Our new addition! March 10th-Due date posting

In honor of our sweet Hudson's due date today, I wanted to share what so many have asked details about and prayed for, Hudson's birth story. I promise I will withhold crazy gory details. There is just a story to share of the Lord our God showing His character.

I will go ahead and skip over my inability to keep up well with a blog. I so wish I would have stuck with the weekly updates during pregnancy. The more time that passed, the harder it was to return. This is a perfect starting point again.

"March 10th". This is an answer that we have given to so many as we have longed for this day. A sweet friend compared the waiting process of a mother longing for her baby to us as believers longing for our Savior. This waiting and longing became very real to me after Christmas. During the fall, I knew that as December approached, I would be finished nannying. I longed for those 3-ish months to "nest" and get things ready for the baby. As Christmas came and passed, exhaustion, pain, and lots of expanding started. For those that saw me during this time, I looked like I was ready to pop at any minute and yet I still had months to go. It was a constant running joke of how much of a monster baby Hudson would be. With me at 9 lb. 14 oz. when I was born, and with me measuring weeks ahead each sono I had, we just knew he would be huge. Our sonographer always laughed at how far ahead he was measuring. :)

Exhaustion and pain. Both hit really soon after Christmas. It was definitely God's provision and timing but I was not able to see it at the time. It was a constant pendulum swing of discouragement and trusting in the Lord. I was discouraged of my inability to clean house, decorate our new home well, and set up his nursery. Only a few people that have been a part of our lives during this season knew about the pain. I was at times embarrassed that I felt the way I did. I knew other pregnant women who had multiple children who were not struggling near as much as me.
House work, decorating our new home, and preparing for his nursery were constant burdens. I stressed way too much about it. I wanted everything to be perfect before he arrived. I wanted the trash empty at all times. I wanted dishes clean, floors vacuumed, decorations on the walls, pictures hung, walls painted, and nursery done and perfect. All things that were totally okay and good, but because I couldn't do them all and often, I felt defeated. Encouragement from Cory and grace from the Spirit teaching me brought me to a point of gratefulness. I had to go through the process of realizing it really was okay if these things weren't done. Surrender and trust in the Lord. He had been so faithful to me during this pregnancy to remind me of His closeness and goodness...both things I have historically struggled with especially in the past year.

So as I waited and longed to meet our little guy, I became more okay with just staying in bed as I knew it was only for a season. It started with an upper abdominal pain on my right side. It started as minimal pain but progressively became worse in intensity and frequency. As time went on, my contractions became really intense any time I got out of bed. Paired with the contractions, the abdominal pain would worsen with each one. The pain became so bad about a month before he came. Because I've clearly never had a baby before, I had no idea what pains were normal. I told my doctor about the pain with each visit.

My doctor. She is one of the greatest blessings that we've experienced! Seriously. So grateful for friends that referred us to her. From her big hugs at every appointment to her patient, amazing care, there just aren't words for how grateful we are for her. She didn't seem concerned about the pain at 7 months. She thought it was contractions or muscular at first but monitored closely. The closer I came in the eighth month, she became more concerned since it had not subsided. She ordered blood work and ultrasounds on my gallbladder and kidneys each week I went in. All tests came back completely normal. We praised the Lord for that. We just wanted to know what it was so she/we assumed that it was an abdominal muscle tear. That is all that made sense. Our home group prayed over me, over us. We prayed many times believing that the Lord could and would heal the tear and take away the pain. We believed but the pain continued and worsened. I was constantly on ice packs at week 36. Poor baby would kick and squirm inside of me. His little feet probably stayed frozen.

I was at 37 and a half weeks when I went for my appointment. It was on Wednesday, Feb. 20th. Cory had a meeting for work in south Fort Worth and couldn't reschedule it. I went alone. Like I said before, it had been a constant joke that he would probably come early and would be a monster baby. Cory, my parents, and in-laws were always anxious to hear details as I left each appointment. Before I went for my 37 week appointment, I kept thinking, "I need to vacuum my car out just in case I end up getting admitted...also, I should pack." Neither of these things was I able to do before my appointment. Went in, she asked how the pain was, and then wanted to order another gallbladder ultrasound and blood work. She apologized for continuing to do so many tests each week. She just had a gut feeling that something was wrong that  just wasn't showing up. She was very concerned. As we walked over to get blood work, she stopped me, and said, "You know what. Let's cancel the blood work and the ultrasound. We're going to go ahead and have this baby. I just don't feel right about letting your pregnancy continue with this unknown pain especially since it's getting worse. Since you are past 37 weeks, you are healthy, and baby's healthy, let's go ahead and deliver. I'd rather do it a little early than something happen and have to do an emergency section."

