in the scheme of things but, I hate it none the less.

22 Week Update

How far along? 22 weeks (The size of a papaya.  A little over 8 inches and about 1.2 pounds.)

Total weight gain/loss: Up seven pounds down from pre-pregnancy weight.
 
Maternity clothes: Just started today.  From Thursday night to Monday morning my belly grew almost three inches (I'm guessing that is the 'pop' everyone refers to) but I feel twice as big as I did Thursday morning so today I pulled out a maternity shirt, maternity sweater and a belly band to wear with my regualr pants that are being held together with a rubber band.  Because I'm fancy like that.
 
Have you told family and friends?  Everybody knows now :)

Have you started to show yet? Yep.  Even Saturday M said my belly looked a lot bigger (doesn't everyone dream of hearing that!) than it did just the day before, Sunday my MIL said it was "the first time I looked pregnant and Monday a guy at my work said that now there is enough room in there to see that it really is twins.  So, I think definitely a yes, I am starting to show.

Sleep:  Not so great here lately.  Between (so sorry if this is TMI but it's my blog and at this point in time it's about pregnancy and there is just a lot of TMI involved with pregnancy) hemorrhoids from the devil himself, her moving around so much and just a bit of insomnia and uncomfortableness I just am not averaging a lot of sleep each night.  Blah.  It's not so bad except for the fact that I feel first trimester tired during the days.

Best moment this week: We got up at 4am on Saturday morning and drove all the way to Knoxville and went to the Tennessee/Auburn game, drove back to Chattanooga where we ate dinner with Momma and then drove back to Montgomery and got home around 11pm Saturday night.  It was a long, physically uncomfortable, kind of exhausting day but it was so wonderful!  We got to spend time with just the two of us most all day.  We talked about what Shamrock would be like, look like, things we wanted for her and even a little bit about names.  I really love baby Shamrock but I really like her Daddy and as hectic as life is right now, I don't get to spend that much time just the two of us so that was definitely my favorite moment this week :)

Miss Anything? Yes!  Last week!  I am uncomfortable!  My clothes are uncomfortable!  My shoes are uncomfortable!  And this stomach is ALL anyone can talk about it seems.   

Movement: I feel her everyday, almost all the time.  What I read said she should be sleeping 12-14 hours a day but she definitely isn't.  I'm not complaining (right now ;) I LOVE feeling her!  So if you see me sitting around you just smiling the biggest, goofiest smile, it's a good guess that she is kicking away.

Food cravings: Not really.  It's weird though, I get in my mind that I am going to eat something and if someone changes the menu or restaurant I CAN'T really get into the new place or thing.  Once I have a meal or dnack in my mind, I pretty much don't feel happy about food until I have had it.

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Gender prediction: GIRL.  According to the sonogram the Chinese Gender Calender and every single old wives tale was WRONG!  (Refer to my earlier posts!)

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: Hemorrhoids, "growing pains" in my stomach, terrible gas that gets stuck in my stomach and back and hurts SO BAD, my feet are growing and exhaustion.  Seems like a good enough list to start with anyways.

21 Week Update

How far along? 21 weeks (The size of a spaghetti squash or a pomegranate, depending on if you are looking at my app or Matt's. Either way, a little over a pound and eight inches long.)

Total weight gain/loss: Up five pounds down from pre-pregnancy weight.
 
Maternity clothes: Nope.  Still just making it through for those hours everyday where it isn't appropriate to wear stretchy pants and too big t-shirts.
 
Have you told family and friends?  Everybody knows now :)

Have you started to show yet? Most everyone that knows says they can see something there now but I'm not showing to the point where, if you didn't already know, you would suspect.  You would just think I was a little thick around the middle ;)

Sleep:  It comes and goes. But I am definitely sleeping better since our Birmingham Dr appt!

Best moment this week: The mornings where it is just the three of us continue to be my favorite.  We have downloaded a little playlist of classical music and some songs we just want her to hear and we always play them for her, M talks to her, we talk about her and recently we ordered her this book and I can't wait to add her Daddy reading that to her to our daily routine.  Then when she gets here we'll move to reading her this book by the same author.

Miss Anything? A time when I wasn't constantly talking about food.  Also, weirdly enough, I just recently started feeling like I miss a little the time when the pregnancy was a secret.  It's funny because I felt like I couldn't wait to tell people but now I miss, just a little, that really fun, special time when just our little family that we have made knew.  Weird. 

Movement: I feel her everyday.  M has felt her twice (pressing really hard when she is active before I start moving in the mornings) but I could never have imagined how much I would love that feeling.  Completely ridiculous I KNOW, but I am already sad over the fact that she WON'T be in there soon.  I won't be able to protect her, talk to her whenever I want and have those special moments where I can feel her. 

Food cravings: Nothing particular besides, you know, ANYTHING that holds no nutritional value, is loaded with sugar and/or preservatives. 

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope!

Gender prediction: GIRL.  According to the sonogram the Chinese Gender Calender and every single old wives tale was WRONG!  (Refer to my earlier posts!)

Labor Signs: Nope.

Symptoms: I feel so good right now that it would just be wrong of me to complain.