Over Halfway There...

Now that I'm past the halfway point of the pregnancy and starting to actually look a little pregnant, it's becoming much more real!  I have a little baby bump, a registry, and I think we'll be setting up the crib this weekend!

How far along: 24 weeks, 1 day

How big is baby: A little over a pound

Total weight gain: About 11-12 pounds 

Sleep: Sleepy!!  Beginning to get a little more difficult to get comfortable, but not waking up during the night very often

Maternity Clothes: Yes, a few pants which are awesome!  Mostly still wearing regular tops and dresses though

Morning Sickness: None at all - so thankful

Food Cravings: Skittles - because Marshall had a big bag on the most recent episode of How I Met Your Mother and I've wanted them every since

Food aversions: Nothing really

Challenges: Nothing really

Movement: Starting to tell the difference between baby and gas - ha!  I don't think you can feel anything from the outside yet

Boy or Girl?: Surprise!

What I’m looking forward to: Getting the house ready

What I miss: Nothing right now - I allow myself the occasional diet coke so I'm good!

Next appointment:March 27

20 Weeks

I can't believe we're already to the halfway point of this pregnancy.  Crazy how fast it's gone!  I've been extremely lucky and never had morning sickness or any other uncomfortable symptoms and sometimes forget I'm even pregnant at all.  So to remind myself, here is the 20 week update:

How far along: 20 weeks

How big is baby: About 6.4 in, 10 oz

Total weight gain: About 5 pounds 

Sleep: Still pretty tired all the time.  I get congested at night and may wake up some, but no sleepless nights

Maternity Clothes: No, though I'm dying to buy some maternity pants - so comfortable!

Morning Sickness: None at all - so thankful

Food Cravings: Starbursts the past couple weeks

Food aversions: Nothing really

Challenges: Nothing really

Movement: Nothing yet

Boy or Girl?: Surprise!  We could have found out at our appointment last week, but chose to keep it a surprise

What I’m looking forward to: Feeling the baby kick for the first time

What I miss: Nothing right now

Next appointment: February27

Ooh Baby Baby!

Seeing as how my last blog post was a (super awesome) Halloween 2011 list of my favorite scary movies, I'm not very good at the whole blogging thing.  Now that a baby is on the way, maybe I'll be a little better.  I at least hope to be able to post some baby updates every once in a while, even if only for my own benefit in the future.  (I still go back and read old xanga posts - anyone else?)

Last year when my cousin's wife, Jessica, was pregnant, I LOVED all of her blog updates which answered the same following questions every few weeks.  Warning: if these baby update survey things annoy you, stop reading now.  

How far along: 15 weeks

How big is baby: About the size of naval orange

Total weight gain: About 2 pounds 

Sleep: It's pretty much all I want to do.  I usually wake up a time or two during the night, but that could be from B.J. snoring...

Maternity Clothes: Not yet

Morning Sickness: None at all - so thankful

Food Cravings: Pretty much anything except sweets.  Really loving milk

Food aversions: Just not in to sweets

Challenges: Just crazy tired ALL THE TIME

Movement: Nothing yet

Boy or Girl?: Will probably keep it a surprise until the big day

What I’m looking forward to: This supposed 2nd trimester energy I keep hearing about

What I miss: Diet Coke

Next appointment: February 1

Top 31 Scary Movies

To celebrate Halloween, I made a list of my favorite 31 scary films. They are in order of my enjoyment. I acknowlege that Silence of the Lambs is a better film than Scream; however, Scream still wins! :)

31. Jurassic Park (Disclaimer: I know this isn't really a scary movie, but it scared the heck out of me when I was a kid! My first PG-13 movie to see in a theater. My dad took me and when the movie was over, the napkin I had begun to clench at the beginning couldn't be straightened out!)
30. The Changling (best when watched at The Paramount in Abilene at midnight on Halloween)
29. It
28. I Know What You Did Last Summer
27. When a Stranger Calls (original)
26. Identity
25. Joy Ride
24. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Jessica Biel version)
23. Rob Zombie's Halloween
22. Carrie
21. The Birds - My first horror movie!
20. Friday the 13th (remake)
19. Friday the 13th (original)
18. Saw
17. The Shining
16. Halloween V
15. Halloween IV
14. Scream 3
13. Nightmare on Elm Street (remake)
12. The Amityville Horror (remake - Ryan Reynolds baby!)
11. Halloween: H2O
10. Halloween II
9. Scream 4
8. Scream 2
7. Jaws
6. Silence of the Lambs
5. Psycho (original)
4. The Strangers
3. Nightmare on Elm Street (original)
2. Halloween
1. SCREAM

And although Scream is my #1 favorite scary movie, I do have to say that The Strangers takes the cake as being the scariest.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!

Redemption

If you know me at all, you know I love soap operas. Well, really just one soap opera - General Hospital. I've recorded it (almost) every day since the summer before my senior year in college. Greatness. Anyway, I love how even some of the most horrible characters can eventually be redeemed. There is always a good chance that someone is going to cheat on his/her significant other, switch paternity results, give mob boss Sonny another love child, or even steal a baby. Sometimes these characters can be redeemed and they end up being my favorite character on the show (Sam and Maxie!).

I began thinking about this concept and how it applies in "real life" on my morning walk this morning and then the title of the scripture passage in my morning devotional was "Joy of the Redeemed" (Isaiah 35). I have messed up plenty of times, some mistakes seem more of a big deal than others and some have harsher consequences than others. Yesterday and this morning, I just could not get images and memories of one of these mistakes out of my head. Though I know God has forgiven me, I just seem to dwell on how badly I messed up (don't worry - I didn't steal someone's baby!).

I think Satan bombards us with the thoughts that we're so messed up, even though we know that God has wiped us clean. I am so incredibly grateful that my God loves me enough to redeem me. Even though I've made mistakes and gotten dirty, God steps in and makes me that pure child of God He created me to be.

If the writers of GH can redeem Maxie, surely my Lord can redeem me!

Home Sweet Home

Getting settled into a new house seems like the perfect time to start a blog! So to kick off this blog, here are some before and after pictures of our first home together!

Living Room Before

Living Room After


Kitchen Before
Kitchen After

Guest Bath Before

Guest Bath After

With New Tile

Master Bath Before

Master Bath After
Still a work in progress - we have a lot left to unpack and put away and decorate, but it's coming along. And don't even ask about the outside! The landscaping is so bad and overgrown, you can't see the front door from the street. I hope I still like the house once I can see it!