Christmas Fun

Before December slips away, I wanted to share some of the fun Christmas activities we have done this year! My family is not celebrating Christmas until tomorrow, thus making it Christmas Eve [again] so I think that it is very appropriate to still be writing about Christmas!

I was super excited for Christmas back in November. Usually I am all about no Christmas until after Thanksgiving, so I held off, as usual, to listening to Christmas music, Christmas shopping or decorating. The week after Thanksgiving is when I was hospitalized, thus throwing us off a bit. There have also been some other emotionally tiring events happening that really made it difficult for me to get in the mood for Christmas this year. However, through all the hardships, I am thankful that the Lord is growing me. This year, I am even more thankful to the Lord for our families. It was hard for me to make a list of what I wanted for Christmas, because I really did not want any materialistic things. The best gift I got this year was through answered prayers, a growing baby boy inside of me, a loving family and being able to celebrate Christmas with our entire family. That is a great Christmas present to me and I didn't need anything else.

We did manage to sneak in some Christmas activities that I am thankful for and will have many lasting memories about.

 

 My mom brought me my first Christmas decoration while in the hospital :)

 Candlelight Tour of the Biltmore House with my mom, Jen, Jessica and Yiqing

This year, Justin and I decided to go to a local tree farm to get our Christmas tree. Before we went, I informed Justin that he would be chopping down his own tree. He was convinced that we just chose it and men with chain saws would be walking around and cutting it down for us. Well, you can see who was right ;) It was a fun experience and perhaps a new tradition!

With my parents planning on going up to Ohio for Christmas again this year, they did not get a tree. We invited them over again this year for a little "Thanksgiving" meal and to decorate our tree with us!

 

 

My sister, Jessica and I, headed down to Atlanta one weekend to have a fun-filled sisters Christmas weekend! When we arrived, there was a delicious dessert spread prepared. We packed up to-go containers and hot chocolate and were off to go look at Christmas lights!

 The next day we went started our Christmas shopping.

That night, Jen surprised us with a truly wonderful surprise- going to see The Nutcracker at the Fox Theater. I had never seen The Nutcracker and have been wanting to go for years! We got all dressed up and went to the performance. Afterwards, we got dessert at Richard Blaise's new restaurant. It was such a wonderful surprise. I loved it!

And here is our tree this year- completed with our 'Sweet Baby Boy' tree topper :)

24 weeks!

How far along: 24 weeks, 1 day! 
Baby is the size of a: Cantaloupe or Length of an ear of corn
Maternity clothes: Nada.
Food cravings: Chinese Food. I wanted it for a good couple of days (which I would consider a craving) and finally got it on Sunday night.
Anything make you queasy or sick: Nope.
Miss anything: Not really. 
Have you started to show yet: I think from here on out he (and my belly) will be growing rather quickly. Yesterday I had about 5 kids tell me I was getting fatter and my own sister said that I was looking bigger than I was just a couple days ago.

Boy or Girl: A little man :)

Movement: Everyday! And I love it! He still seems the most active in the evening, with his busiest time being between 8:00-9:00pm. I also feel him move when there is music playing, either at church or in the car. I wonder if he can actually pick up on the tunes?!? Some evenings I have also started to "play" with him. There are times when I will poke my belly and I will feel him move back, then I poke in another spot and I feel movement in that spot. Then I stopped doing it because I didn't want to be poking him in the head or anything ;)

Best moment this week: Having a spectacular weekend with my sisters in Atlanta AND surprising my parents with Christmas down South and learning that ALL my sibs will be coming down here for Christmas. I have such a wonderful family :)
Worst moment this week: I ran into a door handle at school on Friday and I have the largest bruise I think I ever had on my back. Thankful it is my back and not my belly. 
Best kid comment about the baby this week: Wednesday was our last day of school before break. We were suppose to wear a Christmas sweater. Well, I don't own any, so I decided to make my own. I glued two candy canes into the shape of a heart on top of blue paper and taped it to my bump. Well, with six and seven year olds, if you change one thing, they flip out. Walking into my class, they were all very confused why I had a heart on my stomach. One little boy even told me I looked 'awkward'. (Thanks buddy). I just told them that the baby wanted to celebrate Christmas too!

