38 Weeks

Well I have made it to 38 weeks, and despite my sisters predictions I am just mentally planning on making it the whole 40 weeks at least :)

Caleb and I have had a whirl-wind of activty this month, well actually starting with Thanksgiving. We drove to see his brother Forrest's family (Julie, Bri, and Gavin) and we had a great time. The 7.5 hour drive wasn't too bad and I didn't get uncomfortable until the end of the ride home - sweet!

Making Lefse the first night there

On the hunt for sister-in-law's 10 foot tree - it was windy!

The Johnsons working on getting Julie's 10 foot tree ready for the house- they like to work together and see how they are all laughing :)

Caleb and I have tried to take advantage of our time together as "just the 2 of us" and so we went and saw The Christmas Carol at the Guthrie, and also went to see Handel's Messiah at Orchestra Hall. Unfortunately, we didn't predict how long periods of sitting around weeks 36-37 would be so uncomfortable for prego mama here :( Did I forget to mention that sitting makes your feet swell and so if you slip your heels off you might not be able to get them on again very well? The image of stuffed sausage comes to mind. Caleb was great and even let me walk bear foot through the skyway system on the way out - that or he was going to have to go get the car and walk in the cold by himself. Also in December we had 2 work parties, 3 birthdays, and we are just finishing putting a bathroom in the basement as well as adding vents, cold-air returns, installing a chest freezer, getting new carpet, and not to mention the endless list of Christmas preparation!

Dave Aust was our carpenter, Clyde Veldheizen was our plumber, dad was the electrician (thankfully dad's take payment in food and baked goods!), and Galen and Sara (Caleb's parents) were the carpet and hunting closet removers as well as empty-outers of the basement!!!

It's hard to see but Caleb had Pete A and Nick Z help remove the massive wall of stuff that was separating the 2 halves of the basement - and they lifted out the old furniture - YESSSSS!

Calan H taught Caleb how to dry wall...he made Caleb do almost the whole outside part by himself!

Caleb put the shower in himself!

Warren Westvig helped do the inside dry wall work and taping. He is SOOOOO much faster than Caleb and I (it took us like 30 minutes just to hang ONE piece of the ceiling). Caleb said, "Man, it pays to bring in the professionals!" Thanks Warren!

I have had a few showers, which were lovely, starting in December - I was so excited to get the "diaper cake" from my cousin Jenna, Auntie Di, and future cousin-to-be, Renee!

I think we are finally ready for this baby to come. We even have 1 of 2 car seat bases installed and ready to be inspected Monday Dec 26th at 10:30am in Hopkins - let me tell you that place is FREE and they don't check just Hopkins residents like 99% of the other safety inspection sites.

I get A LOT of comments about my belly and lots of looks when I am waddling through a parking lot. I wish there was a sign of my car saying "9 months pregnant - let me park close!!!!!!" I am definitely slowing down, and having trouble just moving around. My right hand has had significant carpal tunnel for about 2-3 weeks and I have been feeling tingling and numbness with everything I touch. Did I mention that this drives me CRAZY! Swelling otherwise has not been too bad. Sleep? Well, let's not talk about sleep in the 9th month. My hair is definitely thick and Caleb is dreading the great hair loss that will take over the house - sorry honey! I have experienced Braxton-Hicks for about 2 months now I think - but man can they get TIGHT.

Work has been okay, but challenging to keep up with the intense schedule on my feet. My patients LOVE talking about my belly and it is hard to keep them on track. Honestly, though, after 24-26 patients in a day I get a little bit tired of talking about my pregnancy. I also had a student PA with me for 5 weeks in Nov-Dec and that was probably not the smartest thing, but oh well!

Thankfully God gave me the forsight to save my vacation for the end of December and now I have about 10 days off with all the holidays in between. This is great because I cannot keep up with what I would like to do and so I need more time. I would say the hardest part about the end of the pregnancy is just not feeling like myself. I can't work out the same, I can't get done what I would like to get done, I don't have the same energy, I don't have the same emotions (ha!)...you get the point. We are anticipating the arrival of this little guy with joy and excitement, but also with a nervous sense of this ticking time-bomb inside of me! It's weird to not know when he is coming, and which day will be "the one". We are trying to live in the moment, enjoy our Christmas this year, and do the most important things first in the day or weekend. Although I will say EVERYTHING feels important right now from cleaning, to organizing, to cookie baking, to spending quality time with my sweetheart.

So, that's all for now :)

We covet your prayers for sleep, peace, and courage for a healthy and strong delivery!

Merry Christmas!

The 7th month - 28 weeks

27.5 weeks!

Well I have hit the 3rd trimester, ALMOST! We celebrate a new week every Thursday. Usually the pictures are at the very end of the night and in my opinion I always look very tired. Turns out when I take a morning picture, such as this, I look tired then too - shocking :)

I had a great 2nd trimester. Lots of energy, lots of working out, not a lot of swelling/edema. I slept fairly well being the light sleeper that I am. I have really enjoyed going to the gym 3-4 days a week since power walking leaves me incredibly sore. In fact, I decided to retry doing an extended walk to get outside and the next day I was convinced by midwife was going to put me on bedrest. She laughed and reassured me I had just sort of sprained or tweaked by pubic bone cartilage and to take it easy for a few days. To my husband's relief, I started to finally drink more water and pee a lot more at work! As for cravings there has not been anything particularily weird. I crave the naughty foods I always did, but just stronger....we try to resist but being married to a foodie is hard sometimes. I have really enjoyed pancakes a lot more than usual and mint flavored ice cream also.

We have been working A LOT on the baby room (previously was a pretty full office) and re-arranging lot of things/closests/bookshelves to make way for Baby J! My great sister, Katie, and I tackled registering in about 4-5 hours. About hour 5, in the bottle section at Target, I found myself shutting down and so we ended the even shortly thereafter. All in all she was VERY helpful, the best sister a girl could as for!

We are also in the middle of putting a bathroom in the basement and hopefully will have new carpet down there by December. We only have 1 bathroom and since its on the main floor and Caleb's clothes will be moving to the upstairds storage area once the baby is born, we thought a bathroom downstairs for him to get ready in would be nice....and a good selling point in a few years. Caleb has had his work cut out for him since he had to tear out closets, hutches, carpet, etc. down there. We thought about re-doing the lovely knotty-pine walls and ceilings, but decided "not now".

We have started birthing classes at Fairview Riverside, which we love. Caleb loves them too :) It is a great time of learning and time to focus on the baby amidst the busyness of life. We go every thursday at 6:30pm and eat Subway beforehand. Sometimes i get overwhelmed at the thought of this baby getting any bigger inside of me, let alone the thought that he is going to have to come out!

If you have been dying to know, we are having a BOY. Below is a picture of me about to go in for the US at 19 weeks. It was early!

It was pretty exciting. I will admit the thought of decorating and dressing a little boy took me awhile to get in to, but now we are just going with it and I think I have things mostly sorted out.

I "popped" out right at the middle to end of August and have not looked back since. I get a lot of comments from my patients, from my family, and people I even see week to week who say, "you look bigger than last week!" And, I would agree. I feel like this little guy is just sticking out and growing quite rapidly, but that is what he is supposed to do I think :)

In the last week I have noticed a little more fatigue and tiredness, a little more swelling in the fingers (but then again it was 80 this week/end), and a little more tossing and turning. The last weeks have brought out the "pregnancy brain", mostly at work, so my patients and I laugh about that too. I am going to try to work right unto labor ensues or my body gives out :) I do tend to push myself quite a bit, and still am doing the Elliptical, but I am trying to listen to my body to rest a bit more. Although I do enjoy my job, and it makes the time pass quickly, I am ready to take some time off. I will take the whole 12 weeks off, Lord willing, and then go back as a PA 3 days a week. We are deciding between 2 home daycares and would appreciate your prayers in just deciding which one, both have ups & downs.

Lastly, Baby J is growing just great, measuring fine, and VERY ACTIVE. He likes to poke and roll and expand and wiggle around. I really enjoy this about him because it is something you can feel, and lately, SEE! It just makes me laugh to see a bump come out of my stomach or feel him flutter across my belly. Caleb really enjoys this part too. Thankfully, Caleb has been able to feel him say "hi daddy" many, many times. We have just started thinking about names, but sorry, we aren't going to share what they are. Who knows, we might change our minds, but for now its the one secret left about the whole thing.

Caleb has been F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!!!! I didn't really know what to expect in regards to how he would process the whole pregnancy thing, but he has been incredibly supportive, helpful, understanding, and just plain fun to be with. Although I definitely cry more at things, I also laugh a lot more too and I like that. All in all it has been a wonderful experience with ups and downs along the way. We are so thankful to God that He is knitting this little peanut together all on His own. As I pray outloud for Baby J during my commute each morning I am reminded of how out of control we are in the growth of this little person's life. It is a good and early intro lesson about how this is God's child and we are here to love, nurture, and protect this little one for Jesus. May Jesus save him at an early age and may Baby J know without a doubt the incredible love of Jesus!

Some Positive News :)

Caleb and I are having a baby in early, early January!

The timing is very ironic for me because I have always claimed I would NOT have a December/January baby due to the forgotten birthday issues that arise. Oops!

We are excited, scared, busy with house projects, and surviving the longest run of busy schedules at work we have both ever had! I am generally feeling better at this point (+/-14 weeks), and am THANKFUL for that! I do miss the Feta and the wine, but all is well :)

We don't have any pictures yet as we just replaced our camera, and there's not much to show yet. So....here we go onto our next adventure in life: pregnancy, parenthood, infinity, and beyond!

I love my husband!

I love Caleb because he got up early on his "day off" (he is actually going in today to get ready for a work trip), and he shoveled AGAIN for me. He also scaped off the car AGAIN for me. He and a neighbor also shoveled me out and down the alley way so I could get to work. I called him once I got to work to give him another heart-felt "Thank You!", and I could hear the satisfaction in his voice when he said, "You're welcome baby." I love a man that shovels!

Ephesians 2

Last night we watched the movie "The Social Network", which is the film about the starting of Facebook.com. It was an interesting storyline, but it was painful to watch. Although it is a well done movie, good acting, etc., I couldn't ignore the majority visual backdrop/background of the movie: partying, under-aged drinking, dabauchery, sexual immorality, greed, and revenge.

Now, I am the first to say I can be an over-sensitive movie-watcher. I have a hard time separating the story from real life, and the aforementioned themes tend to literally cause emotional turmoil for me. What I am trying to say is that at times watching the movie raised my heart rate, upset my spirit, and made me angry and anxious. I literally have an emotional response. In fact, because I know this about myself, I don't watch a lot of TV or movies because I find I am so sensitive to the values I don't agree with in my heart. Some may say, "that's a good thing because you are not calloused to immorality around you." Others say, "you can't ignore the world and hide from it, you just have to filter it and just sort of laugh about it. How are you going to relate to 'the world' if you don't know what is going on in it."

But really that is not my point of discussion. Although, it actually is a good discussion to have and pray about.

What was more interesting was the post-movie conversation Caleb had with me about it (disclaimer: Caleb knows this about me and generally is careful about the movies we watch). He was not challenging me to just "get over it" and not to minimize my conviction or response to media; but he challenged me to pray about it and ask God what He wants me to do with my sensitivity. He asked me a few questions such as, "does it give you more compassion for the lost? Does it make you want to reach out more to your nonchristian friends? Does it cause you to be grateful for what Christ has done in your life and where you would be without Him?"

All good questions.

In the moment I was a little overstirred still, so I couldn't process it really well. Instead, I went to fold "the whites" on the couch. And then, in the middle of thinking about one particular extended party scene in the movie, the Holy Spirit brought to mind a passage of Ephesians 2 that I have recently memorized.

"For you were once dead in the transgressions and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air - the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom you also walked in the passions of your flesh, satisfying the desires of the body and mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind."

I could visualize right in the movie the prince of the power of the air movie through the scene.

But then, the Holy Spirit continued to move me to the next verse,

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions,made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved..."

It was a really sweet moment to remember that Satan is at work in this world, and there is a lot of ugly emptiness in it, but God can redeem us! He comes to us, who are usually not looking for Him, and He opens our eyes to Himself, to truth, and to the grace which He pours out. We can rest in that hope and I can be oh so grateful for His reign, love, and presence in my life.

"For my grace I, Kristie, have been saved through faith. And this is not of my own doing, but it is a gift from God, not from my own works, so that I may not boast."

As for my thoughts on the origin/motivation for the creation of www.facebook.com? Well, I still have to mull that one over still :)

Clarification

My sister pointed that I AM a homemaker, but it just doesn't always look like someone else's experience of being a wife. I think Caleb just meant, I am not a full-time-stay-at-home-homemaker :)

1 year later

Caleb and I will celebrate our 1st Wedding anniversary in a few weeks - crazy! We have had a full year of growing, changing, work, vacation, etc.

Things we did this year include:
- Cancun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- charleston
- Williamsburg
- time at the lakehome with Caleb's family
- bought a road bike for me
- caleb held his youngest baby yet (baby Joe in the Hospital)
- We visited Ben and Ama in Texas and Caleb changed his first diaper ever (he was supervised!)
- Went to Wicked
- Worked A LOT, learning to deal with our work schedules
- learned a little about plumbing and electricity
- argued about, built together, and maintained a garden
- Caleb put a small retaining wall in
- painted the kitchen
- finally bought new living room furniture
- hosted many social events
- small group
- involved with a small group re-building committee
- watched Caleb's fantasy football team score the most points but also have the most points scored against him (did I mention he told me that about 100 times)
- First Valentine's, thanksgiving, Christmas and New years together - oh those holidays and the juggling of time and expectations!!!!!
- celebrated by 30th with friends and family at Buca's and Caleb's 29th at the Gopher basketball game
- played on a broomball team
- spin class on Tuesdays together
- went from the Young adults to a Young Married group as of last week
- learned/learning/floundering at times with how to deal with conflict
- attended Holy Spirit conference in August
- went on lots of dates to restaurants caleb likes
- taught Caleb to sleep in a little
- set our budget, working on budget, updating on Quicken

So, it's been A LOT. We are very blessed. I think for me it has been a year of "doing" as a wife. On top of working/commuting 50 hours a week, I was working on cooking, cleaning, shopping, grocery shopping, meal planning, laundry, errand running, social calendar juggling, supporting caleb in his endevours, decorating, etc. I sort of hit a tired wall this Christmas season, at least by the end of it. I really love being at home and doing the "homemaker" thing. I really really do. But there is just not enough time to do work and home to the degree I would like to. Caleb always says, "Kristie, I know you want to do all these things like cook, crafty things, etc, but you work. You're not a homemaker." That has been really hard to accept and allow him to release me from things. I feel this compelling urge to get things done (Hello, Martha), but my heart's desire is to slow down. To rest a little, to be wiser with my time and energy. I need and desire to put more time into my relationship with Jesus, instead of the moments I throw at Him. You may have heard the quote, "too busy NOT to pray". It's one I believe in theory, but have a hard time living out. But, in all the doing of being a wife and a PA, a sister/daugher/auntie, a small group member, a church volunteer, and try to stay fit, I think the being part of me needs some more attention.

This year I would like to work on things like being more trusting in Jesus and less anxious. More patient and less worrisome. More joyful and less complaining. More prayerful for Caleb and less critical. I would like to be a better communicator with him also. I would like to work on building the walls of my spiritual house. I would like for us to work on becoming the "one" that God has in mind for us, and trust that although I can't always understand the means of that, I can trust His sovereignty get us to the perfect end by the perfect means.