As some know, Tyler and I have become licensed foster parents. I have had many people ask questions about the process and what it means to be a foster parent. I decided to go ahead and answer some of these in my very sad and abandoned blog. I love seeing eyes and hearts open to the orphan crisis in our country and around the world. I think it is easy to get doe eyed about adoption/fostering. I know I was at the beginning of this. So I hope that I can show as much reality as possible along the way. But I still have much to learn. So here is my limited ability to explain this call.

God is a rescuer and He has invited us to join Him in it. This is not about us or some fad in the Christian world. Not to say adoption or fostering should be called a fad. But I know first hand it can be glamorized. It is a wonderful thing. But it is a very serious and heavy decision. I personally feel that before anyone begins the process of fostering or adopting, that the person or couple should walk alongside someone who is in the midst of it. As well as doing the research. (read Jen Hatmakers 3 part blog on adoption, awesome facts!) Seeing the true struggles and tears shed from those that are fostering has been invaluable and has given me a sense of what is in store. All that to say, God has worked hard to make sure that we don’t allow this to become about US. This is not about what I can do. This is not about my strength or lack of. This is not about “what a wonderful thing we are doing”. This is not about glorifying US. This is about giving glory to THE rescuer. Honestly, I would never have done this without Gods command to do it (although it does take being sensitive and open to Gods prompting). I have joy, excitement, and a desire to do it now. But that came from the Lord.  I want people to see God in this and how much He desperately loves the orphan.

-Sorry for the bad grammar and run on sentences and other offences…I just…don’t care right now.-

What made you decide to become a foster parent?

–          Tyler and I have always had a desire to adopt. It has always simply been assumed we would someday and luckily neither of us had to be convinced of it. In January of this year, I personally had been feeling a pull to pray about orphans. I did not understand why or what that meant. We agreed quickly we are in no place to adopt at the moment. So what then? I prayed for a couple days before finally asking God to just reveal to me what He was pushing us towards. I needed straight answers. I rarely feel so urgent that I get to the point of saying, “Just tell me flat out, Lord! I need this clearly defined.” THAT NIGHT Tyler and I were watching a show together after putting Bethany down. The girl made a quick reference to being a foster child. That was all I needed and suddenly I knew. I turned off the TV right then and told Tyler. Now, if you know Tyler, you know he has to process and think big decisions through carefully. But because God had been working so deeply and so quickly, I was actually not surprised to hear him say he thought it was perfect. Two weeks later we began the process. It only took me 8 months to complete everything (usually people finish in 2-3 months. What can I say, I needed a paper pregnancy.)

Do you have a specific child age or need that you will be taking?

–          For now, we will be taking only ONE at a time. Ages newborn to 12 months. No gender or race preference. Medically we will be starting out fairly basic needs to moderate. We have made it clear that we intend to change our preferences for age and medical needs as we grow and learn as foster parents.

So are you doing this to adopt?

–          No. But yes. Not right now. We have no intention to adopt immediately and the Lord has confirmed that we need to be doing this for the kids needs only. We are very happy and at peace with this. One day we would love to adopt. We are leaving it up to the Lord and His timing. We may decide to have another bio kid. We may not! We may adopt in a year. We may adopt in 6 years. Who knows. That is being a foster parent. It is a life of the unknown. Faith.

Are you afraid of getting attached?! Won’t it be painful?

–          Yup. We understand that loving a child as our own means we very well could LOVE this child as our own! But something God has reminded me of time and again, is that this is NOT about my comfort, my happiness, my plan. This is not about the American Dream. I have come to despise this want (sin) in my heart. Sometimes my selfishness wants a couple kids, a fancy house, nice things and easy easy easy. It is sin in my heart that God has been graciously guiding me through. These things themselves are not bad, but God has called my family to something different. I am learning contentment and not just acceptance but joy over the idea of living in a way I could never have imagined for my family. I am aware of the risks we are taking, even if I do not know what it will feel like yet.  There will be loss and pain. It will not look “normal”. I will get odd looks for carrying around two little ones of two different races. Maybe even judgement?

