HATCH Collection

I'm not quite there yet, but pretty soon,
I'll be in desperate need of some more maternity clothing.
And if I could have my dream maternity wardrobe...
it would probably be from Hatch.
Seriously, some of the most stylish maternity wear I have seen.

20 Week Update

How Far Along:
  20 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

  Baby is the size of a Banana!

Maternity Clothes:

I think it's about time to buy maternity jeans.

I can barely tolerate my belly bands.

Weight gain:
Gained another pound this week, so now I'm at a total of 9lbs gain.

Sleep:

Sleep has been a bit better since last week.

It's so crazy how one week I can be miserable,

yet the very next week I'm able to sleep much better.

I still toss and turn throughout the night from one side to the other,

so Micah doesn't sleep much. (hehehe)

Best Moment of the Week:

A stranger noticed (and commented) on me being pregnant!

I guess that means I'm showing. :)

 

Movement:

Little baby is still moving around in there.

But Micah has not been able to feel it from the outside yet.

Maybe in a few more weeks?

Food Cravings:

I'm not craving anything specific but there is one big change...

I'm hungry ALL THE TIME!

I swear, the moment I finish eating something,

my stomach starts growling again.

But the sad part about it is that nothing really satisfies me.

Sure, my stomach will stop growing,

but I don't leave feeling like what I just ate was amazing.

Gender:

Were having a girl!

Belly Button in or out:
In

Wedding ring on or off:
On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

The smell of cooking bacon still gets me at times.

What I miss:

Coffee. This was the first week where I really wanted a cup.

What I am looking forward to:

I'm really excited to start collecting baby things...

especially girly baby things!

Nursery:

We finally got it cleaned out and now we've begun the process 

of arranging the stuff we have collected so far.

I've started putting baby clothes away into the dresser

and Micah has been hard at work on repainting our changing table.

I'll post pictures when it's all finished!

 

Bed Rest Update:

I finished another book, The Looking Glass Wars.

I wouldn't waist your time reading it, it was kinda stupid. :(  

Now I've started reading the Anne of Green Gables Series...

I can't believe I never read these as a child!

My Week in Instagrams

This week was a good week.

Mostly because I can finally start to work on the nursery

since we know that we are having a little girl!

As I type this, Micah is working away at repairing

an old changing table that we found at an auction.

Just a little white paint and a few small "Jenn touches"...

and it will be just perfect!

Happy Sunday!

Team Pink

Bring on all things feminine,

were having a girl!

Disney Princesses

Ballet Recitals

Barbies and Paper Dolls...

This is going to be so much fun!

And Micah is going to be wrapped around her little finger.

 

Coral & Tusk

For the past couple weeks I have been working on a very cute Baby Registry on Amazon.
I love the fact that Amazon practically carries everything
and if there is something you find that you just love on some other site,
like Pottery Barn Kids (oh how dangerously cute their stuff is),
with just a click of a special Amazon Button on your toolbar
you favorite item can be automatically added to your amazon wish list.
Virtually letting you register for anything on the web at all!

Speaking of registering for anything...
I am LOVING the site Coral & Tusk!
I just might have to add a few items to my baby registry list.

19 Week Update

How Far Along:
19 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

  Baby is the size of a Mango!

Maternity Clothes:

In the past I have tried to wear something "cute"

when taking my weekly pregnancy update picture.

But today I thought to myself: "Forget that!" 

Let's be real for a minute.

My everyday attire looks a little something (okay a lot) like this...

Yoga pants, stretchy tee, wet hair in a bun, and minimal make-up.

Weight gain:
Since two weeks ago, I'm up to a total of 8lbs.

Sleep:

My hips are killing me.

Every morning my hips are throbbing so much from sleeping on my side all night

that it takes a couple hours for the throbbing to go away.

Any suggestions?

Best Moment of the Week:

Micah and I were able to do a few fun things this week...

 1. We went to a YWAM Staff Dinner

and I was able to wear a new Maternity dress that I bought.

2. Micah and I cooked a yummy dinner together for Valentines Day.

3. Micah and I were able to go to attend a "How To Host A Murder" Church Party,

which was a ton of fun and even though there were over a hundred people at the party,

each table of 8 played the game separately.

Here's a picture of Micah and I...

