Halfway There!

Today I am 20 weeks pregnant -- about the halfway point! As Cassie so kindly told me last night when we were video chatting, I no longer have a baby bump -- it's now an official pregnant belly. :) At 20 weeks and 10 lbs in, I am amazed at how much he has grown in the past few weeks. Baby Jack has gone from the size of a poppyseed to over 10 inches long and almost a pound! Over the next twenty weeks he will potentially double in length and become up to 10x heavier -- get ready! I definitely started wearing belly support for running this week. Yay for a big, healthy baby! 

14 weeks

15 weeks

16 weeks

17 weeks

18 weeks

19 weeks

20 weeks

Baby Safari

Baby Jack's bedding arrived today! I just love the bright colors and sweet, textured pattern. (And, I have to say, I'm very excited that I got it new, in the packaging on Ebay for $100 off what it sold for at Baby Gap!) Now I can't wait to get it all set up in his room! I love preparing a place him. Luke and I enjoy just sitting in his room, talking about him and our little family. I hope he knows how very much he is loved. Any suggestions for paint and curtains?!

 

 

Welcoming Baby Jack!

The past week has been one of the most fun Luke and I have experienced so far. Knowing who this little guy is that will be joining our family in 4.5 months is amazing! It is very special for Luke and myself to prepare very specifically for the baby boy headed our way. Our friends and family have joined us in that, and have called, sent notes, and dropped by gifts, picked out or handmade just for him! I feel like we add something to his bassinet of sweet gifts almost every day! Thank you so much to each of you who called, wrote notes, brought by gifts, or sent prayers our way. It feels amazing to be so fully supported during this wonderful time! So, in case you like looking at adorable, tiny things as much as I do, here is a picture of some of the things sent just for baby John Thomas this week!

Belly Dancing

I have a cold, so I stayed home from church yesterday morning and instead curled up on the couch to read a book. No sooner had I propped the book on my belly than SOMEONE kicked it off. I looked around, and slowly set it back down again. Sure enough, baby kicked it again - hard enough so that I could see my belly move! I spent the next half hour watching my belly contort in ways I had absolutely no control over. What amazes me is how fast he grows. Saturday I had never seen him move, then yesterday he started, and hasn't stopped since. So, the past two days this has pretty much been my constant view: staring down at my stomach, watching my little buddy push on my belly. Now, if he'll just do his tricks one day while his daddy is home, maybe Luke will be able to feel him!

Operation Boy or Girl

When I told Luke that we were going to have a baby, one of the very first things he asked (after "Are you sure?" and "Shouldn't you take another test?") was "When can we find out if it's a boy or a girl?" He seemed slightly shocked and dismayed when he heard it wouldn't be until August. I think he wanted me to take another test right then that showed up pink or blue.

Those of you who know Luke know that he likes to know what he's up against and make a plan of action. If it was a boy, Luke had a very clear plan of what he felt needed to be done. After all, he is a boy himself, the sibling who grew up in his home is a boy, and he works with (now, and in the Marine Corps) pretty much all boys.

A girl, however, is a different story. Girls, according to Luke, are...different. More complicated. Wonderful, admittedly, but they also bring with them more to worry about. Granted, at work Luke often sees young girls in distressing situations. These are the cases that are harder for him to let go of when he gets home, and they only add to his theory that a little girl might give him a heart attack, so it's really better for all of us to avoid that situation.

So, on Tuesday, when we headed to the doctor at 18 weeks and 2 days along, Luke was very ready to know what he was up against. Was it time to buy Where the Wild Things are and start brushing up on "important questions they are going to ask" like "Where does lightening come from?" and "Why do spiders have eight legs", or was it time to start two-a-days to become as physically intimidating as possible in preparation for giving the evil eye to the baby boys who might be looking at our baby girl while she was in the hospital nursery? I warned him the night before that, you know, it's possible the baby won't be in a good position and they won't be able to tell. He froze, gave my belly a warning look, and said "Oh, heck no. We aren't leaving without finding out."

After an interminably long 10 minute wait, our fantastic ultrasound tech, Nancy, called us back to the ultrasound room. As she carefully measured the vital organs and bones in our baby's body, we smiled and breathed a sigh of relief each time she said "Right on track!" or "Very healthy!" or "Measuring ahead" or "Looking great!" I have never, though, heard a sigh of relief like the one over my left shoulder when she said "And, wow, no doubt about it...anyone want to make a wild guess at what you're having? It's 100%, definitely a BOY!"

I laughed, cried one happy tear, and turned to see a look on my husband's face that can only be rivaled by the one I saw on our wedding day. His was grinning his wonderfully infectious grin and his whole face was just beaming. "A healthy baby boy!" he said, looking completely ecstatic and enamored. "I couldn't ask for anything more!" And then, after all that, he adds, "NOW we can have a baby girl! I just needed one on my team to help me out before she gets here."

So, our little boy, John Thomas Paiva ("Jack" to us), named for our wonderful dads, appears to be big and healthy, with an expected arrival in January! Let the boy preparations begin!

Watch the Baby Grow!

We had a little bit of a crazy first trimester and visited the doctor several times as a result. The upside? We got lots of pictures!

Each time we went to the doctor with possible signs of miscarriage, as soon as they put the Doppler on my belly, we would see this little baby, just floating around, in such a quiet, peaceful world -- such a stark contrast to the worry that we were feeling. It helped me realize that he or she wasn't worried at all, and that there was no point in us worrying either.

It was amazing to me to see what a difference days made in these early stages. Even when this first picture was taken, we could see the baby's heart beating. Watch this little baby grow!

6 weeks and 1 day

8 weeks and 2 days

10 weeks 3 days

12 weeks, 1 day

13 weeks, 2 days

17 weeks 5 days

Seeing these pictures reminds me of these verses from Psalms:

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:13-14

I can't wait to find out who this sweet little baby is on Tuesday!!!

Our Investment Strategy

In our vast six years of marriage experience, Luke and I have learned a few things about what works and what doesn't, and I'll be honest to say we've learned more than a few of those lessons the hard way. Anyone who knows us will tell you we are two of the most unbelievably stubborn people you've ever met. They would also probably agree that Luke and I are just about perfect for each other. (I think that's a compliment?)

One thing we have done since the beginning of our marriage that I would recommend to any couple is that we literally invest in our relationship. Each year, no matter how tight the budget, we always make time and money for at least four days away, just the two of us and no cell phones, Internet, TV, or other distractions. Some people might think it's crazy to spend money on a beach trip when we have many other things we could be saving for, etc, but we think that getting distraction-free time away, just the two of us to talk, rest, and just have fun together is some of our best spent money all year.

Luke is a very hard worker and consistently works three to four extra shifts a week to help make everything work around here, so seeing him sit still for four days or a week and a time makes me so happy.

This year, we took advantage of the late-summer, oil spill scare deals and went to SanDestin for four days.

We ate seafood and drank fruity drinks on the beach:

I laid under an umbrella and read while Luke swam in the ocean. We took long walks on the beach, and came home and cooked fantastic meals that we ate on our patio:

Or sometimes just laid around the house and enjoyed the view:

And, what trip to Destin would be complete without a stop at the Donut Hole? Mmmm. A bag of those hot, homemade creations made the car trip home not quite so sad.

One of my favorite things about our trips is how much I get to appreciate that Luke really is my best friend, and we just have so much fun together. On trips like that I feel like our life is just one really long, fun slumber party. :) Thanks for working hard to give us the opportunity for a wonderful trip, Luke! I'm already looking forward to next year.