“Do not let your happiness depend on something you may lose. If love is to be a blessing, not a misery, it must be for the only Beloved who will never pass away……. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation….. Christ did not teach and suffer that we might become, even in the natural loves, more careful of our own happiness.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves (I could quote the entire Charity chapter. I highly recommend this book!)

Are you concerned about how this will affect Bethany?

–          Of course! But I fully believe this is God’s plan for us, therefor he will provide all we need to help her in the change, transitions and loss. We know it will not be easy for her, but I do not want to teach her what I am trying so hard to remove….the idea that life is easy and about my happiness and comfort. I want my children to learn to love people no matter their background or differences. I want them to embrace anyone in with welcome and loving arms. I want them to see and feel Gods love for each precious life. Even when it is temporary, they will get a chance to show a child what a family looks like. What God looks like–rescuer, pursuer, healer, provider, protector.

Why is this baby in foster care, what happened, what did the bio parents do?

–          We most likely will not answer this question. We may share with a small few if we feel led to. Nothing personal! But it is not our story to tell. We decided that we will be very careful with how we speak of the bios. We desperately want to love the bio family. We want to see reunification, if it is the best route. We are being called to love (not necessarily like) the bio family. So, in that love, we want to respect their “story”. This is a personal choice and does not mean that foster parents who do share do not respect the bios! I have always been of the mindset that I need to avoid speaking of negative situations, no matter if they “deserve” it, to keep my own heart pure and love them correctly. Especially since our main goal is to see our kids return to a healthy family.

–           Also, we legally cannot put pictures showing the foster childs face on any social media. I most likely will post pictures of them, but it will not show identifying features.  I will not be able to give their name either. I will probably use a nickname to reference them. If you would like to see a photo, meet them, know their first name, let me know. I can do private emails, texts, or you can just see them in person!

What do you need?

–          Prayer. Not only am I going from a mom of one to two, I have the added stress of appointments, court dates, more appointments, and possible health/mental/emotional trauma. I also have to deal with case workers, visits and people that I may or may not like.

–          Also pray for the child and his/her bio family. Prayer for their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Pray to see lives restored and miracles to happen. Tall order…but I like bold prayer.

–          Support. In all manners. I have been very blessed to have had some help from my family, our lifegroup, and friends to ease us into this new stage. I have seen my foster friends struggle because people do not quite get how hard the transition is. Giving birth to a new child is simple and easy to understand (it is done every day!), so people are awesome to help where they can. Fostering just lacks in awareness. (Do not take this as me asking for help! Nope! We have been provided for in ways we cannot imagine. Just trying to help out other potential foster parents!)

–          Adding to support: mental/emotional understanding. There will be days when Tyler or I (probably more me as the stay at home parent) will be at our wits end. We may be mad about CPS, the court system, bios, lack of sleep or regular showering, frustration with our dear toddler. So many things..  I will never expect people to treat us a certain way or understand. I am just letting people know, I may not always be my best self. The reality of fostering may get to us. It may not. But honestly…yeah, it will.

–          Someone to talk to. Feel free, friends, to invite yourself over (with a couple days warning!). If you are willing to hold a baby or play with my toddler, you will be my new best friend. 🙂 Double points to the people who ignore the state of my house.

                 ——————————————————————

So there you have it. If you read this without wanting to beat me over the head due to my writing, thanks! You win at mercy today!

Obviously Miss Bethany is here. Born on March 19, 2012 at 12:02am. 7lbs 6ozs and 19 inches long.

I want to go ahead and document the whole labor and delivery story, so if you do not enjoy TMI, I suggest you may want to overlook this post! But for anyone looking to read about a natural birth, or birth in general, read on! And for anyone wondering, med free labor is SO hard, but SO worth it! I am very glad I did it.

