Saturday, January 31, 2015

Bump Post: Weeks 31-32



How far along: 32 weeks 

Baby Size: A head of lettuce 

Weight gain: In the words of my doctor I had a "Great holiday" because of I doubled my normal weight gain. I guess that acai everyday in Rio helped the cause.  

Maternity clothes: Still wearing loose clothes and maternity tops.  For bottoms my belly band has been a lifesaver. 

Stretch marks: None on my tummy. 
 
Sleep: I've been sleeping like a rock lately. I am trying to get my sleep in why I can because I know when little Tae comes it will be hard to do that. 
 
Gender: Tae Tazwell Kuemmerlin 

Movement: He has been moving so much, he's having his own personal dance party in his stomach. He still likes the right side, but makes a move to the left every once and awhile. 

Best moment this week: Last week we got a care package from our friends, the Smiths.  It was the sweetest thing and totally made my day. There were lots of goodies for Tae and I cannot wait to dress him in all of them! 



Looking forward to: Our ultrasound on Monday and moving in.  I am getting anxious about the move, I hope we have enough time to get everything set up before the little guy makes his appearance.  

Food cravings: I've been eating more sweets lately and peanut butter.  Also, still drinking agua com gas like it`s going out of style. 
 
  Anything making you queasy or sick: Negative 
 
Labor Signs: Nope
 
What I miss: Wine. I would love some sangria or a good glass of Malbec. 
 
Symptoms: Emotional (crying for no reason), sore hips, and peeing all the time. 
 
Nursery: Still waiting to move so we can get started. 
 
Belly Button in or out? Moving on out. 

Wedding rings on or off? I've just been wearing my wedding band, the engagement ring still fits, but not as comfortably. 

Mood: Up and down. I am so excited to meet Tae, but at the same time I am anxious. I know our whole world will change and I am both so excited and worried about adjusting to the change. I am also missing my family and wish they could be more apart of this pregnancy. 

Prayer for Tae Tazwell: 
 
Dear Lord, 
       Everyday I am amazed by the changes in my body and how much our little man is growing. I am so thankful for Tae's health and pray that he continues to grow strong and develop. I pray as he learns to breath on his own that his lungs and throat develop properly. I pray Tae's body is not only strong, but his heart and mind grow strong as well. I pray we can protect him from the things of this world, but also be honest and communicate with him. I am so excited to meet him and cannot wait to be his mommy. 
                                                                      Amen. 

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Bump Post: Weeks 28-30

Only 10 more weeks left!  This pregnancy has flown by, except I have a feeling it will be like a long flight, the first 9 hours fly by and the remaining 3-4 hours take forever.  Doesn't matter to me, I'll wait as long as it takes for Tae Tazwell to be healthy and ready to come into the world.



How far along: 30 weeks 

Baby Size: A cucumber or a butternut squash

Weight gain: Not sure on this one, I go to the doctor on Friday. I'm thinking 8-10 pounds. 

Maternity clothes: Leaning more toward maternity, but can still squeeze into some flowy/stretchy dresses and shirts.

Stretch marks: None on my stomach and no additional on my legs.  Thanks childhood growth spurt for preparing me.
 
Sleep: For the past couple weeks my right hip has been bothering me during the night.  Last night I researched it and found out it is normal.  Also, since Tae spends most of his time on my right side this is another factor that is causing the pain.  Needless to say, sleep is getting harder, but I'm an aggressive sleeper and won't give up! 
 
Gender: A little boy--Tae Tazwell 

Movement: Lots and lots.  The past three weeks I find myself with my hand on my belly to feel all his acrobatics.  He has planted himself on my right side, but every so ofter he makes a move to the left.  The other day I literally felt his hand (or foot?) swipe across my belly.  It is such a surreal feeling and has helped me build a connection to him.  Jess has felt and seen lots of the movements too!  

Best moment this week: As far as my body, a massage from Diomar. Honestly, just feeling him move has been great.  

Looking forward to: Moving into our new place.  We should be able to start moving stuff over next week and then move in the week after.  Then I can actually start getting all the stuff set up.

Food cravings: I didn't think of it until now, but normally I hate water with gas, but now I drink it all the time.  Also, I can't get enough fresh, natural juice. 
 
  Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope. 
 
Labor Signs: Nope
 
What I miss: Running. I know that sounds crazy, but when you aren't allowed to do it it makes you want to do it more. 
 
