Six Weeks...and counting!

Hello 34 weeks! Random thoughts of the week:

1. I can't believe how big my stomach has gotten. It definitely can't get much bigger.
2. My California baby shower is in one week and I'm so excited that it's Christmas themed.
3. I'm really happy our Christmas tree is up, but our Christmas lights are still not up. I'm going to need to bug Aaron to do that.
4. I'm so grateful that my fall in the rain two weeks ago didn't hurt Jackson, or myself.
5. The lack of sleep is getting to me, but I have to keep reminding myself that lack of sleep will definitely be the case once Jack is actually here.
6. I'm so excited to see the "Jackson" letters that I ordered off of Etsy.com!
7. It surprises me how impatient people drive around the holidays.
8. I'm so grateful we were able to go to Disneyland and see all of the Christmas decorations last week!
9. I'm really scared and continuously praying about guidance and what will happen regarding work after Jackson is here.
10. I can't decide what to get my parents for Christmas and it's bugging me! I feel like they deserve the world for all they have done for us.
11. I can't wait to see Aaron as a father. He's going to be such a good dad.
12. My favorite smell during the holidays is my bath and body works balsam. It smells like a fresh Christmas tree.
13. I'm enjoying every single night that Merlin and Lola snuggle with me, because those days may be numbered!
14. I miss Lauren and Dave Miles...especially during the holidays.
15. I'm so grateful that we were able to meet Jenny and Matt Randle's 3 week old baby boy Max! Seeing Aaron with him was even better.
16. Hopefully the heartburn will stop soon.
17. My dad is going to be a wreck the first time he holds Jackson. I seriously can't wait to see it. :)
18. I didn't realize how much I really loved M&M's until I was pregnant.
19. I'm really looking forward to working out and getting my body back after Jack is born, but I'm enjoying not feeling guilty during the holidays.
20. God is good. All the time.

Colorado Baby Shower-10/16/2011

I know, I know. I'm writing about an event that happened two months ago. But I've been meaning to write about the amazing time that we had in Colorado for my baby shower for months now! Every weekend since Halloween has been filled with joyous occasions and wonderful family and friends. I am continuously reminded with how many blessings we have in our life.

To be able to have our baby shower at the Broadmoor, where we got married 3 years ago, was such an amazing experience. We started off with the Sunday Brunch. Aaron, my dad, Sean Carmody, as well as many other supportive and wonderful women in our lives that live in Colorado were able to be there.

Aaron and my dad actually had a conference going on for work at the Broadmoor simultaneously, and my parents were provided a 2 bedroom cottage, along with a kitchen and large living room. After brunch we were able to go here and open gifts and have cake and just celebrate being with one another. 

I was surprised with a small cake that was our wedding flavors (lemon and raspberry) that the Broadmoor specially made for us. It was such a delicious treat to have! It tasted just as good as it did on July 12th, 2008! 

A photo with me and the beautiful hostesses, my mom and sister. 

It was so great to have my nana and 3 of my aunts there. Four generations in one photograph is such a blessing to see!

All in all, it was such a wonderful day and I couldn't be more excited for the support and love that Jackson will receive from all of these women in my life. 

To look back and see what's coming forward

I can't believe that I can say that Jackson is 26 weeks and 1 day today. We are past the Viability day, which is such a blessing. This means that if was born today he'd have a better than 50/50 chance of surviving. God is so good!

Now-a-days, Jackson loves to kick me as hard as he can at very random times of the day. But, I just love every minute of it! To think that he's over two pounds is just amazing.

Not much new news to report since my last entry on Jack. These days seem to be extremely busy with work and looking towards the future. I can't believe how fast time has gone. Aaron and I are starting to get a bit nervous and stressed for when Jack is actually here. In the day care and work front mostly. Looking up day cares and seeing that they can run at $1,500 a month is extremely frustrating and disheartening. But, we have to keep re-focusing that God is in control and has a plan for us. We just need to take this a day at a time and enjoy the ride and continuously count our blessings.

It's funny how your stress switches from either health of the baby or what you're going to do when he's actually here. The "actually here" stress is getting more and more real. Questions arise of, "how will this change Aaron and I's relationship?" or "how am I going to live with only 4 hours a sleep a night with a full time career?" or more simply, "can I handle that many poopy diapers in a day?"

We have signed up for all of our prep classes for labor, delivery, breastfeeding, and infant CPR. All of the classes are scattered throughout the next two months. I'm starting to not look forward to the labor part of all of this. Until now, I was able to say, "oh it's not for a long time!" But the bigger he gets, the more I realize this has to happen. Going to the class will just make it so much more....real!

To love the simple pleasures of the miracle of pregnancy, Jack wasn't moving much at all this evening. Aaron, after working came over to my tummy and started to talk and love Jackson. He immediately started kicking and rolling around all over the place.