For over a week before I went into labor, I had been experiencing prodromal labor. It was frustrating having painful contractions that drained my energy but had no end result.The evening of March 17, Tyler and I were spending time with friends. After weeks of trying countless midwives tales to induce labor, I finally decided to just stop and let nature do its thing. That day was stress free and I actually felt pretty great. I managed to get some full naps in earlier that day. Around 11pm, the true contractions began. They did not feel any different at first, but I knew they were real due to a couple signs. I managed to sleep a couple hours until the contractions were too painful to sleep through. I got up and started cleaning the house and making sure I had everything prepared for the hospital. Tyler slept soundly since we were unsure how long it would take.

I labored that next morning…then into the afternoon. My contractions got to where I had to stop and work through them. But I never felt like they were getting unbearable to the point of heading to the hospital. Also, my water had not broken so I was not bound by time. Tyler was concerned if I was laboring for too long, so he called the midwife to see if we should head in. She told us to come in so they could check me. We got to the hospital around 6pm. They were able to check me in triage and found out I was 4cm dilated, 80% effaced, +1 station. We were shocked! I truly was amazed to already be at that point, but very relieved.

I was then admitted into my room. It was a nice, large room. We had recliners, rocking chairs, a tv and personal shower. I had free reign to labor how ever I wanted, since I was doing a med free labor. I loved being able to walk around and get in the shower to relieve the pain.

A huge blessing was that I had not one, but three midwives to help me. The main midwife, Amy, that was assisting me also has a midwife in training that follows her, Laurie. Laurie was amazing and I was so grateful to have her be the one to lead and deliver Bethany. Found out later she is a Christian that is going to be a medical missionary with her husband once she has completed her training and masters. The third midwife was my nurse. She is a traveling nurse that is also a certified midwife and going to work with Navajo Indians in New Mexico after this last round. She specifically requested to be my nurse once she saw that I was a med free labor. She was a HUGE blessing and encouragement to me! I could not have asked for a greater support system.

Amazingly enough, it only took around 4 hours to go from 4cm to 8. At that point is when the real pain began. They had to break my water, which was not fun… 1-8 was manageable and my Bradley Method class truly prepared me for how to handle it. But once I hit transition….Yikes. Honestly, that is when I just wanted it all to be over. I never wanted the drugs, and never asked, but I sure as heck was just over it all. Like can’t she just magically appear outside of my body? That would be nice. Luckily it only took 26 minutes to go from 8 to 10.

One of the worst things to happen to me was my labor bed broke and they had to switch them out. They had to pick me up and have me hang onto a bar as they switched them. That was so beyond miserable. Once I was in the push stage, my contractions slowed down and stopped hurting so bad. I just felt the need to push. The first 30 minutes I actually dozed off through most of them. I was so exhausted and dreaded pushing. They finally had to get firm with me and tell me to put out some effort. So I put some work into it and started trying. I cannot explain the pain of pushing. On one aspect, it felt like a relief to push, on the other hand…well, I was pushing a baby out, so the relief was met with pain.

TMI Warning: Bethany got stuck in my birth canal for the majority of the pushing. I had been told the ring of fire would be quick. But since she was in the canal for so long, I felt that awful burning pain for a good 20ish minutes. I truly thought she was never coming out. But after 30 minutes of true pushing, Bethany arrived. With no tearing! (oddly enough, it is most likely due to her being in the canal for so long). They immediately put her on my chest and hear her cute little cry.

I had it in my head that after birth it is a magical time. Well, while it is awesome seeing your little baby finally, I honestly barely noticed her much. I made sure she was a girl, told Tyler “She’s beautiful. I told you she would look just like you.” Then after that point, I went back into my out-of-body state that I had been in since I hit transition. Then they had to do the uterine massage. Which is not a massage. They basically jam on your deflated stomach and it hurts! I actually asked them to stop and give me some motrin, please and thank you. Of course they couldn’t stop when I asked. They had to make sure I didn’t bleed to death. But I did get my motrin!