My response. "Are you serious?!" It was so surreal. All the jokes we had made and here we are with this really happening. She began to explain that she would do a natural inducing process. Rather than beginning a pitocin drip immediately, she wanted to do a mesh insert that thins you naturally but slowly. She chose this knowing my desire to have him naturally and knowing that it's just easier on women's bodies this way. She truly stays away from c-sections as much as possible. She is such a patient doctor and doesn't care how long it takes. I 100% trusted her judgement because she wanted what I wanted and that was her plan right as long as it didn't compromise Hudson's safety or mine. I trusted her and knew that the Lord had given her such wisdom up to this point!
She told me to go home, get my things together, and head back to be admitted.  I called Cory as soon as I hit the door. He answered and said laughing, "Are they admitting you?!" He had no idea what that question would lead to! :)
I was ridiculous. On my way home, I went and vacuumed my car out. Cory thought I was completely crazy! I went home, packed my bag, showered, and met Cory there to take off to have our son!

All bags packed, birthing ball, baby book, diaper bags, car seat in hand. We were set. We went to Texas Roadhouse on the way to the hospital thinking it could be the last good meal I was going to have. (I ended up eating and drinking like a queen for about 5 days and only had to go without solid foods for a few hours as you see here ---> ) We arrived ready to start the process. It was totally not what we had expected!
Upon arrival, they showed me to my room and looked at us like we were completely crazy for bringing all of our things up. Dr. P's last words to me at the office were, "We're going to have this baby by tomorrow!" Others didn't quite think so. The nurses said that they would check me out and see if I would stay or not. Now began the emotional rollercoaster. "What does she mean 'see if I'm going to stay'?!!"
I was okay with waiting for him before but now, we had all of our stuff from home like two complete idiots AND our parents were almost there. Our siblings were trying to get off from work and our hearts were ready to meet our son. I did not want to go home at this point.
Later that night, my doctor came in and announced we would start inducing tomorrow (Thursday) morning. We were excited once again! Thursday morning came and went. Dr. P came back in that morning and explained what the set back was. The hospital has strict protocol that will not allow someone to be induced before 39 weeks unless it can be proven that it's medically necessary.
According to my doctor, it totally was medically necessary because she knows me and knew that something was not right. She just kept saying that she had never lost a mother before and didn't plan to. She assured me she wasn't trying to scare me but just had a gut feeling that this was best. I honestly just thought it was the muscle tear but was totally okay with getting to meet him early!

Protocol. I think it is a good thing that the hospital has those rules, but in this case it was hard. It prolonged the process as more nurses and specialists kept coming in looking for reasons to document that it was "medically necessary" but no one could. All tests, sonos, and blood work were normal. We were so thankful there wasn't anything wrong but just so discouraged not knowing if we were going back home or not. When I say we, I mean me. God answered our prayers and gave Cory such strength as he remained steadfast in trusting in Him and encouraging me to do the same. I love that man. He prayed over me, with me, and washed me in the truth of God's word through these days that at times, felt like weeks.
They all said I was going home. Dr. P returned hours later after going in circles with a team of doctors and the hospital. She put herself on the line and said that I would not leave this hospital without delivering. It was a fight. She fought hard, and she won. We are grateful for wisdom from the Lord that led her to that certainty and assertiveness to deliver. It is her assertiveness that saved us.

She came to the room, announced what had been going on, and then ordered for the inducing to begin. She explained that it might take a few doses of the Cervadel to be effective. Each dose took 12 hours. For those who are like me and everyone else who had never heard of Cervadel, here's what it is. It's the closest induction that mimics a natural thinning of the cervix. It's a mesh insert. It takes much longer than straight pitocin or others but it's more natural and typically ends with a vaginal delivery. After 3 doses of the Cervadel that lasted from Thursday afternoon to Saturday morning, we became best buds with the nurses of labor & delivery. Saturday morning came and it was time to start pitocin. The mesh Cervadel had been completely effective to thin and now came the dilation which required some amount of an epidural. I didn't want one but due to the Cervadel, there were things out of my control that required some kind of numbing. I was so grateful that the anesthesiologist offered a half dose. I was able to feel everything but not at the intensity that it truly was. Before I got the epidural and without going into too much detail, I lost a whole lot of blood. The nurse was amazing and did not over react. I had no idea just how alarming that was. They broke my water which Cory watched this all happen. Another crazy amazing answer to prayer. He was there with me throughout it all standing strong and encouraging me. So when they broke my water, no one told me this but there was blood...lots of blood. Dr. P and my amazing nurse Jennifer never said anything or made a facial expression that showed alarm. They knew something was wrong but didn't want to alarm me. After she broke my water, I dilated from a 3 to a 10 within an hours time! It was crazy and wonderful. Our parents were all in the room during this hour. The nurse had everyone leave to check me when I told her I was feeling pressure and sure enough, I was ready. Cory did amazing! Ready to go...last picture and moment as a family of two.

