Belly Transition

I was 18 weeks on Sunday! I remember thinking the day/week (July 12th, 2010) we found out that it would take foreeever to get to 20 weeks and now it's only two weeks away! (Deep breath.) Finding out we were pregnant was so exciting and I have cherished the time I have taken to adjust to the news. I have savored every bit of the "big secret" and coming up with fun ways to tell our friends and family after waiting awhile to tell most everyone. I guess I just didn't want to rush through any portion of the process, but I did have to remind myself that just because the word may be out that doesn't mean all the fun is over with. Because really, the "fun" is just beginning....like feeling baby Dixie (our my nickname for the babe. Please forgive us if you're a boy!) move for the first time and watching my belly grow, Grow, GROW. We've been taking bi-weekly belly shots and the change is just incredible. It's truly amazing what is goin' on in there! And no, I am neither flexing nor sticking my belly out (like some have suspected.) I have wanted all of these to be "the real deal," so most were taken in the morning or awhile after I had eaten a small breakfast.

So...to catch everyone up...
get ready for the belly transition!!!

8 weeks - 8/8/10

12 weeks - 9/5/10

I think someone popped...

14 weeks - 9/19/10

I feel like I looked bigger at 14 weeks? Ha.

16 weeks - 10/3/10

And taken just yesterday...

18 weeks - 10/17/10

Isn't that CRAZY?! I really can't imagine getting bigger but I guess they say you do? *smile.

We hung out some great college friends on Saturday night. Amanda is due with her second in February and Margie is due with her first in two weeks. (Get it...I'm four months, Amanda is five and Margie is nine. We are so clever.)  I'm so happy they're going through it first it's been so fun to be pregnant and share this special time with some girlfriends. I'm so excited for both of them!

I think I like this being pregnant business. It's pretty fun.

Multitude Monday

Counting my way to 1,000 blessings...

#441...Watching Leo kick and jump out of his cage. He's pretty darn funny for a rabbit.
#442...The giggles of a 2.75 year old playing in the leaves.
#443...Helpful brothers who help move new furniture.
#444...Feeling the amazing movement of our first baby.
#445...The wonderful (but exhausting) task of deciding on a crib and glider.
#446...A full cup of perfect drinking temp chia tea.
#447...Saturday morning breakfast at the Woodbury Cafe.
#448...The random times Tom pauses and says, "you are so pretty, honey."
#449...Chatting for hours with the bro and sis-in-law.
#450...Some pick-me-up Sweet Tarts on a Friday afternoon *smile.

"I am more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe. (Yet) I am more accepted and loved than I ever dared hope." Tim Keller - Two things the gospel of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins teaches us.

Multitude Monday

Counting my way to 1,000 blessings...

#431...A week with menus - it's been awhile!
#432...Dusted ceiling fans and washed shower curtains.
#433...Enjoying the summer-like fall weather and remembering our 90 degree October 6th, 2007 wedding day.
#434...The nesting itch that makes me want to go, go, go.
#435...Having the energy to go, go, go.
#436...Riding my bike (very carefully) through the woods and unexplored trails.
#437...The 5" little babe growing strong inside my tummy.
#438...GNO (Girls Night Out)
#439...The stillness of an early Sunday morning. Just me and my tea and a book.
#440...Taking it all in...

We are judge by what we finish, not by what we start. L.P. Powers

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7

Three Wonderful Years!

Happy anniversary to my best friend and the love of my life! I can not even imagine traveling this journey with anyone else. With each day, I see new ways that you continue to make me a better woman. We are a solid team and I believe we bring out the best in each other. I love how supportive and encouraging you are to me and how you're always my biggest fan. Three years ago today we were embarking on an unknown but exciting journey. We had our whole lives in front of us and had big dreams to buy a house and get settled in the Twin Cities and travel and start a family. We have been to some absolutely amazing places and experienced some incredible things in our three years as husband and wife, but returning from our Scotland/Ireland vacation and finding out we're expecting tops them all. I don't want to ever forget that moment! God has blessed us so richly, provided for all of our needs and more, and is now bestowing on us the gift of a child. Wow. Wow. Wow. Five years ago we were just two friends who decided to "give it a try" and now we're going to be parents! I can't wait to see you as a daddy - I know you will be amazing.

I look back on this day three years ago and am in awe of how much more I love you today. I didn't know it was even possible, but my heart continues to grow. You are the man God intended for me, and I thank him over and over for bringing us together when everyone least expected it (even myself *smile.) He knows what we need much better than we do. You constantly build me up and make me feel beautiful. You are always making me laugh and listening to my crazy stories. You are honest, which I appreciate, and quick to say sorry or accept my apology and give me lots of hugs and kisses (sometimes too many.) I just think you are the best and I really do adore you.

