20 weeks

Ok. New pictures.

We took these yesterday. So this is me at 20 weeks. You are not allowed to put comments up about how big I look - because I already know! And it that more and more people have to remind me about how big I am. It doesn't bother me nearly as much these days. I've learned to ignore more of the obnoxious comments I hear from others. But you guys still aren't allowed to put that comment on my blog! HA!



This is me expressing my sentimental feelings toward pregnancy. Blah. Ha ha! I'm so terrible.

I really am excited about the baby, I promise. Just not the pregnancy part. It scares me on a regular basis to see what my body is capable of doing in regards to being pregnant. I will not explain any further than that, simply because if I did explain, women who have yet to become pregnant, would suddenly become terrified and no longer be willing to give birth to a child. And those who are in the earlier stages of their first pregnancy would become terrified of what may lie ahead for them in the next several months - I will allow them to discover these things as they come along.

I am finally half-way through my pregnancy! Hooray! I'm so happy about this. Half-way there. I felt like I would never get to this point. It seems that time has progressed so slowly since I have become pregnant, and yet in some ways it has gone by quickly. But I wouldn't be sad if time would fly by a little faster. I want this child out of me - but of course healthy and fully developed.

I am still exercising - walking and yoga. Some weeks more frequent than others. And since my appetite has increased, I've been eating more healthy foods than I ever have in my life. I avoid frozen foods, canned foods, mostly cook lean and low fat meals (not always), and eat fruit and vegetables, cheese, yogurt, and eggs for snacks. (yes, I really do eat eggs for a snack. lol.) I aim to only eat sugar (like the dessert kind of sugars) 2 - 3 times a week (doesn't always happen, but I'm usually successful). I have to admit, despite pregnancy, I feel really really healthy - physically and mentally. It's a good feeling. My main motivation behind doing this (other than keeping my baby healthy) is the fact that I know I can't work off my extra weight until the baby comes out - so I want to make sure I eat healthier, because it healthier foods stay in your system longer than foods like chips and soda - which in turn causes you to eat less. Ok enough of this subject.

This Thanksgiving will be my first Thanksgiving spent with my in-laws. For various reasons in the past, we have been unable to spend it with Joel's parents. I will be making Parmesean Breaksticks, Mashed Potatoes, and Cranberry Cheescake to share for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm really excited about the cheesecake. Ha ha. You know, I'm a little sad about missing Thanksgiving dinner with my parents this year. I've only missed it one other time in my life - and that was during college. It was so sad. I missed all of our made-from-nearly-scratch foods that were a vital part of our meal (the mashed potatoes, the green bean casserole, the home made pies and desserts). I think that I will miss those same things this year when we spend it with my in-laws. But you know what? Marriage is about compromise. And this is part of it. Sharing holidays is part of compromise. And that is what I intend to do.

19 weeks and 5 days

I am currently sitting around and waiting for a very important phone call. It kind of aggrivates me that I'm waiting around for this call, but personally waiting around at my house to discuss personal business with the doctor's business office is a much better solution than prancing around town, waiting on the phone call and then discussing it for all of the world to hear. No thank you.

I am frustrated. I am aggravated. I am stressed, but I would prefer not to divulge the details surrounding my current circumstance. But I will say this one thing - I hate the health care system passionately. I would write a blog about my passionate hatred towards the health care system, but that would turn political all too quickly, and honestly, I try to avoid discussing politics simply because I get way too heated.

But I do have much happier news. Yesterday I had a sonogram. AND we found out the sex of the baby. But don't ask me what it is. I'm not telling. At least not yet. My mom thinks she knows what it is. It's amusing. It makes me laugh. We have our reasons for keeping this a secret. But for now, our little secret is quite fun.

During the sonogram yesterday we got to see our baby wiggle around and play. It was so cute and amusing to see. And then the baby even gave us a thumbs up sign. It was too funny. I still don't enjoy being pregnant, but I am looking forward to meeting our baby in the Spring.

This Thursday is a very important day for me. It marks the half-way point of this pregnancy - 20 weeks. I felt like this time would NEVER come. It seems that the days during pregnancy creep by so slowly, but I will finally be at the halfway point - which means it's that much sooner to evicting this baby from inside me. Oh I am so looking forward to that!