Dr. P arrived. My favorite nurses were in there with me at each side. Cory was so joyful and right there with me. I had created a playlist of calm, worship music for the day of delivery. We had literally been listening to it all day. It was one of the best things I prepared for! Focusing on the Lord during labor was such a sweet thing and an awesome distraction. I heard a few of my dear friends worshipping through their music during this time, too which was sweet! When the time came to push, our church's new worship album happened to be on. A precious nurse from the nursery who we realized goes to our church, was there ready to care for Hudson. I pushed for 25 minutes and on February 23rd at 5:58 PM, our sweet boy made his arrival into the world! As he was born, the song "Look and See" by Michael Bleeker came on. It was absolutely a time of worship as we heard

"Oh, look and see our God and celebrate the power of the cross, the empty grave and now we're free. Let the redeemed lift up your voice. Oh, look and see our God. Glory, glory to our God!"
It was one of the most worshipful moments in my life. Truly indescribable! This sweet baby was finally here breathing his first breaths of life outside of me and we were getting to experience it together. My heart was so full!!
They immediately put him on my chest for several minutes before bringing him to the table to clean him off. 7 lbs. 4 oz. and 19 3/4 inches long. Our sweet, sweet boy!

This is my first look at him.

So in love! 

Hudson Jude Steiner

                                                            

Cory's first time to hold him :)

Complications. When they brought him back to the table to get cleaned off and weighed, he stopped screaming and started what they call "grunting". He was struggling to breathe. They stimulated him for several minutes trying to have him recover on his own. They then wanted to do skin to skin. He immediately started breathing normally. They praised how quickly he responded to skin to skin. They then all left the room and gave us about 15 minutes of time completely alone with just the 3 of us. It was such a beautiful memory. We worshipped together through prayer over our son and adoration of his beautiful life. We then welcomed our parents in and were able to introduce them to their grandson! My brother walked in the hospital doors the moment he was born! I loved that he got to be there, too. It's incredible to have family to share those moments with.

 

                                                   

Sweet first kisses

After us having time alone, inviting our families in, the nurses came back in to check on him. He had started grunting again. She had to immediately take him to NICU since he was struggling to breathe on his own. They concluded that he either had swallowed fluid or blood or possibly had an infection. Tears and more tears. Having to walk in the NICU and not be able to hold this precious gift because I might over stimulate him was heartbreaking. So many wires and tubes even as we got to hold him later.
It was a long week in the hospital as he finally began breathing well on his own, infection was ruled out, his lungs cleared, and he was released from NICU, but only for about 10 hours when they came to report his jaundice levels were dangerously high. He needed photo therapy at all times with only coming off for feedings. More tears of course. They took him to the nursery and began the photo therapy. I have so much compassion and empathy for momma's that have to visit their baby in NICU. We trusted the Lord, but we missed my son. We wanted to know him and cuddle with him! We wanted our families to hold him. When his levels had finally "stabilized", we were released after a week's stay. As of today, we are still struggling with his jaundice levels but we are praising the Lord that he is eating, peeing, and pooping well! All indication that his system is being washed clean of the bilirubin.

Through several conversations with our nurse and doctor immediately after delivery and days later, we learned that the upper abdominal pain I had was all from a partial placental abruption which means that my placenta had began to separate from the uterus. It was in the process of separating, and that's why I had lost so much blood. It was a problem that I had apparently had for a few months.
It was only classified as a partial because it had not completely separated. When my nurse came to my bedside and said, "Dr. P saved your life and Hudson's life today", I slowly took it in. Had it separated completely (and it would have within hours or days), we both could have died. The mortality rates are very high with this complication. There was no way of seeing it or knowing it. Because it's so uncommon, it was not something that my doctor was assuming it could be. Because of her persistence, Hudson was alive and so was I. All of which I had no idea of until after delivery...praise God! They would've had to sedate me had I known this prior to him coming!

A few days after he was born, the neo-natologist came in our room updating us on Hudson's progress. She was giving us telling us all of the "set backs" he was having that required us to have a longer stay. She could tell I was having a really difficult time with it as she said and I quote, "The fact that you and him are both alive and doing as well as you are after having the placenta abruption is a blessing! These other issues are just minor setbacks in the grand scheme of things." Life. The Creator and Sustainer of life was in that moment of her putting things in perspective for me. Since being released from the hospital, we've had to go to his pediatrician every day for weight checks and to the hospital for blood work. Not fun at all but truly I'm reminded every day of what the neo-natologist said to me. "The fact that we are alive...is a blessing! These are just minor setbacks." Don't get me wrong. I'm ready to not do this everyday but I am so thankful for this baby, his life, and all of what his life already represents.