I can not wait to raise our son or daughter together, and see what else God has in store for us.

Happy anniversary! I love you so much!

Lyrics to Alli Rogers, "If I Ever"

(which my sister sang at our wedding...)

I don’t have words to tell you how I’m feeling
I don’t think any language can

At times like these silence is appealing

Somehow I know you understand

And if I ever lose my hearing

If I ever lose my sight

If all my five senses leave

I know we’d be alright

Cause it seems your heart is a part of mine

So this is how it feels to be breathless

When someone walks out of the room

Stay by me, we can be timeless

Less than forever is too soon

And if we ever lose our hearing

If we ever lose our sight

If all our five senses leave

I know we’d be alright

Cause it seems your heart is a part of mine

I’ve sorted through every word I know to use

And looked for beauty to define

I haven’t found what I want to say to you

But I’ll try for the rest of my life

Lets try for the rest of our lives

And if we ever lose our hearing

If we ever lose our sight

If all our five senses leave

I know we’d be alright
Cause it seems your heart is a part of mine

Coworker News

I'm sharing some extremely exciting news with my coworkers today. I came in early to put one of these on each of their desks. Any idea what it could mean?

I'll give you one hint.

This belly was a joke, that you may remember from our big news back in June.

This belly.......................................................

...is not.

Relishing in the 16th week,

Multitude Monday

Counting my way to 1,000 blessings...

#421...Staring out the window to the backyard and noticing how beautiful it is outside.
#422...Prepping for big life changes.
#423...Working together to accomplish goals.
#424...No weekend agenda other than sleep, work and play.
#425...Having a husband who is really good at creating business forms with Microsoft Word.
#426...Getting 50% off already 50% off at Old Navy. (Cardigan was only $5!)
#427...Hearing the door open and the sound of his voice saying, "hi honey!"
#428...Busy days that make relaxed nights all that much sweeter.
#429...Chocolate milk as a treat....
#430...The parable about the Pharisee and the tax collector, which teaches us to be humble and cry out for God's mercy.

...for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. 
Luke 18:11

3rd Anniversary

Tom and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary a little early this year, mainly b/c Bayfield, WI gets super busy the last weekend in September due to their huge apple festival and we couldn't find a decent place to stay. We ended up in a cozy little b&b outside of town and it came at the perfect time since Tom has been putting in a lot of long, busy hours at work. I think we both needed the weekend away with nothing on the agenda other than rest and relaxation. Well, I guess I shouldn't say there wasn't anything on the agenda...b/c that would just be unlike me.
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First stop: A&W. All I had to do was see the sign and I said, "I need me a root beer float!" Ahhhh, they take me back to my mom/daughter dates when I was little...

The fried food we both had for dinner, on the other hand, not so fabulous. Next time I want to eat at A&W, someone please remind me that there is nothing on the menu that is nutritious in any way. Other than the root beer floats, of course (dairy).

Tom cozied up to the fireplace before heading down to breakfast.

Then it was off to visit some apple orchards in the area! It was here that I had my second breakfast - an apple cider donut. Tom isn't big on sweets (what?!) so I had it all to myself. I love that man!

Apple orchard #2. We were told the top of the old Sears barn had the best view of the valley and lake in town. It was good, but not that good.

They did have some yummy wines though. We bought one to drink on anniversary #4 *smile.

Imagine that...

Pretty Bayfield.

After our orchard visits, we loaded the ferry with our bikes and headed for Madeline Island.

It was about 7 miles each way to the park we wanted to hike at, so off we went. There's not much traffic on the island so for the most part, it was a nice, flat ride.

There are, however, deer so we had to watch out for those. This one didn't seem too bothered by me.

Beautiful Lake Superior.

We ended up having dinner at a pasta/pizza place and I thoroughly enjoyed my Maine Lobster Ravioli. Tom was jealous.

We honeymooned in Maine (take me baaack....), which was about as beautiful in the fall as you can get. It was no Portland or Bar Harbor, but Bayfield still had some fabulous reds and oranges that we just don't see here in the cities. We got a lot of sleep, enjoyed our relaxing whirlpool tub, watched four episodes of Parenthood on my laptop, and soaked up the sunshine and fresh air. Tom even made away with a massage before we left town. He deserved it (and I got one for my birthday, so don't feel too sorry for me.) We both decided we no longer like road trips longer than three hours - I think we're getting old. But all in all, it was a great weekend and I'm glad we got away! And in all seriousness and without trying to be cheesy, one of my two love languages is "quality time" (the other: "acts of service") so I can be just about anywhere with him and would love it *smile.