Other tidbits: Baby got his first Christmas present this week from one of my students. So sweet :)
How have I been feeling: Great!  
Looking forward to: Christmas Break and celebrating Christmas with both of our families. My little niece also turns ONE on Sunday! I am excited to celebrate her birthday down here as well :)

23 weeks!

 How far along: 23 weeks :)
Baby is the size of a: Grapefruit
Maternity clothes: No new ones.
Food cravings: No- I think it is very strange how I haven't had any 'real' pregnancy cravings. I have noticed this week that I have a bigger appetite. I feel like I am hungry all the time. At lunch today I had my pb&j sandwich, greek yogurt, string cheese, veggies and ranch and gushers (yes- I eat gushers) and I was still hungry!
Anything make you queasy or sick: Nope.
Weight Gain: I don't know if the scale at the doctor's office and the hospital are much different- but according to the doctor's office scale I have gained around 10 pounds- wowee! There might be a correlation between this increased hunger and weight gain ;)
Miss anything: Seeing a number on the scale that I am used to. This past doctor's appointment weigh in put me in a new category on the scale that I have never seen before. I guess it's only going to go up from here.....   

Have you started to show yet: He's a growing babe! I had another student tell me that I was getting fat. This past Friday we also had this award ceremony for two students, and one of them, who is about the same height as my bump, conveniently used my bump as her own personal pillow while she stood and waited. It was kind of amusing.

Boy or Girl: Boy!

Movement: We have both been able to see my stomach move for the first time this week when he kicks or moves about. It was kind of strange and fun at the same time :) His movements also seem to be a little bit more powerful. The little guy also seems to be most active in the evening. It is a new sensation when you are trying to lie down to go to sleep and you feel these movements in your belly!

Best moment this week: Getting our Christmas tree and decorating it with Justin and my family. I love having the tree lights on at night and falling asleep on the couch next to it. I also had a big answer to a personal prayer that I have been asking for some time :)
Worst moment this week: Returning to school after having a sub for 3 days. Between the switch of authority and routines and the excitement for Christmas the kids have been wound up lately. I had 8 kids move their clips yesterday! Eight! I usually don't move that much in a time span of 2-3 weeks. (Disclaimer: Clip moves is the consequence system).
Best kid comment about the baby this week: Too excited about Christmas to ask about the babe. Haha
Other tidbits:Went to the doctor's this week and everything looked/sounded good. They still made the decision to keep me on antibiotics for my entire pregnancy which is something that I will just have to live with. I also received 'the drink.' Yep- glucose test is scheduled for my next appointment. I also started the registry! It is very, very small but things are gradually being added to it. Baby steps!
How have I been feeling: Still a little tired, although that may mainly be from keeping 19 kids who are overly excited about Christmas under control for 7 hours. 
Looking forward to: Atlanta Christmas festivities this weekend! Christmas break is only 5 [school] days away!

22 weeks!

 If I look extremely tired in this picture- it's because I am. It was taken at 6:30 in the morning before I left for work.

Welcome to what has been the most difficult week so far in my pregnancy. Here is how the past week has looked:

While at school on Thursday, I started getting some side pain. I thought it was just some pain that I was getting like the back pain I was experiencing last week, and I am so busy throughout the day, that I just decided to ignore it. When I got home, the pain was getting more intense and constant. I was pretty miserable. Justin tried to convince me to call off school the next day, but being the dedicated teacher I am, I thought that a good nights rest was all I needed. I was wrong. I was not able to sleep at all that night. There was no position that was comfortable for me and the pain was getting worse. At 4:00 in the morning, Justin made the call to take me to the ER. At around 10:30, the decision was made that I was being admitted to the Maternal-Fetal floor with a kidney infection.

I spent the entire weekend hooked up to an IV with fluids and antibiotics being pumped into me, rolling my IV around with me everywhere I went, not being able to sleep more than an hour at a time because nurses were either checking on me or my IV was beeping, eating hospital food and not having the comforts of home. But, as much as I did not like being at the hospital, this past week has really shown me how blessed I am and I am thankful.

I am first thankful to the Lord for protecting me and the baby. The doctor said that the infection was caught early enough (due to the fact that I did not have a fever). Normally they monitor the infection by your fever reducing, but since I never had one, they monitored my pain. I am thankful that I am healing and that the baby is healthy. Our little baby boy's heartbeat was taken several times throughout the day. He had a strong heartbeat and sometimes it was even hard for the nurses to get it for the whole minute because he was moving around on them. I think we have one active babe in there.

I am thankful for my husband. Despite having work commitments, and tons of school work to do, Justin stayed by my side every moment he could. He even slept both nights at the hospital with me. I was very comforted to know that he was with me the entire time.

I am thankful to our families. While in the ER, both Justin's sister and mom came in to check on us. When I was first admitted to the floor, they stayed with me so that Justin could go home, take a shower and pack a bag for me. I was also spoiled with gifts to make my time at the hospital more comfortable. My own family was also very supportive and loving. My mom came to visit several times, and even brightened my hospital room with some Christmas cheer since I was not going to be able to do all my fun Christmas activities I had planned for the weekend. My sisters came and entertained me and spoiled me with gifts for myself and for the little babe. My own dad was even willing to bring his birthday celebration to the hospital, since I was not able to celebrate with them at home. It was quite a sight to see my mom assemble a German Chocolate cake in the hospital :) We are very blessed with such loving and supportive families and I am so grateful for them.

I am thankful for my co-workers who were able to look after my class, make lesson plans for me and allow to me to just relax and not think about school. I am also thankful to Justin's co-workers who were so supportive and covered his shift all day Friday so that he could stay with me.

I am thankful that the doctor who was on call over the weekend was my doctor and he was able to put my mind at ease. I feel comfortable with him and I am happy that he was the one to talk me through what was going on. I am also thankful for kind nurses. I felt comfortable on the floor and they treated me very well.

I am thankful for all of our families and friends who were praying for us. I received so many texts over the weekend that Justin had to inform me that I was close to going over my text limit. So if I did not text you back, I'm sorry. I was on text restrictions.

I was discharged from the hospital on Sunday afternoon. I now have to take antibiotics every day for the rest of my pregnancy as a precaution that the infection does not come back or another one does not develop. At first, this really scared me. Fear has been a struggle of mine and I tend to think of the worst possible scenario that could happen. I was afraid that I would get another infection and go into pre-term labor or lose the baby. I was afraid that essentially being on antibiotics my entire pregnancy would have adverse side effects on both my body and the baby. But during my reading a prayer over the past couple of days, I have decided to continue to say yes to the Lord. He is in control. He has made this baby and He can protect us. Even if it may be a more difficult pregnancy that what I was hoping for, God is in control. Please continue to pray for us. Pray for healing for my body and protection for both me and the baby. Even though we have not met our little babe, and still have several months until we will, we already love him so much and want to meet him in April.

Onto the stats:

How far along: 22 weeks!
Baby is the size of a: Papaya and Length of a Spaghetti Squash. He also weighs approximately one whole pound!
Maternity clothes: My sister got me a really cute dress that I wore to school today :)
Food cravings: Nope.
Anything make you queasy or sick: My vomit count went up over the weekend- but that was due to being in so much pain. Nothing is making me sick now.  
Weight Gain: Well I don't have a scale and never weigh myself. However, since they had to weigh me in the hospital I believe I have gained 7 pounds.

Miss anything: Sleeping in. I cannot seem to sleep in past 7:30 :(  

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes. 

Boy or Girl: Boy! Before we found out if he was a boy or a girl, I would try to picture what our life would be like with both. Now that we know, and I feel like I am starting to know him, I could not imagine my life with anything but a boy right now. He is our little man :)

Movement: I think I am able to distinguish between kicks/punches and when he is actually changing position. Aunt Jen was also able to feel him this weekend :)

Best moment this week: Feeling all the love and support from our families and friends. I also didn't mind hearing the babe's heartbeat several times a day- it never gets old to me!
Worst moment this week: I think you can answer this question without me telling you.
Best kid comment about the baby this week: Since I missed 3 days of school, I haven't been around my kiddos too much. However one of my students told me today that I was getting fat.
Other tidbits: The clothing collection has officially started for baby boy, thanks to a massive spoiling by Aunt Jen!
How have I been feeling: Still recovering from being in the hospital. I still feel very tired and worn out.
Looking forward to: Getting our Christmas tree and decorating on Saturday!

21 weeks!