It makes sense now why I had abdominal pain, more exhaustion, pre-term contractions that were so close together, so much fluid, why I blew up so quickly, and had a placental scare early on. This pregnancy has been super weird but God was before all of it. He knew every piece of this story would happen.
Down to small details even of having the slow induction or "3 day ripening process" as my nurse called it, slowly prepared my body for labor. Had it been straight pitocin, it might have caused the abruption to happen more quickly. Had I not received the epidural out of pride, it might have led to the same thing as it would have drug on even longer. Had I not had the abdominal pain as an indicator to make my slow down and rest months before, there might have been a different outcome. So many blessings of protection!
I love Hudson's story because his little life already represents (as though we need another reason besides God creating life) God's goodness, faithfulness, sovereignty, and protection. There actually are so many more ways that we saw God's hand in our times in the hospital and through delivery. I wish I could sit with each of you and share. I have been asked by many for details and because I have a story to share of who He has shown Himself to be once again to us, I wanted to write some of it out. We have another testimony of Him. Yes, it is long already but if you made it this far, thank you for reading. Rejoice with us for life that we have in Christ Jesus and His plan for the lives of His children!! It truly is amazing to think of ways that He daily intervenes in my life that I am not aware of to give glory to Him for. This experience binds me to deep gratitude to Him!

We decided on Hudson Jude for his name long ago. His middle name Jude came about because of our past year of life being so difficult. I have seen the goodness of the Lord and know that He is good! Last year summed up in lessons for me is that God truly is good and does good for His children. He is for us. Believing that truth, we want this to be such reality for Hudson's life. We want him to know the goodness of the Lord all the days of his life. We pray for his salvation and that his heart is quickly turned at a young age to trust God as his savior. In scripture, Jude is a man who is invoked to prayer when difficulties arise. We pray that for our Hudson, he is marked by this same characteristic. Jude means, "praise, thanksgiving". In Jude 1:24-26, our prayer over his life before his life in the world began was this:

Doxology

²⁴ To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— ²⁵ to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore!Amen.

His birth story even reflects God's glory, majesty, power and authority. He is able. He is worthy to trusted. He is worth to be praised! We will forever be grateful for this story and will hold fast to it not out of fear of what could have happened, but out of thankfulness in seeing the trustworthiness and the glory of the Lord! So we don't have a decorated house, a completed nursery, or an always spotless house (although it kind of is now because my mom is here :), we do have the sweetest baby boy who is alive and a reminder every day for me of God's grace, goodness, and blessing. This child is one of my most favorite gifts. I love that we've gotten to know him for the past two weeks prior to his due date! He's such a joy and is just such a sweet baby! He's super snuggly and kissable :) For more pics, scope out social media. I am always posting. I am speechless that I am the one that God chose to be his momma! Thank you for those of you who asks how we are, who have encouraged, who have prayed, and who have been there! We feel so loved!

Moving

Because we have moved 3 times already in a year, why not move once more, right?! As most of you know, this past year hasn't been exactly easy, but it has been sanctifying to say the least. It is a crazy journey that the Lord has purposed for us and there are still things about it we totally don't understand, but He is good. The greatest joy has come from knowing that our Savior is good, that He restores, and that He is faithful in all that He does and promises to those that are His. 

It has been so much fun and such a joy to blog about our pregnancy, and the sweet blessing of a little guy who is on his way into the world within only a few short months. Ahhh! We so look forward to continue sharing our journey through parenthood and surrender of this child daily to the Lord. We know that our dear son is the Lord's, and we are expectant for Him to be the one who guides our steps of this unknown territory of parenthood just as He has through this past year of unknowns. He has been ever so faithful!

We are beyond grateful to share that we are not just moving for the heck of it. On September 29th, we bought our first home! We close in only 2 weeks and could not be more thankful!! The inspection is complete, and now we play the waiting game until closing and move-in.

I love our red door! We are moving from Keller, Texas to The Colony, Texas. This will now change Cory's commute to work from an hour and a half (sometimes 2 hours) to 20 minutes with traffic. What a blessing that will be for him! I am thankful that his drive will be close. He is so ready. Also, I will finish work in December so I'll have to make the treck back to Keller for about a month BUT I want to say now that it will be totally worth it to be in our home! Right now, I only drive a mile and a half so I'm pretty spoiled. We will also be only 20 minutes from our church! 

I am ready to do some cooking in this here kitchen!

As of now, we are packing like maniacs. We're also trying to decide on colors for the nursery, but I just am so terrible with decision making... can't I just pay someone to come make all these decisions for me? Oh, if only...

My exhaustion has returned but I'm guessing it's due to all of this crazy, fun running around. Can I just be honest? I despise packing. We have done this so much we should be pro's by now but we absolutely are not. :( As much as we dislike the packing process, it is so exciting to know what we will unpack these boxes into!