Symptoms: Sore hips and peeing all the time.
 
Nursery: I've been doing some watercolors for it and I think I have the wall figured out, but we will see. 
 
Belly Button in or out? Moving out. 

Wedding rings on or off? I've just been wearing my wedding band, the engagement ring still fits, but not as comfortably. 

Mood: Great!  This vacation has been great.  I am getting a little anxious about the actual birth, but am trying to calm my fears with lots of prayer and affirmations that women have been doing this for thousands of years.  I am also getting more excited to meet this little guy.  

Prayer for Tae Tazwell: 
 
Dear Lord, 
       As Tae is gaining weight please let the food I eat nourish him and his growing needs. This week his brain is developing and I pray that you piece it together and fill his mind with wonder, curiosity, and questions. I pray that as he grows he seeks to fill his mind with your wisdom and has a thirst for knowledge.  
      Thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow him in my womb.  These past couple weeks have been amazing as I am starting to form a connection to him.  I was worried that I didn't have the motherly instinct, but you are beginning to open my heart, mind, and soul to this little boy inside me.  I pray that Tae's wonder, curiosity will spur me into looking at the world more deeply, so we can learn together.
     I also thank you for Jess and the amazing man, husband, and father he is.  He is making every effort to comfort me, both physically and emotionally, and I thank you for that.  I pray that he feels confident in his role as daddy and please calm his (and my) fears about parenthood.  Let us rely fully on you!  
Thank you Jesus!  Amen 

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

#100HappyDays: Days 13-30

Phew, we are back from Rio and have been melting away in the hotbox, formally known as our apartment.  Man it is HOT here.  Since we normally travel out of Brazil during our December and January break we didn't realize just how toasty it got.

I haven't forgotten about my Happy Days...here they are in no particular order.

1. A sunrise bike ride along the beach. It was cloudy as we were headed to get our bikes, but as we pedaled to Arpador the sky opened up and we saw a pretty bomb diggity sunrise.




2. Amazing and yummy dinner at CT in Leblon.  Bonus for not having to wait at all for a table!

3. Seeing the Cristo for the first time, it was amazing (and crowded).  Also, the bump got us moved up in all the lines. #thankyoubump



4. Naps, naps, and naps.

5. A new discovery of the best pastels in the world.  BB Lanches, amazing.  Our last day in Rio we went for breakfast and I bought 8 to bring home.  Stuck those bad boys in the fridge and enjoyed them for a couple more days.  Squirt a little Frank's hot sauce on them and they were even more delicious.

6. Sunsets never get old. Brazilians make it even better by applauding the sunset every night. One this night Jess and I grabbed some coconuts, sat and took it all in.


7. Dinner with good people.


8. New Years on Copacabana beach. We had a great time with our new American friends watching the fireworks and dancing in the streets.  Jess was so thoughtful and got a chair throne from their apartment for me to sit in so I wasn't exhausted.  Proud to say I made it the whole night and the 1 1/2 walk home. 

 

9. Jess has made all my vacation days happy.  He surprises me daily with thoughtful gestures, or just plain taking care of me.  We had countless moments and days on the beach where I just found myself smiling and thanking God for this man I get to spend the rest of my life with.


10. Coming home and sleeping in our own bed. 

11. My weekly massage from Diomar, man I missed her.  

12. Returning home and having a bunch of Christmas cards to read. We also got a fun package from Baan Santisuk with artwork from our two boys and a letter with updates.  It made my day! 

13.  A wonderful summer lunch with Bridget, Pete, and Jess.  Bridget made an amazing light, healthy, and refreshing meal of salmon, salad, and cous cous.  

14. Tae's kicks, twists, and turns.  He is a mover and a shaker for sure.  Each time I feel him move I am in awe of God's plan and creation. Our bodies are perfectly made to grow a human life!  How amazing! 

15. Watermelon and mint juice. 

16. Blasting music and working on watercolors. Ideally I will put some of them up in Tae's room, but I need to improve a little more.


17. Two nights ago we started reading Unbroken before we go to bed. I love listening to Jess read and the book is good as well. 

18. Ordering more goodies for Tae. It makes his arrival more real. 

19. Air condition in the car--we may or may not have gotten in the car and just drove around to enjoy the cold air. 


Hopefully since we are back home I can get on a regular schedule of posting.  I still think I might break it up into HappyWeeks, but we'll see.  We start work next week so I will have a better idea of what I can handle after that.