They got Bethany all cleaned off then handed her back over to us. She was so alert. Just checking us out with her wide eyes. She had plenty of hair, about an inch long, light brown and wavy. We got to enjoy her for a few minutes before they had to make me get up and (TMI) go to the restroom. I couldn’t walk and had to be drug in. I immediately started to black out. I got down on the floor and nurses all came rushing in. I was fine. Just dehydrated and exhausted. We had to wait 2 hours to get into our postpartum room. We were so tired and ready to rest.

Slight TMI: Recovery is not easy or fun. I had to be helped in and out of bed. I couldn’t sit up on my bum. When standing I felt like my stomach and lower regions were going to fall out. But we had nurses that were always there to help. I was grateful to be taken care of around the clock.

We stayed for 2 days in postpartum due to some nursing issues, and finally went home Wednesday around noon. Then the real fun began 🙂

We just adore our little Bethany. It still is so surreal that this is my daughter that I carried for 9.5 months. She is such a sweet blessing and it is a true honor to be her mother. God has been so gracious to us. I love cuddling with her. Even when she is just cranky as ever, only will calm if she is being held so I cannot get up to do anything, I love every second. It isn’t always easy, but I will cherish each second she lets me hold her. It is amazing how God gives us a totally new perspective of His love for us through our child.

By the way, I LOVE NOT BEING PREGNANT!!! I LOVE being able to sleep comfortably! I love laying on my stomach! I love being comfortable in general and not running for the bathroom every 10 minutes. I am all for waiting a veeery long time before kiddo number 2. Let’s see if I can convince Tyler.

Week 40

 

Fruit/Veggie

A small pumpkin (weight)

 

Size

20 inches, over 7.5 lbs

 

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

Same…… 

 

Best Moment this Week

Hm. There have been a few. Finally decided to stop working. I am taking advantage of the break to rest as much as I can. Got Chinese with Court and Josh. Went to Magnolias with my mom, sister and nephew. Got Mexican at the Riverwalk with the Byrds. I have really enjoyed this last week, which is great. Tons of eating good food with family. And I love not being stressed by work.

 

Had my due date come and go. I had a girl ask me at the store yesterday when my due date was and it was too funny seeing her reaction to when I told her it was that day. She yelled across the store to another worker to tell her. So workers came over to me to talk to me all about it. I got a good kick out of that!

 

Gender

Girl – Bethany Ann.

 

Movement

Same…

 

Food Craving

Nothing really. Still enjoying my ice. I’ve stuffed my face with pancakes, chinese, mexican….I have had so much food I don’t have time to crave.

 

Sleep

Since last Friday, I was waking up about 4am with prodromal labor (false labor – though there is nothing false about it to me! ouch) and tons of energy, so I was getting next to no sleep. My body finally crashed and the past two nights have been much better. I’ve even been able to sneak in some naps here and there too! 

 

What I am looking forward to

Having. This. Baby.

 

Symptoms

Reflux – though that has improved as she keeps dropping lower, intense prodromal labor, appetite is back, SO SORE all over

Week 39

 

Fruit/Veggie

Mini watermelon (weight)

 

Size

20 inches, over 7 lbs

 

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

Still.. just getting fatter. Basically mooching off me at this point. : )

 

Best Moment this Week

Tyler and I went to go see The Lorax. Super cute movie! I’ve been trying out the “eat spicy foods” myth. Ya, just a myth. Yesterday I had the world’s spicest chicken curry. It was soo good. But all it did was give me heartburn. Bethany didn’t seem to be a fan. But she didn’t hate it enough to vacate.

 

Gender

Girl – Bethany Ann.

 

Movement

Same…

 

Food Craving

Ice. Ya, that’s pretty much it.

 

Sleep

Still awful. Still walking around at night due to pains. Tried sleeping on the couch but I nearly fell off while turning, so that didn’t work… Oh well, I will sleep in 18+ years..