If you think to pray for us this week, please pray for our hearts as we are going through so much transition. There is so much going on in both of our hearts as it should be with all of this newness around us coming, but we want to actively be pursuing and listening to the Lord. Pray that we could quiet our busyness enough to simply be still and be in His presence. Also, that we will continue engaging those around us and those we are in community with. May the Lord be exalted and our hearts be stirred to worship during this time. Pray that we will find and get plugged into a home group quickly when we move. This has been the true lifeline of the body of Christ at work within our past 2 years at the Village Church, and we know that God is sovereign over this all. We ask for an incredible community of believers that we can learn from, grow with, and one that will support us in loving our son well.

Thank you for those of you who ask for ways you can pray and who truly do bring our requests to the throne! We are so grateful for your prayers as they are heard and felt.

Cory & Hannah 

It's a....

At 19 weeks, we are announcing to the world that LS is a BOY!!!!!!

We are in love with this darling little man! 

There were only about 3% of our friends/family that thought it was a boy. 

Contrary to the rest of the 97% of people and to just about EVERY old wive's tale, our LS is definitely a boy! 

This is a happy mommy about our boy!

And now for a few highlight pictures from our gender reveal party. The rest will be on facebook soon!

Opening a few sweet gifts.

Celebrating our little man! 

The dearest family and friends!! (minus Autumn & Austin)

We passed out staches to commemorate the night!

I absolutely love this series of pictures with the mustaches :)

We don't have any pictures of the way we revealed. It was a precious memory that we caught on video but these are some blue-filled cupcakes modeled by the beautiful Brittani that we all enjoyed! 

My grandparents and parents ecstatic that it's a boy!

Cory's grandmother, his parents, brother, and sis-in-law rejoicing and in shock that it's a boy! :)

How far along? 19 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 7 lbs. 
Maternity clothes? Yes. 
Stretch marks? Not yet but cocoa butta has been bought!
Sleep: I am so tired! I've been going to sleep around midnight every night though because we've had so much going on. That makes anyone tired! 

Best moment this week: Our gender reveal party! It was the most precious, dear time that shocked everyone. It was so much fun. I just wish I could have spent more time with all of our people. Another best moment is just sharing our news with our dear friends here in Texas and just with everyone! This blog entry has been so long awaited and I've been ecstatic to share!! I accidentally erased all of my pictures last night so I was bummed to have to retake them and postpone the blog even longer.

Miss Anything? family and friends :) As far as missing previous things I could have before pregnancy-lots and lots of caffeine. I miss not having to worry about my caffeine intake. 
Movement:  I'm so longing to feel his movements! I was able to feel my little nephew's kick inside Kala's belly this weekend and it was the sweetest thing!
Food cravings: Hot chocolate with marshmallows and cracked sea salt on top. I really have been craving all things chocolate this week!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nausea is gone! 
Have you started to show yet: Yes, of course! 
Gender prediction: B-b-b-b-b-oy!
Labor Signs: Nope
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody, super moody 
Looking forward to: Feeling him moving inside of me. Once it starts, it will be constant I feel like. He is an active little guy in there. Every sonogram, he is turning flips and pushing on the walls of my uterus. :)

All about baby BOY Steiner:

Our munchkin is in the 95th percentile already they are saying and I am measuring a few weeks early. He also has "highly above average femur bones"...just like his daddy!

He very much wanted us to know that he is a boy. He didn't give us a very good facial shot. He cooperated well for the anatomy sonogram!

Please join us in praying for our baby's health and development, his salvation in Christ one day, for him to be a good sleeper when he arrives, and for his size. :) 

Our darling boy is happy to welcome his best friend and possible future wife today into this world Emma Kathryn Ilse! He can't wait to meet you already!!! :) Congrats Sara and Terry!

We are hoping to officially decide on his name very soon! 

Love to you ALL for your anticipation, excitement, and sweet words! 

You guys are great!

18 weeks...Which will it BEE?

Mommy and LS at 18 weeks!

