Sisters!

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound.  About 10 weeks ago I told Aaron he could decide if we would try to find out if we were having a boy or a girl.  He's been on the fence since then.  I asked him today at about 2 (our appointment was at 3:45) if he had decided.  He replied that he decided a couple of days ago, but was waiting to tell me until we got to the appointment.  We arrived, he took Autumn to the potty and they called me in.  I got on the exam table and when he and Autumn came in and I asked, "so are we finding out or waiting?"   He decided we should try to find out.  The ultrasound went great, the tech was really nice and pointed everything out as she went - heart, kidneys, brain, face....  It was so fun! She thinks the baby is on the smaller size - which would be awesome again!  Come on 6 pounder!! She didn't really get a picture of the evidence, but she was very certain that what she was seeing was all girl.  Hopefully she is right, or we will be really surprised on D-Day!!! We got to see her sucking her fingers! The tech got a couple of nice 4D pictures - which was difficult as baby girl was tucked head down resting on the side of the uterus.

Funny, both Aaron and I were surprised! I've been thinking boy because this pregnancy has just been different.  Aaron's now thinking that maybe we will hold out on any permanent birth control - as it would be fun to try for a boy!  Autumn was not surprised at all, she's been telling us we were going to have a girl for weeks!! "A girl named Abby!"  We still need to discuss the names - we are not sold on Abby, but not opposed to it either.  Kind of a cute story, having your sister name you at 16 weeks in utero!


It is so different knowing what we are having!  We waited until birth with Autumn and that was great. But it is really fun to know early as well! To dream of Autumn playing babies with her, trying on dresses and make-up together as teens, giggling and being girl silly together!!!  It will be so much fun to watch them grow into women together!  We'll be able to plan for girl names, get Autumn's clothes out for her and prepare for another sweet little girl!!!  We even got a cute little Hawaii onesy tonight to celebrate!

20 weeks

Crazy - we are 1/2 way there!!!  Only 20 more weeks until your due date little one!  We saw the mid-wife yesterday and everything looks perfect!  Your heart beat was healthy and my blood pressure and size is just right.  I'm starting to feel your little kicks and punches every couple of hours now, which I love!  I love that reassurance that you are moving around and growing in there!  While at the clinic we got everything lined up for our move. All the records will be sent to Glenwood after our ultrasound on Friday and I got the information I would need if any emergency happened while we travel for the next 3 weeks. At the ultrasound on Friday they will take a look at your whole body, making sure that everything looks healthy - your heart, kidneys, spinal cord and brain!  We pray that you have not a blemish and everything is working as it should!  It is so fun to be able to see you, so Friday is a treat - it will be the most time we spend actually seeing you until you are born and we get to hold you!   Daddy still hasn't decided if we will ask to find out if you are a boy or a girl yet!  I'll be happy either way - it will be a wonderful surprise now or later!  Your sister Autumn is convinced you are a girl and has even named you Abby!  It is super cute, she loves to cuddle up to my belly and try to feel you when you are kicking!  She asks to watch videos of babies your size on the computer so she can see what you would look like.  She is very excited to get to help with changing, feeding and caring for you!!   Love you little peanut!!

How far along: 20 Weeks

Size of Baby: about 10 inches head to toe and 10 1/2 ounces

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 8 lbs - right on track to gain 25-30 - hoping!

Maternity Clothes: Kind of. Got rid of the tight jeans, but the loose ones fit well.  Wore a maternity top today because it was cute and makes me look pregnant - not because it was necessary (-:

Gender: Ultrasound is Friday - maybe Aaron will decide before then!

Movement: I'm now feeling little kicks every 1-2 hours and loving it!

Sleep: Still doing well and not needing quite as much of it.  Getting up 1-2 times to use the bathroom.

Symptoms:  About the same as 16 weeks, but feel like the acne is a bit better and the chi chi growth spurt is over. 

Best Moment This Week:  Having Aaron and Autumn feel kicks!

What I'm Most Looking Forward To: Newborn cuddles and watching Autumn be a sister

Gossip

Yesterday I worked up north and listened to a sermon on the radio on the way there.  It was a really great one on gossip and how it hurts everyone involved.  It was certainly convicting, it is so easy to talk about how someone drives you nuts or how you would have done things differently...  

So the essence of the message, was that if what you are saying brings poor lighting on another, don't say it (and same for listening, which is even harder).  If you aren't willing to take your robe off and approach the person humbly (like Jesus did his disciples at the last supper) and confront them on real sin, then you should cover them in love and keep your mouth shut (like Abraham's sons did when his other son went telling everyone he was naked and drunk).  So talking to others about other is really never an option - you either go to them or keep quiet.   When you talk to others you taint them in how they act around the other person and damage your own relationships because people know you talk to others about other peoples problems - why would they confide in you?  Gossip really isn't a grey area - if you are talking negatively about another - judging, sharing about their sins, just making conversation about others problems - then stop.

I've found this to be especially convicting at work - there are some teachers that are really hard to get along with, but that I feel talking to them will only worsen the situation.  It is so easy for us being treated poorly to complain or vent about it to each other.  Not okay, but so hard to walk away from or even not start.   Sigh.... my sinful nature has to be beaten down.  Of course this isn't the only gossip I've taken part in....   help me Lord to be gracious and cover's others sins with love if I haven't been called to confront someone about a situation or problem.  Help me to be gracious in asking others to stop if they start telling me something that I shouldn't know. Help me to walk boldly in confronting situations that you want me to be part of the healing/sharpening process.   May others be able confide in me knowing I have tight lips and a gracious heart. May I take these concerns and irritations to you only and not others.  Create in me a clean heart and give me clean lips oh Lord!

