Halfway There, Living on a Prayer

Hi.

Gosh- it's already January 9th!  Christmas and the start of the new year have already come and gone, along with my thoughts of giving you a run down of our Christmas vacation.  It seems like so long ago already that it's become blurred in my mind... 

Oh, you know me.  I've got to share a few things.

Seester graduated!  Hip-hip-hooray for this day! 



Then we had a Christmas day with my mom's side of the family.  Katie, Kiera, and I were astounded by the difficulty of a trivia game we thought we'd fly through easily.

Wonderful surprise:  Justy was still in Cissna Park!  We didn't think he was going to be home for Christmas, so it was truly a delight to walk in and see his face.

While the brothers played basketball or hunted in weather too chilly for this lady, the girls played hours of card games and learned to make cinnamon rolls.  (I was again reminded of how lucky I am to have in-laws that don't feel like in-laws, but are truly family.)

 

 

Cool moment: on Christmas Eve, I felt Baby's kicks for the first time!  I think they were still too small for Jered and Katie to be able to feel, but they definitely happened.  (In the last week Jered has been able to feel them almost daily, possibly due to the fact that Baby's legs just had a growth spurt according to the What to Expect app on my phone.)

*I think it's also safe to say that the belly has officially popped.  Along with my belly button- it is so weird.

 

Exciting news:  In less than an hour and a half, Katie found her wedding dress!  She only needed to try on six dresses, and as soon as Mom zipped up the dress, I knew it was the one.  We walked out of the dressing room with her, and Amy, Peggy, Mom, and I all started crying/giggling.  Magical.

 

I exceeded my own personal best gift wrapping:

 

 

That, my friends, is Ashley and Caleb's gift, wrapped up to look like a cat.  It stood on its own and everything. 

 

(I'm realizing that I did a rather terrible job of taking pictures this holiday season.  I'm sure next year we'll have loads.)

 

We had some really fun game nights, including one where we played Hollywood Game Night at The Farm.  I really hope you can view THIS VIDEO.

 

I feel like I'm missing a bunch, but like I said- it's already getting blurry.  Plus I said just a few things.

 

In Baby J news, we visited the doctor yesterday.  (Don't get all excited- Baby's name is not going to start with a "J."  That's just our nickname for it right now.)  We heard the heartbeat again, and although our doctor reassured us that the heart rate/gender connection is an old wives' tale, it was 150 in case you stand by that indicator. 

 

(We also learned that it would have technically been feasible for us to continue with our plans of going to Hawaii, and while I would have loved to dodge the frozen tundra of this winter and enjoyed a sun-kissed pregnant belly instead of a pasty one (which incidentally is good for babies' eyesight), let's be real- that would have been a little too much added stress for us.)

 

As of today, we are halfway!

 

 

I make a solemn vow right now that if I'm going to insist on sharing new bumpies with you, I will start getting better quality ones. 

 

I was wondering what I should pray for when it comes to this wee, but quickly growing babe.  As I made my requests for health and proper development one night, I prayed for the heart (which according to my app, was going through major developments at the time) and maybe it was God's prompting, I don't know- Brandon told me if I asked Him to, He would- I started praying that this baby would have a merciful, compassionate spirit. 

 

So that's my prayer for Baby J.  That he/she would have a heart for others, a compassion for those less fortunate, a tendency of mercy toward people who need it, and a desire to make this world a better place through kindness. 

 

I'm also praying that Baby J would be a teacher to Jered and me in this way.  It's not that we're totally cold-hearted; it's just not our strength or spiritual gift.  But my prayer is that Baby J will be so strong in this, that we can't help but learn from him/her. 

Well, I hope that you are steering clear of frostbite and staying cozy whenever possible.  If you think about it- Jered and I could use prayers in the vehicle department, as my car has joined Walter in vetoing driving in winter weather.  Really hoping it's something minor that Jered can work out this weekend.  Also- incredibly thankful for great coworkers who go out of their way to get us to work!

 

Anyway, have a toasty weekend inside with some hot tea if you can.  That's how I plan to spend my weekend, along with clearing out the spare room for a special little someone.

 

Take care!

 

Aim