I just love our board this week! It's always an intimidating process to decorate. When I finally do, I don't like erasing it! HE or SHE... Which will it BEE? We find out tomorrow :)

How far along? 18 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 8 lbs. I'll have a more exact number when I go to the doctor tomorrow.
Maternity clothes? Yes. My favorite jeans are some Old Navy bootcut jeans with a full panel :). haha I love them. They're super comfortable. Cory loves the idea of belly bands and panels in jeans so much that he would like some also. :) 
Stretch marks? No, but my tummy has been itching. 
Sleep: I feel the need for more and more but am not sleeping too well. We've been keeping Collier, the two year old girl that I nanny this past week during the day and overnight. This could add to the need for more sleep and the result of less. Parenthood is slowly creeping in on us! I'm praying that LS is such a good sleeper!
Best moment this week: I am sitting in tears as I write because it was such a pivotal moment for me this week. I was struggling with something deeply as I was sitting at the park watching the kids play. I was praying knowing the Lord was meeting me there and heard every cry of my heart. I was just processing some things hoping to have someone to talk to about it. I knew He was enough and He was listening and fulfills the every longing of my wayward heart. I could faintly hear the kids playing but was so focused on this moment of surrender to Him (such a bad nanny, I know). I noticed this other mom there and we ended up talking after introducing our kids to one another. She is also a believer in Jesus and has a beautiful heart for Him. She just started pouring her heart out through conversation over something that probably didn't mean that much to her, but as the words fell from her lips, I felt the Spirit of God reassuring me that I am so loved by Him, this is ultimately for my joy, and His plan is so intricately perfect and beyond my wishes and hopes. 
"I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly." John 10:10.
I felt so loved and cared for by the Creator of the universe who was bringing out the wind from His storehouses (ps 135:7) that was blowing on our faces. I'm glad I had my shades on because she might have thought I was crazy as my eyes were filling with tears. In such huge ways and small ways, I could firmly believe in my heart that I am His and He is mine! 

"No power of hell, no scheme of man can ever pluck me from His hand. 'Til He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand."  -In Christ Alone 

Our faithful and sovereign God so purposed for that sweet lady to be there at the perfect time. His grace was extended through another sister. This was my best moment this week! This might not seem baby-blog worthy but it is a moment I don't want to forget.

Have you told family and friends: Yes! We are only two days away from telling our family the gender and only ONE day away from finding out ourselves! We are so thrilled to go to our appointment tomorrow!!
Miss Anything? sleep
Movement:  I don't know for sure. There was a slight "flutter" I felt, but I wasn't sure what exactly it was because it went away so quickly. Sometimes I'll sit really still as though if I concentrated on it, it would happen. haha!
Food cravings: Applesauce, chocolate, fudge, ice cream (which is dangerous bc of a lactose intolerance. Mom, you can relate :)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nausea is gone! Praise the Lord! Back pain is here and in full force, but I'm so thankful nausea is gone! I'm thankful for the encouragement from so many women that understood, related, and encouraged during that seemingly forever long season of nausea!
Have you started to show yet: Yes, of course! I've gotten several of these- "I know you're not supposed to ask a woman this, but are you... (hoping I'll fill in the blank while they pause....) pregnant?" Haha :) It always makes me smile with the awkwardness they must be feeling when I let them pause. 
Gender prediction: HE or SHE, which will it BEE?!! We find out TOMORROW! 
Labor Signs: No. For the most part, the BHC are gone!
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Moody 
Looking forward to: Our appointment tomorrow with the sonographer and our OB. Cory and I are extremely ready to see our little darling moving and stretching in there. I was able to see it a few weeks ago but Cory wasn't there. I'm ready for him to experience it with me and especially to see if it's a boy or girl! Also, we are really looking forward to going to Louisiana this weekend to share with our families and a few friends what this munchkin is! 


I just want to say that it is such an encouragement to me having people read and comment. For those of you that leave me some love, I so appreciate it and every post means a lot to Cory and I both! Thank you guys for reading and keeping up with us through this current journey. We are grateful for the family and friends that our baby will be welcomed into this world with!

17 weeks :) ...overdue

Mommy at 17 weeks

Our little darling's profile! The baby is measuring early. We went in at 16w4d and the baby is measuring 17 weeks 1 day. Changed due date to March 7th...for now anyway. 

So this is LS at 17 weeks! Look at those sweet cheeks!! Ps...the white-ish part on the back of the head is from the ink smearing when the picture was printed. We love this little one!!!

Here's a picture of Mommy and Daddy at our sweet friends' wedding shower. Baby LS looks squished here with me slumped over. We were roasting apples over a fire. Baby LOVED them :)

Here's an update on this week. We apparently have a long baby growing. LS is growing perfectly on the "average"scale except for above average-size femur bones. :)  