Late Night Chat

Yesterday we spent the afternoon and evening at Autumn's buddy's birthday party - she didn't nap and fell asleep at 6:45 on the way home.  We knew it would be interesting how this played out, as she frequently wakes for good after 9 hours.  At 1:15 she came in to ask for food as she was hungry and she had a "tummy head ache."  I set her up with a banana, cottage cheese and some milk.  She was supper chatty and most of what I remember was her remembering what Nana and Papa's was like.  She asked if they had a little table and if she ate all her food there?  There is a little table and she used to eat snacks and some meals there.  Then she asked who else is there.  I told her Aunt Laurale comes on Monday's and Thursday's and she said, "and Mick."  I said that we see Mick at the hospital and she asked, "where Nana takes care of babies?"  Yes.  "And they have gramcrackers there and they let me have them." Yes that is true too. (-:  She has started using the phrase, "and you know what mama?"  I think I also say it frequently, but it is so cute and usually followed by adorable two year old knowledge? Things like - Shyshy has curly hair, it's going to be my birthday, Calvin is a baby....   LOVE IT!!!!  Oh and when snack time was over she did some cuddling and slept until 8am!   So thankful - as we were still exausted due to more awake time from calling the cops on the new screaming scary neighbors )-:  That is the topic for another post, so very sad and yet so very happy they may move out even before we do.  It's been a small dent in our condo living and reinforces the desire to not live this close to so many people again.   Done, done, done with drifting cigerette smoke, pot smoke and screaming....sigh....

2 weeks

In two weeks we hop on a plane and fly away from Kona airport.  Aaron and I keep mentioning how crazy this is!  The last 10 months has absolutely flown by!  We are trying to disrupt Autumn's life as little as possible, so we aren't really packing up the house until the last minute.  We'll sell the big stuff and are getting a little storage for all our clothes, kitchen stuff... and hoping there is enough room in the storage for our queen bed too.  We're selling the Civic and some friends are keeping the Accord for us.  I've already forwarded the mail and so other than packing and cleaning we are pretty much ready.

We've spent lots of time talking about our upcoming travels and move with Autumn in hopes that it eases the transition.  She asks a lot of questions about it and seems to be excited about me being done working and seeing family.  Everyday when I pick her up she asks, "Are you done working?"  I explain that I'm done for the day, but still have a couple of weeks left before I don't have to go anymore. Figuring out how much to tell her when her concept of time is difficult is not easy.  We've error on the side of telling her a lot and hoping that it makes leaving a little easier.  She has a lot to look forward to - Maui and friends, family in Maryland, all the family in Colorado, lots of new toys in her new room at Nana and Papa's and a new baby on the way!

We've been so blessed this year with friends and fun.   It has been a very different experience than when we lived here just the two of us, but it has been a nice pace of family life.  Not too busy, but still plenty of beach days, swimming and fun outings!  We will miss many people and things about Kona for the next few months, but we are excited to see family, friends, enjoy the mountains in the summer and fall and maybe even a tiny bit of eagerness to play in the snow again!

A Mother's Love

There are times when only a mother's love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.

There are times when only a mother's love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we've dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.

There are times when only a mother's faith
Can help us on life's way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.

For a mother's heart and a mother's faith
And a mother's steadfast love
Were fashioned by the angels
And sent from God above.
--Author Unknown



So blessed with an amazing mother and so blessed to be a mother!!!   These are certainly two of God's greatest gifts in my life!!!

A year ago and some change

I found a USB drive on the floor next to Aaron's desk last night and wondered what was on it.  I'd totally forgotten that Todd had prepared us USB's with the pictures others had taken on the trip.  I had pulled some of them when I did my lengthy journal entry and then totally forgot about the rest.  Here are some of my favorites after looking through them again!!  Such fond memories from a trip of a life time!!!!

Potty Training

Well this whole potty training thing hasn't quite been what I thought it would be.  Autumn started being interested in the potty forever ago and even went poop in the toilet at 18 months.  I thought she'd be an early potty trainer and so around her 2nd birthday we tried undies with reminders and this did not go well. We put them away as it was apparent she wasn't ready.  Later she'd seem ready and we tried stickers and she'd pee, get a sticker and then insist on sitting on the toilet until she could make more pee to earn another sticker.  That was the end of that.   In the last month there are a couple of girls at daycare that wear under ware and Autumn so badly wants to wear them too, but she didn't want to use the toilet at their house.  We told her that if she keeps a pull up dry all day that she can practice with under ware again.  At home in the evenings we've been trying some timed toileting with some success.   On Friday she decided she was ready to use the potty all day at daycare and stayed dry in her pull up all day going every 20-30 minutes.  Over the weekend it wasn't perfect, but she did a pretty good job using the toilet.  Monday she stayed dry in undies (which she has named vividies) all day with just one poop accident and spacing her pees out to every 45 minutes.  So far today she has taken herself with out a pee accident and says she isn't ready when I ask. She takes her backpack that she packed with vividies into the bathroom and changes into a different pair each time she goes. She still didn't make it for her poop, but not bad.  I think we'll be using a lot fewer diapers!!!!!!!!!