Vegetable Soup

What could be better than nutritious vegetable soup on a chilly fall evening?! That's what I thought as well. We went through our typical "what should we have for dinner" that so many couples try to avoid. Soup has been my go to the last couple weeks, so I whisk out my Vitamix cookbook and look for a soup that I have all the ingredients for. Decide on the vegetable soup and get to loading the blender. Below is the recipe.

I layered: frozen peas, frozen spinach, tomato, carrots, celery, red pepper, garbanzo beans, chicken broth and some onion powder. Yum, right? (Probably depends on who you are...*smile)

Mmmmm......paired with a mug of hot apple cider - doesn't that look fabulous? HA.

It wasn't bad at first, but by the fifth bite I was pretty miserable. That's an exageration and I did manage to eat the entire bowl of "baby food" but it was tough. Tom, on the other hand, didn't make it past that fifth bite. Bless his heart, he felt so bad for not liking it. We have loved some of the soups we've made from our Vitamix cookbook, while others have been dump-down-the-drainers.

This.......was a dump-down-the-drainer.

But I'm glad we gave it a shot. And the apple cider was delish.

Multitude Monday

Counting my way to 1,000 blessings...

#411...Starting another great book.
#412...Picking out flavors of salt water taffy like a little kid.
#413...The rolling hills and vibrant fall colors of Northern Wisconsin.
#414...Apple cider donuts all to myself.
#415...The way Tom puts his harm around my shoulders when we're walking.
#416...Never running out of things to talk about.
#417...Leaves slowly falling to the ground.
#418...My new Camelbak water bottle - yay! No more BPA!
#419...Watching episodes of Season 1 of Parenthood on the laptop on our mini-vacation up north. (And now wishing my three siblings all lived in the same town...)
#420...Enjoying every new day.

I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done, O Lord. Psalm 143:5

My Fabulous 28th Birthday

Like last year, I was home in Charles City on my birthday. Unfortunately, it was under sad circumstances this year with the death of one of my best friend's dads. You may have read about the Sawyer family on my photo blog, but if not, Tara's dad was diagnosed with ALS on June 7th and passed away very quickly on September 14th. I will remember Scott for his positive attitude, constant sense of humor, and courageous fight with a very powerful disease. My prayers and thoughts will be with Tara and her family in the days, weeks and months ahead. I have learned the grief doesn't disappear just because the funeral is over with. Perhaps the hardest time will come 3, 6, 9 months down the road....
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Despite the circumstances surrounding my last minute trip home, I am thankful for the time I got to spend with some of my high school girlfriends, my parents and my sis and nephew, Weston.  This is about the only time I got to actually "hold" him because he's very busy and active, but hey, I'll take what I can get.
He was much calmer last year as a 2 month old *smile.

Ohhhh, man. This photo shoot just cracks me up. I took a TON of pictures and only got two or three good ones. Such is life with a baby, huh?

This year, Weston just looooved Mober. She wasn't his biggest fan, but did pretty well for the most part. Except for when we had to separate them by a glass door.

We made our way out to my aunt's house for a pizza party and wagon ride.

Oh, AND to see Hannah, my cousin Kathy's miniature donkey. But the pizza was good too.

She was so adorable...my face hurt from gritting my teeth together. Just the sweetest, calmest thing. Kathy's nephews love riding her as she's the perfect size for kids with the sweetest disposition. I think I may have Tom considering getting one. Just google "miniature donkey images" and you'll be adding one to your Christmas list as well, guarantee it. No, seriously...try it.

Hannah hangs out with the big guys in the pasture. She has no fear and they're all best friends. It's hilarious. This is just one of many of their Belgians.

I loved the size difference.

Weston thought they were cute too.

Chatting with Hannah and some others.

Hanging with his cousin, Cole. I missed the hug that happened right before this picture was snapped.

After leaving bright and early from CC, I met up with Erin and Trisha for a fabulous massage in St. Paul and then we headed to the Albertville Outlet Mall for some shopping! We had such a fun day and then to top it all off, they made Tom and I a wonderful steak dinner. YUM. Erin is a fabulous cook and I may or may not have eaten all of mine and half of Trisha's. NBD.

Excuse the haze in the picture - the oven had a slight malfunction.

28 is my favorite number so of course, I've looked forward to my 28th birthday for YEARS (literally.)

Loved the 2-8 on my birthday apple crisp made especially for me from Trisha!

Opening gifts is always fun. Cards with words of praise and love are even better!

Trisha and Natalie only bought me "a few" things *smile.

What a wonderful day! Between seeing friends, hanging with my sister, a relaxing massage, texts, cards and packages in the mail, facebook messages, shopping, delicious dinner and plenty of presents, I'd say I'm pretty blessed.