How far along? 17 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 7.5 lbs. It seriously looks like way more. I guess that my weight just shifts. I was really surprised to go into the doctor and find that out. 
Maternity clothes? Yes and no. Mostly, I have been wearing maternity clothes, but there are a few things that I've still been able to wear. I did find some great deals on maternity clothes at Ross this week :)
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: I have not been sleeping very well. I am already barricaded in with lots of pillows for comfort. 
Best moment this week: Seeing our sweet baby's profile and hearing that he/she is looking great! I loved seeing LS hiccup during our appointment. The baby kept moving and stretching like never before! It was a precious moment for me. He/she looked squished in there because LS kept pushing and kicking around in there. It's been so great to feel more of an emotional connection to our baby this week. Those pictures and sonogram sure do grow my love more and more for that dumpling. It's truly a miracle how our Creator forms and knits new life together!
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? I miss being able to eat sushi this week.
Movement:  Not yet
Food cravings: I have been craving candy like crazy! How weird is that? I am definitely a chocolate kind-of gal but I have been wanting sugary, sweet candy. Also, I've taken a new liking to Gatorade
Anything making you queasy or sick: PRAISE be to the Lord that the nausea hasn't been as bad! Nasty smells still make me sick but that's pretty normal. 
Have you started to show yet: Yes! Now, even when I lay down flat on my back, I have a distinct bump still.  
Gender prediction: So, we've been thinking girl but I've been having boy dreams. Maybe it's a boy. 
Labor Signs: I've actually been having Braxton Hicks contractions. I had to go in for a work-in appointment this week to make sure everything was okay. The baby and everything else looks great but I'm having the Braxton Hicks. I'm thankful to know that baby is good though!
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and tired, tired
Looking forward to: Feeling the baby move!

Week 17 post is about a week late so be ready for week 18 sooner than later! I'm such a terrible blogger, but I'm trying!

16 Weeks :)

Finally I have taken the time and mustered up the energy to take a picture, download it, and write a short snippit of a blog post. Okay at first, I let several negative remarks affect my outlook on the blog updates for a few weeks in the beginning. When I got over that and decided I was still going to update it each week, I have just been so sick and exhausted each day that I haven't made time for it. Although this is not the best picture quality, it is up! Week 16 will begin the weekly updates. I am so looking forward to watching this little bump continue to grow. Thank you for journeying with us through this and especially to those who are praying for our LS. And yes, I've had a sonogram and no, I'm not having twins. :) 

Here is a template of questions that I'll be answering each week. Read if you'd like :) 

I'll be keeping track of all of these details for myself to look back on. 

How far along? 16 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 5 lbs.
Maternity clothes? Yes! The belly band goes on everything that isn't maternity. I tried to wear "regular" clothes this morning, and I had to come home and change because I felt like the life was being squeezed out of me...not good. 
Stretch marks? No
Sleep: About a week ago, I started having the strangest, most vivid dreams. This now happens every night so lots of tossing and turning but I love my sleep! I wrote it as one of my cravings because I still can't get through a single day without a nap. 
Best moment this week: Finalizing plans for our family/friends "gender reveal party". So excited to find out what our little darling is! 
Have you told family and friends: Yes!
Miss Anything? I desperately miss having energy and not feeling nauseous.
Movement:  Not yet...hopeful :)
Food cravings: Fruits & more fruit. Any cold, juicy fruit is what I want... always! I've had more food aversions that food cravings so when I'm nauseous, (currently always but looking for that to be different soon :)  cold fruit is all I want. Oh, and diet coke!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken and even the slightest whiff of a nasty smell. When they say that your senses are heightened during pregnancy, they don't lie. 
Have you started to show yet: Yes, I have as you can tell. This is my first week where people who don't know me have asked about my pregnancy. It is evident now.
Gender prediction: Girl - we will find out in 2 weeks!
Labor Signs: No
Belly Button in or out? In
Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or Moody most of the time: Tired isn't an option?
Looking forward to: Finding out the gender & feeling the baby move!

Prayer for the week: My joy will not be found in the circumstance of the way I currently feel but in the Lord and His glory. I am praying to feel restored physically and the second trimester "bliss" of no nausea will hit soon. 

Part 2.... Delivery room prophesy

I know that I tend to be a little long but I do ask that if you haven't read part one to this segment yet, scroll down and read that first to tell you how we got to where we are. I broke it up hoping that you didn't get overwhelmed by the read and stop because both post are too good to not give full credit to...in such different ways.

So, we are pregnant...so says the 3 pregnancy tests that sit on the counter. This was Wednesday, July 4. The next morning, I called my doctor who is my regular doctor. She also does well woman check up's but does not follow pregnancies. I called and they told me to go ahead and come in. They'll do the first appointment, blood work, test to confirm pregnancy, and then refer me out to an OB. They scheduled the appointment for Friday morning. The family I work for was still at the beach so this worked out perfectly. Cory decided to take off work to come along and be supportive which was so sweet! I was thrilled but continuously assured him over and over, "You know, it's not going to be anything special. It's not like we're going to see the baby or anything. It's too early. They will just do tests." He then repeatedly told me that he didn't care. It was my first appointment and he was going to be there for me. So on we go to the doctor together...

