What I've loved & What I am looking forward to.

(I am dressed here :)

What I've loved about pregnancy:

• The moment when Ted and I saw the positive pregnancy test.
• Knowing that I am carrying and taking care of someone so precious. A human being!
• Watching in amazement, our first ultrasound of our 10 week old baby squirming around.
• Watching my belly grow with each new week.
• The first time I felt the baby's movements at 13 weeks. No words could describe.
• Feeling my baby growing and his/her movements from within.
• Watching my stomach as he/she moved around.
• Watching my belly bounce up and down as he/she hiccuped.
• Spending a few minutes right before bed talking, singing and praying for our baby.
• Watching Ted kiss my belly and speak to the baby.
• Watching the baby respond to Ted's voice!
• Feeling the baby move when he/she heard me speak for the first time that morning.
• Preparing for our baby!
• The anticipation of not knowing when he/she will arrive and for me, not knowing the sex!
• How this has brought Ted and I even closer.

I will miss most of the above, so I've heard!

What I am looking forward to (with Baby):

• Holding my baby for the first time and many times after that.
• Snuggles with him/her.
• Singing to him/her face to face!
• Knowing if it's a him or a her!!
• Introducing our baby to the world.
• Watching as he/she grows.
• Documenting every little thing (you know me...)
• Baby's "first..." everything.
• Watching his/her personality develop.
• Watching him/her look more like mommy or daddy.
• Lying in bed with baby in between us.
• Spending time together as a family going for walks, picnics, outings...
• Introducing our baby to different cultures.

It's hard to narrow these down. Many more to come after the baby arrives, I'm sure!

What I am looking forward to personally:

• Sleeping on my tummy.
• Getting my figure back.
• Going for runs/walks with baby in the jogger.
• Having a bit of caffeine here and there. Dr. Pepper, ahhh.
• Eating sushi.
• Doing the early morning stretch without getting a charlie horse!
• Not having people stare at me like I am a traveling circus wherever I go.
• Seeing my bones again. Not having balloon hands, feet and face.
• Wearing my converse for the first time since March.
• Fitting back into the clothes that I now love so much. It's like Christmas!
• Being able to do things on my own again- the simplest things I need help with right now.

I could probably right a lot more in each category but this would be a novel! I wanted to write a blog like this before baby came and since baby is deciding to camp out a bit longer, why not write today?

Dreams, Dreams, Dreams.

Last night I had another boy dream, which now makes it 2 "it's a girl" dreams and 5 (maybe more now) "it's a boy" dreams. I specifically asked God to not tell me through a dream or a word and so far He's had a bit of fun messing with my mind, like Ted since they both know the sex.

So, I don't think the dreams mean anything, unless I'm having twins. Surprise! haha.

I dreamt that I went into labor and within an hour or two delivered a healthy 9 1/2 pound baby boy with blond hair and blue eyes. He came out with rolls and the mannerisms of a two month old. I remember the delivery was so fast that I wasn't able to get ahold of my mom in time and she missed it and was very upset. I had my family over and everyone was shocked at his size and how he already acted like a 2 month old or older. He could also already mimic people! I remember I was halling him around on my hip and thinking, when he is 6 months I won't be able to carry him! The funny thing was, when I woke up I realized the dream dissapointed me and I felt like I had missed out on the entire newborn stage. And then the dream made me incredibly emotional because I just want to HOLD my baby and not just in my dreams!

On friday morning worship, two of my friends came to me with dreams they had.

One of them said they dreamt they were hanging out with me and my water broke and I went into labor and delivered a healthy baby boy. Blond hair, blue eyes and ears that stuck out a bit!

The other friend told me that she dreamt I went into labor and forgot to call her (she is going to be in the delivery room). She said that I had a baby girl with dark hair!

See what I mean, God is messing with my mind. Two friends with two completely opposite dreams ;)

Do you remember the post about last sundays false alarm? That same morning, Ted had a friend of ours, who didn't know we had gone to the hospital, say that she dreamt I was going to have the baby on that day! I wish that were true!