Movement:

YES!

I notice the baby moving now

at certain times each day.

Food Cravings:

Popcorn... very salty popcorn.

Gender:

Two more days till we find out!

Belly Button in or out:
In

Wedding ring on or off:
On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

Nothing new this week but I can finally eat chicken again!

What I miss:

Sleeping without being in pain all night.

What I am looking forward to:

Finding out if our baby is a boy or girl...

and then buying the cutest outfits.

Nursery:

Still looks like a mess, but were making progress.

And thanks to my talented friend Kelly,

I have my first piece of art to hang on the nursery wall.

Bed Rest Update:

I officially got the order from my midwife that I need to start "building up my strength"

after being on bed rest practically this whole time.

So what were her orders?

Take a walk around the block once a week.

I think I can manage that.

My Week in Instagram

This past week was my Birthday.

I will refrain from telling you my age, because it still shocks me when I think about it,

but lets just say that I'm old enough to have already considered botox

(and I'm not joking in the slightest).

 But Micah did treat me to a wonderful homemade breakfast, some awesome gifts,

and dinner out with friends to one of my favorite restaurants.

Happy Saturday!

My Obsession with TV Chefs

My obsession with the Food Network and the Cooking Channel started a long time ago.
I was house-sitting for a friend who had cable and got so sucked into these channels
that I literally spent hours upon hours watching one chef after another teach me how to cook.
I said to myself: "When I get my own house, I must have these two channels".
So, of course, we have both right now... I love it and I've learned so much.
But because I have this little obsession,
which has caused me to veg out for way to long in front of the TV
only to find that I'm really not cooking anything, just watching cooking(!)...
Well, I had to put some limitations on my TV Chef viewing.
I allow myself to only record a few shows that I am absolutely in love with.
One of these shows that has become a recent favorite of mine is...

The Little Paris Kitchen 

Here is a little blurb about the Chef of The Little Paris Kitchen:
"For the last year, this unconventional Cordon Bleu-trained cook (Rachel Khoo) and writer
has run the smallest restaurant in Paris from her charming little flat.
With only enough room to serve four guests,
it is here that she has perfected her special twists on classic French dishes...
Over six episodes, Rachel produces everything from simple suppers
to sumptuous patisserie and beautiful gourmet dinners."

Now I am just dying to get my hands on one of her cookbooks!

17 Week Update

How Far Along:
17 Weeks

Size of the Baby:

5 inches. Baby is the size of an Onion!

Maternity Clothes:

Still living in my maternity yoga pants (as you can see in the above picture).

But I'm shocked to see how my maternity yoga pants make my butt look huge and saggy.

The things one puts up with for the sake of comfort.

Weight gain:
Gained a half a pound. So now I'm at 5 1/2  total weight gain.

Sleep:
I haven't had to snack in the middle of the night this week,

but I feel like I wake up every hour to change positions.

Best Moment of the Week:

I was able to go on a women's retreat this weekend.

It was such a wonderful change from being at home most of the time

and I was able to catch up with many friends that I haven't seen in a while.

Movement:
I felt a small pop (kinda like a bubble popping) on Friday!!!

Such and exciting feeling, but I haven't felt anything since.

Food Cravings:

Brownies! I was craving them for days, yet I was too lazy to make them.

Thankfully my friend Mary made some for the Super Bowl... I was in heaven.

Gender:

I can't wait till February 20th gets here.

Belly Button in or out:
In

Wedding ring on or off:
On

Anything making you queasy or sick:

I found out the hard way that the baby does not like pizza.

This makes me very sad because it use to be one of my favorite things to eat.

What I miss:
During the women's retreat I wanted to join my friends in the Hot Tub.

I had to settle with just putting my feet in.

What I am looking forward to:

I am really anxious to feel more movement.

Nursery:

I found the cutest onesie set at Target that I just couldn't pass up!

Bed Rest Update:

Finished the book Rebecca (so good!).

Now I'm on the hunt for a new book... any recommendations?

A Great Expectation Wedding

I found pictures of this beautiful Great Expectation Wedding

on the talented Ginny Branch's Blog and completely fell in love.

And here is a magical 8mm video of the amazing wedding photo shoot.