What a little love.

I'll finish this long winded entry with a picture from Hawaii. My parents blessed the 6 of us with a 7 day trip to Hawaii. It was unbelievably amazing, fantastic and wonderful. A lot of great memories and laughs will be cherished for a long time. What a great "last trip" as just the six of us.

Baby shower number one is this weekend in Colorado! Let's hope I can make it through this work week and not be too exhausted to enjoy it!

Little Kicks and Loads of Love

I get so excited now about the littlest things now-a-days. I know I can't start off every post with "Jackson did the most monumental thing..." because everything he does on a daily basis is monumental!

I think this weekend was a big deal for Daddy-to-be. On Friday night, Aaron was able to feel Jackson kick for the very first time! He was completely surprised, and he was just enthralled with this new found discovery. I'm so excited that he can now join in on the fun.

So, to celebrate, we ran errands all day on Saturday. One included going to R.E.I. and picking up our stroller for Mr. Jack. We purchased a B.O.B., which was the one we were most excited about being the best stroller for us. What was even more awesome was that we paid for it all in cash. God blessed us with some commissions and reimbursements from friends all on the same weekend, which was such a relief to start off our series of big purchases in cash! God is so good.

So here's a picture of Aaron with the B.O.B. and an outfit that we bought for little Jack. 

 

When I am laying on my stomach now and Jackson is being super excited (usually in the mornings and...sometimes... right before I fall asleep) I can see his little kicks from the outside of my tummy! It's so amazing to watch! This morning, he moved to the far right side and my stomach was all lopsided. The right was super hard, and it was so amazing to be able to rub it and know that I was so close to him! The miracle of pregnancy astounds me all the time. 

We were able to go to church today for the first time in about five weeks. We've been so blessed to be so busy this summer. It was so wonderful to go. I really came to realize how the Lord simply and truly loves us, and always wants the best for us. What a great way to celebrate that. He already knows how Jackson will be once he's born, and how many hairs he will have on his head. How blessed are we to have such a wonderful God? I can never let the sin of worry get in the way of this. God takes care of us, and what a peace this provided me when I worshiped!

Last weekend we met my parents up in Cambria, CA which was such a wonderful time. Although a short trip, we were able to celebrate Jackson and being with each other, as well as the beautiful wine country and memories that Cambria brings back. So I'll follow this up with a picture of the trip. 

Beyond that, Happy half way point! 20 weeks down, 20 weeks to go. Thanks Jackson for changing our life. Thank you God for blessing us with Jackson!

Pictures of Baby Jackson

So, I don't have pictures of us cutting the cake, but I do have some sweet pictures of Jackson's profile and his tiny little feet! Which is MUCH better in my opinion than any picture of me pregnant.

I started to feel more than just flutters last weekend. It was definitely his little punches and kicks that haven't turned to big  ones yet. He's trying with all his might to be a little terror :) He will be later, I'm sure. And I just can't wait for it!

 

Hello little baby love! He was wiggling his arms a lot so they look a little big. But I just can't get over his profile in this shot! He's my little bug a boo. 

I had an ultra sound on Tuesday where they took photographs of his brain, my placenta, his spine, etc. etc. to make sure everything was growing right on schedule. It was so wonderful to sit there for 20 minutes and get to look at him. The feeling of love that I already have for him is so indescribable. It's like nothing I've ever felt before and can simply not be explained!

Okay, I'll let you see his little tiny feet...

Oh I can't wait to grab those little toes! We are feeling so incredibly blessed to be having such a smooth pregnancy so far. As of next Monday, I'll be 19 weeks! Almost half way done! That's crazy for me to believe. 

We may be starting to look at houses to purchase next week which will be an overwhelming but exciting thing! We currently live in one bed, one bath and a loft....which will get a bit tiny once Jackson comes. 

I feel like we're growing up so fast! It's such a wonderful and exciting feeling. I'm trying to enjoy every minute of it in knowing that God has truly blessed us. No matter how this pregnancy turns out, it will be for his will and he would never give us anything we couldn't handle. 

I'm feeling at peace. 

It's weird how time flies

Remember when I was talking about impatience? I look back and can't believe how fast time has gone since my last post.

Hello sweet potato. Hello 17 weeks and 4 days!

Hello baby BOY Jackson Paul!

It has been a whirlwind of a week with Janet (my mother-in-law) in town. Every night we have driven up to L.A. to hang out at Kate and Randy's house to enjoy being together.

This may sound awful, but I had good reason to feel this way: I was more excited for the last day she was here than any other day. We were finding out the gender of our baby!

First, we went to a 4D Ultrasound gender facility. They had Aaron, Janet and I go into a large room with a projector screen for the viewing. We explained that Aaron and I could not know the gender, but only Janet would get to receive the happy news.