All of this to say, I'd rather have the baby than the dreams, but I guess the dreams are making the anticipation even better. With Ted and I being complete opposites in looks...What on earth does our baby look like? I am thinking a girl with dark hair and dark eyes like me.

We shall see soon! I needed to write because of my anxious and wondering mind.

And the picture... what the heck right? A friend of mine tagged me in this photo on facebook. It made my day and I thought I would share. Plus since I am doing a 'dreams' blog, I thought it fit pretty well seeing I am definitely not on the cover of a Vogue magazine in real life ;)

Baby Season is Blossoming at YWAM.

I am number 5 in this baby season.

Meaning I have 4 prego ladies all due before me. In fact, we are all due within 1 month 1/2 of each other. That's kind of the way things work around here at YWAM. Babies come in waves! People are always joking that "it's in the water" during certain seasons. (I actually know of 16 people who are pregnant, but I am talking about the ones who I work with and live among right now.)

A part of me is excited that I am due last because it means a bit more time to prepare. What I'm saying is, I'm not quite ready for Baby E/C to arrive yet. I at least want one shower before the baby comes. Most importantly I want our baby to be at a healthy point when he/she comes!

Another part of me thinks I will be prego forever. I mean, I have to wait for 4 women to have their babies first! Slowly but surely this is starting to happen...

The number 3 in line (as if that means anything) had her baby LAST NIGHT! A boy with two older sisters! He is 3 1/2 weeks early and totally healthy. Here is baby #1 of the 5 coming!

Jereson Lavan Lange

They created his name, it means Jeremy's son, which I think is super cute!

(I think I will post pics of each new baby before ours. Because it's exciting!)

When I heard she was in labor, I kind of freaked out. I was super excited for her, but at the same time it made everything seem to just speed up for me. I know and have seen and heard that babies have a timing of their own. I think because this time I am actually pregnant and not that far from the finish line, that her having the baby totally brought me to a new place.

I am an array of emotions today! Excited because our little one will be here before we know it and totally nervous because as much as I have read, prepared and have been taught- I really have no idea what to expect! I am more excited than anything, but definitely can't deny the nervousness creeping in.

3 more momma's to go, one who is due any day and another who is due next week and one due two weeks before me. It's an exciting time, this baby season!

One thing I truly appreciate and I am thankful for is that out of the 5 of us, I am prego with my first baby. 3 are prego with their 2nd and one with her 3rd. Selfishly, I kind of like that side of things. Plus I can watch each of them in their pregnancies, deliveries, etc and learn! It's been a blessing to not walk this alone- most days!

I only say most days because I am the shortest one of us all, a whopping 5'1 and definitely began showing sooner and even now still have one of the largest baby bumps. My baby keeps growing out, out, out! Most days I love being prego with everyone, it's the days that 3 or more people comment on my size, that I want to hide away and be prego alone. Pathetic, I know ;)

Also... I have had 3 dreams since the beginning of pregnancy, that I had a baby boy. Last night I officially had my "it's a girl!" dream! (If you want to read about my entire dream, read below).

I asked God not to tell me through a word or picture or dream and so I really don't think He has. I mean, I've had both gender dreams. So unless I am carrying twins...haha :) We shall see in 7ish weeks or less!

Yikes & Hooray all at once. It's that kind of a day!

My dream from last night; 

I had our baby girl E and Ted and I were visiting my long time gf in WI, Danielle and her new baby boy Landen. We were heading somewhere and Ted had the baby in the carseat and he told me that I needed to feed her. When I took the blanket off, I realized Ted had already learned how to swaddle her in a swaddle travel blanket and that melted my heart. When we arrived at Danielle's house later, I saw a mirror and was thrilled to see my waist and how "skinny" I look in comparison to my baby bump and then I lifted my shirt and saw my belly was just hanging and freaked out. That's my dream. Haha!