Multitudes on Monday

462. Zofran

463. Saltine crackers

464. yard sale money

465. finding baby clothes that I didn't know we still had

466. friends who lend maternity clothes

467. homeschool schedule flexibility

468. warm corn casserole

469. homemade pizza

570. celebrating our dear friends' daughter's baptism

571. hearing Isabelle say, "The water was so warm!" (in the baptismal pool)

572. watching and listening to Ella Beth sing worship songs in the big auditorium at church - she has no abandon to her worship :)

1 Timothy 4:4-5 "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer."

Pregnancy So Far

Oh pregnancy. We don't get along so well, no matter how hard I try. And this go 'round has been tough. Besides the emotional havoc that rears its ugly head each day, I am also dealing with the worst All-Day-Sickness ever. Zofran is my friend, but it's not a life saver. It curbs the nausea and it keeps me from throwing up multiple times a day, but even with it I am still nauseous - it never actually goes away. Last night I was so sick I kept dreaming I was throwing up. Between actually running to the bathroom and dreaming that I was running to the bathroom, I woke up exhausted. But, that's supposed to be a good thing......right?!?


I'm 11 weeks pregnant.

Sick? Uh, I think I covered that. ;)

Maternity clothes? Not yet. But soon.

Showing? To myself and Ella Beth, definitely. Most other people who didn't know I was pregnant would just think I need to lay off the doughnuts. I'm certainly getting "thicker" in the middle.

And, speaking of doughnuts...Cravings? I am craving EVERYTHING that is unhealthy. Of course my stomach won't let me eat much, but I have been craving hamburgers like nobody's business. And chicken fingers, Taco Bell hot sauce (same craving with Ella Beth...weirdest craving ever???), french fries, doughnuts. I guess it's a good thing that I have been so sick; otherwise I would have gained a LOT of weight already.

So what do I eat? Lots of crackers. And whatever else I can when I get hungry but not sick. Which isn't often, so I'm not eating too much right now.

Tired? Umm, is that a rhetorical question? Oh yes.

Names picked out? Yes, but we're not telling yet.

Are we going to find out the gender? Most certainly! We are all planners in this family.

How are we going to tell the family the gender? We are going to have our next door neighbor, Leia with yumiyumcupcakes.com, make "gender reveal" cupcakes. We are going to keep the gender a secret until Thanksgiving and then let Ella Beth and Landon eat the first two cupcakes in front of the family to reveal the baby's gender. Can't wait for that moment!

Gender guess? I'm torn. This pregnancy is so much like my pregnancy with Ella Beth (I'm just much sicker), but the heartbeat was closer to Landon's - so I really don't know what my guess is.

Preference? No. Just a healthy baby. I can think of pros for a girl or a boy. Of course, Ella Beth wants a baby sister and Landon wants a baby brother. :)

Room situation? Two kiddos will have to share a room. We can't decide who it will be though. We may put the baby in with sister or brother, or we may let Ella Beth and Landon share a room for a couple of years and let the baby sleep alone. Can't decide - there are pros and cons to both!

Favorite pregnancy moment so far? I have two. 1) Hearing the kiddos tell everyone that "Mommy has a baby in her belly." Even strangers in the grocery line! 2) Ella Beth and Landon "popping" babies out of their bellies a few times a day. :)

So that's about it so far. Hoping to feel better soon, and I'm still battling anxiety with prayer. Things haven't changed on the hemorrhage front, but I'm choosing to trust that God's hand is on this sweet one growing within my womb. I am so thankful for the continued prayers of friends, family, and strangers. I have received cards in the mail from Sunday school classes of people I don't even know, and I am still just in awe of how we as Christians really do come to each other's aid and pray for one another. So thankful.

Multitudes on Monday

451. a dedicated husband who works hard to provide for our family

452. warm PJs on chilly mornings

453. the calendar turning "Officially Fall"

454. October 1st ringing in with officially fall weather

455. Ella Beth and Landon talking about their growing bellies :)

456. hearing them talk about whether the baby will be a boy or a girl

457. relaxing weekends

458. time spent visiting family

459. celebrating Scott's grandma's birthday by eating Japanese

460. our chef tossing Landon bite after bite after bite of rice until Landon finally caught it in his mouth

461. hearing Ella Beth read a book to Landon

Romans 7:25 "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Christ Jesus our Lord!"