But, what was so amazing is Jackson actually looked like a BABY! He has all 10 fingers and 10 toes, was crossing his little tiny legs and had the most precious profile of any baby I've ever seen. I was immediately drawn to the love for our child. I was talking to him the entire time we saw him wiggling and moving around the screen without even thinking twice!

Of course, Aaron and I had no idea what to look for...parts wise...so we left without a clue. Janet knew, and continued to torture.

The rest of the day went by so quickly. With a second doctor's appointment and some work in between, dinner came soon enough!

Janet did such a stunning job with the cake. Needless to say I was DYING to cut it to see the color inside! She placed pink and blue all over Kate's dining room. It was just perfect. 

So...about 45 of the longest minutes of my life passed. We all decided that we needed to know before dinner was served.

HELLO BABY JACKSON!

I'll post more pictures once I get them from family that watched us cut the cake. I'll post them. I know I need baby bump pictures too! I'm growing daily and getting "congrats" from random people, so I assume it's looking more baby bump by the day.

And on another very sweet and wonderful and fantastic note, I feel flutters in my belly almost daily now. Since I was about on my 16th week, I've been feeling tickles on the inside of belly. It's now getting more and more frequent, and stronger all the time. I can't wait until he can kick and Aaron can join in on the fun.

We are so in love. He's perfect already and doesn't even have to try. 

22 weeks and 3 days left. I'm loving every minute of it!

Peaches are lovely in the summer!

We're past another large milestone! 12 weeks as of July 4th, 2011...and still going strong! First trimester will be DONE after this week! Yay! Hopefully no more fatigue and nausea!

We have ourselves a tiny little peach as of this week. And couldn't be more excited for the little bean. On Thursday we have our second doctor's appointment, and I'm just aching inside for Thursday to come!

I would like to send out prayers to a dear friend from work who is 26 weeks along with little Allie. She's on bed rest through the rest of July. Aaron and I are continuously praying for a happy and healthy little one for them.

Impatience

Anyone who knows me I'm sure will see this as no surprise...I wish everything with little bean would move faster! I know, I know, these things take time. But geez, 6 more weeks until knowing if it's a boy or girl? It's killing me! 9 weeks and 4 days today! And little bean is still hanging in there.

I survived my first work trip to Orlando, FL...in June. 96 degrees and 100% humidity in a non-air conditioned convention center. Bean, don't kill me later. After sheer exhaustion for 7 full working days, the exhibit was up and beautiful! And the clients were pleased not only with the booth, but ecstatic that Aaron and I are expecting. This made for a much smoother trip!

It's so weird having the whole world know now. I feel like the secret is out. I'm so excited to talk and share stories about our little bean. I feel so blessed to have so much support and love in my life with fellow co-workers and dear friends!

So Lord, as my faith building exercise continues for a healthy happy little bean (which, I know you wouldn't give us anything we couldn't handle), I now pray for patience in our excitement, in knowing little bean needs all the time he can (yes, he's a "he" today)!

Next Dr.s Appointment: July 7th. We are praying for a heart beat and a picture of baby that looks....like a baby!!!

So my little bean....grow your heart out!

Mother's Day Gift

Usually Mother's Day for me, a 25 year old married girl of 3 years, consists of buying my mother her very specific bouquet of flowers and a card. And of course, celebrating and appreciating the fact that I really do have the best mom around. That is the best gift I could ever ask for. I look up to her as a happily married woman, and emulating her as much as I can in my own marriage.

This year, I gave her a gift neither her, Aaron or I were expecting.


Shaking at 8am when Aaron was still asleep, holding what really was changing our lives forever.


It just had to be a lie.


I run into the bedroom as Aaron shoots up from bed. It's like he already knew. Sharing an overwhelming feeling of shock, excitement, fear and love in one moment is like nothing I've ever felt.

So here we are, about 3 weeks later. I'm 7 weeks along feeling the typical symptoms of nausea, extreme fatigue, cravings (Aaron swears the cravings were there even before I was pregnant).

We had another life altering moment yesterday. I feel as if these "life altering" moments will just keep coming over the next 7 months! Dr.'s appointment number one. And....we have a heartbeat! To actually see the little one moving around and hearing it's heart roaring. What a miracle from God.

The journey is by far a tremendous leap of faith in God. I've never felt so helpless and protective in my life. I'm powerless to affect development of our little bean (outside of the obvious: no smoking, drinking, blah blah) and so many things could still play out that could be hurtful. I've been learning to pray deeply and trust that God has a plan for our little surprise bean.

So here's her first picture.  (And yes, today, she's a "she!) But maybe I'm biased! 136 beats per minute and going strong!

And I already think she's beautiful.