How far along: 21 weeks!
Baby is the size of a: Pomegranate or Length of a Carrot
Maternity clothes: We are all maternity on the bottom half :)
Food cravings: Not really.
Anything make you queasy or sick: Nope. 

Miss anything: Sleeping however I please.  

Have you started to show yet: Oh yes. 

Boy or Girl: Boy!

Movement: Everyday. Although, he has seemed to not be quite as active over the past week., or I have been active and haven't taken the time to notice.

Birthing Classes: We had our last crash course on Sunday.

Best moment this week: Celebrating Thanksgiving and buying a new couch for our living room.
Worst moment this week: Let's just say that as soon as I got in the car after our birthing class, I cried. I felt (and still feel) overwhelmed by the idea of giving birth and feel very lost.
Best kid comment about the baby this week: My class had a pretty rough day behaviorally on Tuesday and at one point of the day when another teacher was in the room teaching for a bit, they were all over the place and not paying attention. After she was gone and I was talking to my class about their behavior, they asked, "How did you know that? Did the baby tell you?" Apparently they think that standing behind them by the door, I cannot see them AND I don't have eyes.
Other tidbits: We have been receiving some sweet gifts from our family. One aunt made us a handmade crocheted blanket which I L.O.V.E. Another auntie gave us a picture frame that says "Love at first Sight" with a picture of the ultrasound (which is now proudly displayed on my nightstand) and a Christmas ornament for the baby boy. Another auntie gave us an adorable dress shirt onsie. AND another auntie gave him some flannel :) I told you, he is one very loved child :)
How have I been feeling: I was having back pain earlier in the week but since we finally found a sleeping position that works and is comfortable, the pain has left. I guess the back pain was from sleeping wrong. I also had a pretty bad leg cramp in the middle of the night last night and since our Bradley class is about relaxing through the pain, Justin woke up and the first thing he said was, "Are you relaxed?!?" I am very thankful to be feeling as great as I do!
Looking forward to: Baby boy is excited to celebrate grandpa's birthday on Saturday as well as having a Christmas filled weekend: we might get our tree this weekend and I am going to the Biltmore Candlelight Tour with my mom and sister on Sunday! We might also be checking out the National Gingerbread House display this week! Pictures to come!

Happy Thanksgiving

 Cute Nieces

 Biltmore the day after Thanksgiving

20 weeks!

 How far along: 20 weeks! Can you believe that we are 1/2 there?!?
Baby is the size of a: Banana
Maternity clothes: About the same as it has been. I am thinking about switching over to my maternity jeans.
Food cravings: Thanksgiving is tomorrow! I am so looking forward to filling up my plate, and seconds, and maybe thirds... and probably mooching off the in-laws the next day ;)

Anything make you queasy or sick: Nope. 

Miss anything: Turkey sandwiches. Caffeine. Sleeping on my stomach and back. I think I am actually thinking about not my sleeping position when I sleep that I wake up and find myself on my back and get stressed out. So I keep waking up.....  

Have you started to show yet: Yes! I didn't think the bump had too much growth the past week, but when I got to school on Monday, my TA and other co-workers said that I grew over the weekend. I think the kids noticed too because they have been giving a lot more attention to my belly this week. 

Boy or Girl: Boy!

Movement: Yep! I have been feeling him everyday. He was very active last night and I told Justin to feel. What do you know, daddy was able to feel our little boy!!

Birthing Classes: I've been reading through the Bradley Method book and have started practicing my daily exercises and eating more protein (which is actually not as easy at it sounds)!