Oh Belly

Oh, this belly is going to get big I can already tell. It's making me a little nervous, but I guess with baby #3 that's just the way it goes.

Just for documentation, I was 5 weeks pregnant on our vacation.

I did not have this computer when I was pregnant with Ella Beth, so her pictures are archived only in a photo album. However, I do have pictures of my belly with Landon for comparison.

I was 12 weeks here with Landon. (And this picture is throwing me off b/c of the maternity pants. I remember wearing them early because they just felt so much better....)

Here, I am 10 weeks with sweet #3. I don't have any maternity clothes left (of course that would be the case). I can still fit into all of my regular pants, but some are getting snug. And, most of my jeans are uncomfortable when I sit - it feels like they just jab right into the baby. The ones pictured here - yeah, I wear those just about every day now if I have to leave the house. So if you see me in them, they may or may not be clean. Just don't say anything if they're not to help me feel less ashamed. ;)

Who knows if I will remember to take pictures every few weeks or not. I can barely remember to take my prenatal vitamin every day! Two nights ago, I woke up at 2:35 a.m. (to pee, of course) and PANICKED because I realized I didn't take it before I went to bed. I guess it was the fact that I wasn't feeling completely nauseous that triggered my memory! But, I will try to document this miracle pregnancy. People always say that babies #3 and later get the shaft, but I promise to try.

Multitudes on Monday

439. a very generous Mama

440. kiddos riding a carousel

441. this Mama not losing her (small) breakfast on said carousel

442. pregnancy discomfort - I know that seems odd, but my goal is to continue my "no complaining" resolution throughout this pregnancy. Pregnancy and I have never gotten along too well, but those aches and discomforts (and constant nausea) are just a reminder of that sweet one growing within me.

443. my very generous friend, Kim, who has already told me that we can borrow whatever we need for this little baby (we have NOTHING...no pack-n-play, swing, floor mat, bouncy seat, etc.) Thank you, Kim!

444. healthy delivery of Luke Crosby Jansen, despite his surprise entrance

445. kiddos' PJs

446. the smell of Ella Beth and Landon after their bath - current scent: watermelon :)

447. how extremely excited Ella Beth is to tell people "My mommy has a baby in her tummy." Makes my heart melt each time!

448. leisurely walks in the evening

449. long naps (when I can get one;))

450. a God who is not surprised by anything, and always has things under His control

Psalm 118:19 "Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord."

The Power of Prayer

To be honest, I can't believe the outcome of today's doctor appointment. When we left the doctor's office last week with very unsettling, and what seemed to be inevitable news, I really didn't expect much more than the worst.

Not that I'm a pessimist, because I am not. But because I typically trust what the doctor has to say. So when the doctor said, "your body probably knows something is wrong and is trying to get rid of it [baby]" - I took the news at face value.

And I waited. And waited. And the bleeding started. I called, and was told to wait just a little longer because the earliest I could come in was Tuesday (today). So, I waited. It was hard.

I prayed for this baby, but more than anything I prayed for God's will. And that I would trust His will.

Many other people were praying, too. Friends, family, strangers, neighbors. People were praying for me and for this tiny life within me.

And, I am amazed. Amazed at the thought of being lifted up to our Heavenly Father over and over again. Little ol' me. Amazed that friends are so dear and they call repeatedly to check in and see if there is anything they could do. Amazed that they really meant their offers, too.

But, above all else, I am amazed that God would choose to work another miracle inside my womb.

Because, I am pregnant!

The baby looks great!

And, the bleeding has been caused by a subchorionic hematoma on my uterus. The doctor said that it should "bleed out" on its own. Of course this isn't the best news because a subchorionic hematoma is very rare - occuring in only 1% of pregnancies. But, I am just trusting.

Trusting that God is in control.

And trusting in the power of prayer.

Multitudes on Monday

433. putting one foot in front of the other

434. friends

435. prayers from strangers

436. a God who holds fast

437. never walking alone

438. looking back over the last week and seeing only one set of footprints

Psalm 9:1 "I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart."