The Best Christmas Present...

Well, nothing can surpass the greatness of the incarnation of Jesus as a babe in a manger, who came to redeem mankind, but we are thankful for this great Christmas present of Livy...coming soon!

40 wks...Finale??

Well, it is yet to be known if the pregnancy finale will be this week or not. Livy seems pretty content inside me right now and I want her to stay there as long as she needs to. God's timing is truly best, although we are definitely wondering when the day and hour will be :) Please continue to pray for us throughout this week, and for continued healthy development for Livy and me. I feel good overall, so that is a huge blessing; it's just that I would love to see her sweet face soon:)

More maternity pics

Here are a few more of the awesome pics Joani took! I was around 34ish weeks when we had these done I believe....

'Daddy Practice'

Okay, so it has been such a blessing for me to see Damein's sheer excitement about meeting Livy and caring for and loving her when she arrives. When we were about to go to bed one night this week, he disappeared into her room and came back with a little newborn outfit, which he proceeded to role play how he would dress her, the fact that she would be crying because it was cold, and how he would cuddle and console her once he got her outfit all zipped up!
The awesome thing is that I know he will be exactly like this, and I can hardly wait to see him and love him in a new way as a Daddy to Livy. She has no idea how good she has it!

Hopefully we will have a sweet little one to put in this outfit soon!

Thanksgiving!!

This year for Thanksgiving, we stayed at home, since it was so close to Livy's ETA. Although we missed our family, it was a really relaxing time of rest and rejuvenation for both of us, especially as we prepare for this little one! We did lots of sleeping in throughout the weekend, which was really nice! It's pretty amazing how Livy just sleeps right along with us while she's inside me...or at least it seems like she does!
Damein can really get her riled up these days...all he has to do is start rubbing her or talking to her, and she just goes crazy! It's really fun...well, except for when I have just settled in bed :) Because then he stops playing with her and goes to sleep and I am left with a vibrant, bouncing little girl inside me! Thanks honey :)

I made carrot zucchini muffins Thanksgiving morning when our friends Matt, Ashley, and Kuyper Brandt came over to enjoy the day with us, which started with the Macy's parade, hot tea/coffee, and muffins. (Of course I froze some, I will have lots of muffin selection after this little girl gets here!) It was quite cozy on such a cold Thanksgiving day!

We were so eager to eat at lunchtime that we neglected to take a picture of the spread of food we had...until it was all packed up in the fridge! So, you can see all the things we crammed into the fridge for later! Matt made an awesome turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and an unbelievable chocolate-cranberry cheesecake (which by the way was 'Leah proof'...gluten-free and dairy-free!) It was delish!
I made green beans, a potato/vegetable gratin, and biscuits and gravy. YUM!

We just hung out all day, watched Christmas movies, and ate yummy food! What a wonderful Thanksgiving, and we truly have so much to be thankful for...wonderful family and friends, great food and the means to enjoy it, a sweet little one growing inside me, and the sheer grace of God, whose hand provides it all.

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God!It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving,and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100

Pottery Painting

I recently enjoyed some fun pottery painting with some other women from my church at a new, local venue. It was so fun! I painted Christmas ornaments for me, Livy, and Damein. It's amazing how dull they seem after you paint them, before they are fired, but when you pick them up a week later after being fired, they are shiny and vibrant! Damein chose to hang them from our dining room light :) I like it!

'Tis the Season!

I LOVE this time of year! Although I don't like cold weather, it just fits this time of year! Time with family and friends, hot tea, yummy baked treats, Christmas traditions, and warm blankets!!
The eve before Thanksgiving this week, Damein and I did our traditional Christmas decorating. It has become a tradition in our home and we always watch Christmas movies while we enjoy decorating! This year we watched Elf and Home Alone 2 (we have already been watching Home Alone 1 & 2...it's a staple:)
It was especially fun this year to hang Livy's 1st Christmas stocking beside ours...it's so small and cute! We are so excited for her to take part in Christmas with us, celebrating what God has done in our lives and our family. This year we will be staying home for Christmas since she will only be a few weeks old, so we will be establishing some of our own family traditions :) Although we will miss everyone!

She's getting ready!

Well, the last few days there has been a significant increase in Livy's movements! She has always been fairly active, but I'm talking constant full body movements for hours on end! It's interesting since many people's babies move less toward the end, due to lack of room. Well, I would say she has plenty of room, she just doesn't use it all. She is definitely positioned head down, but she stays in an L-shaped position with her legs aligned across me horizontally, rather than straight up and down, vertically. So, I have never experienced any of the famous 'foot in the rib' moments most people complain about!

She has always seemed to like being down low and is now even lower since she has dropped. On Saturday Damein and I enjoyed a fun date to a movie and lunch (we watched the newest Harry Potter movie) and Livy moved the ENTIRE time!! Whew, I think maybe she is gearing up to come out!
Here is a video of her most recent action. Around the 30 second mark you can see her foot scraping across the side of my belly, crazy!! There are some other good kicks and movements in there too. You will be viewing my belly sideways, as I was lying on my side when I took this...

39 weeks on Tuesday!!

It's hard to believe it is almost time to meet our sweet little one, but we are so ready!! I've had some slightly painful back issues and some weird spasms in my upper thigh area, maybe from pelvic expansion? Not sure, but they are not fun at all. However, I am so thankful that God has blessed me with such a healthy pregnancy, where I've been able to live life pretty normally the whole time. It's been so enjoyable, but how awesome that he designs it where things happen toward the end that cause us to be ready to move past the pregnancy part!
I've been praying constantly for Livy's health and my own as move toward labor and delivery. Please pray for a smooth and enjoyable experience, through labor and our first moments together as a family. We so appreciate all of you, your prayers, and excitement for us!

38 weeks-almost there!

Not expanding much anymore, but Livy still seems to be gradually dropping...so that still means a lot of bathroom breaks!

Family Time

I had to post a picture of what our family time often looks like these days! Damein has to get some Livy time in everyday, poking and playing with her and telling her how excited he is to meet her. Hope she loves our times as much as we do!

Last Prayer Walk of the Season?

Here are pics of a great walk I got in last week while the weather was still nice. It was such a blessing, and I knew it may be one of my last chances since it is getting colder. I can tell Livy enjoys our walks, she gets all nestled and still and enjoys the ride:)
Also, I had to include this hilarious picture I took from above...trying to capture my belly and my foot walking at the same time. The proportions look crazy...trust me, I know I am getting big, but my foot isn't that small in comparison to my belly!! This looks like a view from one of those circus mirrors!

Sleepy Sounds

Okay so this is really odd to me, but within the last week, I have begun to make sighing and tired noises when I am falling asleep, or even after I go to sleep (according to Damein). It is so bizarre because it happens even before I doze off completely, then it wakes me up! It's a bit annoying. Maybe my body is asking for more rest as it ramps up for life with Livy! :)

37 weeks...Dropping, Moving, & Waddling

Here Livy and I are...marking 37 weeks on Tuesday. She started dropping last week, and I finally realized people weren't exaggerating when they talked about going to empty their bladder every 5 min! Literally! However, I still only have to get up one time at night, which has been consistent throughout my pregnancy, and that is nice. (Makes for some still pretty sleepful nights!) Dropping has also made level changes and such a bit uncomfortable and sometimes I get a bit sick for a moment. Her movements can be a bit 'dangerous' now, as she really loves kneading my bladder (and occasionally punching it) with her hands!
I wouldn't say I've ever really transitioned into much of a waddle, but with her dropping, there is a bit of waddling when I first stand up from sitting or lying down, until things seem to get situated:)
Praying she stays healthy and content for another 3 weeks!

Last Hoorah at City Coffeehouse?!

Here I am with the other elder wives from our church having breakfast at City Coffeehouse, my fav! I'm wondering if this may have been my last trip here before Livy comes. Although we may need to wait a bit before bringing her to one of our fav breakfast/lunch spots, you better believe she'll still be tee-tiny when she has her first experience!

Baby Sling!

Some of you may know about baby wearing and the benefits they are now showing of providing a new baby lots of snuggle time in their first weeks of life. That's where the snuggle wraps, baby slings, etc...have come onto the scene. The baby carriers, like the sling, are also really convenient for mom to carry baby. These may be newer to moms in the US, but they've been doing this a long time in places like Africa!
Anyhoo, I'm pumped about my sling, I think Livy will love it!

ICE, ICE BABY!

I have had a huge obsession with ice the last several weeks. Funny, especially since I never really had a huge preference about ice in my water before! If I was extremely hydrated before (b/c I drink tons of water), I may soon drown us both with the addition of all the ice eating! Damein kindly has been purchasing the soft pellet ice bags from Sonic, and that has really spoiled me...and won't knock my teeth out:) He has been very faithful to keep some on hand, knowing that I may very well want some if Livy decides to come anytime soon!
(And by the way, my iron level is fine, as many people have asked about that!)