I will put up some pictures soon - when I am not feeling too lazy to do so. Ha ha.

Unavoidable Circumstances.

So I had quite the experience yesterday. I attended a minister's luncheon at a restaurant with the pastor and his wife. This minister's luncheon is for all the ministers of our denomination in our section (which is basically our local area). There's this woman who belongs to our section that freaks me out every time I see her, so I usually try to steer clear of her. It's not that she's mean or rude or anything....it's just...well...let me put it this way - she has a BIG personality. And personally, I think that I have a big personality, so if someone's personality seems to supersede mine, then it really tends to overwhelm me. This woman and her personality go way beyond overwhelming me.

So anyway, yesterday I tried my hardest to avoid this woman like I normally do, but much to my dismay, I was unable. She came up to me in the restaurant, and I watched her hand, as if it was in slow motion, aim towards my belly. (AAAHHHH!!) I couldn't think fast enough to figure out how to deflect the hand. Her hand made contact with my belly. (Strike one) Then she says to me "You're still pregnant???" (Strike two) Now that comment truly baffled me. I know for sure that I have not seen this woman since I've gotten pregnant. So I gave her a funny look and said, "I got pregnant in July. I'm only 18 weeks pregnant." And then as if she had not said enough yet, she then opens her mouth again and replies, "You're SO BIG!" (STRIKE THREE - you are out. I knew I had a reason for avoiding her). WHAT THE HECK????

I'm really not that offended, mostly because I think she's a crazy lady anyway. You know, consider the source. And it mostly makes me laugh, because it totally confirms my reasons for avoiding her in the first place. Honestly, when I initially saw her coming towards me in the resturant, I expected a series of off-the-wall, obnoxious comments to come out of her mouth. So I guess I'm really not that offended. I just think she's wacko.

But you know what made it worse after that whole series of obnoxious comments that I received from her? I was then forced to sit next to her for the rest of the meeting. Because somehow, my spot at the table was moved while I was away from the table, and she sat next to me. And you know who was on the other side? NO ONE! The wall. I was stuck with her and without anyone to talk to on my other side! AND then afterwards, we stood in a circle and closed the meeting in prayer AND she made me hold her hand while we prayed!!! I hate holding hands when I pray. I think it's wierd. Not like in a homosexual way or anything, it's just awkward. Whatever. Somedays, no matter how much you try to avoid a person, your effort seems to be be in vain. And yesterday that was definitely the case.

At the moment, I am very, very, very tired. I've had a full schedule for the last three or four days...it may have been longer, but I can't remember that far back. The house has fallen apart completely. I have a stock pile of dishes and laundry that need to be worked on, but somehow I can't seem to muster up enough energy to tackle them. I think I'd rather take a nap...or write a blog....or write a blog and then take a nap.

These days pregnancy is going ok...I guess. But you know what? I'm going to be honest here. I'm not a huge fan of pregnancy. I'm just not. I feel so restricted and confined. I'm fatigued. I have to monitor my asthma carefully (asthma and pregnancy don't go well together). I am constantly battling headaches (which I've figured out how to prevent but not get rid of them once I've gotten one). And it's painful too! My ribcage is KILLING me these days! Arg! Somedays I just want this child to get out of me (but of course fully developed and healthy).

Somehow people seem to think that Joel and I accidentally made this baby. (we did not) We always get comments like, "Enjoy your last moments before the baby comes!" or "Do everything now that you can't do with a baby" or "Make sure you go to lots of movies before the baby is born" and "Everything changes after the baby comes!"

You know what I have to say about all this?
1) Why the heck do you think that we waited four years to start a family??? Because we wanted to enjoy our time together before we had children. We were never in any hurry to start a family, because we wanted to do as much as we could before we started a family. We've already done all that stuff that we wanted to do before we had children.
2) Duh! Of course everything changes after the baby come! Once again, that is why we waited so long to have kids!

I think everyone is really worried about us being pregnant, because we always get comments about this baby being unplanned. Totally false, but they seem to think otherwise. It's probably because when people would ask us when we were planning on starting a family, we would always tell them something like, "Oh, someday." But that was to prevent people from getting too nosy and asking at the time that we started working towards a family, if we were pregnant yet. Privacy. So I guess because of that, they assumed the opposite. Oh well.