 

What I am looking forward to

Getting this baby out!

 

Symptoms

Morning sickness is back, pains all over, bad sleep, Braxton Hicks, reflux, ADD, nesting.

 

..Everything is basically done and ready to go. It’s just a waiting game now.

Week 38

 

Fruit/Veggie

Leek (length)

 

Size

19.5 inches, about 6.8 lbs (my midwife is guessing she will be around 7lbs, but who knows..pretty sure they thought my nephew would be 7lbs and he was over 9)

 

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

At this point it’s basically the same… she’s ready for the outside world, just getting fatter the longer she’s in there!

 

Best Moment this Week

My mom came into town on tuesday and I took a half day from work to work on the nursery! It is just about done. Needing to find frames for a couple of pictures and do some general cleaning.

 

Gender

Girl – Bethany Ann.

 

Movement

Same as usual. She is getting cramped and most movements are just her shifting around. And her usual hiccups.

 

Food Craving

Other than water, nothing. I am at the point where I just snack on things that are available. I like the feeling of cold things.

 

Sleep

People that tell you, “Get in your rest now!”, have apparently forgotten everything about the last few weeks of pregnancy. Or they were very lucky. I am a zombie already. Sleep is incredibly disturbed/impossible and I wake up full of energy in the middle of the night. I lay awake a lot. I have had many middle of the night baths and walks around the house. I also spend nighttime in the kitchen snacking or standing next to the fridge drinking water..

 

What I am looking forward to

After my appointment yesterday, I can say I am truly ready for her to get here. Had you asked me two days ago I wouldn’t have been. But driving home, I felt a calm and readiness. These last days are challenging…knowing it could be any moment…it is taking patience and understanding that it will happen when it happens. While waiting for the unknown is hard, there is time for growth (both physically and emotionally). It is giving me the chance to focus on the Lord and what he can teach me before this huge life change.

 

Symptoms

Reflux, sore back, occasional swelling, sore ribs, popping hips, small appetite, 1000 trips to the restroom a day, easily winded, bad/no sleep, Braxton Hicks, inability to focus properly (sorry co-workers..).

 

———————

 

I still need to wash all my diapers, which I will do this weekend! That will be my last load until she comes. Her room is all set up (minus a couple of pictures to be hung) and needs to be deep cleaned. I also need to clean and finish organizing the guest room for when my mom comes to stay with us after Tyler goes back to work. Hospital bag is packed! Car seat is in. I still need to clean my pump and her pacifiers. After this weekend, I will be fully ready to go!!  

 

Week 37

Well, 37 weeks and a couple of days. 

 

Fruit/Veggie

Swiss chard (weight)

 

Size

Over 19 inches, about 6 1/3 lbs

 

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

She is now full term & her lungs are likely now able to fully adjust to life outside the womb!

 

Best Moment this Week

Went to the ranch with my parents and had a great time. Tyler got to hunt, I got to shop and relax. It was very needed.

 

Gender

Girl – Bethany Ann.

 

Movement

She is still head down and my midwife let me know she has dropped (which is great, means she is ready to come!). I can feel every movement she makes, which is very fun! I can tell where her shoulders and arms are, as well as her butt and feet. Her daily round of hiccups are hard and last about an hour at a time. She jumps at loud noises (like me sneezing) and hates when I put ice packs on my sore stomach muscles and will immediately try to move away from it.

 

Food Craving

Water. Smoothies. Soy milk. Mainly cold things.

 

Sleep

Takes me about two hours to fall asleep once I have gotten in bed, due to trying to get comfortable, wait out any hiccups,  and make 50 trips to the bathroom. I wake up every 2 hours still. But I feel like I am getting decent enough sleep to get me through a work day.

 

What I am looking forward to

After this very long, stressful week of work, I am just really looking forward to no longer working (which won’t happen until labor)! I thought work would slow down, but turns out they want me to do as much as humanly possible, on top of training two different people. So with overtime every day, I have had next to no time to get things done around the house. Hoping to get some stuff done this weekend! 