Great Expectations | Super 8 Film from Chris Dekmar on Vimeo.

Before Midnight

If you grew up as a teen in the 90's, like me,

then you no doubt remember this movie...

Who could forget Jesse and Celine

and their one day romance that made every teenage girl

dream of one day being stuck in a record closet with Ethan Hawk.

 Am I right Ladies??

And then there was this sequel 9 years later,

where they spontaneously meet again.

Well, guess what...

they're back with their third film, Before Midnight.

Here is my dilemma...

I loved the first film, but I hated the second!

 So I'm plagued with the questions...

1. Will I even like the new movie?

2. Are the heavily wordy philosophical debates,

that are the signature behind this movie franchise,

even appealing outside of the 1990's.

3. Has my age and life experiences caused me to respond

to these "heavily wordy philosophical debates" with:

"No ones got time for that. I have dishes to do."

These are the questions I ask myself while I'm on "pregnancy rest".

I know, quite sad, but I've clearly ran out of things to do.

Winter

Isn't it true?
Watching the snow fall softly to the ground
is always so calming. 


Image Via: Tumblr

16 Weeks Pregnant

How Far Along:
16 Weeks

Size of the Baby:
Baby is the size of an Avocado!

Maternity Clothes:
Bought a few comfortable items from Old Navy:

Maternity yoga pants (such a comfort saver!)

Two cardigans (one shown in the pic above)

Weight gain:
Still at the 5lb marker.

Sleep:
Waking up at 3am to snack has began to be pattern.
And my dreams have been getting crazier...
no joke, I had a dream that I gave birth to a cat last night.
Not a cool dream at all.

Best Moment of the Week:
Micah and I went to a movie!

We saw "Silver Linings Playbook"... it was great by the way.

Movement:
Still not yet, but I am constantly waiting and hoping that it will be soon.

Food Cravings:
Fruit Leathers (in all flavors)

Pop Tarts (I finally caved and bought the real ones)

Fish Tacos (On the way to the movie

I made Micah stop and buy some at Taco del Sol

and they were amazing!)

Gender:
November 20th!

And, as of this week, we want to find out!

Belly Button in or out:
In

Wedding ring on or off:
On

Anything making you queasy or sick:
Chicken and Eggs are still out.

And now Bacon has started to taste sour to me.

What I miss:
To be honest, I would really love a glass of wine.

What I am looking forward to:
Feeling movement is still #1 on the list,

but I am also dying to know if it's a boy or girl!

Nursery:
Made some progress on removing all the xmas deco,

but we still have one more load to put in storage.

As soon as that is done I have a few "projects" for Micah to do on the Nursery.

Bed Rest Update:
Now that I'm feeling better, I've been able to enjoy reading again.

So far I finished "Between Shades of Gray" and I've started on "Rebecca".

My Week in Instagrams

It feels so good to be Instagraming again.

Or maybe I should say, it feels so good

to be feeling good enough to Instagram again.

And do you see that I'm posting food!

Yep, I've been cooking and slowly getting my appetite back.

Maybe one of these days I'll get enough energy to blog a yummy new recipe.

This week I was able to cook a two things...

Bean Stew with Fried Potatoes.

My mom use to cook this for our family when I was younger, 

and my grandma cooked it for my mom,

and my great grandma cooked it for my grandma... and so on and so on.

So, I think it's safe to say it's a family recipe and super delicious.

Cinnamon Pork.

My favorite Indonesian dish.

Well, let's be honest... it's the only Indonesian dish I have tasted,

but it's delicious none-the-less.

And it makes your house smell amazing when your cooking it.

 

 Have a great weekend!

Peter Rabbit for Gap

 From the moment Micah and I decided that we wanted a baby,

I knew that the Nursery had to have a Peter Rabbit Theme. 

I love Peter Rabbit... I love any Beatrix Potter Character.

And when I saw that Baby Gap has recently released

a Peter Rabbit inspired baby clothing line,

I knew I was in trouble. Like, serious financial trouble.

If we decide to find out early if our baby is a boy or girl, it's gonna be bad.

Because I already know what my first purchases will be...

Week 15

 
How Far Along:
15 Weeks

Size of the Baby:
Apx. 4 1/2 inches. The size of an orange!