Best moment this week: Getting to go on a date with my husband. For those of you who do not know, Justin started a seminary graduate program about a month ago and has been extremely busy. Between working two jobs and doing all his coursework he does not have a lot of free time. So I was very happy that we were able to get out for a date! I also loved having a 2-day school week :)
Worst moment this week: I had a few emotional breakdowns :(
Best kid comment about the baby this week: One of my student's asked if she could keep the baby after he was born. My response was that I would miss him too much and that she was only 6 years old.... Also, with it being Thanksgiving, my class was writing what they were thankful for and one student wrote that she was thankful for Mrs. P's baby :) I'm thankful for him too!
Other tidbits: I have started compiling a list of things to register for. I had a little panic attack when I realized I was halfway through my pregnancy and still had no idea what to get. And with the holidays fast approaching, I knew that the weeks were going to be flying by, so I wanted to start planning. Thanks so some momma friends and my sister in-laws for all their advice and recommendations, I finally feel like I have a handle on what to get. I also know what I would like to do for the baby room and have narrowed down furniture and bedding. HOWEVER- we are currently in a one bedroom apartment, with our lease ending on April 6th. Perfect timing, huh? Things are up in the air right now as to whether we will be moving before the baby arrives or sticking out our one bedroom for a couple more months. So until we have some more direction, no furniture purchases and no preparations for a baby room will be happening. I have also been searching for a cute and affordable diaper bag and really have not found anything that I like. If you have any recommendations, please let me know! Also, let me know if you know where I could find a glider chair.
How have I been feeling: Great besides the back pain. I have started having back pain the last couple days and I have been trying to figure out the cause of it: standing too much, bad sitting position, bad sleep position, just getting bigger?
Looking forward to: 5 days off! Woo hoo! Celebrating Thanksgiving, although I will miss my family.

19 weeks!

 

How far along: 19 weeks! Almost 1/2 way there.
Baby is the size of a: Mango or an Heirloom Tomato- I don't really how the bump and these apps get their info. In my mind a bell pepper is larger than a mango....
Maternity clothes: Wearing maternity dress pants and some shirts. I can still fit into my normal jeans. Can you say low rise?!?

Food cravings: The school's Thanksgiving dinner is tomorrow for lunch! For the first time in my ENTIRE life, I am buying a school meal. I also made a pumpkin pie on Monday so I am currently snacking on that and getting a little taste of Thanksgiving.  

Anything make you queasy or sick: Sometimes brushing my teeth.

Miss anything: Sleeping on my back. Although I do think that I found a way to use my body pillow to sleep on my side that has been working out. 

Have you started to show yet: About the same sized bump as last week.   

Boy or Girl: BOY!!! It honestly was not too much of a surprise to either us or our parents because there were some indications that it might have been a boy a couple months ago. I had actually made the "It's a boy" banner the night before the ultrasound ;) We are thrilled and can't wait to meet him. He will also be the first grandson for my parents. I also told my students on Tuesday. I had a black balloon filled with blue confetti and popped it in front of them. The boys were screaming and excited and the girls honestly had looks of shock and disappointment on their faces (they wanted a girl). However, once they got their treat and the initial shock wore off, the whole class was excited. 

Movement: Yes! I have felt him everyday. At our ultrasound yesterday, the technician said that we was head down, in a C-shape with his feet near my right, which makes complete sense because I mostly feel kicks on my right side. When I asked the doctor about it, he said that was him! I love feeling him move :) I notice that he moves near lunch time and dinner time, but that might be because I am actually sitting still to notice. I also notice him more in the evening because I am not running around trying to take care of 19 6-year olds. I have tried to have Justin feel him, but he seems to stop moving whenever daddy comes near. Hopefully sometime soon dad can feel him too :)

Birthing Classes: We had our first crash course on Sunday and boy was it a crash course! We have lots of reading to do but I think we'll be okay.

Best moment this week: I think you all know the answer to this one- but finding out it is a BOY! I also loved getting the ultrasound and I am so thankful that he is healthy and doing great.  
Worst moment this week: We gave the ultrasound technician a blank DVD to record the ultrasound on, and we went to watch it and there was nothing there :( She must have forgotten to hit the record button. Bummer....
Best kid comment about the baby this week: One of my student's asked me if it was true that there were tubes in me that fed the baby. I did clarify that there was something called the umbilical cord that did feed the baby. I just liked how he phrased it as tubes, like I am some type of plumbing equipment. Another funny moment was yesterday I was leaning over a group of students, helping them on their math, and I feel this little hand rubbing my belly but it was none of my students in front of me. One of my sweet little girls who is so excited for the baby snuck up behind me and wanted to say hello.
How have I been feeling: Great! I have woken up with a few headaches and I am starting to think they might be dehydration headaches because they go away pretty quickly.
Looking forward to: Thanksgiving Break and having a 2 day school week next week :) And I know that we are not even half way there, but I am so excited to meet this little guy :)

Here are some pictures from this week:

 Aunt Jessica is excited to have a nephew!

 The little man himself:

 I love his tiny hands in this picture.

 Isn't he just adorable? I can't wait to actually meet him!

Little baby foot.