 

Symptoms

A little nausea, exhausted, sore back, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks, reflux and heartburn, and a NEW one: swelling in my fingers and face. Boo! I hadn’t gained any weight for a couple of weeks, then the swelling hit and my weight went up a few lbs thanks to that. But hey, it’s the last month of pregnancy. I was warned.  🙂

Week 36

 

Fruit/Veggie

Crenshaw melon (weight) 

 

Size

Over 18.5 inches, about 6 lbs 

 

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

She’s shedding most of the downy hair that covered her body, as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. She will be full term next Wednesday!

 

Best Moment this Week

This week has been kind of crazy…more to go into than I have time right now. Went to the rodeo. Have been having more contractions off and on ever since (especially at night). Had a baby shower at Tyler’s office. It was wonderful and we got some thoughtful, sweet gifts! I am still just blessed and amazed by the generosity of people who have no need to be.

 

Gender

Girl – Bethany Ann.

 

Movement

Still head down. She favors my left side. I can usually find her tush and back there. Her feet poke out on my right side and ribs. At this point, it’s mainly just her adjusting herself and stretching. Oh, and lots of hiccups.

 

Food Craving

Water. Still. It’s gotten so bad that I will go through a large glass half way through the night and have to get up to get more. Makes for very disturbed sleep, but I will not sleep at all when I am that thirsty. No food cravings.

 

Sleep

What’s that? Ya, sleep does not come easy these days. I have even lost the ability to nap. It’s a combination of back aches, sore muscles, contractions, baby hiccups and my body just getting ready for my new life.

 

What I am looking forward to

Going to the ranch this weekend! My last trip before baby. Hoping to find a couple last decorations at my favorite antique store.

 

Symptoms

A little nausea, exhausted, sore back/hips/shoulders, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks, reflux.

 

———-

 

A little update on how things are going.

 

At this point we are just needing to decorate her room and do some general organization. We have a couple more purchases. We have her car seat installed! I just love seeing it when I’m in my car. Nesting is annoying me. I have this crazy need to have everything clean, but as soon as I get to finishing her room, I hit a wall. Shouldnt nesting include finishing the room? Oh, well, I will get it done soon.. My dogs are getting terribly clingy and follow me EVERYWHERE! ah! Then nesting makes me want to go nuts over Gabbie shedding her winter coat. Yuck. I am going to develop an OCD induced twitch by the end of this pregnancy.

Week 35

35 weeks 1 day

Fruit/Veggie

Honeydew melon (weight)

 

Size

We had a scan today to measure growth. Had a bit of a scare last week when my stomach was measuring 3 weeks behind. Luckily it is just me and my stomach muscles holding her in tightly. She is estimated to be 5lbs, 5oz. She looks great and oh so squishy cute!

 

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

Her kidneys are fully developed now, & her liver can process some waste products. 

 

Best Moment this Week

Hm..feeling productive was good. I have gotten a lot done around the house thanks to nesting kicking in. unfortunately nesting started as soon as the major fatigue and aches and pains started. Not fair…

 

Gender

Girl – Bethany Ann

 

Movement

Still a slow, lazy mover for the most part because of lack of space. Every once in a while she  gives me a strong hard kick. Makes me jump. Others time it seems she is trying to make an escape out my side. Ouch. I love watching her move around.

 

Food Craving

Water. Celery and peanut butter this past week. Not very interested in dairy or sugar.

 

Sleep

Sleep has been rough! This past week I have laid in bed wide awake until 2 or 3am. Last night my exhaustion caught up with me and I passed out from about 11 to 6. Wonderful!

 

What I am looking forward to

Getting things done!! I am so ready to be finished with my to-do list. Crib and dresser are set up. Needing to wash more clothes from another round of gifts. Hoping to get things on the wall this week!