They called us back and then I heard those dreadful words "Go ahead and take all of your clothes off and you can use this (a napkin basically...I mean like the thinnest one I've ever seen) to cover up with.  Yuck...but who does like doing this? I was trying to "woman up" and just do it because it was just the beginning of this long journey of discomfort and immodesty that pregnancy/childbirth is. So I follow the directions and lay down while beginning to explain to Cory everything that's about to happen like what a pap smear is and all that it involves. That was followed by my dearest husband saying things like, "You're just laying there naked with a shoulder pad napkin on. HAHAHA." I then lovingly tell him that this was the most vulnerable position to be in and if he was going to crack jokes, he could do it in the waiting room. Just to clear up any question, we weren't fighting. It was more of a playful, yet serious banter.

Hah...He then apologizes and confesses that he doesn't know how to deal with super anxious situations like this except to revert to humor but that it shouldn't be at my expense. So if you didn't know this about Cory, he is very queasy talking about medical things and such. So we continue to wait together as he tries to avoid the reality of what was about to happen. Then he said a few things like, "Thanks for getting your pap smeared for our family." and "How many times will you have to do this?"

These quotes were interrupted with my sweet doctor opening the door and saying, "Congratulations mom and dad! You're pregnant!" She then explained along with her nurse what they would do during the appointment. Up came the stirrups and out came the speculum. You know the rest. Cory came over and stood next to me holding my hand. They have the speculum in place about to do the deed. I was not looking at Cory knowing it would make it worse for him and then all of the sudden, I saw/felt his torso hit the bed next to me and for a second, I was thinking, "Is he trying to like snuggle with me right now?"

That's when I realized, this was bad. He passed out but it wasn't one of those where people "pass smooth out". There was nothing smooth about it. It was incredibly violent. His 6' 3" self passed out, hit the table where I was laying, fell again and hit the side of the table which cut his eye and was followed by an intense fall to the floor. When I realized what was happening, I grabbed his arm trying to brace his fall to the floor but it all happened so fast. Even knowing that he gets queasy about stuff like this, I just had so much adrenaline in me already because of the awkwardness of laying there naked and now since he passed out. I started FREAKING out. Completely freaking out. I started screaming and trying to brace his fall while the doctor yells at me, "Hannah! DON'T MOVE!" because the speculum was in and I was reaching off the bed toward my basically unconscious husband. He tried to pick himself up and kept falling repeatedly over. It is quite hilarious now but at the time, it was such a sad thing to see my strong husband be so helpless in that moment as he tried to pick his head up with continuous fails. Well, the nurse calls for backup. The doctor takes the speculum out. My doctor looked at me as they propped Cory up against the wall and said, "I know who won't be in the delivery room."

Cory had random mumblings of, "I don't know what happened. I just had a really bad dream! I'm sorry this is not about me. It's supposed to be about you. I'm sorry...I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

The nurse looked up at me and said, "I'm sorry mam, we're going to have to move your husband to the next room and check his vitals."

Oh, how hilarious was this moment. So much had just happened, and then I was fine. The doctor assured me everything would be fine. They had a team of people helping him and his red marks and gash on his eye. Poor guy :(   My doctor finished running my tests and Cory came in my room for a little bit. Then he just went to the car to nap after the doctors cleared him too.

It was traumatic yet stinkin' hilarious! Although the story's much better hearing it in person, hopefully most of it translated well enough. So needless to say, he didn't go to work at all that Friday. He went home and went to sleep but thankfully, no concussion.

Now my wondering is, "Was it a delivery room prophesy?" haha... oh, I hope not! My dear grandfather wisely suggested we get him a good helmet and a nice chair for the delivery room! :)
We really are working hard to try medicines to ease his queasiness and work in baby steps toward the delivery process. Good thing we have about 6 and a half months before that happens! When those of you who are faithfully praying for us to have a healthy and ease in pregnancy, please also pray that Cory can be present and conscious throughout the whole process...doctors visits, delivery, and all! I have currently gone to 2 appointments on my own with my new OB due to complications and him not able to take off work at the last minute.  This Tuesday will be his first appointment to go to since the episode. Oh, and about the complications...everything's fine and we have heard a really sweet and strong heartbeat!

Listening to that heartbeat so stirs my affections for the Creator as He is knitting our baby together in my womb.
Just like the Hannah (that I was named after in Samuel) prayed for a child and her thankfulness to the Lord was this, "For this child I have prayed and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to Him."  1 Samuel 1:27
This is still not a treasure that is mine. God has entrusted me to care for and be a good steward of this gift that is HIS and is from Him. The day/days that I forget that are times where my treasure is ultimately not found in Him. It is a daily, sometimes hourly surrender of this baby to Him. I am beyond grateful to be this baby's mommy however long I am blessed to. May we always hold fast to the same truth that He is good, He is for us, and He does as He pleases as a Holy God.
We bless Him holy name and rejoice in His faithfulness and character!