Maternity Clothes:
I attempted to by some maternity clothing at Target on Sunday...
then I realized that their maternity section sucked!
So I bought a dress and a sweater two sizes too big from the "normal" section
and they are working out great so far.
I also bought two belly bands which are a life saver
since I can officially not even begin to zip my pants up anymore.

Weight gain:
5 lbs since my starting weight.

Sleep:
Becoming more uncomfortable.
I'm suppose to be sleeping on my sides as much as possible.
But half way through the night my hips are so achy
that I'm just dying to sleep on my back.

Best Moment of the Week:
Getting out of the house to go to the grocery store by myself
(it's been since before Thanksgiving since I've done that).

Movement:
Not yet. Maybe in a couple weeks.

Food Cravings:
I have finally been able to eat a bit more!
My "go-to" snacks are:
Dubliner Cheese
Dried Mangos
Celery & Peanut Butter
Raw Almonds
Peach Yogurt
Nacho Cheese Doritos
(guilty confession...
I ate a whole bag of Doritos by myself in two days...
and I don't regret it at all).

Gender:
Not till February 20th...
if we even decided to find out. 

Belly Button in or out:
In

Wedding ring on or off:
On

Anything making you queasy or sick:
Yeah, me and chicken are still not on good terms.
Eggs are now officially on my bad side too,
after indulging in way to many deviled eggs the other day.

What I miss:
I miss being able to go out and about during the day,
not being able to casually shop is killing me.
And I would love to be able to take Silas for a walk again.

What I am looking forward to:
Feeling the baby move.
I'm constantly trying to see if I feel anything. 

Nursery:
Finally got cleaned of the Xmas decoration explosion.

Bed Rest Update:
Found a new TV show obsession that kept me busy for 8 hours...
Sherlock (the BBC version), so addicting.
Thanks Jill for the recommendation!

Current Crush - Loafers

I'm totally crushing on these loafers...
or any loafers for that matter.
I can't wait till Spring and the snow melts
so I can go out and get some!

These are created by
Ele Unique & Handmade Leather Accessories

A Downton Wedding

I think it's pretty safe to say that we all are unashamedly obsessed with Downton Abbey.

And didn't you jump for joy when these two finally got married!
I expect to see many weddings with Downton themes this year
and many dresses just like Mary's.

 

Beginnings

I always imagined myself to be the type of pregnant lady who would not let things hold me back.
I would be the person who just kept going on with my normal life and enjoy every moments of it.
 This was what I had wanted for so long, why would I start to complain about it?
And don't worry, this is not going to be a complaining post about the woe's of being pregnant...
But when life happens in unexpected ways, you have to start throwing your "ideals" out the window.

We found out we were pregnant when I was 4 weeks along and at 7 weeks the complications began.
Nothing is more horrifying than hearing the doctor tell you that you could loose your baby.
Your miracle baby that you thought you would never have.
And to top that off, the doctors said that there was nothing that could be done to fix the complication.
 We were just left with the instructions to wait, rest, and pray.
Time would only tell if things would get better or worse.

So that is what I have been doing for the past 8 weeks. Yeah, that's almost 2 month.
I've practically been on bed/couch rest, unable to do not much more than read
or watch endless hours of Four Weddings and What Not To Wear (two highly addictive shows).
Emotions swaying from happy to sad, from hope to despair at any given moment of the day.

Not really what I had "planned" my pregnancy to be like.
But everyday that I wake up still pregnant, and as those days turn into weeks,
I praise the Lord that he has given me one more day.
And I pray that these weeks will turn into 40 weeks
and in July the Lord will bless us with a perfect healthy baby.

 I ask that you too stand in prayer with us.
That the Lord will heal the complications and in His perfect timing
give us the baby we truly hope for.

My Obsession with Gems

Over Christmas my family and I had a brief and very random conversation about gem stones.
We were trying to figure out all birthstones in the family,
which then lead to probably too much time
spent googling gemstones and ohhh-ing and awe-ing over their beauty.

One of my gem obsession right now is Green Onyx.
I had never even heard of this gem until a few days ago and now I am just in love!
Wouldn't you just love to be wearing one of those rings created by Delezhen.
Actually, I would probably wear any piece of jewelry at Delezhen.
Every item is seriously gorgeous.