 

Symptoms

A little nausea, exhaustion, sore back and stomach muscles, not sleeping well, Braxton Hicks, thirst, reflux, nesting.

  

Week 34

 

Fruit/Veggie

Cantaloupe (weight)

 

Size

Almost 18 inches, about 4.75 lbs

 

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

Her fat layers – which she’ll need to regulate her body temperature once she’s born – are filling out, making her rounder. Her central nervous system is maturing & her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

 

Best Moment this Week

Getting some things done! I  got all of her clothes up to 3 months washed, as well as all the sheets/blankets/bath towels/burp rags. Tyler is in the process of painting the crib and dresser. The weather set us back this week since he’s been doing it outside to keep out the fumes. We have baby stuff ALL over the house and my eye twitches at it every day. I hate clutter. But it takes time..

Also, I am now working from home full-time! A huge blessing since I am dealing with morning sickness and dizziness. And I can get things done on my lunch break.

 

Gender

Girl – Bethany Ann 

Movement

She is in the oddest position and she seems to love being there since she never moves out of it! She is sideways with her back facing my left side and feet kicking out at my right ribs. Movements still slow but consistent and lots of stretching. Her wake/sleep periods are getting more predictable.

 

Food Craving

Water. Finally, I am turned off of sugar again. Wanting more protein and veggies.

 

Sleep

Oh sleep….. I am always tired. I fall asleep quickly. It’s the staying asleep that is difficult. Thanks to my reflux, need to pee, and now my hips aching like an old ladies. They HURT. And crack whenever I switch positions. Speaking of switching positions and/or getting up out of bed… I could use an extra pair of hands to do it without hurting. Yikes.

 

What I am looking forward to

At this point….I am looking forward to March and having my little girl! I cannot wait to eventually sleep on my stomach again! Oh how I miss sleeping on my stomach. Or my back without feeling like I’m suffocating. 

 

Symptoms

Nausea, back pain, legs fall asleep easily, tired, hips hurt, reflux, Braxton Hicks. And now, pregnancy brain. It’s bad! I thought I had gotten out of it…but no. It hit me hard this past week.. I am grateful to have a husband with a good sense of humor… considering most of my pregnancy brain affects him.

 

 

Week 33

 

Fruit/Veggie

Pineapple (weight)

 

Size

Over 17 inches, over 4 lbs

 

Baby Changes (Source: BabyCenter.com.)

She’s rapidly losing that wrinkled alien look & her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren’t fused together, which allows them to move & slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal.

 

Best Moment this Week

I had my lovely baby shower this past weekend. My sister did an amazing job of capturing my tastes in a classy shower. The best part was using both of my great grandmothers gorgeous teacups. And the food. Yum. Thanks to Alyssa and Bess as well for their help getting it all set up!

 

Also, Tyler and I made a big trip to Babies R Us to buy almost all of what we needed and saved a ton thanks to a sale going on. Just need to finish my diaper stash and get a few more items. But we left some things for another shower I am having at Tylers work. We have been SO blessed to have so much financial and emotional support through all of this!

 

Gender

Girl – Bethany Ann Jones 

 

Movement

She still makes sure to let her presence be known with her rolls and kicks. I can tell its getting tight because certain positions feel quite uncomfortable (mainly when her tush is sticking out into my belly button). She gets hiccups multiple times a day and it can go on for hours.

 

Food Craving

Water still. But thanks to some bad stomach problems I have had a hard time eating. I got a bit dehydrated yesterday and felt awful. So now I am making sure to drink even more, plus Gatorade, and eat bland foods every couple of hours.

 

Sleep

Thankfully I have been passing out at night, minus trips to the bathroom. But I am able to fall right back to sleep after any disturbance. Even naps have not made falling asleep difficult. 

 

What I am looking forward to

We are painting the babies room this weekend. I also plan to start washing all of her clothes and diapers. It’s getting real!

 

Symptoms

Nausea, reflux, back pain, thirsty, upset stomach, tired.